Title: Ridgeway Family Math Night

Date: October 20, 2014

Artifact Description:
On October 20th, 2014 our university class, Teaching Mathematics and Science in an Early Childhood
and Elementary Setting, traveled to the Ridgeway Elementary School to cooperate with the schools staff
in the presentation of Family Mathematics Night. The schools principle sent our class a letter, thanking
us for the time and work we put into making the night a success.
Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
This experience aligns with Wisconsin Teacher Standard 10: Collaboration - 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 pupil learning and well-being and acts with integrity, fairness and in an
ethical manner.

This experience best aligns with this standard because it required the collaborative efforts
of university students, professors, school administrators and staff, and the involvement of
the community to make this night a success. In preparation for this event, under the
direction of our class instructors, Dr. Jodean Grunow and Dr. Leigh Monhardt, we
worked with Ridgeway Elementary School staff and district math coach, Erin Edgington
to identify mathematics tasks that would be an extension of what was being done in the
classroom. With a partner, we then developed those tasks into a meaningful learning
activity for those who would be attending the Family Math Night event.
This experience allowed me to reach a higher level of competency because every aspect
of planning, preparing, and the final presentation of this event required meaningful
collaboration to some extent. As a future educator, I am more aware of the importance of
the building and maintaining of relationships that extend beyond the walls of a school
into the surrounding communities. When you work together with a team and involve the
community, the learning outcomes for students can be that much greater.
UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skills, Disposition Statement Alignment:
This experience best aligns with KSD4.d: Contributes to the School and District - The
candidate is able to assume a leadership role among colleagues and is supportive and
cooperative with peers and volunteers, and serves as a participant and leader in school
events and school and district projects.

This experience aligns best with this KSD because without the support of the Ridgeway
School and community and their willingness to work with the university and its students,
the children of this community would have missed out on this learning experience. This
experience also could not have happened without the volunteers that spent countless
hours planning and preparing for this event.
I am more competent after this experience because as a future educator I know I will have
the opportunity to participate in many more events such as this. Having this experience
has shown me how truly beneficial and worthwhile it is to provide opportunities for
parents to be involved in their childs learning. As an educator, it is also a great way to
foster and build the ever-important relationships with your students parents or guardians.
Secondary KSDs:
KSD4.c: Communicates with Families
KS1.d: Demonstrates Knowledge of Resources
KSD1.a: Demonstrates Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
KSD4.f: Shows Professionalism
Personal Reflection
What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience:
From this experience I learned to be a more effective educator because it allowed me to
work side-by-side with administrative figures and teaching professionals who entrusted
us with the very important task of providing families in their community with a fun and
meaningful learning experience. My partner and I took this responsibility very seriously
and worked together to create a hands-on measurement activity that could be adjusted to
meet the needs of the range of students we would be working with that night. In doing
so, we spent a fair amount of time discussing with our professors the challenges of
designing an activity that could accommodate such a wide range of ages. As a
prospective educator with little experience in the field of teaching, this experience has
taught me how much can be gained through communication with those that have been in
the profession for years.
What learned about myself as a prospective educator as a result of this experience:
As a prospective educator, I gained an appreciation for the time and effort that goes into
coordinating an event such as this. When working in a team it is crucial to find an
effective means of communication in order to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
Ive found that this doesnt always mean meeting in person to discuss every detail of the
project, which is nearly impossible with the busy schedules of teachers. Ive come to
realize that in order to be effective and efficient, you must be willing to collaborate by
alterative means such as through email or by sharing information on Google Drive.
Finding this balance of face-to-face interactions and electronic sharing within a group can

ultimately lead to achieving your goals in the shorter amount of time, therefore allowing
more time to focus on other aspects of the project.