Running head: GROWTH ASSESMENT 1

Growth Assessment

Noah Arroyo

Azusa Pacific University

GROWTH ASSESSMENT 2

History of Coursework

Table 1

History of Coursework

Course Term Professor Reflection

TESP 516 Fall 2016 Amber This course taught me the fundamentals of
Lynwood teaching reading and writing, and greatly assisted
me in passing the Reading Instruction Competence
Assessment (RICA).

SPED 521 Fall 2016 Lindsay This class allowed me to diversify my perspective
Blume about teaching individuals with disabilities. This
class added disability awareness to my repertoire
of lesson plans.

SPED 556A Fall 2016 Peter This class served as the foundation for which my
McClung field experience would begin. Implementation of
lessons, class management, and IEP design and
implementation were areas where this class
provided valuable guidance.

TESP 556 Spring Heekap Lee TESP 556 provided me with the experience and
2017 guidance needed to teach English Language
Learners (ELL). The instructor provided excellent
points of reflection to help teachers consider the
perspectives of non-native speakers.

SPED 530 Spring Tammy This class greatly aided in me understanding

2017 Bachrach different types of disabilities and how to use
evidence based practices to teach and serve these
students.

SPED 556b Spring Peter This class furthered my exposure to how a special
2017 McClung education class runs and operates.

SPED 501 Fall 2017 Tammy This class gave an in-depth look at various
Bachrach instructional strategies and evidence-based
practices to utilize when teaching students that are
exhibiting a wide variety of disabilities. Matching
instructional strategies to content standards
provided an invaluable view on how to adopt
standards for special education.

SPED 533 Fall 2017 Peter Professor McClung provided a thorough and
McClung inspiring perspective on how to assess students
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with disabilities. Using assessment materials and

developing a triennial review were some of the
areas of personal growth in this course.

SPED 586a Fall 2017 Glen Green This class served as the foundation for my directed
teaching and observation. Here I was able to gain
input and insight on how to manage my class and
IEPs.

SPED 502 Fall 2017 Tammy SPED 502 taught me how to assess a student's
Bachrach present level of performance and develop a
standards-based curriculum to support that
students learning. I learned to put extra emphasis
and focus on the individual and what their dreams
and aspirations are.

SPED 541 Fall 2017 Tammy SPED 541 provided me with lots of new
Bachrach knowledge about evidence-based practices and
positive support methods to use when dealing with
maladaptive behaviors in the classroom.
Completing a Functional Behavior Analysis and a
Behavior Support Plan enhanced the learning by
providing real life examples that could be
applicable in the classroom.

SPED 508 Spring Gina SPED 508 taught me how to plan for a student’s
2016 Ramshaw post-secondary transition. Through utilizing
person centered planning and the development of a
case study transition plan, I was able to learn what
goes into a student’s transition and the different
agencies involved.

EDTC 511 Spring Elisabeth This class taught me that technology and teaching
2017 Silver will go hand-in-hand in the future. Technology
provides teachers with many different avenues and
outlets to teach students that have many different
learning styles.

EDTC 517 Spring Joe Bruzzese This class showed me the importance of web
2018 design for a teacher. From designing a classroom
website, instruction, or a gradebook, technology is
an invaluable resource for a 21st century teacher.

EDTC 527 Spring Barry Bettger This class taught me that curriculum and online
2017 tools for teachers can be housed in a single
resource like a website. Also, creating and
developing a Personal Learning Network can
ensure that teachers stay informed and inspired
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when it comes to learning.

EDTC 515 Spring James Brown This class taught me the importance of
2018 collaboration and communication online. In
addition, the creation of several multimedia
presentations and the requirements to upload them
to the web greatly enhanced the learning of the
course. I learned how to produce informative,
interesting, and creative web-based media
presentations.

EDUC 526 Spring Barbara Will fill this in before final growth assessment is
2018 McMillan completed.
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Growth Assessment

My experience at Azusa Pacific University has given me the opportunity to grow in many

areas that have allowed me to advance my career and professional status. My areas of growth

include personal, professional, and technical, and my experience in the Masters in Arts and

Education: Learning and Technology (LRNT) program have allowed me to develop a lifelong

learning plan. All of these aspects have contributed to my overall growth as a professional

educator.

