Graduate Program in Middle Grades Education: Social Studies

Rachel Bumgardner

Graduate Program in Middle Grades Education: Social Studies

Advisor: Dr. John Lee

Candidate Gateway Essay

LEAD/SERVE principles, which are an educational framework for the College of Education, have guided my studies at NC State University. The LEAD/SERVE principles of learning general pedagogy, educating with content-specific strategies, demonstrating understanding of the education context, and being reflective on pedagogical practices were applied during the creation of my signature artifacts. Some of my signature artifacts for the College of Education that I am particularly proud of include lesson plans devised to teach aboutHistoric Stagville Plantation in Durham, North Carolina; a multi-genre project on teaching in Reunion Island, France; research and policies suggestions on prevention of childhood obesity in schools and implementation of self-reliant teacher-leadership skills; and a qualitative research study on Louise Rosenblatt’s transactional theory in a college classroom.

Above all the process of reflecting was an important part of each one of my signature artifacts. Through my reflection, Ilearned to further develop my pedagogical practices. The method that worked best for me was to assess what I thought I had done right, think about what I could change, and think about what I could improve upon. My work additionally exemplifies the LEAD/SERVE principles of scholarly work and experiencing practical applications of knowledge.

My work on LEAD/SERVE artifacts contributed to my understanding of the LEAD/SERVE conceptual framework.I completed artifacts that enabled me to develop unique content-specific strategies using larger educational environments. For example, my study of transactional theory as applied to aesthetic learning in a higher education classroom took several months and included the observation of students in free-writing activities. After my research was completed, I assessed the students with a rubric designed on Rosenblatt’s transactional theory principles. This rubric allowed me to discover if any aesthetic practices were progressing as a result from journaling. This activity was also scholarly.

Another artifact I completed was a field trip visit to the Historic Stagville Plantation. Experiencing Historic Stagville in first person allowed meto prepare accurate lesson plans on slavery in North Carolina. Both my demonstrations of the Historic Stagville Plantation and the reading of slave narrativeswith students primed me to present a culturally sensitive subject which is part of the LEAD/SERVE principles of valuing diversity.

Additionally, my graduate courses in my field of social studies have enabled me to learn new twenty-first century literacies for the classroom. In these courses, I have studied the impacts of social studies gaming, visualization projects (teaching social studies content through images), historical letter transcription, webpage projects, blogging, writing for online historical communities, and the use of Google Earth. This work related to applying LEAD/SERVE discipline or content-area knowledge in social studies. These new literacies in a social studies classroom make educational content more relevant to lives of students. Moreover, the use of these technologies can foster more student interest and bring in student expertise particularly when they are using these technologies outside of the school environment. Engagement with these technologies in school will allow them to understand the context of the larger educational environment and society.

When these literacies are used in a collaborative sensethey allow for more cooperation and team ownership over projects which demonstrate understanding of the education context. For the twenty-first century, collaborative skills in the classroom are highly coveted. In addition to collaboration, teaching twenty-first century literacy skills allow for the enhancement ofproblem solving, critical thinking, creativity and intellectual curiosity.

I have learned that the development of an educational professional is a recursive process of knowledge. Going forward, I will have to continually reassess and reflect on my practices in order to become a better educator. The experience of my studies has always included a revisiting of goals and objectives.I believe these actions embody the ethos of scholarly, ethical, and reflective work.

My work on course-based signature artifacts has taught me that social studiesrequires anability to understand the past which then translates to improvements for the present and future. Engaging in projects that are socially relevant to students’ lives and the community seem to have the best effects in the classroom which again demonstrates an understanding of the education context. Through my experience in the College of Education, I have discovered innovative ways to incorporate the North Carolina Standard Course of Study into creative and thought-provoking social studies projects. Moreover, giving my students positive and constructive feedback will motivate my students to investigate more on historical topics and themes.

My understanding of the educational profession has changed as a result of my work in the College of Education. Learning how to become creative in implementing the North Carolina Standard Course of Study while doing projects and assignments that are in line with student interests is a skill of utmost importance to my pedagogical practices. This reflects the will to carry on the LEAD/SERVE principles in my professional career.Moreover, access to a myriad of resources in the discipline is another important asset I developed in my experiences at NC State. I understand where I can find excellent information on the teaching of social studies. Myoverall experience has been quite rewarding as it has enabled me to realize the teaching of social studies.