Standard+I

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
 * 1. **** Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity **
 * a. ** promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
 * b. ** engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
 * c. ** promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
 * d. ** model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

When I am planning for classroom instruction I consider many things including the learning style of my students, state standards, time, materials that I have available including technology resources. I also try to incorporate higher level thinking skills when I am questioning my students throughout the lesson.
 * 1. List all that goes into planning for classroom instruction. **

I incorporate a lot of reading and writing in the activities I plan with my students because this is an area in which most of my students struggle. I also try to incorporate hands-on activities so that my students are actively engaged in their learning. I do not like it when they are passive learners and I am doing all the work. I like to plan activities where my students will be working collaboratively to complete a project so that they can learn to work with others to solve problems. I like to give my students choices in the projects they have to complete so that they can find one that matches their learning style.
 * 2. List the types of projects and activities you use with your students. **

A lot of the activities that I plan have students working collaboratively together. I think it is important for students to learn the skills of collaborating and teamwork. I also try to include as many authentic assessments as I can because I think they are more meaningful for the students and the students seem to get more out of these experiences.
 * 2a. Do your planned projects and activities include any of the following: project-based learning, authentic activities, higher order thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity and innovation, and use of digital tools and resources? List all that apply. **

**3. List at least 3 ways that you can improve or would like to grow with regard to planning.** In regards to planning, I would like to incorporate more technology into my lesson plans. When I use this with my students they seemed to be more engaged in the lesson. I would also like to plan more authentic assessments because I believe that they have a bigger impact on the students. The third way that I would like to improve with regard to lesson planning is to be conscious when planning my lessons that I incorporate higher level thinking skills and push my students to think at a higher level.

The NET standards and the technology coordinator for the district can help me grow in the technology part of planning my lessons. The principal and my colleagues will be good resources to use when looking for more authentic assessments that I could incorporate into my lessons. Blooms taxonomy and being conscious of the higher leveling thinking skills can help me improve my questioning when planning my lessons. I could have a checklist that lists the higher level thinking skills and then check each time I ask my students to use them in a unit of study.
 * 4.List resources that can help you grow in this strategy. **

Planning for classroom instruction is very important and incorporates a lot of different things. I believe it is important to plan meaningful lessons that incorporates collaboration among students and engages students in authentic tasks that allow students to be creative and demonstrate what they have learned. Three ways that I would like to grow with regard to planning is to incorporate more technology into my lessons, add more authentic assessments, and be conscious when planning to incorporate higher level thinking skills. I think these three things will make my teaching more meaningful and have my students actively engaged throughout my lesson.
 * Summary Statement for Strategy 1 **