Title of Experience/Artifact:

Date Experience Completed:

School of Education Portfolio

University of Wisconsin Platteville
Artifact Reflection
Praxis Results, Disability Research Assignment, Adapted Aquatics
Lesson Plan
Fall 2015

Describe your educational experience/artifact:

For this teaching standard I decided to use three artifacts that demonstrate my understanding on
teaching concepts; my praxis test scores, my Disability Research Assignment and a lesson plan from my
adapted aquatics. I passed my Praxis exam in December 2014. The Praxis exam tested my knowledge on
specific content areas related to physical education and health education. The Praxis exam must be
completed and passed before moving on in the physical education program. My second artifact is my
Disability Research Assignment where I did extensive research on ADHD and how it may effect students
in the classroom, along with providing examples of modifications for class. I presented this to my college
peers in the form of a webquest. My third artifact is a lesson plan from adapted aquatics were I had the
opportunity to work directly in the pool with a student who has autism. Within this lesson I have provided
specific cues and modifications to encourage learning based around what the student likes.
Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment

I believe these artifacts best aligns with Standard 1: Content Teachers know the subjects
they are teaching. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures
of the disciplines she or he teachers and can create learning experiences that make these aspects
of subject matter meaningful for pupils. Standard 1 of the Wisconsin Teacher Development and
Licensure Standards states: The teacher understands how children with broad ranges of ability
learn and provides instruction that supports their intellectual, social, and personal
development. I chose these three artifacts for teaching standard one because I believe they
really exemplify my competency in this standard. The Praxis results show the specific scores that
I received to be eligible to move on as a physical educator. These test scores represent my
knowledge health and physical education content. The next artifact I chose was the disability
research assignment that I created in an adapted aquatics class. This research assignment shows
my competence in adapted physical education. I presented my research to the class in the form of
a webquest. For my last artifact I have also included a lesson plan from my adapted aquatics
course. This lesson plan shows how I can develop subject matter that uses modifications to be
meaningful for pupils.

UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions Alignment

I believe these artifacts align with KSD1.b. DEMONSTRATES KNOWLEDGE OF

STUDENTS The candidate displays knowledge of the typical developmental characteristics,
learning styles, skills, interests, developmental backgrounds, and cultural heritages of students
and is always aware of the broad ranges and variety present for each of these student
characteristics and lifestyles. I believe these artifacts exemplify how I have researched a
specific disability and developed a lesson to provide a variety of learning techniques based on
the students specific lifestyle or developmental characteristics. These artifacts showed me how
to always be aware of the different ranges of skills and learning, this gave me an opportunity to
think outside of the box and include some new visual items in the lesson plan to encourage
positive student outcome.

I believe these artifacts also align with KSD3.e. DEMONSTRATES FLEXIBILITY AND
RESPONSIVENESS The candidate has the ability to make appropriate adjustments to his/her
instruction and accommodates students' questions and interests while being aware of student
differences and difficulties, and can use a wide range of resources and strategies to meet all
students' needs in the classroom. I aligned this KSD with standard one because my artifacts
show how I am able to create flexible accommodations for students with difficulties or special
interests. These artifacts also show my ability to research a wide range of resources that help
improve students needs. After creating these artifacts I feel very confident in planning lessons
using a wide range of resources for students with adaptations.
Explain what you learned about teaching/learning from this experience:

Within these experiences, I discovered how important it is to find reliable and credible
resources. Finding reliable resources helped me create the best disability research assignment
possible. In order for my lesson plan to be successful, I needed to think outside of the box to
create ideas and concepts that would help my student with autism have a better chance of
understanding lessons in the pool. Which is why in the lesson plan I used laminated cue cards
with my students favorite animals and brought along items that they found interesting. I also was
able to understand my overall knowledge behind physical education and health education content
after taking the praxis exams. After taking these tests I felt I had a better understanding in which
classes I excelled in during my time at UW-Platteville.
Explain what you learned about yourself as a prospective educator as a result of this
experience/artifact:

From these experiences, Ive learned that I have to always remember to leave room for
myself to develop and become creative. I realized that keeping an open mind for new creative
ideas can only help me prosper as a teacher. This experience has helped me improve not only on
flexibility skills but also my responsiveness skills, with these artifacts, I made sure that the
student had the best possible chance for growth. I believe as future educators we need to
approach the classroom ready to learn something new every day from our students, this will help
keep us on our toes and put us into the mode of always researching new ideas to introduce in the
classroom.