The artifact I selected for NBPTS Proposition 2: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students is a lesson plan I created in Education 650, Field Design and Implementation in the fall of 2012.  I selected this artifact because it contains elements and examples of the Curriculum and Instruction Core Value at Valley City State University.  This core value includes being able to manage instruction based on knowledge, exploring ways to integrate technology into the classroom, implementing instructional modifications in order to differentiate instruction, and encouraging student development of critical thinking and performance skills.  This artifact highlights my dedication to exposing students to the social, cultural and physical worlds in which they live.  This lesson plan demonstrates my ability to teach my students how geography and culture interact by exposing them to the time period when French Canadians immigrated to New England by integrating primary resources from the Library of Congress.

The lesson plan I am showcasing for Curriculum and Instruction shows my appreciation of the fundamental role that disciplinary thinking plays in developing a rich conceptual understanding of the French influence in the United States, specifically in the Northeast.  The lesson plan on French Immigration and Ethnic Heritage exposes the students to different modes of thinking analytically about the content. 

In this lesson, students identify the main characteristics of French Canadian immigrants and gain insight into the impact that French Canadian customs, language, religion, and values had in shaping New England.  The activities included in the lesson plan will enhance French language skills through oral discussions and written assignments. Best practices strategies include modeling, guided practice and independent practice.  Learning strategies include links to past learning and comprehensible input.  Using whole class, small groups and pairs, students will use technology to review the primary sources through the Library of Congress.  They will research the impact that French Canadian customs, language, religion, and values have had in shaping New England.  This use of technology to access primary sources demonstrates my commitment to engage students in learning by discovery, and to use technology to enhance teaching. 

I have learned that my role as a teacher is not to reinforce the status quo.  I understand the importance of teaching students how to think critically.  I appreciate the fact that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations in foreign language instruction, but my responsibility is to help students develop higher-order thinking skills.  I also have learned that students come to the classroom with misconceptions, prior knowledge, experience and skills.  I must use their knowledge to structure instruction that will facilitate further development. I need to combine instructional techniques in ways that take into account the different abilities of my students and decide what aspects of the content to emphasize, which include how to pace instruction. 

I will be able to use the knowledge gained in this course to teach for understanding rather than for students to simply store information, memorize facts or how to conjugate verbs.  I also realize that learning for understanding cannot be rushed.  I will assist students to develop true understanding, learn by discovery, pose problems and arrive at solutions.  I will make a concerted effort to move beyond teaching grammar for the sake of memorization, and provide more activities to encourage students to investigate and create their own knowledge. 

In order to enhance student learning, I will keep abreast of technological developments that have implications for teaching foreign language.  I will engage my students by continuing to implement technology and using literature available through the professional organization s such as the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL).