Artifact Reflection

Educational Intern for the Bettendorf Family Museum

Date: Summer 2013 and 2014
Artifact Description:
The attached artifacts include the July 2013 City of Bettendorf, IA Newsletter
showing that I was hired as an intern for the Bettendorf Family Museum and a
lesson plan I made for an activity for children and parents to participate in while
exploring the Dora the Explorer exhibit. As an educational intern I was part of
rotations on the gallery floor helping kids learn and keeping the area safe. I also
supervised and ran the art room as part of a rotation. In my second summer, I
oversaw the first year interns and lead intern meetings. The children that came in
ranged from toddlers to adolescents. For example, some children came with their
families and we also averaged three groups a day from daycares, YMCA, religious
camps, Boys and Girls Club.
Alignment Reflection
Wisconsin Teacher Licensure Standard Alignment:
This artifact best aligns with Standard 10: Teachers are connected with other
teachers and the community- The teacher fosters relationships with school
colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students
learning and well-being.
The Bettendorf Family Museum plays a big role in the lives of the youth in the
community. Families and groups come from miles away to spend their day learning
at the museum. The mission of the museum is to inspire, connect, and strengthen
the community by enriching the lives of its children today and expanding their
capacity to shape their future. As an intern, I got to assist in educating the
communitys youth. Working at the museum allowed me to connect with thousands
of children and their families. For example, the children are from the community I
live in and it is important the be in active member of my community. This internship
showed me what the families in the community value and allowed me to be engaged
in these community members lives. Another big part of this opportunity was
collaborating with fellow interns and museum educators. Everyday we worked
together to come up with movement and art activities. We discussed effective
solutions to dealing with misbehaved children and unusual situations that would
arise. We were a team on the floor; always helping our teammates teach children
about the exhibits, monitoring safety concerns, and doing any little task we could to
benefit the effectiveness of the team. During my level two internship, the interns
worked together to come up with activities that incorporated learning standards to
enhance child learning and give parents examples of ways to help their children
learn these standards.
As a result of my experience at the Bettendorf Family Museum I have become an
active member of the community that I live in. I have collaborated with many people

that I got the chance to work with and I connected to the various families and youth
groups that came to learn at the museum. I know the importance of learning from
other educators and from community members to support students learning and
well-being.
UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Alignment
This experience best aligns with KSD4.e: Grows and develops professionally- the
candidate is aware of opportunities for professional development to improve
content knowledge and pedagogical skill and can take an active role in assisting
other educators.
The Bettendorf Family Museum gives education majors the opportunity to interact
with the children of the community. By working with the museum staff, I was able
to enhance my teaching skills by working with multiple age groups and learning
abilities. This internship provided many opportunities to work with multiple
educators of different experience levels and help each other grow. As a result, I
learned how to collaborate effectively with all these different people that each bring
something unique to the table. I also learned how to have my own voice and be
confident about sharing my opinions to a group that is far more experienced than
myself. The museum educators taught me how to use a variety of questioning
techniques, among other strategies, to best teach children.
Secondary KSDs:
KSD4.c. Communicating with families
KSD4.f. Showing Professionalism
KSD3.b. Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
Personal Reflection:
What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience:
My internship at the Family Museum allowed me to collaborate with other
educators and together we strived to provide the best learning opportunities for our
communitys youth. I learned how to be a positive and active member of the
museum staff. I learned through collaboration how to best reach the children of this
community.
What I learned about myself as a prospective educator as a result of this
experience:
The impact that this internship made on me as a prospective teacher was greater
than I could have imagined. I realized the importance of understanding the
community in which our students live and the value of other educators ideas. It also
provided many opportunities for me to interact with children and use different
strategies to grow as an educator. I learned through working with others the value
of each persons experiences and how to combine peoples ideas to make the most
successful experience for the families that visit the museum.