Personal Growth

The Masters in Arts and Education: Learning and Technology (LRNT) coursework has

greatly affected me as an individual and has allowed me to grow in several areas. Some of the

areas of growth include spirituality, organization and time management, and in my confidence as

a professional.

The coursework for the LRNT program facilitated lots of spiritual growth through the use

of in-class spiritual focus lessons and online spiritual focus discussion forums. The online

discussion forums allowed me to grow in my own spirituality and gain a wider Christian

viewpoint by reading and sharing thoughts with the other cadre members. Having time to

reflect, research scriptures and generate a response deepened the learning for me and gave me

insight into how to apply grace and understanding in the classroom.

The LRNT program also facilitated my personal growth in becoming extremely effective

at organization and time management. Having also entered the program on an intern credential,

the LRNT coursework provided me with a framework and understanding on how to effectively

manage all of the paperwork and meetings associated with being an Education Specialist in a
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moderate to severe classroom. Additionally, managing multiple Individualized Education

Programs (IEP) and my Azusa Pacific University (APU) assignments allowed me to grow by

showing me how to effectively manage multiple schedules to complete many time-sensitive

requirements.

Lastly, I have grown personally my increasing my professional confidence in both

education and technology. I have increased my professional knowledge in many areas including

teaching reading to English Learners, planning and implementing IEP’s, and utilizing technology

in the classroom. Completing the LRNT program has given me the confidence to believe that I

can successfully teach any student that come into my classroom. Specifically, approaching all

students as capable of learning provides us with the opportunity to never stop questioning our

own understanding of teaching and learning (Brown, McDonnell, & Snell, 2016, p. 3).

Overall, the LRNT provided me with many opportunities to personally grow in several

areas including in my spirituality, organization, and confidence as a professional. One of the

most important things I learned from the program is that teachers must be willing to adapt and

change with their students, whether that means adjusting instruction, leaning to use technology,

or changing perceptions of your students.

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Professional Growth

The Masters in Arts and Education: Learning and Technology (LRNT) coursework has

helped me to grow professionally in many ways. This program was extremely important in my

growth because it allowed me the opportunities to progress from teaching on a substitute

credential to finishing with my preliminary credential. Also, the LRNT coursework allowed me

to grow as an educator by providing me with knowledge and technical proficiency that I need to

be successful in the Special Education field.

The LRNT program was fundamental in me earning my preliminary Education Specialist

credential. Prior to this program, I had been teaching and substituting on an emergency

credential. This program allowed me to progress onto an Intern credential, and finally culminate

with my preliminary Education Specialist credential. This was extremely important in my

professional growth because it affirmed my expertise as a professional educator.

As an educator, the LRNT program has helped me grow both by learning to design and

implement instruction for moderate to severe special education students. This program helped

me become aware of the different types of accommodations and modifications that can be

applied to a students Individualized Education Program (IEP) to help them be successful. In

addition, I have grown professionally by learning how to manage assessments, progress

monitoring, data collection, and large amounts of paperwork associated with IEP’s. Another

way I have grown professionally is by learning to design and implement a Behavior Intervention

Plan (BIP). Understanding and learning to manage difficult problem behaviors is extremely

important to running a successful special education classroom. The LRNT program has allowed

me to grow as a professional educator by enhancing my knowledge on conducting a Functional

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Behavioral Analysis (FBA), and then translating those results into a BIP. That experience has

given me insight into special education and behavior management that I consider invaluable.

Specifically, children who have not learned appropriate behavior will need interventions that

assist in establishing the desired behavior and helping the student understand when to perform

the behavior (Burns, Riley-Tillman, Rathvon, 2017, p.220).

Overall, the LRNT program has helped me grow as professional educator in both

technical expertise and IEP design and implementation. In addition, completing the program and

having received my preliminary credential is an achievement I am particularly proud of as a

professional. This program gave me a comprehensive review of my abilities to teach, design

instruction, and continue to grow as an educator.

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Technical Growth

The Masters in Arts and Education: Learning and Technology (LRNT) coursework has

allowed me to develop my expertise using technology in many different ways. Specifically, I

have grown in my ability to use web based resources in the classroom, create online multimedia

presentations, and design websites.

