Individual: My Educational Philosophy: A Reflective Comparison

1. Conduct interviews with 5 teachers who have had a minimum of 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of experience in the classroom. In a 1500-1750-word essay, compare and contrast your own personal education philosophy as indicated in the Education Philosophy and Rationaleassignment (from Module 4) with those of your interviewees. Include reflections related to the interviews.
2. Consider the following, though not simply as short answers to these questions:
3. How is your philosophy and that of your interviewees similar? How are they different?
4. What elements of your interviewees’ philosophy would you appropriate for your own? Why? Provide examples.
5. Which elements of your interviewees’ philosophy can you not appropriate? Why? Provide examples.
6. How might your personal philosophy inform your professional practice? Provide a minimum of three examples.
7. How does a teacher’s increasing experience in the classroom affect his or her personal education philosophy?
8. Considering all you have learned, how would you revise your personal education philosophy?

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment.   

 Dream Job Dialogue

i)        Create a script where you discuss with a friend your future career as an Educator.

ii)       Elaborate on the following questions:

(1)   What do you believe will be the future of American K-12 Education, and how will you make an impact on it?

(2)   What are the career possibilities you for in the field of education?

(3)   What is your dream job in the world of education and why are you qualified for it?

iii)      Your entry should be a minimum of 350-400 words.

iv)     APA format is not required, but solid writing skill in APA style and a title page are expected.

NOTE:   The portfolio format requirements of Rationale and Standards are not required for this assignment.

Comprehension Classroom Technology Plan

1. With the help of your instructor, refine and/or modify your Mission and Vision Statement as well as the other component parts of the Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan from Modules 3 through 6.
2. Formulate a conclusion and include it in the Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan.
3. In addition to the plan, write a 750-1,000 word reflection essay that summarizes how your comprehensive technology plan can increase productivity and efficiency for both students and teachers. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Submit the Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan and the reflective essay

1. The Comprehension Classroom Technology Plan will include the following sections. Drafts of these sections will be submitted throughout the course for instructor feedback and will be revised for inclusion in the Benchmark Assessment, due in Module 7. The plan is composed of: 
2. Mission and Vision
3. Communications
4. Instruction (Hardware)
5. Assessment(Software)
6. Ethical Use and Evaluation
7. Conclusion

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment. .

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Issues in Multicultural Education
i)    Explore local issues in your community that affect the education of diverse students. Possible issues may include but are not limited to inequities among districts in your area in regards to teaching materials, quality of school programs, funding for cultural enrichment activities, etc.
ii)    Research an issue described above and analyze possible solutions.  
iii)    Develop a 750–1000 word plan of action to solve the chosen issue, including the following:
(1)    A statement of the problem.
(2)    Who is involved:
(a)    As part of the problem?
(b)    As part of the solution?
(3)    What is the proposed solution?
(4)    What will be needed to implement the solution (e.g., money, time, manpower, materials, etc.)?
(5)    What is the projected timeline to implement the solution?
(6)    What is the expected outcome?
iv)    Use the GCU eLibrary to research a minimum of three to five peer-reviewed articles that can be used in support of your content.
v)    Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment. 

STUDENTS: Submit documentation of your field experience here.

• Field hours required for this course: 10 field hours.
• Form Hyperlink: http://www.gcu.edu/Documents/Education/Practicum-Observation-Activity-Log.pdf

Field Experience hours required for this course: 10 hours.

SIOP Power Point Presentation

For this benchmark, create an in-depth, 15-20 slide PowerPoint presentation to inform other teachers in your school district of the benefits of using the SIOP Model as a teaching framework. This presentation should elaborate on the empirical research that shows the benefits of the SIOP framework when used with general education students as well as with ELLs. Your presentation should include:

1. A title slide
2. A brief description of socioeconomic, political, ethical, and legal influences on instruction for ELLs.
3. At least one brief video showing SIOP strategies being used with students (any grade level or subject area).
4. The eight interrelated components of the SIOP model and their application with teaching examples for each component.  The eight SIOP components are as follows:
   1. Lesson Preparation
   2. Building Background
   3. Comprehensible Input
   4. Strategies
   5. Interaction
   6. Practice and Application
   7. Lesson Delivery
   8. Review and Assessment
5. Include presenter’s notes, in-text citations, and a reference slide that contains three to five sources from the required readings or the GCU Library.

