Kimberly Skeadas

1
Kimberly Skeadas

• Vision and Philosophy of
• Curriculum Development

2
Mission Statement

• My mission, as an educator, is to guide students
  to achieve their highest level of learning.
  This can be accomplished using a curriculum that
  adheres to state standards, supports
  differentiated instruction, cooperative learning,
  and collaborative teaching methods (J. Struyde
  J. Miles, personal communications, March, 2006).
  Teachers should provide students with life-long
  tools that allow them to better express
  themselves and increase their use of higher-order
  thinking skills. Developing these skills
  promotes transfer (Ormrod, 2004, p. 166), the
  ability to apply strategies in other content
  areas inside and outside of the classroom.

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My Beliefs

• All students have potential, the ability to
  learn, and educators have a responsibility to
  encourage each student to reach his or her
  maximum potential.
• Teachers need to foster an appreciation of
  knowledge by allowing students to share and work
  in a student-centered environment.
• Each student is a unique individual whose
  cultural diversity should be respected and
  appreciated through various instructional
  activities.
• Technology can motivate and enhance student
  learning (Newby, 2006).

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All students have potential, the ability to
learn, and educators have a responsibility to
encourage each student to reach his or her
maximum potential.

• Stage One Desired Results
• I have identified these established goals for
  this Belief Statement.
• Differentiated instruction allows students to
  achieve at their own level.
• Lessons should be designed to accommodate all of
  the different learning styles.
• I understand that
• All students do not enter the classroom with the
  same background knowledge.
• A students prior knowledge, culture, and
  experiences are connected to understanding.
• I ask these essential questions
• How can I encourage students to achieve their
  maximum potential?
• How can I motivate students to learn?
• I will know
• Students learning styles, motivations, prior
  knowledge, and culture.
• I will be able to
• Use student interests to drive my curriculum.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Two
  Assessment Evidence

5
All students have potential, the ability to
learn, and educators have a responsibility to
encourage each student to reach his or her
maximum potential.

• Stage Two Assessment Evidence
• What performance tasks do I engage in to provide
  evidence that I embrace this belief statement?
• Using a layered curriculum (Nunley, 2003) that
  allows students to reach their potential.
• Creating a plan that offers students the freedom
  to choose activities that are of interest.
• Other Evidence and Academic Prompts
• Co-plan with other teachers to ensure that my
  instructional activities accommodate all of the
  different learning styles.
• Survey students to assess prior knowledge and
  motivations.
• Self-Assessment
• Use WHERETO (Wiggins McTighe, 2005) to evaluate
  UbDs.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Three
  Learning Plan

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All students have potential, the ability to
learn, and educators have a responsibility to
encourage each student to reach his or her
maximum potential.

• Stage Three Learning Experiences and Activities
• Learning Activity 1 Conduct a Learning Styles
  Inventory survey, and include this and other
  pertinent data (special needs, limited English)
  on an excel spreadsheet.
• Learning Activity 2 Create a pre-assessment,
  which will also act as a post-assessment, for
  each unit to determine actual student
  progress/growth.
• Learning Activity 3 Manage on-line student
  focus groups to determine student interests, then
  tailor units around the results (motivational
  factors).
• Return to Belief Statements

7
Teachers need to foster an appreciation of
knowledgeby allowing students to share and work
in astudent-centered environment.

• Stage One Desired Results
• I have identified these established goals for
  this Belief Statement.
• Mixed grouping encourages students to share their
  knowledge.
• Lessons should be designed so students can learn
  independently and from one another with the
  teacher guiding their practice.
• I understand that
• All students in a group will not achieve the same
  level of performance.
• A student-centered environment needs to be
  continuously monitored for understanding.
• I ask these essential questions
• How can I encourage students to work
  cooperatively in order to support one anothers
  learning?
• How can I guide student learning and act as a
  facilitator, instead of a sage on the stage?
• I will know
• Students patterns of behavior, language issues,
  and cultural differences.
• I will be able to
• Use students strengths and weaknesses to form
  productive groups.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Two
  Assessment Evidence

8
Teachers need to foster an appreciation of
knowledgeby allowing students to share and work
in astudent-centered environment.

• Stage Two Assessment Evidence
• What performance tasks do I engage in to provide
  evidence that I embrace this belief statement?
• Designing UbDs with authentic assessments and
  performance tasks that allow students to share
  what they have learned.
• Creating a plan that offers students
  opportunities to work cooperatively in groups.
• Other Evidence and Academic Prompts
• Co-plan with other teachers to ensure that my
  instructional activities include mixed groups
  that support all students.
• Continuously observe and monitor students to
  assess behavior, language and cultural issues, as
  well as special needs.
• Self-Assessment
• Provide students with opportunities to reflect
  and then revise their work.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Three
  Learning Plan

9
Teachers need to foster an appreciation of
knowledgeby allowing students to share and work
in astudent-centered environment.

• Stage Three Learning Experiences and Activities
• Learning Activity 1 Co-plan with the resource
  teacher to identify special needs, and include
  student snapshots in resource binder. Refer
  to ELL students MELA-O chart to maintain a
  firmer grasp of their level of English
  proficiency.
• Learning Activity 2 Check MELA-O charts to
  assess student progress/growth from fall to
  spring. Use student writing folders to assess
  their growth in discourse.
• Learning Activity 3 Create reflective sheets
  for students to complete following collaborative
  efforts, so they can evaluate the role they have
  played within their assigned group.
• Return to Belief Statements

10
Each student is a unique individual whose
cultural diversity should be respected and
appreciated through various instructional
activities.

