CORTNIE BELSER'S MSED PORTFOLIO
ACCESS
Students and their families have been exposed to people, programs, resources, and connections that
can open doors for them, and they are able to navigate and access those opportunities
Introduction
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As a foundation of my teaching philosophy, providing access to opportunities and resources not only drives student engagement and achievement but also presents students with authentic experiences that can be applied and deepened in the real-world. Whether through academic discourse, research-based inquiry, or hands-on learning experiences, access to opportunities and resources provides students with a means to understanding the impact they hope to fulfill in life. While my district has a mandated curriculum, I strive to incorporate authentic learning experiences for my students that will not only prepare them for 21st century classrooms but our future society as well. As a native of Baltimore, I intentionally expose my students and their families to people, programs, resources, and connections anchored in the assets that exist right here in the city.
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As an ELA teacher, I hope to utilize reading and writing to expose students to cross-curricular learning experiences. To support this effort, I constructed an access project during Black History Month in the form of a Living Museum Project. Based on historical and contemporary leaders, thinkers, and influencers from Baltimore, students and their families were immersed in this research and performance-based project to learn about people, programs, and resources that have made and continue to make an impact on the city.
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As ongoing opportunities of access, I organized several guest speakers from high schools and colleges as well as field trips to expose students to a variety of cross disciplinary learning. In partnership with my school's guidance counselor, there has been a range of multi-generational guests speakers who offer students insight on topics from high school choice application to summer internships to juvenile legal rights training, and more. Each guest speaker's student audience was selectively crafted based on the interests and career pathways of my students. Likewise, many of the field trips I facilitated or co-organized were provided to students who may have never been to the aquarium or an author's book talk or even a community college tour. While the majority of students receive free transportation to school, many students are left to find alternative resources to engage in learning after school, on the weekends, and during summer breaks. The guest speakers and field trips provide an additional layer of access to my students beyond knowledge in community-based projects, as they are able to connect with the larger world and begin to imagine their place in it.
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Below, you can click each image to explore how I support students and families in gaining access through various projects and resources in and out of the classroom:
Conclusion
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Ultimately, the role of the teacher is to immerse students in an active learning environment; one that is both adaptive and reflective to the real-world and their lived experiences. Often times, I could provide access to students and families by simply responding to an email or collaborating with a colleague to follow through on an open invitation. By the end of the year, my students were accustomed to having an unfamiliar face in my classroom or thinking critically about how different resources could gear them closer to their future goals. At every point of access, I always wanted students to consider how this could be leveraged to benefit their growth. Additionally, I was intentional about exposing students to people, programs, and resources in the city of Baltimore to challenge the notion that success and opportunity does not exit within our community. As a reflection of my teaching philosophy, I was always mindful of the voices I bring into my classroom and to explicitly reflect with students why each outside opportunity mattered for their academic and personal development as they grow to understand who they want to be as members of the community.