1. DIGITIZED ARTIFACT
FOLDER
Eassa Alkadri
EDUC 430
Brenda Dyck
Fall 2013

2. INTRODUCTION
My name is Eassa Alkadri and I am
in my first year of the consecutive
education program at the University
of Calgary. This portfolio will aim
to demonstrate what I have learned
thus far on my journey to becoming
a professional teacher.
Used with permission from Micros

3. SCHOOL CULTURE
“The most important foundational
element is the culture of the
school.”
-Allan A. Glatthorn (1992)
The definition of culture is so vast and encompasses 1995, p. 21)
many
(as cited in Stolp & Smith,
different aspects of a school and the environment within that
school. A positive culture leads to increased morale and
satisfaction. What can I do to make sure that I am contributing
to a positive culture in my school?
I have learned that the answer to this question is not as
simple as I initially thought it was. Everything from a teacher's
interactions with his/ her students to the architecture of the Used with permission from Micro

4. SCHOOL CULTURE
VIDEO: TRICKS OF THE
TRADE - THE HANDSHAKE
Used with permission from Microsoft
The way in which the teacher in this video interacts with his students is
friendly but he still maintains respect from them and they look up to him
as an educator. I would like to incorporate similar methods into my own
teaching. I saw this as a useful review method for making sure that
students are remembering previous lessons by quizzing them
randomly.

5. Emerging Literacies
VIDEO: 21ST CENTURY
PEDAGOGY
Used with permission from Microsoft
This video resonated with me so strongly because I am on the path to
becoming a secondary English teacher and so emerging literacies are a
major component of what I anticipate teaching my students. Books have
been such a critical part of my own education in language arts in the past
and I will need to incorporate a more technological approach to teaching
literature using Web 2.0 in order to keep my students interested in the
subject matter. By keeping up with technology it will be easier to
communicate with learners in the 21st century.

6. VIDEO: LITERACY: A WORLD
TO DISCOVER
This video opened my eyes to how broad the
definition of literacy has become. It involves so
much more than reading and writing. There are
many diverse literacies and as an English teacher
I will need to rely on more than just books and
essays to engage my students. Multimodal
literacies are an integral part of living in the 21st
century and I will have to introduce my students to
media literacies using different activities such as
having them analyse commercials, print ads and
even web pages to understand how all aspects of
a text come together to enforce a central meaning
or convey a certain message.
Used with permission from Microsof

7. CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE
TEACHING
As a secondary language arts teacher, I
anticipate teaching English literature to students
who will not always be native English speakers. It
will be my responsibility to adapt to their diverse
learning needs to ensure that they receive a fair
education like everybody else in the classroom.
I worry about being able to teach English at the
high school level to ESL students. How can I
teach English literature to students who struggle
with English as a language? What can I do to
provide a comfortable and effective learning
environment for such students?
Used with permission from Microsoft

8. TEACHING DIVERSE
LEARNERS
“Culturally Responsive Teaching is a
pedagogy that recognizes the importance
of including students' cultural references
in all aspects of learning”
-(Ladson-Billings, 1994).
(as cited in Dyck, 2013, p. 1)
I need to make a point of learning about my students'
backgrounds. I have learned that when teachers use
knowledge of their students' backgrounds when planning
lessons, academic success increases. Students feel more
comfortable as they recognize elements of their own
backgrounds in the classroom.
Used with permission from Micro

9. THE DEMOGRAPHIC
IMPERATIVE
"the still relatively
homogeneous teaching
force"
-(Gay and Howard, 2000, p.1)
(as cited in Banks et. al, 2005, p. 236)
Teachers are still predominately Caucasian. How can I
make use of my own experience as an ESL student and
my ethnic background to enhance my students' learning
experiences? I should try to relate to students with
different cultural backgrounds because I was once in their
shoes. I remember how hard it is, as a learner, to
encounter new cultural perspectives at school. When
coming to a new country, not only are you faced with the
difficulties of learning a new language, you also need to
be able to recognize and adapt to new cultural norms.
This is why it is so important for me to learn about my
Used with permission from Micros

10. UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR
LEARNING
A set of principles for curriculum development
that gives all individuals equal opportunities to
learn.
The curriculum should be flexible in that it can
accommodate students with diverse learning
needs. Lessons and assignments should be
accessible to all students. Diverse students
need a diverse curriculum.
Used with permission from Microso

11. VIDEO: UNIVERSAL DESIGN
FOR LEARNING
As an aspiring teacher, I really appreciated the methods
this video provided for dealing with students with diverse
learning needs. Tailoring lessons and assessments to
different learners is crucial because a certain student may
not excel in one area such as writing, for example, but he
or she may be better accustomed to different forms of
expression such as drawing or acting. It is up to the
teacher to find out what mediums students are comfortable
working with, and giving them a chance to learn the same
lessons as their peers using those mediums. In the video, I
enjoyed seeing how teachers go out of their way to make
sure that every child feels included every single time they
enter the classroom.
Used with permission from Micros

12. OVERTY AND LEARNING
It was very eye opening for me to learn that
poverty is not strictly limited to economic
status. In class we talked about how poverty
can be
emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, etc. It
will be important for me as a teacher to make
sure that my lessons are readily accessible to
all my students and that I am providing each
student with whatever form of support they
require. I need to ensure that I have the skills
necessary to provide the entire class with a
fair opportunity to learn, despite what
obstacles they may face.
Used with permission from Micros

13. LEARNING TO CHANGE CHANGING TO LEARN
Society is dynamic and
educators need to adapt to
changes in society.
Currently, students interact
with technology on a daily
basis and, as a teacher, I
should capitalize on this
engagement by bringing
that technology into the
classroom and integrating
it into lessons.
Used with permission from Microsoft

14. VIDEO: LEARNING TO
CHANGE-CHANGING TO
LEARN
In this video, one of the speakers mentions the “death of
education, and the dawn of learning”.
What I have understood from this video is that learning has become less
about knowing facts and more about finding information, validating it, and
being able to work with it. In the future, I would like to learn more ways in
which I can allow my students to discover things for themselves. I could
spend an entire hour throwing facts at students but what benefit would that
give them? They may remember those facts and recall them during exams
but they be less likely to truly engage with that information and work with it
beyond the classroom. I think it is much more beneficial that my students be
inspired to want to learn things for themselves and actually apply what they
learn beyond the scope of my classroom.

15. REFERENCES
Alberta Education. Literacy: A World to Discover [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/literacy/videos.aspx
Banks, J., Cochran-Smith, M., Moll, L., Richert, A., Zeichner, K., LePage, P., DarlingHammond, L., & Duffy, H. (2005). Teaching diverse learners. In L. Darling-Hammond
& J.
Bransford (Eds.), Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should
learn and be
able to do (pp. 232-274). Retrieved from
http://rcee.wiki.educ.msu.edu/file/view/Banks+et+al.pdf
Dyck, B. (2013). Sept18Class (PowerPoint document). Retrieved from
https://blackboard.ucalgary.ca/@@473E93A0314147A02C77AAE499EE5901/course
s/1/F 2013EDUC430S07/content/_4440367_1/Sept18Class.ppt
Edutopia (2010, July 14). Classroom Management Tricks of the Trade: Handshake Q&A
[Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvNqJ0Ne60
Floyda007 (2008, May 15). Learning to Change-Changing to Learn [Video file]. Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahTKdEUAPk
Inspiring Education. (2012, July 26). UDL [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I92QkPdvYRI
Stolp, S., & Smith, S.C. (1995). Transforming school culture: Stories, symbols, values, and the
leader's role.
Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management. Retrieved
from
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/3296/transforming_sch
ool_c ulture.pdf
Whitby, G. (2007, September 29). 21st century pedagogy [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l72UFXqa8ZU&feature=player_embedded#at=66