I. Setting & Context
Community
Fort Collins is located in the northern region of Colorado along the front range of the Rocky Mountains about 60 miles north of Denver. Fort Collins has a population of approximately 151,330 people with a population growth of 1.6% and an average age of 29.1 years. The percentage of the residents who have completed four or more years of college is 51.5%, which seems appropriate, as it is also the home of Colorado State University. Within this college town, the average house hold income is $51,446 and thean average family income isof $74,313, but the unemployment rate isof 6.3%. What I find most intriguing about this town is the efforts in preservation. There are 600 acres of parks and 40,000 acres of natural areas. Just this September the Black-Footed Ferret was released back into Soapstone Prairie Natural Area just north of Fort Collins.
District
The Poudre District School District’s mission is to “Educate… Every Child, Every Day.” Within this mission the district strives for five learning goals: 3rd grade reading proficiency, annual academic growth, post-secondary readiness, successful transition, and integration of Health and Wellness. On top of these five learning goals, they also strive to instill 21st century skills in their students in an effort to help students be be successful after graduation. All of these goalswhich are supported under the Colorado Academic Standards according to the CDE. The district supports schools in Fort Collins, Wellington, Livermore, Laporte, Red Feather, Stove Prairie, Timnaith, and a portionsome of Windsor. Within these towns, there are 26,085 students enrolled in PK-12 grades, spread across 28 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 4 comprehensive high schools, 6 option 100% choice schools, and 3 charter schools. Many programs are available for students in the district that includes such programs as International Baccalaureate, Advance Placement, Hybrid/Online, Expeditionary Learning, STEM, along with many others. This is a predominately White/Caucasian district with only 3.06% Asian and , 1.37% Black/African American populations; however but 17.93% of the population is Hispanic/Latino. To help further the diversity in the district there are 30.79% of students are that are participating in free or reduced lunch, 8.03% are in special education, 11.57% in gifted and talented, and 7.55% arein English language learners. With this diversity, combined with the goals of the district, the drop out rate is a low 1.44% and the graduation rate is 86%. This is in itself an amazing accomplishment.
Fossil Ridge
Fossil Ridge High School is led by athe very enthusiastic and innovative principalle named , Will Allen. The school was started 11 years ago and is the largest high school in Fort Collins with about 1800 students. This school’s has a highest priority of putting the students needs before the leaders needs. Fossil has demonstrated its’ goal to put the students first by giving every student a laptop for the four years they are at the high school. This year the teachers also will be provided with a laptop. Furthering the support of students’ needs and interests are 35 organizations or clubs for students to become active in. Not to mention that students can look up their grades anytime they want as grading is done on an online program.
The school has adopted a new philosophy that was inspired by the Maori tribes people ofin New Zealand, whanau. In this philosophy you are part of something much bigger than yourself, an extended group that is unified. Within thethis unified group that isof Fossil Ridge High, the individual will emerge and it is expected that each persons’ individuality will be expressed. This is needed to make the overall structure and community stronger. As members of this new tribe, members are not only expected to express their individuality but also to learn, improve, and grown together. The students and faculty of the school make up the “RIDGE” tribe with respect, integrity, determination, gratitude, and excellence as its core values. It is expected and encouraged to keep a balance between work, health, and family. Even more at the center of the school is the idea to up hold a positive Ridge culture through collaboration, use of writing in all content areas, meaningful assessments, innovation and creativity, and of course, highly effective teaching and learning.
Classroom
The classroom is a shared classroom, one of three, for all art classes that are offered. With all three classrooms being connected there is a strong collaboration between all three art teachers. The classroom itself is set up as a typical studio art room with tables comprised of 4 to 6 studio desks. The various supplies and storage areas are located along two opposing walls of the classroom. There are facilities for up to 28 students. Although there are only 13 throwing wheels for pottery along the north wall, so a Pottery class must be split in half enabling half of the class to learn hand building and the other half to learn how to throw pots on the wheel. This classroom is also equipped with a full sized kiln, pug mill to recycle clay, project storage, and a glazing room with many different glazing options.
Just like other content area classrooms there is integrated technology. Two computers are located at the front of the classroom with one hooked up to the projector. There is no smart board, but older style screens that pull down and then retract back up. Attached to the wall behind the projector screen are white boards with dry erase markers, no chalkboards. Overall, the classroom is a fairly updated studio classroom with plenty of room for students to work.
The class that I chose to use for my portfolio was the second section of Pottery, Period 7. In this class I taught the half of the class that works on hand building. This consists of 12 students in total, with only 3 males and 9 females. Within these students there is 1 exchange student from Germany, 1 of African American descent, and the rest seem to be Caucasian. There are a few students with IEPS, one of these students needs extensions on deadlines while another student’s hearing is impaired and needs eye contact during lecture with possible aid of written materials to lecture. All students can be accommodated for within the Pottery class.
