Middle Childhood Generalist
Middle Childhood Generalist- Do both writing assignments in Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1 need to be taken from the three-to-four week period?
- Do the writing assignments for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1 have to be related to each other?
- I teach more than one class of writing. For the student responses in Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1, must the two students come from the same class?
- I have Instructional Materials that include samples of student work. Can these be submitted?
- How should I choose a topic for my Big Idea for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3?
- How do I know that the Big Idea I have selected for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3 is acceptable?
- Must technology be shown on the video for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3?
- Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3 requires two small groups. My whole class is divided into groups. How should I handle this?
- Do both writing assignments in Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1 need to be taken from the three-to-four week period?
- Do the writing assignments for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1 have to be related to each other?
- I teach more than one class of writing. For the student responses in Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1, must the two students come from the same class?
- I have Instructional Materials that include samples of student work. Can these be submitted?
- How should I choose a topic for my Big Idea for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3?
- How do I know that the Big Idea I have selected for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3 is acceptable?
- Must technology be shown on the video for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3?
- Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3 requires two small groups. My whole class is divided into groups. How should I handle this?
Yes, both writing assignments should be taken from your teaching within this three-to-four week period of time.
No, the two assignments do not have to be directly related to each other; however, they do need to be related to the teaching you are doing within the instructional sequence (the three-to-four week period of teaching). The section called "Making Good Choices" offers suggestions designed to help you satisfy the scoring criteria for Entry 1.
Yes. The fourth bullet under Student Responses in the "Format Specifications" section of the entry directions states that the student response must "come from students who are in the class that is the basis for your Written Commentary."
Yes, unless specifically stated otherwise, Instructional Materials may be samples of student work. The important point is that your Instructional Materials help assessors understand what occurred during the lesson.
In order to explore a scientific concept or process, the teacher must select a specific topic. The topic selected must be one that can be taught in depth so it can be related to all branches of science and applied to another discipline within the curriculum as specified in the entry instructions. Select a theme in science and a "big idea" that, when studied and explored together, will enrich the understanding of both the selected theme and the "big idea" in science.
The Big Ideas are listed in the "Get Started" section of the portfolio instructions. Examples are Systems, Models, Energy, Evolution, Scale, Structure, Constancy, and Patterns of Change. One of the essential components of higher-order thinking is the ability to think about a whole in terms of its parts and alternatively, about parts in terms of how they relate to one another and to the whole. The Big Ideas revolve more around teaching science concepts that cut across all branches of science. Please keep in mind that NBPTS cannot approve or disapprove of your topic.
Yes, both the rubric and the entry instructions specifically state that you must use a variety of resources, including technology, to enhance student learning about mathematics and science. For the Written Commentary, you are asked to cite specific examples from the lesson that show you and your students interacting with technology.
Your whole class may remain in groups during the lesson, but you will only focus on two of the groups for the fifteen minutes of the video segment. Likewise, your discussion in your Written Commentary will focus on only two groups. If you have excessive video footage on a group that you are not addressing in your Written Commentary, the evidence of your adherence to the standards in your teaching practice may not be clear, convincing, and consistent to the assessors.