Sarah Miller

4.3 Diversity, Cultural Understanding & Global Awareness

4.3 Diversity, Cultural Understanding & Global Awareness

Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to support diverse
student needs, enhance cultural understanding, and increase global awareness.

1. Briefly describe the artifact and the context in which it was created. What was/were
your individual contribution(s)?
The artifact for this standard is an ELL Report describing my work with a ninth-grade
student whose first language is Mandarin. This report details her background, the
strategies used during out time together, objectives and assessments, and resources I used
to develop my strategies and enhance my research and understanding of diverse learning
needs.

2. Explain how this artifact demonstrates mastery of the standard/element under which it
is placed. See the portfolio rubric and watch the videos for more details on what to
include in your reflection for this question. You must respond to each of the items on the
rubric in this question! It is VERY IMPORTANT that you address ALL of the criteria on
the rubric. This one question may need to be several paragraphs long in order to address
all of the items on the rubric.
This artifact reflects three lessons that were one-on-one after school with this student
whom I called Laura in the report. Our lessons revolved around Laura’s writing
assignment, which was to write a short story using a sentence starter from a list provided,
including figurative language, sensory language, and dialogue. Laura’s teacher asked her
to use Google Docs to author the document on Google Classroom. She allowed Laura to
“share” the document with me and allowed me to make suggestions and comments before
Laura turned in the story.

To support her diverse student needs, I implemented the following strategies: activating
background knowledge, connecting vocabulary to home language, dramatizing and using
pictures, utilizing a graphic organizer, and teacher modeling/proofing.

Technology was vital in supporting Laura’s needs. We used Google Translate to help
connect some of the new vocabulary to her native language (or close to it), Google Image
search to verify words or gain some inspiration, and Google Docs for commenting,
suggesting, and editing.

3. What did you learn from completing this artifact? What would you do differently to
improve the quality of the artifact or the process involved in creating the artifact?
From this artifact, I learned just how difficult it can be to build confidence in a student
who is struggling with the English language. It can be easy to find the tools, but so
difficult to create an environment in which the student doesn’t feel judged or as if he/she
has to say the “right” word each time. Honestly, I think having been in another country
for several weeks where hardly any English is spoken was so helpful for me in my
empathy. I always felt as though I had a strength in identifying with students and building
relationships; however, my personal experiences helped further that for me in this case.
This also helped when creating this artifact and within my lessons with Laura. In
 Sarah Miller
4.3 Diversity, Cultural Understanding & Global Awareness

conclusion, I learned more about the importance of the environment/atmosphere in

building confidence and relationships with the students to support his/her diverse needs.

To improve this artifact, I would like to have had more time with my student. Laura is not
one of “my” students I work with daily, so I had to quickly build a non-threatening,
approachable environment, while still maintaining quick academic progress. We made it
work, and I think we were successful; however, having more time to build a relationship
would have proven even more successful.

4. How did the work that went into creating the artifact impact school improvement,
faculty development, or student learning? How can the impact be assessed?
The knowledge gained from this artifact impacted student learning by assisting her on a
specific assignment. Not only did I help her with this specific writing assignment, but I
left her with some strategies and tools she can use on other assignments.