Individual: My Personal Classroom Management Plan

Educational Philosophy: Reflection and Application

i)        Conduct interviews with five veteran teachers who have a minimum of 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years of experience in the classroom regarding current issues in education and their personal education philosophies during Module 7. Use the approved CLC group questions created in Module 3 to conduct the individual interviews of the five teachers. These interviews can be conducted by phone or in person.

ii)       In an essay of 2,500–2,750 words, compare and contrast your own personal education philosophy as indicated in the Education Philosophy Outline and Rationale assignment (due in Module 4) with those of your interviewees. Include reflections related to the interviews.

iii)     Consider the following and ensure your responses are inherent in the essay, not simply short answers to these questions:

(1)   Analyze your interviewees’ philosophies. How are the elements of their philosophies similar to the elements of your own philosophy? How are they different?

(2)   Analyze and critique the elements of your interviewees’ philosophies. What elements of their philosophy would you appropriate for your own? Why?

(3)   Which elements of your interviewees’ philosophies can you not appropriate? Why?

(4)   How might your personal philosophy inform your professional practice? Create a scenario in which you apply your philosophy as an educator.

(5)   How does a teacher’s increasing experience in the classroom affect that teacher’s personal education philosophy?

(6)   Considering all you have learned, would you revise your personal education philosophy? If so, how?

(7)   Statement for upper-division assignments (modify highlighted information):

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the GCU APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

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. 

Reading the Word and the World

  Practicum Observation Journals

        Class and Student Literacy Profiile

        Venn Diagram

(1)   Combine the three Practicum Observation Journals, the Class and Student Literacy Profile, and the Venn Diagram under one APA-style title page as the Benchmark Assessment and submit this assignment to the instructor in ANGEL by the end of Module 8.

(2)   Complete and include the applicable practicum placement and observation log forms, located in the practicum manual, with the submission of the Benchmark Assessment.

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

Effective Pedagogy: Best Practices

Part I: Curriculum Unit Plan

1. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies the mentors used to support classroom learning. Reference strategies from research and coursework (explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, self-knowledge).
2. Design a complete instructional unit, comprised of 10 lesson plans, in your subject area. Decide on an effective lesson plan format; design the essential elements of the lesson to be taught, including key objectives, rationale, activities, and materials; design appropriate assessments; and complete rubrics to both grade the lesson plan format and given assessments. Present and defend the unit to a mentor teacher. Seek guidance on how to improve it.
3. Revise the unit using the input of a mentor teacher. Using the revised unit, teach three of the unit’s lessons to a group of students (use a practicum class or teach one student in a tutoring environment).

Part II: Reflective Essay

1. Throughout the practicum, you have observed your mentors (three in all). For this reflective essay, analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies your mentors used to support classroom learning. Reference strategies from research utilized for this assignment.
2. Construct a 1,500-1,750 word essay reflecting on and evaluating the classroom teacher’s use of a best-practice strategy in a lesson that you observe. Then, reflect on and self-evaluate your own use of a similar strategy when teaching students. Be sure to answer the following questions regarding both situations.

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

Curriculum Decision Making – Understanding by Design

1. Component I: 10-day UbD Curriculum Unit
2. Teacher candidates will develop a 10-day (two-week) UbD curriculum unit of study in their content area for a group of students in their Practicum Placement. This unit must align with the State standards. A description of the group of students for which the unit is planned, a course statement, and a unit statement must be included. In addition, the unit must explicitly incorporate the six facets of understanding as presented in Wiggins’& McTighe’s Understanding by Design.
3. A lesson plan will be written for each day of the unit that incorporates the following criteria based on Hunter’s Essential Elements of Instruction lesson plan model: specifies learning objectives, specifies materials and media, includes an anticipatory set, outlines teaching/presentation, offers guided practice, provides closure, and highlights independent practice/formative assessment.
4. The 10-day UbD curriculum unit should be complete by the first day of Module 7.
5. Component II: On Second thought: Reflection and Peer Review of 10-day UbD Curriculum Unit
6. Post a copy of your 10-Day UbD curriculum unit in your CLC discussion board by the first day of Module 7 along with a 300-400 word reflection of the strengths and weaknesses of your unit.
7. Discuss in your CLC assigned group the strengths and weaknesses of each curriculum unit posted based on your learning in previous weeks of study regarding the facets of understanding, assessment practices, and current trends. How effective was each unit in meeting the needs of a diverse student population? What changes (if any) would need to take place in order for the unit to meet the needs of diverse learners?
8. Provide 3+2 feedback – offer three positive points/strengths and two suggestions for improvement to each member of your CLC group.
9. Compile your 3+2 feedback data you have received from your CLC group members into one document. Attach your reflection on your own unit, and submit the assignment to the instructor by the end of Module 7.
10. Component III: Final Project
11. Solicit feedback from your mentor teacher about your 10-day UbD curriculum unit plan.
12.  Revise the original unit plan based on the feedback received from the mentor teacher and the information received from the 3 + 2 feedback from all the CLC group members.
13. Combine the original 10-day UbD curriculum unit plan, the strengths/weaknesses reflection sent to the CLC, and the revised 10-day UbD curriculum unit plan, all clearly identified, under one APA-style title page as the Benchmark Assessment. Attach the Practicum Placement Form and Observation Record Log.

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