In your explanation of the eight SIOP components, include considerations about meeting ELL needs, such as access to academic classes, appropriate resources, and instructional technology.

While GCU style format is required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using GCU formatting guidelines, which can be found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment.

You are to submit: 

• SIOP Power Point Presentation
• Field Experience documentation required for this course: 10 hours
  • Form Hyperlink: http://students.gcu.edu/Documents/Practicum-Field-Experience-Observation-Activity-Log-8-8.pdf

STUDENTS: Submit documentation of your field experience here.

• Field hours required for this course: 15 field hours. 
• Form Hyperlink: http://www.gcu.edu/Documents/Education/Practicum-Observation-Activity-Log.pdf

Individual: My Personal Classroom Management Plan

1. Create your personal comprehensive classroom management plan. Utilize the steps outlined in the Charles text, Chapter 15:
2. Specify how you will present and conduct yourself.
3. Specify the behavioral goals for you students.
4. Describe the classroom conditions you will provide.
5. Specify how you will help students conduct themselves appropriately.
6. Indicate how you will intervene when misbehavior occurs.
7. Think through and write out how you will introduce and explain the system to your students.
8. Your plan should be presented as a 1500-1750 word essay. Consider the myriad of classroom management strategies you have learned throughout the course and the interaction you have had with classmates through the CLC and Discussion Forum.
9. Use standard essay format in APA style, including an introduction, conclusion, and title page. An abstract is required. Level headings are recommended in organizing your plan. Annotated bullet points and first person point of view are acceptable where appropriate within the essay.

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment. 

There is no required assignment for this course. 

Language Arts Unit Plan

As the first part of the practicum, spend 3 hours each in three reading classrooms (9 hours total), grades 4-8. It is suggested that these initial observations occur in Modules 2-4. Analyze how instructors use strategies to ensure students’ understanding in the reading and writing components of the reading lessons, including both mainstream and language minority students. Determine how these strategies will influence the second part of the practicum. Two observations must be in different grade levels and one placement must be in a Title 1 school.

Choose a specific grade and concept from the Language Arts Standards – visit the Arizona Department of Education’s Language Arts Standards page at:  http://www.ade.az.gov/standards/languagearts/articulated.asp

Between Modules 5 and 6, as the second part of the practicum and in one of the classrooms you observed, spend 6 hours designing and teaching a week-long (5 day) unit plan using a single piece of text that is appropriate for the chosen grade level and based on the language arts academic standards. A poem, short story, newspaper article, or content area piece may serve as a text selection. This single piece of text should be used as a teaching material for all five days of instruction.

Each day’s mini-lesson should address an evaluation of learning that is objective and measurable, and directly assesses the students’ achievement of the targeted academic standards. Every lesson should have the following structure at a minimum: objective (linked to academic standards), materials (include copies of all materials to teach lesson), procedure (a step-by-step description of the lesson from beginning to end), and assessment (a concrete, measurable way to assess the objective).

Each mini-lesson should be a piece of the larger whole, not individual or unconnected lessons. That is, lessons later in the week should build on lessons from earlier in the week, and they should all reinforce and integrate skills from the prior lessons in the weekly sequence.

Write a 1500-1750 word Practicum Reflection that includes the following:

A synopsis of your observations in the reading classrooms, and how they influenced your Language Arts Unit Plan.

A reflection on the Language Arts Unit after you taught it. What were its strengths and weaknesses? What would you change and why? What did you learn about teaching from your mentor teacher? Include this reflection with your Unit Plan.

APA format is not required, but solid writing skill in APA style is expected.

Ask the classroom teacher to complete the Classroom Teacher Evaluation Form. Include it, your Language Arts Unit Plan, and the Practicum Reflection as the Benchmark Assessment submission to the instructor. Attach the Practicum Placement Form and Observation Record.

NOTE:  For a professional presentation please remember to include the Rationale and Standards that apply to this assignment.