1 Running head: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Content Knowledge
Renae Alston
Regent University

Content Knowledge

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

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To teach students in todays heavily laden standard driven education system, teachers
need to understand subject matter profoundly and amenably so they can help students create
beneficial cognitive maps, relate one idea to another, and address misconceptions. Teachers need
a profound understanding of how ideas connect across content areas and to everyday life. This
kind of understanding provides a foundation for pedagogical content knowledge that enables
teachers to make ideas accessible to others (Shulman, 1987).
Yet, the idea of content knowledge goes beyond the fundamental knowledge of the
content possessed by the teacher. In order for students to grasp the concepts being presented by
the teacher, the teacher must be able to relay the content in a manner that is suitable for the
students being taught in their instruction. Comprising the variety of teaching acts, instruction
includes: management, presentations, interactions, group work, discipline, humor, questioning,
and discovery and inquiry instruction. In the end, it doesnt matter what the teacher knows it only
matters if the teacher is able to convey that knowledge to her students.
Subtraction means Less
Teaching subtraction to kindergarteners proved to be a more difficult than anticipated and
required reflection on the best practices and what is developmentally appropriate for children
ages five and six. Working under the Virginia Standard of Learnings;

K.6- The student will model subtracting whole numbers, using up to ten concrete
objects
K.4- The student will count backwards from ten
K.2-Counting orally and writing numbers

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the students used bi-color counters in order to solve simple subtraction problems. The previous
lessons consisted of the students crossing out the number being subtracted via pictures that were
printed on a worksheet. This lesson used a different method to convey the same concept of
subtraction previously taught. Students of this age benefit from being able to work with and
manipulate concrete objects. For them it makes the learning of a concept real and sets the
premise that will foster deeper understanding of the concept later on.
Additionally, this lesson was a remediation lesson as the first day did not go as smoothly as
hoped. The first day was counting out counters and then subtracting a certain amount. However,
what I learned is that not every concrete object is going to be as effective as the next. The first
objects were made of paper and were easily being lost and miscounted. Having this issue clouds
the line of whether the students know the concept or are they haggling with the manipulatives.
Upon reflection, it was determined that an extra day may be necessary to solidify subtracting
concepts.
Conclusion
At the heart of effective content teaching is the teachers pedagogical content knowledge.
The development of pedagogical content knowledge is influenced by factors related to the
teachers personal background and by the context in which he or she works. Pedagogical content
knowledge is also deeply rooted in the experiences and assets of students, their families and
communities and will change according to the settings. If we are to improve the quality of
teaching and learning in critical core content areas, we need to resist some dated teaching
practices. Instead, we should acknowledge the needs of our students and what works best for
them. Furthermore, we need to expand on the ideas of experts to further our own expertise in the
area of content knowledge to best serve our students.

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References
Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard
Educational Review, 57 (1), 1-22.