The LRNT coursework showed me the value and importance of using web based

resources to improve efficiency and save time in the classroom. Google Documents, Sheets, and

Forms, can provide teachers powerful tools to augment assignments and processes. These

resources can allow for new forms of student collaboration and allow teachers to create online

quizzes and gradebooks that are extremely user-friendly and template based. Also, the LRNT

coursework allowed me to grow by showing me the importance of developing a Personal

Learning Network (PLN) through using web resources like Twitter and other blog sites. As an

educator, staying current with technology trends and sharing ideas with other educators and

professionals can really influence life-long growth and ensure that we are serving our students in

the most effective way.

Another area of technical growth for me would be in my ability to create online

multimedia presentations. By using programs like iMovie, Youtube, Camtasia, and Google

Slides, I have greatly developed my ability to produce effective and informative multimedia

presentations that include a variety of content including text, voice narration, pictures, live screen

captures, and video. This skill is important for educators because it allows the delivery of

curriculum to students in a way that allows them to access it anytime and anywhere.
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Another area of technical growth for me would be in the area of website design.

Specifically, using the online website editor Weebly has given me the technical ability to design

a complete website and publish it to the internet. This is an extremely important skill for any

educator because education is becoming more intertwined with technology. Furthermore,

contemporary students are technologically savvy and must be taught to be successful in a

technology rich society; they must learn how to apply their skills to real world problems.

Website design, for an educator, means that they can reach students at their level by providing

them with online access to announcements and assignments, digital submissions and feedback,

and access to curricular content. Without a question, our ability to easily publish content online

and to connect to vast networks of passionate learners will force us to rethink the way we

communicate with our constituents, the way we deliver our curriculum, and the expectations we

have of our students (Richardson, 2010, pp.6).

Overall, the LRNT coursework has allowed me to grow by greatly developing my vision

of how technology can be used by educators in the classroom. From designing online content,

websites, or curriculum, my growth is particularly significant to me because it has given me the

technical and professional knowledge to continue to use technology to effectively teach any

student that comes to my class.

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Lifelong Learning Plan

The Masters in Arts and Education: Learning and Technology (LRNT) program has

provided me with the foundation and expertise to continue to educate myself in the area of

technology as it applies in education. Not only was I able to gain perspective on how to augment

the classroom with technology, but how to continue to develop and expand my perceptions of

what technology use in the classroom can look like. For me this will include continuing to

develop my Personal Learning Network (PLN), attending professional development, and

collaborating with other professionals at my work place.

The LRNT coursework showed me the importance of a PLN and how to develop and

maintain that network. I plan on continuing to consume education blogs, post and read

educational Twitter chats, and collaborate with other professionals by using email, Zoom, or

Google Hangouts. I plan on attaining several professional development certifications including

obtaining my clear credential and becoming certified in Floortime Strategies under the

Developmental Individual Differences Relationship-Based (DIR) model. These two professional

certifications will ensure I can provide my Special Education students with high quality services

for many years to come. Lastly, I plan to collaborate with other teachers and professionals that I

work with at my school site. This means sharing curriculum materials, teaching strategies, and

most importantly, how to effectively utilize technology within the classroom.

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Conclusion

Overall, the Masters in Arts and Education: Learning and Technology (LRNT) program

gave me the educational and technical knowledge I needed to attain a professional status. Azusa

Pacific University (APU) provided many meaningful and diverse learning experiences through

various methods including face to face classes, faith integration lessons, case studies, signature

assignments, online forums, and the creation of websites. The breadth of learning encompassed

all aspects needed to successfully run a moderate to severe special education classroom as an

Education Specialist. In addition, the depth of learning in the LRNT program provided

invaluable experience in both producing online curricular materials and learning to collaborate

online. Completing my preliminary Education Specialist credential and attaining my Master’s

Degree in Education: Learning and Technology, is a milestone that APU and the LRNT program

have helped me to achieve.

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References

Brown, F., McDonnell, J., & Snell, M. E. (2016). Instruction of students with severe

disabilities (8th ed, pp. 3). Boston: Pearson.

Burns, M. K., Riley-Tillman, T. C., & Rathvon, Natalie. (2017). Effective school

interventions, evidence-based strategies for improving student outcomes (3rd ed., pp.220).

New York: The Guilford Press

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd

ed., pp. 6). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin