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Running head: PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

PDPQ Progress Report

Robert Lowder
TED 690 Capstone
Professor Clifton E. Johnson
June 18th, 2015

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

Abstract
The followings works addressed my progress towards developing a full Professional
Development Portfolio Quest, or PDPQ. The specific achievements, frustrations, questions,
concerns, and the next steps highlight my progress for myself as I move forward in developing
and revising my PDPQ. Following my progress report, I review the literature I selected to
represent TPE domains C &D, as well as my evidence for selecting the supporting artifacts.

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

PDPQ Progress Report
Creating a Professional Development Quest Portfolio (PDPQ) has been a new, but
positive and informative experience. Reviewing the products of my student teaching last
semester and selecting artifacts in relation to the California Teacher Performance Expectations
(TPEs) has been an ideal form of assessment and improvement. The PDPQ has created the
necessity to fully research and explore the TPEs and how they relate to or influence my
instruction, which may have not happened otherwise. Constantino (2009) highlights how the
PDPQ encourages teachers to assume more responsibility and ownership for their own leaning
and professional growth (Page 5.) The following writings will detail my goals and
achievements, frustrations, questions and concerns I have, and the next steps I anticipate in this
process.
My most substantial achievement has been my own development. Since beginning my
PDPQ, I have found that the experiences within the classroom can relate to many of the TPEs,
without that necessarily being my intent. The process of portfolio development requires
teachers to identify episodes of teaching, analyze what occurred, and assess the effectiveness of
their teaching performance and the outcomes of student learning (Costantino, 2009, Page 4.) I
have also developed methods to alter my instruction and experiences within the classroom to
better achieve the goals established by the TPE domains. Reflecting upon my semester as a
student teacher has better prepared me for future instruction and provided a valuable tool for
improvement.
I am also proud of the experience I have gained in developing a website that can support
my educational needs. The Weebly site that I have established for uploading PDPQ documents
has proven to be simple and effective. Costantino (2009) states web systems allow for the

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

storage of materials over time, in some cases throughout a teacher education program, and
provide the necessarily template for portfolio development (Page 35.) While solely being used
as a means for presenting documents, this technology could easily evolve into a means of
presenting student work and disseminating information to students, parents, or staff. As an art
teacher, finding more interactive and technology-centered methods can increase my ability to
relate the content to the students and increase my ability to communicate with them. Constantino
(2009) notes teachers who are very artistic or have access to superior technical resources are
able to easily assemble a visually pleasing and impressive product (Page 7.)
The frustrations thus far with my PDPQ development have been minimal. My primary
disappointment was not knowing about the requirements of the PDPQ sooner, which would have
given me more time and knowledge to better develop my artifacts and supporting documentation.
The campus in which I completed my student teaching was closed after the last day of
instruction, so I had to make my best attempt to take any materials I could use for my PDPQ
before that happened.
In relation, I do not feel that I have enough variety in regards to my artifacts. The vast
majority of them are photos of student work. While I can find ways to adapt their work to relate
to every TPE, I would like to develop a more diverse PDPQ. Items included in a portfolio, such
as original lesson plans, evidence of student learning, written feedback from observations and
evaluations, digital video and audio clips, and reflective journal entries provide a more holistic
approach (Costantino, 2009, Page 6.) I have not received any of my observations or
evaluations from my time as student teacher, and these would prove valuable in regards to
showcasing further development towards the TPE domains. This could provide opportunity to
revisit my PDPQ at a later date and add a more diverse set of artifacts from the other realms of

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

education outside of student products, to include Professional Learning Community (PLC)
documents and notes, evaluations, future lesson plans, etc.
While the frustration was minimal and can be easily remedied in the future, I also have
questions and concerns regarding my future as an educator and how the PDPQ can continue to be
applied to assist in my development. My first question would be in regards to both the frequency
that the PDPQ should be updated, and the extent in which it is updated. When an update occurs,
how much of the preexisting work should be updated or replaced? I would assume that it would
be beneficial to develop a plan in regards to which areas of the PDPQ are being updated, giving
myself ample time to develop the most effective artifacts to demonstrate a mastery of the focus
TPE domain. Constantino (2009) states, evaluating the effectiveness of your electronic portfolio
and practicing how to use your portfolio are two of the most constructive activities you can
engage in (Page 7.) As I evolve as an instructor, I would like my PDPQ and its reflection of me
to evolve with it.
My concerns do not lie with he PDPQ in and of itself, but more in line with my ability to
create instruction that constantly adheres to the TPE domains, while also representing the most
engaging and modern approach possible. While I understand that every lesson may not
accomplish every TPE domain simultaneously, I feel it is my responsibility to attempt to
incorporate as many of them as possible as often as I could. That is, in its most simple form,
good teaching. Whether it is remaining technologically relevant, establishing curriculum that will
appeal to students, or successfully differentiating for the increasing diversity within the
classroom, these are accomplishments and goals I must complete within the classroom while
adhering to the expectations established by California.

