CULMINATING PROJECT FL 6500 Your final project is in two parts which are shown as such in the Assignments list. Part I consists of a unit plan, sample lessons in support of instruction, and a formal assessment that pulls together our work for the semester. Your work should reflect the principles of language learning that you have studied throughout the online course. If there are teaching standards for your state or certification or endorsement requirements that require you to submit to a teaching portfolio, please discuss this with your instructor so that we can adapt the project to that format. This section is worth 150 points as detailed below. Part II gives you some options for research: a paper, classroom action research plan, or case study. This section is worth 50 points as detailed below. Please be aware that the schedule for submitting grades as well as the purpose of this final project as evidence of your ability to plan independently means that your submission is final. Use the rubrics as checklists to assure that you have included items requested. I. A. Unit Plan - Theme, Goals and Objectives with sample lessons. Purpose: Preparing for good teaching begins with unit and lesson plans. Your plans represent a set of initial ideas for learning experiences that are appropriate for your curricular goals, relevant to your learners, and based upon principles of effective instruction. For this part of your graduate culminating project you will present a cohesive unit plan organized around an engaging topic or theme. (Remember that a language form or function is NOT a theme). You are encouraged to use the Backward Design model advocated by Wiggins & McTighe (1998) and cited on the CARLA website. · “Backward design may be thought of as purposeful task analysis: Given a task to be accomplished, how do we get there? Or, one might call it planned coaching: What kinds of lessons and practices are needed to master key performances?…Rather than creating assessments near the conclusion of a unit of study (or relying on the tests provided by textbook publishers, which may not completely or appropriately assess our standards), backward design calls for us to operationalize our goals or standards in terms of assessment evidence as we begin to plan a unit or course.” · The Flow Chart on that same page and copied below can serve as an Organizing Template for your plan although you should feel free to use a different Unit Plan format if you wish. Your unit plan, like any draft, is always subject to change in the classroom. Note in the flow chart that the arrows go in both directions reflecting the dynamic nature of practice and revision. When or if you teach this unit, you should reflect on your instruction, identify modifications you made during the lessons, or that you might make to the plan in the future, and note those thoughts. Therefore, the unit plans should provide space for annotations you might make as your instruction unfolds and for reflection afterwards You will provide the plan for your unit so that you address the following componenets. You will also write a commentary in which you highlight the content, the instructional materials, the activities, the ways you plan to accommodate the range of ways students learn, the ways you develop learners' language proficiency, and the ways in which you assess learning along the way (informal assessments). Include in your plan a sufficient number of lesson plans to provide evidence for instruction in the areas listed in the rubric. You are encouraged - not required - to take advantage of the templates provided through ACTFL. Both the template for Unit Design andLesson Design assist in assuring that you are addressing the elements being evaluated in the rubric. These templates demonstrate how the Unit Plan provides an overview of main outcomes and key activities that will be reflected in the unit assessment. The lesson plan templates show how instruction is carried out on a daily / multi-day basis to enable learners to meet the Unit outcomes. Process: Begin by selecting a unit you intend to teach to a class (e.g., in student teaching, in your current situation if you are seeking alternative certification or endorsement). Provide at the outset an opening paragraph that establishes the learning environment. In the rubric, this information is evaluated in the first box. If you are currently teaching --- If you are not currently teaching -- A profile of the school in which you are working, the foreign language program, and the class for which you are planning the unit (i.e., where does this class fit into the curricular sequence, who are your students, what is the schedule like?) Create a target class for the plan you are creating. What is the age of your students? What level of language instruction are you targeting? Identify a particular class of students for whom the unit will be designed. As in the Flow Chart, first identify which of the National Standards (and your state standards if you wish) that will be emphasized in the unit. Select the Theme for the unit. You are encouraged to work with the theme you identified earlier in the course and for which you have at least some activities. But you are also free to choose a new one. Set goals and specific content the unit. The goals should be stated in terms of student performance ("what students know and are able to do...") Goals should not be stated in terms of the language system. They should reflect standards language with thematic specificity. (Ex. Students will explore concepts of work and leisure time in Italian society) Objectives for the unit should also focus on standards-related outcomes, although objectives may also be stated for language system skills. (Ex. Students will be able to compare and contrast how U.S. and French students spend their school day. Students will be able to create, video, and critique an evening news broadcast for a Peruvian audience. Students will be able to describe people and places using adjectives of personal characteristics, size, and opinion.) Lesson plans that address the areas of instruction that relate to the standard. For a long unit, you do not need to include all plans; do identify where the ones included fall in the unit timeline. In the rubric, areas where lessons provide the evidence are boldfaced. A list of unit resources - Create a list of resources that you used in this unit plan. Take care to cite references accurately and to include internet addresses, if used. Use the rubric below as a guide to assure that the unit/lesson plans you present allow for evaluation in the areas listed. Pay attentio n to boldfaced cues as to how the Unit Plan can demonstrate some of the elements but that sample lesson plans are needed for other categories. Rubric for evaluating your unit plan and lessons Exceeds the Standards - 5 Meets the Standards - 4 Score: / 100 Below the Standards 3-1 Overview statement Overview statement Overview statement Comprehensive class Sufficient class description. Insufficient class description that can be used Identifies targeted class description to plan instruction. Includes with level, age group, some school demographics, information on learners. description of the language program, place of targeted course within that program. Goals in the Unit Goals in the Unit Unit is skewed to only Plan balance all 3 modes (2 Plan include all 3 modes some skills or modes for Latin) and plan but without explanation of addresses how this choices distribution is appropriate to level of instruction. Unit plan and lessons Unit plan and lessons Unit plan and lessons Unit has strong unifying Unit has theme(s) or topics Too much or too little theme(s). but not obviously bound. planned for the unit and its lessons Strong evidence of logical Reasonable evidence of "chunking" of new material dividing each topic into to build a strong scaffold in "chunks" for lessons. the lessons. Objectives stated in terms of Most objectives stated in Vague objectives at measurable student terms of measurable the Unit and outcomes at the Unit and student outcomes at Lesson levels Lesson levels (Students will the Unit and Lesson levels be able to... or I can (SWBAT or I can statements) statements). Unit Plan addresses all Most national standards Inadequate evidence of national standards (the 5 addressed in the Unit Plan national standards in Cs) the Unit Plan Students regularly Students sometimes Lessons built upon encouraged to create with encouraged to create with repetition, rote, the L2. Every lesson includes a communicative language activity for which the targeted modes are clearly identified and instruction aligns with best practices for the designated mode. Ample evidence that materials and activities support lesson objectives. Source materials are authentic; teacher-designed organizers, work sheets, group/pair set-ups are supportive of the tasks. Culture is taught in lessons using the PPP framework; perspectives are emphasized so that cultural values are highlighted. Students have opportunities to experience the culture through realia or simulation. Interdisciplinary activities the L2. Most lessons include a communicative language activity. The targeted mode can be readily inferred from the sequence of instruction. manipulation of language. Little evidence of communicative language activities Sufficient evidence that Insufficient examples or materials and activities connections support objectives. to lessons' concepts are Reference made to teacher- not clear. designed support materials but they are not included in the lesson plans. Culture is taught in lessons through products and practices but perspectives are not sufficiently explored. Culture in lessons is taught as facts, generalizations, and differences. Interdisciplinary activities Interdisciplinary activities Strong evidence Possible links in lessons to Little or no evidence of in lessons of planned links other curricula in the school interdisciplinary nature to other curricula in the can be inferred. of lessons school (e.g., curricula guides) Use of technology Use of technology Use of technology Choice of technology used Choice of technology is Choice of technology is is clearly appropriate to the reasonably appropriate to questionable or no use tasks in lessons; can aid the task. Improves the of technology learning. Greatly improves quality of the lessons. in lessons. Usefulness the quality of the lesson. is not clear. Technology is used by students in the conduct of learning and performance Written commentary Written commentary Clearly written with no errors Written with the type of in mechanics errors that indicate lack of proofing. Supports instructional The conduct of most choices in terms of theory instructional activities links and practice by explicit with theory and practice, description of those but the plan does not linkages. include descriptions of choices. Written commentary Not clear with several errors Instructional choices not linked with theory and practice. I. B. Formal, Summative End-of-Unit Performance Assessment Once you have identified: Standards, Theme, Goals and Objectives, present the Performance Assessment you have designed for the end of unit. While there may be assessments designed in various lessons, the requirement here is for a Formal, Summative, Global Assessment that focuses on the larger outcomes for the whole unit of instruction. Backward design asks you to do this next; however, in our work for the course, we have approached this in Module 10. So even if you haven't really proceeded in this manner, do place the Assessment