Kerry O’Connor's education portfolio outlines his pedagogical knowledge and effective teaching practices across various subjects, particularly in mathematics and special education. It includes reflections on assessments, lesson planning, collaboration with colleagues, and participation in professional development, demonstrating his commitment to continuous improvement and student engagement. The portfolio emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive learning environment and the value of research in informing instructional practices.

1. Kerry O’ConnorEducation Portfolio

2. Table of ContentsKnowledgeDemonstrates knowledge of content:Liberal Arts: Math222 Exam 1Pedagogy: EDUC 340 Final ExamInstructionalApplicationUtilizes research:Annotated BibliographyAssess student learning:Language Arts Unit AssessmentEthicsandValuesDemonstrates a caring and respectful manner with all students:Fall 2010 Mid-semester EvaluationDemonstrates ability to collaborate with colleagues:Exploring Biomes WebQuestProfessionalDevelopmentReflection on performance:Fall 2010 Post-Observation ReflectionActive Participation in educational conferences/workshops:Verizon’s Thinkfinity Workshop

3. Description: In my Elementary Mathematics class, we learned many different topics that are seen in the typical elementary school classroom. The exam that I took covered information in fractions, decimals, rational and irrational numbers, divisibility rules, scientific notation, and rounding numbers. Of a possible 100 points, I received 98.

4. Reflection: Elementary Mathematics covered various topics throughout the year. The information I learned has benefitted me in more than just expanding my knowledge in the subject. It has helped me to effectively create lesson plans and assessments. Additionally, the instruction in this Liberal Arts area has helped me to excel in the mathematics sections of the LAST and Multi-Subject CST New York State Teacher Certification Examinations.KnowledgeDemonstrates knowledge of content (Liberal Arts):

9. Demonstrates knowledge of content (Pedagogy):Description: This artifact is the final exam from my Introduction to Students with Disabilities class. The exam demonstrated my strength in special education pedagogy. Acronyms such as FAPE, IDEA, IEP, and LRE are shown throughout the exam and are included in multiple questions. Of the 20 questions, I answered 19 correctly and have reviewed the question I answered incorrectly. Of the possible 10 points, I received 9.5.

10. Reflection: This exam exemplifies my knowledge in special education pedagogy. Throughout the semester, I learned what different acronyms and words meant and how they are used in an educational setting. Knowledge of the pedagogy demonstrated on this final exam is necessary when working with a variety of students. Being aware of the diverse learning needs of all students requires an understanding in education pedagogy and practice. Having this background information will help me understand the pedagogy that is displayed in schools with different types of learners.Knowledge

13. Utilizes research to enhance one’s personal knowledge,and transfer learning to instructional context:Description: For Practicum, I created an annotated bibliography. For this assignment, I researched five children’s literature books that were appropriate for math instruction. After reading the books, I included a summary of each book. To tie the book in with math content, I related the books to classroom instruction. Book titles and authors were written in APA format, while the summary and math content sections were written with a minimum of 150 words total. Because of the annotated bibliography, I applied my research skills for this assignment to find children’s literature for a third grade math lesson that I taught during the Spring 2010 semester. Fraction Fun by David Adler provided great instructional activities that were grade appropriate. Utilizing my research during this lesson helped me to engage the students in the lesson.

14. Reflection: After looking for books for the annotated bibliography, I learned that many children’s literature books can actually be applied to other instructional contexts. Books that are only used for literacy purposes in classrooms can actually be used for math, science, and other content areas. While looking for children books for my annotated bibliography, I came across many books that I would have never thought of using for math lessons. As I actively researched books for math instruction, I came across many books for a variety of math topics that meet New York State standards. Applying my research skills of finding children’s literature that is useful for various content areas has been beneficial in my lessons. Many useful and engaging lessons can be created using children’s literature.Instructional Application

16. Assesses student learning:Description: During my student teaching in the Fall 2010 semester, I conducted a Language Arts unit plan for a fifth grade class. I taught many topics including: proper and common nouns, singular and plural nouns, and capitalizing proper nouns. At the end of the unit, I developed and administered a quiz to assess the students’ learning about the information in each lesson. After I graded the quizzes, I created a data spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel to organize the students’ grades as well as their scores for each question. Additionally, my supervisor demonstrated her strong opinion of my assessment strategies on a unit plan rubric.

17. Reflection: Assessing student learning helps teachers to understand the types of learners who are in the classroom. Additionally, it helps teachers to see what aspects of each lesson need to be emphasized or what lessons need to be taught again. Creating a data spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel also helps to organize information that can be utilized to assess both student learning and teacher performance of a lesson or unit. On this particular unit, class 5L did very well demonstrating their Language Arts knowledge on the unit quiz.Instructional Application

21. Demonstrates a caring and respectful manner with all students:Description: In the Fall 2010 semester, I did my student teaching in a fifth grade classroom in P.S. 205. Throughout the semester, I worked with various types of students, each with a different personality and learning style. Because of the diversity in the classroom, it was important for me to be patient, positive, and supportive for the students. Additionally, it was important to manage the classroom so the students possess those same qualities. Midway through the semester, my cooperating teacher provided a mid-semester evaluation on my knowledge, instructional application, ethics and values, and professional development. She demonstrated her strong opinion of my caring and respectful manner with all students in the classroom.

22. Reflection: Creating a positive and supportive classroom environment is an important part of classroom management. When both the teacher and the students possess these qualities, the classroom environment becomes an easier place in which to teach and learn. I strongly demonstrated these qualities the first day I stepped into the classroom. The challenge is teaching the students to understand and demonstrate the qualities on their own.Ethics and Values

24. Demonstrates ability to collaborate with colleagues and/or parents:Description: In the Fall 2009 semester, a science-related WebQuest was assigned. For this particular assignment, each student worked with a partner. My partner and I decided to do a WebQuest on the world’s biomes, directed towards a fifth grade class. Collaboration was a huge factor in making sure the PowerPoint was appealing and the oral presentation went smoothly.