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

Moving forward, I plan to keep my PDPQ at the forefront of my evolution as an educator.
It has proven as a highly effective means of reflection and adaptation, and continuing to update it
would only serve to increase my likelihood of success. My PDPQ has thus far allowed me to
maintain a humble frame of mind, always looking for ways to improve both my instruction, as
well my portfolio itself. This, in and of itself, provides with me reason enough to ensure that is
does not become a part of my past as I leave this class, but a pivotal part of my future.

Literature Review for Domain C:

Authentic Learning: Engaging Students Through the Arts
Domain C of the California Teacher Performance Expectations, or TPEs, focuses on
engaging and supporting students in learning. The TPEs that fall within Doman C pertain to
making content accessible, student engagement, developing appropriate practices, and teaching
English Language Learners. To support these principles, I have chosen literature by Shari
Edwards of Scholastic, titled Authentic Learning: Engaging Students Through the Arts. Edwards
highlights four real principles that she believes allows students to learn more effectively. This
week, I will continue with music, art, and performance activities that enhance engagement and
strengthen connections to student learning (Edwards, 2013.)
The four activities that Edwards highlights are music, movement, art and presentation.
On music, Shari (2013) states, I choose music that is either about the topic or from the time
period we are studying, and yes, I include it in the reading block as a portion of their fluency
practice time! The Internet makes it easy and inexpensive to include authentic music that helps
the students make real connections to the topic. This is a simple, yet interesting and effective
concept to increase buy-in and interest in any subject matter. When focusing on movement,
Edwards insists that students should be physically guided through learning principles. If you're

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

studying plants, take a 510 minute nature walk. If you are studying weather, lead your students
through a human rainstorm (Edwards, 2013.)
Edwards then moves on to art, and how its qualities are innate, having the ability to
appeal to almost any student. As an art teacher, I agree, and see this consistently. Art is itself an
authentic response to a topic or time period. It is something students can respond to in relation to
a concept (Edwards, 2013.) Her final real way to engage students in learning is to present.
Students that are tasked with presenting any material will typically hold in a higher, more
focused regard than if they did not. Edwards (2013) elaborates by stating, Authentic
performance and presentation of learning is an extremely important part of project-based
learning. Other assessments may be used along the way, but for the authentic learning unit to
remain powerful, students also need to be assessed in an authentic way.
While reviewing Shari Edwards works, it occurred to me that her four principles of
engagement, music, movement, art, and presentation could easily be incorporated into one
lesson. At the very least, multiple principles can be applied, and our instruction can consistently
become more engaging, helped us achieve the TPEs.

Literature Review for Domain D:

Planning Art Lessons and Units
In support of Domain D, Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for
Students, I have chosen a portion of an article by Marvin Bartel titled Planning Art Lessons and
Units. There are two TPEs that fall within Domain D, Learning About Students and Instructional
Planning. These two TPEs are connected with another due to the idea that learning about
students will help any instructor creates a more effective lesson plan.

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

Bartel lines out a set of simple yet effective steps to creating an effective lesson plan,
beginning with the amount of thought put into the concept of the lesson. Talk about the lesson
for days or weeks - good ideas grow over time. Consider using questions that make students
curious and inspired (Bartel, 2000.) Talking about the lesson with students would also build
excitement, and the students may also begin coming up with ideas on their own. He then outlines
the steps to beginning the lesson, such as passing out supplies, practicing technique before
introducing creativity, and keeping students on task.
Further in line with the TPE, Bartel then goes on to highlight what to find out about
students that will influence planning within future lessons, beginning with their artistic skill.
Bartels (2000) states, Good art lessons need some difficulty to be challenging, but need to be
easy enough to avoid too much frustration. Frustration is the quickest way to lose students, both
in regards to motivation and creativity. Bartels also highlights the need to know the students art
awareness, art knowledge or vocabulary, but I want to highlight his thoughts on attitude and
motivation.
How much enthusiasm do students show for learning new skills, for routine skill
practice, for new concepts, for learning the strategies that artists use? Most students want to do
well. The chance to master something or at least see that they are improving, has a very positive
effect on attitude and motivation (Bartels, 2000.) This statement could not ring more true.
Finding ways to harness these attitudes is absolutely key for artistic instruction and keeping
students engaged. A motivated student is a successful student.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts:

PDPQ PROGRESS REPORT

The first artifact that I have chosen to support TPE Domain C is a variety of activities that
students complete during a unit for the short story Flowers for Algernon, which traces the life
of Charlie, a man with mental retardation, who undergoes surgery to increase his intelligence.
These assignments support the TPE because they offer a variety of presentation modes including
oral presentation, diagrams, non-verbal communication, and a great deal of media and other
technology (CTC, 2013, p. 12). The goal of these activities are to familiarize students with the
main character Charlie, and to give them background information on the author, intelligence
testing, and mental retardation which will help them understand the novel. Activities vary from
group work, to individual work involving visuals, to research, to games and tests completed on
the computer to heighten student engagement.
The second artifact that I have chosen to represent Domain C are lists students made of
evidence they could use in an essay on the Protestant Reformation, and an outline that we
worked on as a class. This lesson was taught over multiple days in a middle school social studies
class and ended with students using their essay to write their essay in class. This artifact
supports TPE C 6B which requires students to develop strategies to cope with increasingly
challenging academic curriculum because in middle school, the writing process is still very
challenging for many students (CTC, 2013, p. 14). Since all of my students have been
introduced to the writing process by different Language Arts teachers, they come into my
classroom with different understandings of what a thesis is, the purpose of introductory, body,
and concluding paragraphs, and how to smoothly transition from one paragraph to another. For
this reason, it is important that we work as a class on the essay. I broke down each step of the
writing process with them; allowing them to brainstorm ideas for the outline with people around
them before I wrote down examples that they were able to use for the class. This also addressed

