​Julie Keinath
teaching portfolio
Julie Keinath's Coursework
TE838 - Children's Literature in Film
Spring Semester 2010
Instructor - L. Apol
This class explored the decisions behind bringing books to life in film. We read seven books and studied the movies based on them. This exploration caused me to revise and expand my definition of "fidelity to the original." This course helped me see film as a genre in itself, related to, yet distinct from, the books on which the movies are based. Filmmakers can use their creative license - sometimes out of necessity and sometimes to communicate a message to the audience. A film is more than a simple translation of a text to the screen. It is a filmmaker's interpretation of the text.
ED800 - Educational Inquiry
Summer Semester 2010
Instructor - S. Weiland
This course laid the foundation for my work in the MAED program. We explored educational theories and philosophies in an effort to examine our current educational system and its role in our society. We examined six different methods of inquiry, such as participant observation and practitioner inquiry. Studying the methods of inquiry in this course has helped me view my teaching in a reflective light. I can observe my students and how they learn best, then use that information to adjust my teaching style and activities. This idea is elaborated in my final paper, which is available by clicking on the picture.
TE831 - Teaching Subject Matter with Technology
Fall Semester 2010
Instructor - E. Byker
This course piqued my interest in using technology in the classroom. I have used a SmartBoard throughout my teaching career, but didn't know where to go beyond that. In this course, we explored a myriad of different tools on the Internet, as well as projects that our students could complete. As a result of the ideas in this course, I had my students create Glogs in Social Studies and Science and videos about Math word problems. This course was also instrumental in my development of the 1:1 laptop program in my school. The digital story embedded here is the first of several I have created for use in my classroom.
TE849 - Methods and Materials for Teaching Children's and Adolescent Literature
Summer Semester 2011
Instructor - L. Apol
This course taught us how to teach literature by experiencing literature ourselves. We read many different books throughout the semester, from picture books to young adult novels. We interacted with the books in small group discussions, causing us to explain, defend, and expand our ideas about each story. I especially benefited from our unit about multicultural literature. I realized how important providing accurate portrayals of cultures is for my students. I also discovered that the literature I use in my classroom needs to tell an important story and have the potential for exploration and discussion beyond the surface elements.
TE846 - Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners
Spring Semester 2011
Instructor - J. Knight
This course provided myriad tools for teaching students who struggle with reading and writing. We learned how to help students with low motivation and learning disabilities, as well as those learning English as a second language. We examined three major areas of literacy - word study, reading, and writing - and what modifications can be made in each. I was able to put my knowledge to immediate use through our semester project, in which I taught two struggling readers how to answer questions from a text. In subsequent school years, I have used these lesson plans with my entire class.
TE848 - Writing Assessment and Instruction
Fall Semester 2011
Instructor - A. Heintz
This course gave us tools and ideas on how to teach the different genres of writing, from nonfiction to poetry. We explored various philosophies for teaching writing, such as genre pedagogy, which focuses on the writing process as a means, rather than an end. I developed a unit plan about writing Advent devotions that led to my class creating a devotion book. I was able to glean many ideas from this course for use in my classroom Writing Workshop. Implementing these ideas has helped my students develop into better writers.
CEP813 - Electronic Portfolios for Teaching and Learning
Spring Semester 2012
Instructor - W. Dickson
This course led us to explore the area of creating electronic portfolios. Clicking on the image to the left will take you to the portfolio I created for the course project. The Student Showcase section was the most valuable part of the course for me. It helped me realize that displaying my students' work to an authentic audience is extremely important. I now make an effort to display my students' projects on my classroom website. I also have my students develop an electronic portfolio of their own to showcase their work in Social Studies throughout the school year.
CEP883 - Psychology of Classroom Discipline
Summer Semester 2012
Instructors - A. Fedewa, E. Oka
Classroom management is an essential part of teaching. However, it is not often a subject that is taught. This course explicitly laid out philosophies and different techniques for classroom management. We examined everything from desk arrangement to Positive Behavior Support, all in an effort to create the best learning environment for our students. I have put many of these techniques into effect this school year, especially the CHAMPS system of classroom management. As my semester-long project, I investigated Teaching with Love and Logic. You can view my PowerPoint presentation by clicking through the slides on the right. You can also click here to view the presentation with speaker notes.
CEP820 - Teaching K-12 Students Online
Fall Semester 2012
Instructors - A. Heintz, S. Leahy, M. Schira Hagerman
Designing an online course helped me discover that teaching students online is very different from teaching students face-to-face. My pedagogical methods must vary in order to deliver the content effectively. We also examined the affordances and constraints of different types of technology. I realized that careful consideration of technologies and pedagogies is essential when teaching online. Even though I still teach my students face-to-face, this course helped me to discover that my teaching style can and should change when using our 1:1 laptops. Clicking on the image to the left will take you to the online portion of the hybrid unit I designed in this course.
ED870 - Capstone
Spring Semester 2013
Instructor - M. Koehler
This is the final course of my Master's program. The creation of this online portfolio has led me to explore what I have learned through the journey of earning this degree. It has also caused me to look ahead to the application of these skills and knowledge in my career as a teacher and my future as a learner.
