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Below is a list of the 17 knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs) related to Interim Teaching Certification in Alberta. Each KSA is linked to a certain page in my portfolio, which demonstrate examples or evidence of my ability to achieve each requirement. I have provided explanations of this evidence below each KSA.
As situations warrant, teachers who hold an Interim Professional Certificate are expected to demonstrate consistently that they understand:
a) Contextual variables affect teaching and learning. They know how to analyse many variables at one time, and how to respond by making reasoned decisions about their teaching practice and students’ learning.
- I have linked this KSA to my Lesson Planning page. I believe that when viewing the lesson plans that I have featured, as well as many others lessons that I have planned, it is evident that they are very focused on the context with which they were planned in/for. For example, I taught the Hearing and Sound Unit for Grade 3 Science in both PSI and PSIII, but my plans for these units were quite different, due to the different contexts that I was teaching in. A lesson from when I taught this unit in PSIII is featured on the Lesson Planning page.
b) The structure of the Alberta education system. They know the different roles in the system, and how responsibilities and accountabilities are determined, communicated and enforced, including the expectations held of them under the Certification of Teachers Regulation, A.R.3/1999 as amended and their school authority’s teacher’s evaluation policy.
- I have linked this KSA to my Practicum Evaluations page. I believe that the formative and summative evaluations from all of my practicums demonstrate my growing understanding of the structure of the Alberta Education system and what it means to be a certified and qualified teacher in Alberta.
c) The purposes of the Guide to Education and programs of study germane to the specialization or subject disciplines they are prepared to teach. They know how to use these documents to inform and direct their planning, instruction and assessment of student progress.
- I have linked this KSA to my Unit Planning page, as my detailed and well thought out unit plans that are featured on this page demonstrate that I am capable of using both the Guide to Education and various Programs of Study to inform and direct my planning, instruction, and assessment in various subject areas.
d) The subject disciplines they teach. They have completed a structured program of studies through which they acquired the knowledge, concepts, methodologies and assumptions in one or more areas of specialization or subject disciplines taught in Alberta schools.
- I have linked this KSA to my Unit Planning page. I believe that the unit plans that I have featured on this page demonstrate that I understand and am knowledgeable in the subject areas that I teach.
e) All students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways. They know how (including when and how to engage others) to identify students’ different learning styles and ways students learn. They understand the need to respond to differences by creating multiple paths to learning for individuals and groups of students, including students with special learning needs.
- I have linked this KSA to my Lesson Planning page. In the lessons found on this page, it is evident that I have accommodated different learning styles and students needs. By doing so, my students are able to find success and learn the material that I am teaching them, in their own unique way.
f) The purposes of short, medium and long term range planning. They know how to translate curriculum and desired outcomes into reasoned, meaningful and incrementally progressive learning opportunities for students. They also understand the need to vary their plans to accommodate individuals and groups of students.
- I have linked this KSA to the general Planning page. Under this tab, my lesson planning, unit planning, and long range planning can be viewed. All of the evidence that I have featured on these pages demonstrate that I understand how to translate the curriculum of various subjects into short, medium, and long range plans.
g) Students’ needs for physical, social, cultural and psychological security. They know how to engage students in creating effective classroom routines. They know how and when to apply a variety of management strategies that are in keeping with the situation, and that provide for minimal disruptions to students’ learning.
- I have linked this KSA to my Classroom Management page. On this page, there are various classroom management strategies that I have utilized, mainly in an elementary setting. These strategies show that not only do I care about my student's security, but that I also am able to effectively manage a classroom, maximizing student comfort and learning.
h) The importance of respecting students’ human dignity. They know how to establish, with different students, professional relationships that are characterized by mutual respect, trust and harmony.
- I have linked this KSA to my Recognition page, which demonstrates various tokens of praise and acceptance from past students and mentor teachers. I think that these artifacts show that I am able to build rapport with students and they are able to trust and respect me as their teacher.
i) There are many approaches to teaching and learning. They know a broad range of instructional strategies appropriate to their area of specialization and the subject discipline they teach, and know which strategies are appropriate to help different students achieve different outcomes.
