Unit VI Assignment
Assignment Instructions
This two-page concept map assignment measures your mastery of ULO 2.1.
In Unit VI, you delved into educational research, practices, and tools tailored to meet the needs of diverse learners. We highlighted the importance of a holistic approach in fostering an inclusive educational environment to promote learning. These concepts are crucial for the action plan you will begin in Unit VII and finalize in Unit VIII. To prepare, you will create a concept map to organize your ideas and information for the project due in Unit VII.
Assignment objective: In this assignment, you will use the tool of mind mapping to organize your ideas and information for the project due in Unit VII.
Details:
1. Choose a template for your electronic concept map. You can see example concept maps and templates by searching “concept map” or “mind map” with your favorite search engine.
2. Choose a key word or phrase that describes the issue or current trend in curriculum and instruction you will use as the foundational topic for your action plan.
3. Create as many branches as needed off the central idea using key words or phrases.
4. Once the concept map is created, write a one-page paper describing the phrases in the concept map that you want to pursue for your project. In your descriptions, indicate what makes these ideas intriguing and why you think learning more about them is essential to the project.
Submit your completed concept map and one-page paper as a single document in Blackboard. References are not required for this assignment, but if any are used, you must cite and reference them in APA Style.
Unit VII Project
Assignment Instructions
This assignment consists of a 4-page written paper and 1–2-page template/outline. It measures your mastery of ULOs 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.
For this assignment, you will develop the first part of an action plan to address an issue or current trend in curriculum and instruction that is of particular interest to you. You will present your 1–2-page action plan in template format, and then author a 4-page paper in which you detail and justify your plan. Note: In the next unit’s assignment, you will develop the final part of the plan in which you focus on review and measurement.
The issue or trend you choose should be one whose impacts you are familiar with or that directly impacts your area of expertise. The focus and level of your action plan is up to you. Your plan must consider and address both traditional in-person learning and online or virtual learning. You may target issues or trends:
· in your specialized curriculum content area,
· with specific types or groups of learners you interact with,
· specific to the grade, school, district, or state with which you associate.
Your action plan may address any substantiated goal within the framework of what has been covered in this course. Examples can include, but are not limited to, curriculum changes (general or subject matter), specific types of learners’ needs, sociocultural issues, or student success concerns. Your plan must consider traditional in-person learning and online or virtual learning. If you are not currently teaching, you may develop your action plan based on the level of previous or preferred future teaching or educational administration endeavors.
You may organize and format your action plan template as you see fit. You should follow the five-step model of strategic planning outlined in the unit lesson as you develop your action plan. You may model your template after an existing template discovered in your research or create your own, but be sure each of the following sections are included in your action plan:
· Level of focus (i.e., curriculum content area, type of learner, grade, school, district, or state). Include demographic impacted where applicable.
· Specific improvement goal(s). Identify the goal and include SMART attributes. You must include a minimum of two academically credible sources as you offer supporting data (i.e., metrics, research, policy, law) to support the goal.
· Key activities or strategies to achieve the goal. You must support with research or evidence. Be sure to develop activities or strategies that facilitate instruction of students of various backgrounds, readiness, skill levels, and interests. You must address, at a minimum, activities or strategies that focus on the:
· student, including at least one area of differentiated learning
· curriculum, including modifications for specific learners (i.e., advanced, disabled, culturally or linguistically diverse)
· classroom environment created by the teacher
· incorporation of technology in differentiated instruction
· Timeline. Detail the expected time for realization of the goal (i.e., weeks, months, semesters, year)
· Required resources. Address each of the following as they apply to both the in-person and virtual environments:
· funding
· materials
· space
· personnel
· time
· technology
· Staff development preparation or training. You must include at least one technology-based strategy in this section.
Remember, you will not address the review and measurement section of your plan until next unit.
Your action plan will be briefly outlined in template format and included as Appendix A of your project submission. The
Unit VII Project Template
will guide you in the final organization of your project.
The written part of this assignment must be at least 5 pages, but no more than 6 pages in length. You will explain and defend each section of your action plan, offering as much detail as necessary to clearly communicate all aspects of the plan.
You must support your rationale with at least four academically credible sources, including at least one peer-reviewed source which models previous effective implementation of any the activities or strategies you have included in your plan.
Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed.
Unit VIII Project
Assignment Instructions
This assignment is a 3-page continuation of your Unit VII action plan. It measures your mastery of ULOs 1.6 and 4.3
As you develop this final part of your action plan, you will focus how your action plan will be reviewed, evaluated, measured, and assessed for goal attainment. You will amend your action plan template to include the final section, and then author a 3-page paper in which you detail and justify this final section of your plan.
First, revise your action plan, as necessary, based on professor feedback from your Unit VII Project submission.
Next, amend Appendix A from your Unit VII Project submission to add the following final sections of your action plan:
· What metrics or data will be collected? (And how?)
· Identify key players in the review and evaluation of the plan’s outcomes.
· Identify review and evaluation methods that will be used to determine the plan’s efficacy.
· How will necessary adjustments be made (i.e., real-time, develop new plan)
· Identify and detail three student assessment strategies or activities that can be used to measure achievement of the goal at the end of the plan’s timeline.
· One must be designed for the traditional classroom.
· One must be designed for the online or virtual classroom.
· One must be able to be differentiated. Provide examples of how the strategy or activity can be modified for specific learners.
The written part of this assignment must be at least 3 pages, but no more than 4 pages in length. You will explain and defend only this section of your action plan, offering as much detail as necessary to clearly communicate all aspects of this final part of the plan. Once again, include your amended action plan template in your final assignment submission as Appendix A. The
Unit VIII Project Template
will guide you in the final organization of your project.
You must support your rationale with at least two academically credible sources, including at least one peer-reviewed source which models effective implementation of any the student assessment activities or strategies you have included in your plan.
