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  • Writer's pictureMu Mei Hsueh

Virtual scavenger hunt for Professional and Continuous Learning

Updated: Mar 10, 2023

M8 U9 Activity 1: Professional and Continuous Learning


Project Description


Overview As you are nearing the end of your clinical practice, it is time to begin thinking about your profession as an educator and how you will maintain continuous learning throughout your career as a teaching professional. Professional learning or professional development requires you to keep a growth mindset towards learning and improvement. This week you will focus on Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice by building on the Professional Learning Network or PLN of your cohort, mentor, teacher colleagues, and other people and organizations that will help you continuously learn and grow after you complete the program.

Performance Outcomes

  • Candidates participate in a professional development activity with their peers to initiate their own continuous learning and development process.

What will you do?

  1. Participate in a virtual scavenger hunt with your cohort this week. You will begin the first task with your instructor during the Virtual Class.

  2. Complete the remaining items (in any order) during the week. Take a picture or screenshot or video and add it as evidence of completion. Keep a record of your artifacts in a separate page on your e-Portfolio. The winners will be announced in the next VC.

  3. Submit the link to the e-Portfolio page with your scavenger hunt collection of artifacts on the submission page. Candidates will get extra points for early submissions and creative collections, so get moving!

Report requirements

  • Link to e-Portfolio page with artifacts of the scavenger hunt

  • Completed e-Portfolio

(The above information was cited from the TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program)


My Work

1. Get academic: Share a recently published academic article or journal in your subject area that you would like to read and why.



I would like to read this research paper because I plan to open a Chinese language center in the future. It explores how Chinese centers can survive and excel in a competitive environment. It includes specific examples from two Chinese centers with a long history in Taiwan, which could provide me with practical insights into successful strategies and practices for running a Chinese language center.


2. Develop professionally: Share an upcoming conference or academic event that you would like to participate in and why.


Toastmasters International is a US-headquartered nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication, public speaking, and leadership. And I would like to participate in the Saigon Vietnam Toastmasters Club to develop my communication and leadership skills. The club conducts meetings every 2nd and 4th Saturday afternoon of the month.


3. Build life skills: Host a scavenger hunt activity for your students on life skills or social-emotional learning and take a picture of items collected by students.


The students had a storytelling session with me on the topic of 'When I feel worried ' to learn what they can do to become happy again. After the story, each team collected facial features to complete two different emotions (worry and happiness). Then, all the children thought of ways to support those with a worried face to become happy again. Some of the ideas included reading, dancing, playing, or going to a cool down corner.


4. Create awareness: Implement an activity with students to overcome any one stereotype towards culture, ethnicity, gender, or learning differences.


This activity aims to introduce students to different countries in Asia, helping them understand and respect diverse cultures and ethnicities. By doing so, students will be able to overcome any stereotypes they may have towards these cultures and ethnicities.



5. Create a memory: Take a picture with your cohort with any educational prop.


6. Find common ground: Show pictures of a hobby or interest that you share with a teacher colleague at your school. (e.g. pictures of you and your colleague trekking)

We all love to participate in cultural events!

7. Get social: Add a post on the Facebook Cohorts community page with one important thing you learned during your clinical practice.


During my clinical practice, I learned the importance of self-evaluation. By watching videos of myself, taking notes, and identifying areas for improvement, I was able to make significant progress and refine my skills.
Furthermore, I developed a growth mindset that emphasizes learning and improvement over fixed ability. This mindset allowed me to be open to feedback and take constructive criticism as opportunities for growth. To track my progress and continue improving, I created an action plan and set goals based on my self-assessment. By breaking down larger goals into achievable steps, I was able to maintain motivation and celebrate small successes along the way.

8. Share an achievement: Share the biggest learning challenge you faced in the program and how you overcame the challenge.


The biggest learning challenge I faced in the program was balancing my job, personal life, clinical teaching, as well as taking care of my two young children. I had to suspend and pause the program twice due to these challenges. It was especially difficult as I was in a new school and class. I had to find effective ways to manage all my responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed. To overcome this challenge, I started prioritizing tasks, creating a schedule, and delegating responsibilities when possible. Additionally, I reached out to my support network for help and learned to say no when I needed to. It was a process, but with determination and perseverance, I was able to find a workable balance and succeed in the program."

Some additional ideas to consider:

  • Setting realistic expectations and boundaries can also be helpful in managing competing demands on our time.

  • Utilizing time management tools and techniques such as the Pomodoro technique or time-blocking can help us stay focused and efficient.

  • Remembering to prioritize self-care and take breaks when needed can prevent burnout and improve our overall well-being.


9. Get personal: Share one professional ethic that you always live by.

One professional ethic that I always live by is learning from mistakes and cultivating a growth mindset. It's important to acknowledge mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth. By embracing a growth mindset, one can view challenges and obstacles as opportunities for development and improvement. It is essential to take the time to reflect on mistakes and analyze what went wrong in order to learn from them and avoid making the same errors in the future. Building a growth mindset can also help cultivate a willingness to take risks and try new approaches, which can lead to greater innovation and success in one's professional life.


10. Get finished: Complete and submit your e-Portfolio that you started in the beginning of the program.


https://hmumei.wixsite.com/website

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