October 14, 2013 Dear Education Assessors: Welcome to my teaching portfolio!

My name is Carrie Houston and I am currently in my senior year as an Early Childhood/Elementary Education major at Alverno. This portfolio represents the work that I have done throughout my college career and journey to becoming a teacher! My portfolio has been set up according to the 5 Alverno Abilities and incorporates the Wisconsin Teaching Standards for each of the field teaching, assignments and projects that are displayed within my portfolio. Within each Ability, you will find an artifact and rationale to show how I am able to apply a combination of both into my lesson instruction. Along with the Abilities and Standards section, I have included sub sections for the "Home" tab, which include my resume, a letter to incoming ED 201 students, Candidate Record Sheet and my "current" education philosophy. I have chosen to add a tab for "Technology Integrated Teaching", because I feel that as a future teacher in our very technology driven world, it provides a glimpse of the strengths that I have gained in using and incorporating technology in my future educational career. Learning is very different now from when I attended school, and I believe that technology incorporation in the classroom can only help me provide my students with a greater path to academic success. I have also included a "Field Experiences" tab that contains my instructor feedback and co-teacher evaluations from each of my field experiences throughout my educational journey at Alverno. Finally, I have incorporated a "More" tab to display my contributions and commitment to teaching during my time as a Education major, commitment not only to my future students but also to my community and my peers. My time at Alverno has shown me that my love for teaching and learning are forever growing stronger with every experience and challenge I face. I have been encouraged to demonstrate my enthusiasm and commitment to the field in every lesson and assignment I have created, and I cannot wait to share those same important teacher traits within the walls of my future classroom and school community! I realize the importance of those two teacher traits and have been allowed the opportunity to see the effects that commitment and enthusiasm have on students learning not only as a field student, but as a parent as well. This portfolio not only demonstrates a progression of my learning but also serves as a testament to the resilience that I have shown when demonstrating my commitment to education, for both my field students and myself. With that said, I welcome you and thank you for viewing my educational portfolio. I hope that you can feel the pride, commitment and enjoyment that went into creating this glimpse of my education to date. Sincerely, Carrie Houston