- I have linked this KSA to the general Planning page of my portfolio. I believe that the various artifacts under these tabs demonstrate that I utilize many different instructional strategies in my planning and teaching. These strategies vary according to many factors, including student needs, as well as the different subjects that I teach.
j) The functions of traditional and electronic teaching/learning technologies. They know how to use and how to engage students in using these technologies to present and deliver content, communicate effectively with others, find and secure information, research, word process, manage information, and keep records.
- I have linked this KSA to my Technology Portfolio that I created in PSI. This portfolio demonstrates a couple of ways to integrate technology into teaching and learning.
- If you click here, it will take you to my Assessment in PSIII page. On this page under the formative heading, there is a short explanation about a review game that integrated technology into student's learning. The use of this online game also demonstrates my ability to demonstrate and achieve this KSA.
k) The purposes of student assessment. They know how to assess the range of learning objectives by selecting and developing a variety of classroom and large scale assessment techniques and instruments. They know how to analyse the results of classroom and large scale assessment instruments including provincial assessment instruments, and how to use the results for the ultimate benefit of students.
- I have linked this KSA to the general Assessment page. Under this tab, various assessment artifacts that I have both created and utilized are featured, along with explanations of their importance, relevancy, and success. These assessments tools demonstrate my ongoing efforts to become better and better at assessing my students.
- If you click here, it will take you to my PSIII Professional Inquiry Project page, where you will find further evidence on my ability to achieve this KSA.
l) The importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully, in all aspects of teaching and learning. They know how to develop and implement strategies that create and enhance partnerships among teachers, parents and students.
- I have linked this KSA to my Assessment in PSI page. On this page, I have featured some assessment evidence that demonstrates my efforts to include parents in preparing their child for an exam. By including parents in their child's learning
m) Student learning is enhanced through the use of home and community resources. They know how to identify resources relevant to teaching and learning objectives, and how to incorporate these resources into their teaching and students’ learning.
- I have linked this KSA to my Assessment in PSIII page. On this page, you will find a Science assignment that involved students making their own musical instruments. While they did not build this instrument at home, they used resources from their home and community in order to construct their instruments. My inclusion of this collaborative and hands on project shows my ability to achieve this KSA.
n) The importance of contributing, independently and collegially, to the quality of their school. They know the strategies whereby they can, independently and collegially, enhance and maintain the quality of their schools to the benefit of students, parents, community and colleagues.
- I have linked this KSA to my PSIII Professional Inquiry Project, as a requirement of this project is that it needs to benefit your teaching context. Upon the completion of my project, I will leave a copy of it with my school, in order for future student or new teachers to utilize and add to as they gain teaching experience and knowledge regarding summative assessment. With this increased knowledge of summative assessment, students, parents, and colleagues will all benefit.
o) The importance of career-long learning. They know how to assess their own teaching and how to work with others responsible for supervising and evaluating teachers. They know how to use the findings of assessments, supervision and evaluations to select, develop and implement their own professional development activities.
- I think that this KSA could be linked to the entire portfolio. Every aspect of the space is based on the idea of constant growth and development, in other words, career-long learning. I have linked this KSA to my Professional Inquiry Project, as its core topic is based on the idea of taking advice and knowledge from experienced teachers and turning it into a form of professional development.
- If you click here, it will take you to the general Growth page of my portfolio. Under this tab, you will find various goals that I have set and reflected on throughout my practicum, which reflect the idea of career-long growth, improvement, and learning.
p) The importance of guiding their actions with a personal, overall vision of the purpose of teaching. They are able to communicate their vision, including how it has changed as a result of new knowledge, understanding and experience.
- I have linked this KSA to my Teaching Philosophy page. On this page, I outline my key teaching beliefs, thoughts, and future intentions. My philosophy of teaching demonstrates that I guide my teaching, planning, and actions with an overall vision of what kind of teacher I want to be and how I want to treat my students, and recognize that this vision grows and changes with time and experience.
q) They are expected to achieve the Teaching Quality Standard.
- My links of the KSAs to various artifacts throughout my portfolio, as well as my explanations of these links, demonstrates my ability to achieve the Teaching Quality Standard.