Samantha+Melton's+EP+Work

=**Link to my portfolio- [|Samantha Melton's Teaching Portfolio] **=

===**a. I have created folders on my #|computer and flash drive for each category on my portfolio. I spent some time going through all my work and documents for potential artifacts. I have decided to use Google Docs as the tool for my portfolio because I have some experience with the tool and feel comfortable. The layout I have so far is pretty simple, and I plan on __#|incorporating__ a theme or design after I #|get started. I have the categories that we added in class with Bethany, but I have not added anything else. I am still in the process of searching and collecting artifacts. I have started working on my annotated list of classes for the Content Knowledge portion of the portfolio, and I plan on adding my English and History artifacts to my portfolio soon. **===

===**b. I want one of my additional categories to focus on diversity since I will be student-teaching in #|Russia for the last five weeks of the semester. I would like to include my experiences from the trip on my portfolio. My other category will focus on my experiences coaching and working with kids during the summer. I plan on coaching either softball or volleyball one day and both sports had a big impact in my life. **===

===**c. Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my favorite writers, and I would like to #|incorporate some of his quotations as a possible theme. I have listed a few that I am considering. **===

===**During the workshop today in class, I spent most of the time deciding on artifacts. I am still working on my annotated list and I started working on the __#|reflection__ for my English artifact under Content Knowledge. I hope to have this part finished soon and will move on to the History artifact. I was not sure on the artifact that I was going to use, but I think I decided to use my inquiry project. My project focused on the slave narratives of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass, and I spent a lot of time reading through the sources and working on the paper so I want to include it in portfolio. I do not have many projects or papers from other classes that I would consider using. I also decided to use my unit that I developed last semester in Dr. Pope's class as my English artifact for Pedagogical Knowledge. It is a 6th grade poetry unit which I put a lot of time and effort into so I want to include it in my portfolio as well. **===

===**During the workshop time in class today I worked on my annotated list of English and #|History courses. I finished adding all my classes and the annotations. I have not added the page to my portfolio yet.**===

===**Today I decided that my two other categories for my portfolio would focus on my student teaching abroad experience in Russia and my coaching experiences. Hopefully, I will be able to update my portfolio and add material while I am in Russia, including reflections and photographs. I have been playing sports and coaching for many years, so I want to include these experiences in my portfolio since I plan on becoming a coach. Many of my summer jobs have included running sports camps and working with young softball teams. I have also done individual pitching and hitting lessons for softball for many years. Sports has been a huge part of my life and coaching kids was one of the experiences that influenced me to become a teacher.**===


 * Status Report #5 10/26**


 * Today I decided that I want to include one of the quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson on each of the main pages of my portfolio. I __#|think__ it will be a good way to incorporate my theme into my portfolio. I have been inspired by many of these positive quotations and I believe that many of them are relevant to education. The main quote that I want to use on the main page of my portfolio is** **"Our chief want in life is someone who will make us do what we can." I __#|think__ this quote speaks strongly to teachers because it is our goal to help students see their __#|potential__. **


 * Status Report #6 11/2 **


 * Today I worked on my Home Page. I wanted to have some information and a picture that would catch people's attention. I wrote an interesting piece on my journey to __#|becoming a teacher__. I think the information that I shared tells a lot about the type of person I am and the type of __#|teacher__ I want to be. **


 * Status Report #7 11/9 **


 * Today I explored some different layouts for my portfolio. I have had just a plain red and white background while I have been working, but today I found a layout that I liked. The background resembles __#|a notebook__ page and it provided a different and more unique look to my portfolio. I also added a page for my Resume on my portfolio, although I do not plan on adding my resume until after graduation and becoming licensed. I worked on a few reflective introductions for my artifacts as well. **


 * Status Report #8 11/16 **


 * I decided to add a new category to my portfolio containing my philosophy on teaching and assessment. I made this an individual page on my portfolio and included two artifacts which are my education philosophy and assessment philosophy. Continuing with my theme of Ralph Waldo Emerson and nature, I added a picture along with every quote on my pages. I took the pictures myself because I love to take scenic photographs. I believe these images go well with my quotes an provide my portfolio with a lot of color. I finished most of the introductions for my artifacts today also. **