Artifact: Numeracy Research Package

I understand standard 6 as one which guides educators to have a varied yet strong pedagogical foundation behind the material taught and the method of implementation.  In combination with a thorough knowledge on the specific subject matters being taught, educators can make knowledgeable and informed decisions with a strong theoretical or experiential basis.  It is through this way that educators are able to ensure the best possible learning experience for students.

The artifact that best represents this standard is a research package that I produced with a partner on the topic of teaching mathematics.  First of all the package lays out the ministry prescribed learning outcomes.  Then it draws on various forms of research and theory that suggests reasoning behind different approaches to teach math.  Finally, it provides concrete examples of how math lessons could possibly look like when the theory is put together with ministry objectives.  The research package exemplifies the aspects of having a broad knowledge base in utilizing theoretical grounding as well as showing an understanding of the subject area in the form of displaying ministry PLOs and possible methods of implementation.

I believe that this artifact is one of the many instances which have shown me the importance of basing teaching upon established and well-researched theory.  Looking back to the beginning of the year, I now realize that I unknowingly learned this through multiple assignments and readings.  This research package was yet another one of these assignments which gradually consolidated my knowledge of teaching on research and theory.  As a result, my approach to teaching has evolved considerably into viewing teaching as planning towards completing or going beyond the PLOs and using pedagogy as a means towards accomplishing that.

My goal towards being an educator is not only to know the content being taught and using a teaching method to transfer this knowledge of the subject matter to students, but to use theoretical knowledge to make decisions on teaching.  It is just as important to firmly know why I’m teaching this material, why I’m employing a particular implementation method, why I’m assessing using a particular method, and why students respond to my decisions the way they do, as knowing the PLO aims for each student in my class and the knowledge that they need to attain in order to reach those goals.   This is where an in-depth understanding of a broad variety of educational theory will allow me to answer all the “why” queries and thus result in effective choices being made.  To accomplish this I will strive to consistently and continue to read research and theories related to the profession of education.  Even more practically, I will undoubtedly attend workshops and professional development seminars to keep updated to new developments in the field of education.  This, I feel will broaden my knowledge on the what, how, and why we teach any particular lesson.