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the part of the domain, which encourages candidates to develop students skills for working in
groups to maximize learning (CTC, 2013, p. 14). I had them reference their textbook, handouts
and other resources to choose the best evidence for each paragraph, and then we made a list of all
of their ideas as a class before they included what they felt was most important in their outline.
This helped to ensure that they knew my expectations, and clarified questions they had in the
writing process. Later in the year, since students are more familiar with the process, I will give
them the opportunity to complete the outline with more independence. However at this time, I
feel this support was necessary to make sure expectations are clear.
The final artifact that I have chosen for TPE Domain C is a literature review, which
reviews the developmental levels of English Language Learners and strategies that are
appropriate for each individual level. For a Masters class I have previously taken on
differentiation in the classroom, I developed a differentiated lesson plan for each level of English
Language Development which demonstrates my ability to implement an instructional program
that facilitates English language development, including reading, writing, listening and speaking
skills, that logically progresses to the grade level reading/language arts program for English
speakers (CTC, 2013, p. 15). The focus of the plan is on a writing assignment on monasteries for
a middle school social studies unit on Medieval Europe. Through implementing these writing
assignments with differentiation for English language learners, I help ensure that each student
has the opportunity to work toward improving by completing an assignment that is
developmentally appropriate.
TPE Domain D focuses on planning instruction and designing learning experiences for
students (CTC, 2013, p. 15). In order to plan effective lessons that cater to the needs of a
particular class of students, it is important to first get to know students. TPE 8 emphasizes the

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importance of using: formal and informal methods to assess students prior mastery of
academic language abilities, content knowledge, and skills (CTC, 2013, p. 15). An assignment
that I purchased from teachers pay teachers, which I have included as evidence, is a friendly
letter that I require students in my middle school English classes to write as their first assignment
to me. I do not provide them with many guidelines regarding format, just simply tell students to
turn in their best work. In doing so, I receive a great deal of valuable information regarding
their vocabulary, their grammar and usage, their ability to format a letter, and an overall idea of
their writing style. These essays provide a valuable pre-assessment as to my students writing
ability. After reading them, and discussing them with my class, I can then develop a plan on
where to begin with writing and what resources they will need to be successful.
The second artifact that I have included is a cloze note sheet and PowerPoint that students
complete after reading the lesson from their social studies book independently. These cloze
notes support TPE Domain D because they connect content to students linguistic and cultural
backgroundsinterests and learning needs (CTC, 2013, p. 16). They connect to students
linguistic backgrounds by providing support in terms of concepts for all students by including the
most important points of the lessons in clear language that students can understand. This is
especially helpful to English language learners as it serves as a model for sentence structure.
Breaking content down into simpler concepts is also incredibly useful. It appeals to the interests
of students through the inclusion of media and pictures in the PowerPoint. Students not only
enjoy the additional visuals, but they also provide great cues for further discussion and reinforce
learning. Finally, this activity supports learning needs by catering to different preferences of
learners by providing them with a visual means to grasp content (PowerPoint), auditory (class
discussion), and kinesthetic (writing answers in their handout).

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The final artifact for Domain D is a literature review that I have included on the benefits
of cooperative grouping in the classroom. This literature review draws from information from
Dean, Hubbell, Pitler and Stones book Classroom Instruction that Works, and an article by
James Hendrix entitled Connecting Cooperative Learning and Social Studies. It discusses
considerations when grouping students, benefits of cooperative learning, and how to incorporate
cooperative learning in a middle school social studies class using the jigsaw strategy. This
artifact connects with the TPE Domain D 9 because this TPE encourages instructors to select or
adapt instructional strategies, grouping strategies, instructional materials, media and technology
to meet student learning goals (CTC, 2013, p. 16). The literature review definitely displays the
many ways students can benefit and become more successful through working within groups.
Technology can be easily implemented by requiring students to conduct further research on-line
or present their findings through a PowerPoint or Prezi.

References
Costantino, Patricia M., De Lorenzo Marie N., & Tirrell-Corbin, Christy. (2009).

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Developing a Professional Teaching Portfolio: A Guide for Success. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.

Shari Edwards (2013) Scholastic, Authentic Learning: Engaging Students Through the Arts,
Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/05/authentic-learningengaging-students-through-arts

California Teacher Expectation (2013,) Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Retrieved from:

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/adopted-TPEs-2013.pdf

Marvin Bartel (2000) Drawing Practice, Planning Art Lessons and Units, Retrieved from:
https://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/artlsn.html