next in your project. You might want to use an IPA (Mod. 10, Theme 5). You might want to explore the CARLA website which is rich in examples of assessing the modes, culture, connections. Keep in mind: Introduction: Provide an introduction to the assessment that provides insights into your thinking. Explain how your assessment reflects student performance in terms of standards. In other words: students should have to process meaning in order to successfully complete the tasks and your evaluation should include more aspects of communication than just linguistic accuracy. Process: Begin by reflecting on the ways in which you should evaluate what students know and are able to do as a result of your teaching of the unit. Review the types of informal and/or formative assessments you have in mind for students (e.g., a pre-test, homework assignments, checklists, in class activities) that you will use to assess what students know, to help them self-assess, and to help you determine where you need to redirect your instruction. Review all unit objectives for topics, language functions, and situations used. You may assume that these informal assessments have been made. But you need only submit your formal assessment that addresses learning across several lessons. The assessment must be one you designed yourself, not one prepared by a textbook publisher or anyone else. It must include all three modes (Interpersonal, interpretive, presentational). You must include the evaluation criteria you will use for this assessment. For the purposes of this assignment, you should focus on an integrative test or student projects. Products: Prepare your copy of the assessment as you would give it to students including reading copy, prompts, items, etc. If there is a listening section, please provide a summary of the script or attach the recording if you are able to do that. Provide your instructor with information that helps him/her assess your assessment! Provide an answer key where appropriate as well as any criteria or rubrics you would use to evaluate student work. In sum, this section of your culminating project should include: Introductory commentary, a copy of the assessment, and scoring criteria Rubric for evaluating your formal assessment Score: / 50 Exceeds the Standards - 5 Meets the Standards - 4 Below the Standards 3-1 Assessment meets some of Assessment is the criteria as primarily achievement a performance measure. It based and discrete falls into point the prochievement model. Assessment meets fully criteria as a performance measure for an end-ofunit. It is task-based, summative, with opportunities for divergent responses. All 3 modes of At least 2 modes are communication are included and measured included in the assessment appropriately and appropriately measured Assessment includes Assessment includes measuring content in areas measuring content in of cultures areas of cultures, and connections or or connections or communities communities Skills are measured without adequate context Assessment includes only skills or communicative modes. Criteria for scoring appropriate to each task Criteria for scoring appropriate to some but not all tasks Criteria consist primarily of scoring in terms of right or wrong. .B. Because of the length and complexity of the Final Project, you may wish to submit it in a series of files so that none is too large (e.g., (a) Overview and Unit Plan; (b) sample lesson plans/materials; (c) summative assessment. However you submit, please label each piece clearly. Another alternative is to submit as a PDF. Attach the files as you normally do. ALL FILES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PART OF THE ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE SUBMITTED UNDER 'FINAL CULMINATING UNIT PLAN AND ASSESSMENT. II. Research Project. To demonstrate graduate level insights into The content and conduct of research, choose one of the following projects. You are welcome to consult with your professor for help in framing the topic. Option A. Write a paper (at least 5 double-spaced pages) summarizing research on a topic of interest that you would like to pursue beyond the discussion in your methods textbook. You will want to establish the issue in the context of second-language acquisition, pose the question you wish to pursue, investigate in at least 5 sources, present findings, implications and unanswered questions. For criteria for the paper, refer back to that given for the paper in Mod. 6. Option B. Prepare a classroom action project (based on the Donato model in Mod. 10, Theme 6) to explore a perplexing question you have. You would need to do the first two parts of the action plan (thinking, acting) that would take you to the point of carrying it out. Of course, you can't gather data or reflect on it in the time frame of the course. Research, in terms of a literature search, on the topic should be included as part of the thinking process. Option C. Prepare a case study on a teaching issue that you have been experiencing. It could be about a teaching approach or technique you want to explore, about teaching in one of the standards areas, or about school issues such as dual level classes, block scheduling, The case study can focus on a group of students or a class you have. Describe the circumstances, demographics, student characteristics so that the reader has the flavor of the situation. Look at relevant research that already exists on the topic as part of your plan. Discuss the circumstances, problems, resolutions, reflections that you want to share about how the topic is playing out. Your methods text contained a number of short case studies at the end of many units. WORK FOR THIS PART OF THE FINAL ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE SUBMITTED UNDER 'RESEARCH PROJECT'.
