Professional Portfolio Artifact(s) Reflections

Cover Sheet
PLO 1: Develop and implement strategies that promote partnerships between programs, teachers,
families, and their communities.
List of Artifacts to be addressed in this reflection:
Domain Observation
DRDP !elect portions"
Pla# $ssa#
%itle && Observation
I. Explanation: What specific knowledge, skills, and belief systems
do I have that demonstrate my competence for this PL!
Completing the child development courses has made me more knowledgeable about
observing and assessing childrens development. I know that childrens play plays an
important factor in their development. When children are engaged in pretend play
with one another, they are often acting out aspects of their lives, this can be
important in working out problems they are going through. When children are
running, jumping, and playing with each other, they are developing their gross motor
skills and muscle development, learning how to work in a team, and cooperatively
with each other. I had believed that childrens play was important, but I have a
deeper understanding of just how important childrens play is in the development of
children physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.
I am confident that I can use the DD!s to asses where each child is
developmentally. I believe the DD!s are an important tool to show how each child
has been developing through the year, and a good way to asses where each child is
developmentally so that teachers can plan curriculum and activities that help
children to develop further. I feel it is a good way to show parents and guardians of
children in the classroom how their child is developing.
I am able to implement the "itle ## regulations in the classroom. I am able to relate
situations in the classroom back to the regulations in terms of knowing what
procedures to follow with an injured child, a sick child, ways to maintain the
classroom and the outside playground, and nutrition information to give the children
a healthy snack or meal.
II. "rowth: #ow do these artifacts demonstrate my growth in
knowledge and skill!
When I first did the domains assignment in C$D% &''( Child )rowth and
Development, I was learning about the different ways children are developing. $ow
they develop their gross and fine motor skills, their cognitive development, seriation,
and symbolic representation. I felt that I learned *uite a bit after observing my niece
who had just turned three years old. I gained more knowledge of these domains in
C$D% &+'( ,bservation and -ssessment. In the observation and assessment class
I learned about the DD!s and how to observe a childs development using them.
In my Domains observation paper I demonstrated my growth by adding DD!
measures, in red ink, into my different domain observations.
"he first time I did the DD!s It took me several times of looking through each
measure over and over, to find an observation, work sample, or picture that went
with a measure. While being in the classroom during my #&' practicum, I have found
myself constantly associating daily observations I make of the children during their
work and play, with some DD! measures that I can now remember without looking
it up. In the DD! measures that I have included in my portfolio, I have shown that I
can use different means of making observations of a child for a DD! measure.
.efore Writing the essay on play, I understood that play was important for childrens
development. "aking C$D% &&'( !rinciples and practices of teaching young
children, I was helped with specific sources and books to reference while making
observations of children during play and how it helps children to develop physically,
socially, and cognitively. /ince taking this class, I have made more observations that
I have added in my paper, in red ink, to show how childrens play is important and
encourages their development.
I first did the "itle ## assignment in C$D% &0#( $ealth /afety and 1utrition. I first
had a hard time finding observations of children and their classroom environment to
associate with the "itle ## regulations. -fter getting more familiar with the "itle ##
manual I was able to implement the "itle ## regulations in the classroom during my
student teaching. I have included my growth in red in, in certain sections of the "itle
## assignment.
III. $pplication: #ow am I going to b%ild on the knowledge and skills
that are demonstrated &In other words, what are yo%r next steps!' and
how will the knowledge, skills, or belief systems be integrated into my
f%t%re teaching practice.
I feel that I am increasing my knowledge in the DD!s and the "itle ## regulations,
but I would like to continue practicing them and going over the "itle ## regulations. I
want to implement a play based curriculum in my future classroom because I feel
this is the best way for young children to grow and develop. I will asses each child in
the classroom using the DD!s so I can plan curriculum based off of childrens
needs and interests.
I will stay current with developments in the field by attending conferences and
continuing to go to school. I recently attended a conference on promoting *uality
childcare and the 2niversity of 3a %erne. -t the conference the opening keynote
speakers, Donna !orter and D.4. .atiste, talked about conscious discipline. I
enjoyed their speech and want to attend more conferences and workshops where I
can learn more about conscious discipline. -lso at the conference I attended a
workshop, 5/trengthening /ocial 6motional )rowth Competency "hrough /tories7 I
really enjoyed the conference and plan on attending many more in the future.