I teach a range of courses that facilitate learning for students beginning in their first semester of their first year, all the way through the final clinical experience for Student Teachers. Each course has its own purpose and personality, but I try to incorporate some core design elements across the courses so students get more exposure to and experience with these techniques. Four of these elements include: Wikibi, Constructivist Course Design, Experiential and Adventure Methodologies, and Authentic Assessment Experiences.

Wikibi – a “living” course document that changes as the true personality of the class emerges and as the needs of the students become evident. This is used as a means for modeling differentiated instruction, as well as giving students a stake in the scope and sequence of the class.

Constructivist Course Design – a strategy where several elements of the learning plan are intentionally left open, and the class is tasked with developing these key curriculum features based on their personal interests and the global vision of the class.

Experiential and Adventure Methodologies – students engage in a variety of non-traditional community-building experience ranging from individual to whole group participation. These experience help to develop individual and group goals, as well as establish the norms and expectations for self, group, and teacher performance.

Authentic Assessment Experiences – students are asked to create work for a wider audience beyond the walls of our classroom. While I may grade the assignments, there ultimate audience is the world outside our classroom. Students are implored to interact with the authors of our texts, as well as with students, teachers, and parents for whom many of their projects are designed to benefit. Below is a collection of assessments used throughout my courses. These experience represent my commitment to using engaging, innovative, and authentic strategies when assessing student understanding and critical thinking. While each course contains multiple assessments, these give a glimpse into the philosophy I use to shape student learning experiences.