• Stage One Desired Results
• I have identified these established goals for
  this Belief Statement.
• Students should get to choose from a menu of
  activities.
• Lessons should be designed to include literary
  works by authors from different ethnic
  backgrounds.
• I understand that
• All students do not enter the classroom with the
  same ethnic background.
• A students culture should be respected and
  appreciated.
• I ask these essential questions
• How can I encourage students to celebrate their
  diversity?
• How can I get students to respect one another?
• I will know
• Students ethnicity, cultural background, and
  native customs.
• I will be able to
• Use my culturally-diverse classroom to drive my
  curriculum, motivate my students, and enhance
  learning.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Two
  Assessment Evidence

11
Each student is a unique individual whose
cultural diversity should be respected and
appreciated through various instructional
activities.

• Stage Two Assessment Evidence
• What performance tasks do I engage in to provide
  evidence that I embrace this belief statement?
• Using a layered curriculum (Nunley, 2003) that
  allows some students to translate literary works
  into their native language.
• Creating a plan that offers students the freedom
  to choose activities that are meaningful.
• Other Evidence and Academic Prompts
• Co-plan with other teachers to ensure that my
  instructional activities accommodate all of the
  different ethnic backgrounds in my classroom.
• Survey students to assess their cultural
  background and celebrated customs.
• Self-Assessment
• Listen and talk to students about their native
  homeland and their ancestry.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Three
  Learning Plan

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Each student is a unique individual whose
cultural diversity should be respected and
appreciated through various instructional
activities.

• Stage Three Learning Experiences and Activities
• Learning Activity 1 Conduct a survey to assess
  student ethnicities, cultural background
  knowledge, special customs and celebrations.
• Learning Activity 2 .Research resources
  designed for the culturally-diverse learning
  environment.
• Learning Activity 3 Manage on-line student
  focus groups to determine student interests
  related to diversity, then tailor units around
  the results (motivational factors).
• Return to Belief Statements

13
Technology can motivate and enhance student
learning (Newby, 2006).

• Stage One Desired Results
• I have identified these established goals for
  this Belief Statement.
• Technology should be used to enhance learning.
• Assistive Technology can be used to accommodate
  all learners, not just select groups.
• I understand that
• Technology should not be used as a filler, but
  should be incorporated into well-planned units.
• Technology used for skill and drill practices do
  not necessarily increase student achievement
  (McTighe Seif, 2003).
• I ask these essential questions
• How can use technology to enhance learning?
• How can I use technology to motivate students to
  learn?
• I will know
• Students skill level and ability to use
  technology.
• I will be able to
• Use technology to engage students and, therefore,
  increase achievement.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Two
  Assessment Evidence

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Technology can motivate and enhance student
learning (Newby, 2006).

• Stage Two Assessment Evidence
• What performance tasks do I engage in to provide
  evidence that I embrace this belief statement?
• Using technology (BrainPop.com) to hook students
  when introducing a new unit.
• Creating a plan that offers students assistive
  technology that helps them overcome certain
  challenges.
• Other Evidence and Academic Prompts
• Co-plan with other teachers to secure technology
  that will enhance student learning.
• Survey students to assess prior knowledge using
  technology.
• Self-Assessment
• Use Technology Literacy Survey (Newby, 2006) to
  assess skills, ability and prior knowledge.
• Return to Belief Statements Go to Stage Three
  Learning Plan

15
Technology can motivate and enhance student
learning (Newby, 2006).

• Stage Three Learning Experiences and Activities
• Learning Activity 1 Conduct a Technology
  Literacy Survey and include this and other
  pertinent data (special needs, limited English)
  on an excel spreadsheet.
• Learning Activity 2 Improve existing webpage,
  that includes virtual models of me instructing,
  to benefit students absent from the classroom.
• Learning Activity 3 Collaborate with other
  educators to provide assistive technology that
  supports students who are products of the
  Digital Divide (Newby, 2006, p. 267).
• Return to Belief Statements

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Resources

• Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE)
  Standards for ELA educators http//www.doe.mass.e
  du/frameworks/ela/0601.pdf
• National Educational Technology (NETS) Standards
  for Teachers http//www.doe.mass.edu/edtech/stand
  ards/itstand.pdf
• Capella University courses in emerging
  technology, curriculum development, mapping,
  learning and theory www.capella.edu
• Return to Belief Statements

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References

• BrainPOP.com (2005). Computer software.
  Standards retrieved January 14, 2006 from
  http//www.brainpop.com/support/standards_correlat
  ion.weml
• McTighe, J. Seif, E. (2003). A summary of
  underlying theory and research base for
  understanding by design.
• Newby, et al. (2006). Educational technology for
  teaching and learning. Upper Saddle River, N.J
  Pearson Education, Inc.
• Nunley, K. (2003). The layered curriculum The
  practical solution for teachers with more than
  one student in their classroom. Kearney, NE
  Morris Publishing.
• Oliva, P.F. (2005). Developing the curriculum.
  New York Pearson.
• Ormrod, J.E. (2004). Learning theory and the
  educational process Materials excerpted from
  human learning, 4th ed. New Jersey Pearson
  Prentice Hall.
• Wiggins, G., McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding
  by design, (expanded 2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA
  Association for Supervision and Curriculum
  Development.
• Return to Belief Statements

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Contact Information

• Kimberly A. Skeadas
• English Language Arts Teacher, Grade 8
• Breed Middle School
• Lynn Public School District
• Lynn, Massachusetts 01905
• Telephone [phone]
• Email k.skeadas_at_comcast.net
• Web page http//breed2.lynnschools.org/teacher20
  notes-Kims-2.htm