Fort Collins is located in the northern region of Colorado along the front range of the Rocky Mountains about 60 miles north of Denver. Fort Collins has a population of approximately 151,330 people with a population growth of 1.6% and an average age of 29.1 years. The percentage of the residents who have completed four or more years of college is 51.5%, which seems appropriate, as it is also the home of Colorado State University. Within this college town, the average house hold income is $51,446 and thean average family income isof $74,313, but the unemployment rate isof 6.3%. What I find most intriguing about this town is the efforts in preservation. There are 600 acres of parks and 40,000 acres of natural areas. Just this September the Black-Footed Ferret was released back into Soapstone Prairie Natural Area just north of Fort Collins.
District
The Poudre District School District’s mission is to “Educate… Every Child, Every Day.” Within this mission the district strives for five learning goals: 3rd grade reading proficiency, annual academic growth, post-secondary readiness, successful transition, and integration of Health and Wellness. On top of these five learning goals, they also strive to instill 21st century skills in their students in an effort to help students be be successful after graduation. All of these goalswhich are supported under the Colorado Academic Standards according to the CDE. The district supports schools in Fort Collins, Wellington, Livermore, Laporte, Red Feather, Stove Prairie, Timnaith, and a portionsome of Windsor. Within these towns, there are 26,085 students enrolled in PK-12 grades, spread across 28 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 4 comprehensive high schools, 6 option 100% choice schools, and 3 charter schools. Many programs are available for students in the district that includes such programs as International Baccalaureate, Advance Placement, Hybrid/Online, Expeditionary Learning, STEM, along with many others. This is a predominately White/Caucasian district with only 3.06% Asian and , 1.37% Black/African American populations; however but 17.93% of the population is Hispanic/Latino. To help further the diversity in the district there are 30.79% of students are that are participating in free or reduced lunch, 8.03% are in special education, 11.57% in gifted and talented, and 7.55% arein English language learners. With this diversity, combined with the goals of the district, the drop out rate is a low 1.44% and the graduation rate is 86%. This is in itself an amazing accomplishment.
Fossil Ridge
Fossil Ridge High School is led by athe very enthusiastic and innovative principalle named , Will Allen. The school was started 11 years ago and is the largest high school in Fort Collins with about 1800 students. This school’s has a highest priority of putting the students needs before the leaders needs. Fossil has demonstrated its’ goal to put the students first by giving every student a laptop for the four years they are at the high school. This year the teachers also will be provided with a laptop. Furthering the support of students’ needs and interests are 35 organizations or clubs for students to become active in. Not to mention that students can look up their grades anytime they want as grading is done on an online program.
The school has adopted a new philosophy that was inspired by the Maori tribes people ofin New Zealand, whanau. In this philosophy you are part of something much bigger than yourself, an extended group that is unified. Within thethis unified group that isof Fossil Ridge High, the individual will emerge and it is expected that each persons’ individuality will be expressed. This is needed to make the overall structure and community stronger. As members of this new tribe, members are not only expected to express their individuality but also to learn, improve, and grown together. The students and faculty of the school make up the “RIDGE” tribe with respect, integrity, determination, gratitude, and excellence as its core values. It is expected and encouraged to keep a balance between work, health, and family. Even more at the center of the school is the idea to up hold a positive Ridge culture through collaboration, use of writing in all content areas, meaningful assessments, innovation and creativity, and of course, highly effective teaching and learning.
Classroom
The classroom is a shared classroom, one of three, for all art classes that are offered. With all three classrooms being connected there is a strong collaboration between all three art teachers. The classroom itself is set up as a typical studio art room with tables comprised of 4 to 6 studio desks. The various supplies and storage areas are located along two opposing walls of the classroom. There are facilities for up to 28 students. Although there are only 13 throwing wheels for pottery along the north wall, so a Pottery class must be split in half enabling half of the class to learn hand building and the other half to learn how to throw pots on the wheel. This classroom is also equipped with a full sized kiln, pug mill to recycle clay, project storage, and a glazing room with many different glazing options.
Just like other content area classrooms there is integrated technology. Two computers are located at the front of the classroom with one hooked up to the projector. There is no smart board, but older style screens that pull down and then retract back up. Attached to the wall behind the projector screen are white boards with dry erase markers, no chalkboards. Overall, the classroom is a fairly updated studio classroom with plenty of room for students to work.
The class that I chose to use for my portfolio was the second section of Pottery, Period 7. In this class I taught the half of the class that works on hand building. This consists of 12 students in total, with only 3 males and 9 females. Within these students there is 1 exchange student from Germany, 1 of African American descent, and the rest seem to be Caucasian. There are a few students with IEPS, one of these students needs extensions on deadlines while another student’s hearing is impaired and needs eye contact during lecture with possible aid of written materials to lecture. All students can be accommodated for within the Pottery class.