Teaching in elementary and secondary school is based on state and national standards. These standards encompass the major bodies of knowledge, concepts, and skills that you will be responsible for teaching in middle school and high school. This means that you must demonstrate your competencies in each of these areas prior to teaching.

The national standards for social studies education are based on the ten thematic standards of the National Council of Social Studies (NCSS). The purpose of completing your Learning Portfolio is for you to demonstrate that you have mastered the knowledge, concepts, and skills that underpin each of the ten thematic standards of NCSS.

Last Updated on October 29, 2010

Moreover, the Learning Portfolio will enable you to:

• get the most out of all your courses. It will help you to incorporate what you are learning as an undergraduate into your teaching experience.
• avoid the compartmentalization of knowledge. Instead of merely checking off courses on the list to "fulfill requirements," this portfolio will help you to make connections between your courses and reflect on how you will incorporate this knowledge into your teaching.
• understand all of the Social Studies disciplines you are required to know, not just your major.
• get to know your advisors and instructors, and enable us to provide better advising.
• develop your reflective skills---to think about what you learned and are learning. Reflective skills are essential for being a successful teacher, coach, parent, human being, etc.
• pass Praxis II, which is especially helpful for the non History Education majors.
• get out of here quicker!
• get a better job after you graduate, regardless of where you plan to teach. NCSS Standards are national standards that are recognized in every state.

Overview

During your freshman year, you should familiarize yourself with the Learning Portfolio requirement and the 10 National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) Thematic Learning Standards. Over the next three-plus years, you will examine your courses and course work for content and concepts that helped you to understand each of these ten thematic standards. You will complete a portfolio in which you will demonstrate your competencies in all ten thematic standards.

Here is a sample student entry for your review.

Instructions

For each of the 10 thematic standards, you will:

1. List the courses you have taken (and final grade earned) that you feel have addressed this standard.
2. Identify the one course that best enabled you to understand the concepts in this standard.
• Attach a graded work sample from this class.
• Attach a syllabus from this class. Highlight where the work sample appears in the syllabus.
• Note that you can use one course for more than one standard; however, you can only use your graded work sample once.
3. Write a 150-200 words essay (typed, double-spaced, and in a 12-point font) that addresses the questions listed below.
• Why did you choose this particular course as your example? (demonstrate that you understand the content and concepts contained in the standard) (show clearly how the course relates to the standard)
• How does your work sample show that you understand this standard? (demonstrate the sample's relationship to the standard)

We are not "re-grading" your work sample. The grade you originally received is not as important to us as your explanation of what you learned from this course and the relationship between the work sample and the standard addressed.

Possible work samples include:

• Exams
• Quizzes
• Projects
• Worksheets
• Papers
• In-class assignment or activity (provide written instructions from professor)
• Book review

Evaluation (Rubric for Entries)

Each completed standard will be assessed for:

• The quality of your writing skills.
• The quality of your reflection:
  • Have you demonstrated that you understand the content and concepts contained in the standard?
  • Have you clearly shown how the course relates to the standard?
• The quality of your sample
  • Have you demonstrated its relationship to the standard?

TIMELINE FOR REVIEW

• Preliminary Review : You must complete at least one thematic standard and have it reviewed by your advisor during your sophomore year.
• First Review : You will submit your Learning Portfolio by February 17th of your junior year for first review. You may turn in as many completed standards as you wish; however, you must complete and pass at least five of ten standards at this review before you will be accepted for student teaching. Keep in mind that the deadline for applying for student teaching is in the middle of February of your junior year-one year before you student teach.
• Final Review : You will submit your completed Learning Portfolio by December 1st of your senior year for final review. This is a requirement for completing your History 491 Methods course. All remaining thematic standards will be evaluated at this time. You must pass all ten standards before you will be allowed to begin student teaching in the spring of your senior year.

TIPS

• Keep all of your work from all of your classes. Create a file for each class. If possible, save work from courses on disk. You might consider making a "Project Page" in Sakai to house all this information.
• Ask instructors for an electronic copy of the course syllabus and save the course syllabus on disk.
• Meet often with your advisor and submit a completed standard as soon as possible.

Templates

1. Culture & Cultural Diversity
2. Time, Continuity, & Change
3. People, Places, & Environments
4. Individual Development & Identity
5. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
6. Power, Authority, & Governance
7. Production, Distribution, & Consumption
8. Science, Technology, & Society
9. Global Connections
10. Civic Ideals & Practices

Department of History  •   236 John Munroe Hall   •   Newark, DE 19716  •   USA Phone: 302-831-2371  •   Fax: 302-831-1538