InTASC Standard #4: Content Knowledge
InTASC Standard - Content Knowledge
The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teachers and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
Related NSTA Standard
Content Pedagody - Effective teachers of science understand how students learn and develop scientific knowledge. Preservice teachers use scientific inquiry to develop this knowledge for all students.
Artifacts and Reflection
Description: This artifact is webquest designed for high school students to learn about comparative anatomy by classifying a newly discovered species. The webquest integrates the use of technology and content in a collaborative, student-driven activity that motivates student learning.
Artifact #2: Presentation Graphic - Macromolecules and their Monomers
Description: This artifact is a graphic developed as two presentation slides that shows the relationship between the four biological macromolecules, their monomers (building blocks), and the chemical elements that make them up.
Fictional New Species Students Must Classify
How Do These Artifacts Demonstrate Achievement of the Standard: Artifact #1 demonstrates achievement of the Content Knowledge standard by creating a learning activity that makes comparative anatomy accessible and meaningful to the learners through role play, technology, and collaborative work. The webquest promotes higher-order thinking by requiring students to gather and compile information from multiple sources, evaluate the collected information, and draw conclusions supported by evidence. Artifact #2 demonstrates achievement of this standard by addressing learner misconceptions about the structure of macromolecules. During my teaching internship, students were still confusing the macromolecule with its monomer (building blocks) and the chemical elements after several days of instruction. I developed a simple graphic that helps student visualize the relationship between macromolecules, their monomers and chemical elements.
How Have These Artifacts Impacted My Understanding of Teaching/Learning?: Through creation of this webquest, I was able to see how technology could be used to create a student-driven learning activity that was fun and engaging while requiring students to employ higher-order thinking. While brainstorming ideas for my webquest, I identified several other ideas for webquests that could be incorporated into my future lesson plans. Creating the macromolecule graphic helped me understand that delivering information in multiple formats is important for student understanding. Although I had told my students several times that proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids, hearing about it is not the same as seeing a graphic that represents this concept.
Strengths: I have over 17 years of experience applying my biological content knowledge while working as a scientific and technical consultant for a government contractor. I believe that my practical experience in this area will help me create learning experiences that teach students the key concepts of biology and how these concepts are applied in the real world.
Areas for Improvement: One of the critical dispositions of this standard is that, “the teacher realizes the content knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex, culturally situated, and ever evolving.” (CCSSO, 2011). I know that I will need to make an effort to ensure that my knowledge is current and continues to evolve as the field of biology evolves.
References
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). (2011). Interstate teacher assessment and support consortium (InTASC) model core teaching standards: A resource for state dialogue. Washington, DC: Author.