Lewis-Clark State College
Education

Demonstrating Skills as an Educational Designer:

THE EDUCATIONAL DESIGNER

The Principle: The successful teacher is one who utilizes knowledge of learning, students, and the content to be taught to creatively plan learning experiences that integrate appropriate strategies, media, and organization.

Key Attributes: The teacher plans and creates learning experiences based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals to make the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches meaningful for students. The teacher designs and develops learning opportunities which are congruent with how children learn and develop, which utilize well-selected instructional strategies and learning resources, and which are appropriately adapted to diverse learners.

Indicators of Performance (Grouped by Attributes):

1. The teacher plans and creates learning experiences based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, how children learn and develop, and curriculum goals to make the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches meaningful for students.

    KNOWLEDGE:

  1. The teacher understands learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, and student development and knows how to use this knowledge in planning instruction to meet curriculum goals.
  2. The teacher can use knowledge about human motivation and behavior drawn from the foundational sciences of psychology, anthropology, and sociology to develop strategies for organizing and supporting individual and group work.
  3. The teacher knows how to take contextual considerations (instructional materials, individual student interests, needs, and aptitudes, and community resources) into account in planning instruction that creates an effective bridge between curriculum goals and students' experiences.
  4. The teacher knows how to plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.
  5. The teacher knows how to develop curriculum plans that include methods and strategies that apply technology to maximize student learning.
  6. The teacher understands how curriculum alignment across grade levels and disciplines maximizes learning.
  7. DISPOSITIONS:

  8. The teacher is committed to the continuous development of individual students' abilities and considers how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this development for each student.
  9. The teacher recognizes the importance of both long term and short term planning.
  10. The teacher values planning as a collegial activity.
  11. The teacher recognizes the importance of the development of students' critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and performance capabilities.
  12. The teacher values flexibility and reciprocity in the teaching process as necessary for adapting and modifying instruction to student responses, ideas, and needs.
  13. SKILLS:

  14. As an individual and a member of a team, the teacher selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, and based upon principles of effective instruction (e.g. that activate students' prior knowledge, anticipate preconceptions, encourage exploration and problem-solving, and build new skills on those previously acquired).
  15. The teacher creates short-range and long-term plans that are linked to student needs and performance, and adapts the plans to ensure and capitalize on student progress and motivation.
  16. The teacher identifies and designs instruction appropriate to students' stages of development, learning styles, strengths, needs and background.
  17. The teacher plans for learning opportunities that recognize and address variation in learning styles and performance modes.
  18. The teacher seeks to understand students' families, cultures, and communities, and uses this information as a basis for connecting instruction to students' experiences (e.g. drawing explicit connections between subject matter and community matters, making assignments that can be related to students' experiences and cultures).
  19. The teacher creates a learning community in which individual differences are respected and accommodated.
  20. The teacher creates and implements interdisciplinary learning experiences that allow students to integrate knowledge, skills, and methods of inquiry from several subject areas.
  21. The teacher develops and uses curricula that encourage students to recognize, question, and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives.
  22. The teacher identifies levels of readiness in learning and designs lessons that are developmentally appropriate.
  23. The teacher evaluates methods for achieving learning goals and chooses various teaching strategies, materials, and technologies to meet instructional purposes and student needs (e.g., developmental stages, prior learning, learning styles, and interests).
  24. The teacher designs activities that promote a positive classroom climate of openness, mutual respect, support, inquiry, and individual differences.
  25. The teacher uses information from students, parents, colleagues, and school records to assist in planning instruction to meet individual student needs.
  26. The teacher designs learning environments which promote health, safety, and well-being.

2. The teacher designs and develops learning opportunities which utilize well-selected instructional strategies and learning resources.

    KNOWLEDGE:

  1. The teacher knows how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials as well as human and technological resources (e.g. computers, audio-visual technologies, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print resources).
  2. The teacher understands and knows how to identify differences in approaches to learning and performance (e.g., learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance modes) and designs instruction that helps use students' strengths as a basis for growth.
  3. The teacher knows how to take into account such elements as instructional materials; individual student interests, needs, and aptitudes; and community resources in planning instruction that creates an effective bridge between curriculum goals and student learning.
  4. The teacher knows how to plan for the effective use of professionals, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and peer tutors.
  5. SKILLS:

  6. The teacher uses multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students in active learning opportunities that promote the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance capabilities and that help student assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.
  7. The teacher develops a variety of clear, accurate presentations and representations of concepts, using alternative explanations to assist students' understanding and presenting diverse perspectives to encourage critical thinking.
  8. The teacher organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, activities, and attention to provide active and equitable engagement of students in productive tasks.
  9. The teacher evaluates teaching resources and curriculum materials for their comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.
  10. The teacher maximizes the amount of class time spent in learning by creating expectations and processes for communication and behavior along with a physical setting conducive to classroom goals.
  11. The teacher accesses appropriate services or resources to meet students' needs.
  12. The teacher designs and implements lessons that enhance learning through the use of a variety of resources (e.g., computers, audio-visual technologies, new technologies, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print documents).
  13. The teacher plans and designs effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.

3. The teacher designs and develops learning opportunities which are are appropriately adapted to diverse learners.

    SKILLS:

  1. The teacher creates lessons and activities that operate at multiple levels to meet the developmental and individual needs of diverse learners and help each progress.
  2. The teacher makes appropriate provisions, adaptations, and modifications (in terms of time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned, communication and response modes) for individual students who have particular learning differences or needs.
  3. The teacher integrates content representing a diversity of cultures, ethnic backgrounds, family lifestyles, and disabilities.

Links to each of the seven principles

Successful teachers consistently exhibit:

 

The principles of the professional standards:

 •  Appropriate conduct as a professional, arrow  •  Dedicated Professional
 •  Knowledge of foundations of the profession, arrow  •  Knowledgeable Professional
 •  Expertise in all subjects taught, arrow  •  Content Specialist
 •  Skills as an educational designer, arrow  •  Educational Designer
 •  Skills as an educational facilitator, arrow  •  Educational Facilitator
 •  Skills as an educational evaluator, and arrow  •  Educational Evaluator
 •  Capacity for reflective practice. arrow  •  Reflective Professional

The complete list of Professional Standards in HTML with Principles, Attributes and Performance Indicators

The complete list of Professional Standards in PDF with Principles, Attributes and Performance Indicators

On to the Themes of the LCSC Teacher Education programs.

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