General Practicum Information
- Students should complete the Practicum Placement Form and Observation and Activity Log located in the Practicum/Field Experience Manual, including the names of the schools and grade levels where the practicum/field experiences took place and document the hours spent in the classrooms. Submit the forms to the course instructor along with your Benchmark Assignment.
- Spend 10 hours in two classrooms (20 total hours). Let your mentors know that you are working on understanding differentiated instructional and behavioral support strategies and techniques. Throughout the practicum/field experience, observe and interview your mentors as to best practices in these areas. Observations must be in a K-3 environment and one must be in a Title 1 school.
- It is recommended that these observations occur in the first 4 weeks of the course as the Topic 4 assignment is directly related to the observations. They will also inform the Benchmark Assignment.
Benchmark Assignment
Individual: Instructional and Behavioral Support of Students in an Early Childhood Classroom Benchmark Assignment and Rubric.
Using your practicum/field experience hours and in an essay of 1,000-1,250-words, identify, analyze, and critique the instructional and behavioral support strategies that affect the learning of a typical, an atypical, and a gifted student.
- Identify the developmental milestones of each student. Use research to support your identification. Describe how the mentor teachers differentiate their classroom instruction to meet the needs of these students.
o Be sure to provide specific examples of the differentiation strategies.
o Describe the classroom environment, including the diverse learners in the classroom, culture, gender, socioeconomic factors, etc.
- Explain what incentives and positive behavioral supports are in place within each classroom and how each student responds.
- Identify what ongoing assessments are used and which are necessary to mark progress for each student, including progress toward
EP goals for the student with a disability.
Use 3-5 scholarly resources.
Prepare this assignment according to the GCU guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
Details:
Write a two-page letter to families explaining the behavior management policy in your early childhood classroom.
Include reinforcers, consequences for behavior, and your consideration of children's individual differences in ability, culture, and language. Also, include theoretical support for your policies and note any applicable laws, especially IDEA.
GCU style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected. Use standard letter format.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the student Success Center.