The Domains of Professional Practice
The Danielson Framework -The Professional Portfolio
All Education majors are required to complete a portfolio which assesses and documents their growth as professionals during their capstone student teaching experience. Beginning in the freshmen year, students are introduced to the concept of the portfolio, and artifacts are collected from pertinent content courses, education courses, and field placements. During the junior methods placement, students will assemble their first complete portfolio for provisional and formal acceptance. In the senior year, this portfolio is transferred to an electronic version (using Wix or Sway). Students are also required to assemble a companion portfolio brochure which emphasizes their very best work. The portfolio is to be organized according to Charlotte Danielson’s Four Domains of Professional Practice:
The professional portfolio is a clear expression of a student’s educational philosophy, showcasing his/her progress as a pre-service teacher. Portfolio development is a PROCESS; students never really “finish” this project, but continually update and revise the document as they grow and evolve in the profession.
It is expected that the portfolio will be organized (table of contents, etc.), neat, and professional. Creativity is absolutely encouraged (color, graphics, and pictures), but students should refrain from making it “cute” or appear as a scrapbook. Your portfolio is an earnest and insightful statement of your work as a teacher.
The Framework for Teaching
The Elizabethtown College Department of Education uses the Danielson Framework because it most closely aligns with our mission and constructivist vision of teaching and learning.
As described by Danielson, the framework is meant to be the “foundation for professional conversations” among practitioners who seek to enhance their skills and become more thoughtful about the “complex task” of teaching. (Danielson, 2011)
College faculty use the framework to generate and sustain such conversations as they guide pre-service teachers towards program completion. The framework also serves as a common assessment of general student progress in the major.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has also adopted Danielson’s Framework as the overarching vision for effective instruction. In-service teachers are assessed using the four domains as the foundation of the Teacher Effectiveness System.
Teacher Effectiveness
The model focuses upon the complex activity of teaching as defined by the four domains of teaching responsibility:
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Planning and Preparation
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Classroom Environment
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Instruction
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Professional Responsibilities
Domains 1 and 4 cover aspects of the teaching profession that occur outside the classroom, while Domains
2 and 3 address aspects that are directly observable in classroom teaching.
For more information, please see: http://www.iu17-2.pdesas.org/Instruction/Frameworks
**Education Students will create electronic portfolios using www.wix.com . An acceptance portfolio template will be provided for students to use through Canvas. Students should check their etown.edu email address regularly for information and announcements regarding Progression to Formal and Formal acceptance. **
