Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 5. USING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD MEANINGFUL CURRICULUM
Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of
academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote
positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates
understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content)
disciplines in early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools,
and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources
to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources
to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes
comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child. (NAEYC
2010)

Brief Description of Evidence:

During the fall of 2015 I created ten math and science learning center activity kits to be
used for hands on learning in a variety of settings such as small group time, one on one
assessments, learning centers, and send home activities. Each kit was developmentally
appropriate for pre-school through third grade including foundations to correlate with the
kit.

Analysis of What I Learned:

When I was creating each hands-on activity I learned to make sure the activity developed
critical thinking. Hands on activities support problem-based approaches to learning by
focusing on the experience. I also learned that when creating activities for students it is
important to encourage communication to build vocabulary. Hands on activities enable
students to discuss, and explain processes when they can visually see it .

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC

Standard:
By creating developmentally appropriate hand-on activity kits I used Howard Gardners
theory of multiple intelligences. I am competent that when I create learning center
activities they will foster the development of each of the students multiple intelligence
and allow them opportunities to build on and expand their strengths. When creating
centers I will include verbal, logical, musical, visual, kinesthetic, and interpersonal areas.
By doing this it will allow the students to build on their strongest assets, and expose
them to a variety of ways to learn.