“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
~John Dewey
The Application of Content standard shows a teacher understands the importance of connecting concepts and using various techniques to engage learners to creatively think critically and collaborate on problems that are linked to real-world problems and global issues. Linking the content that is expected to be taught to real-world strategies helps the students to see and understand the relevance of the content and why they need to learn the content. The strategies that I find the best way to show my understanding of this content is by correlating subjects together to make cross-disciplinary lessons, connecting content to real-life experiences, and being able to use every moment as a teachable moment.
Artifact #1: Cross-Disciplinary Lessons
Correlating subjects together in a cross-disciplinary lesson is beneficial to both teacher and students. Connecting material across many disciplines will help the students to understand the material from different areas. This benefits teachers to be pinpoint areas where students struggle with specific topics by the students receiving different views of a topic. I showed understanding to this by linking authentic writing into a science a lesson. By having students first talk about material with each other and then self reflect write in their journals enforces the students to understand content material from different angles reinforces the students understanding of that content.
Artifact #2: Teaching Real Life Experiences
Bringing the content alive to the students in their daily lives is a secure way to impactfully apply the content to the students. By connecting the material the students are learning to their world brings the material closer to the student and making the material more impactful. During my two week unit on Matter, I used daily occurrences to use as examples and proof that the material they were learning was indeed happening around them. Students were able to connect the solids, liquids, and gasses along with the physical changes in their daily life. This also gave the students an concrete understanding as to why these occurrences were happening.
Artifact #3: Teachable Moments
Even the most well organized teacher who can plan every minute to the school day out lives for those teachable moments where the teacher can really pull the class into real-life scenarios. As these moments are unplanned, these moments are impactful moments where teachers can connect absolute life to the students. These moments are also help string a stronger connection between student and 
teacher that is needed to have a successful and thriving classroom. A teachable moment that we experienced in second grade was by not measuring out our water properly, our Jell-o did not set correctly. The students learned the importance of following directions on the box and how too much liquid can affect the outcome of creating a solid cup of Jell-o.
Pictured is a students journal entry on whether they think Jell-o is a solid or a liquid and they’re giving evidence as to why they feel Jell-o is a liquid or a solid.