DescriptionMajor Assignment 1 : Special Topics – Group
Total possible points: 48
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to develop thinking dispositions and habits of mind to take advantage of children’s literature, to
understand whole learning integrating children’s books and to connect theory and practice.
This assignment includes two parts:
(1) Research of an assigned special topic and a PowerPoint presentation presenting your findings about your special topic (this is a PowerPoint); and
(2) Written reflection on all other group’s special topic PowerPoints (this is a paper).
Directions for Part I:
Special Topic Research and PowerPoint (15 points)
You will be assigned to a Professional Learning Community (PLC) group that will investigate a Special Topic. With your group, make sure to
complete the following steps:
1. Read and research the topic assigned to you. Your research may include professional articles, official websites, books, videos, pictures, etc.
Sources such as Wikipedia will not be accepted because they are not reliable.
2. Next, with your group members, prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation to share the information you have discovered about your special
topic with the rest of the members in this course. Make sure each member records their voices over the slides.
3. Upload your PowerPoint in the Discussion Board.
Directions for Part II:
Reflection Paper on all Special Topic Groups (33 points)
1. Now, your PLC group will be required to watch all Special Topic PowerPoint slides.
2. Select 8 to 10 special topics PowerPoint Presentations posted from other groups in the Discussion Board. For each special topic PowerPoint,
you and your PLC group will write a reflection.
3. Be sure your reflective paper includes a 300-word reflection for each of the 8 to 10 special topics presented in class. You should have 8 to 10
300-word reflections. Make sure your PLC group:
4. Expands your discussion using material from the textbook and links to the special topics by making connections between the special topics and
the content learned throughout the course.
5. Follows the Special Topics Part II rubric criteria for each of the special topics. Some rubrics cover two or three special topics, make sure to
address those indicators.
6. Uses the titles and subtitles related to the indicators in order to give clarity to the discussion. Highlight the indicators that you use in your paper.
7. Works on each topic right after their classmates present the topic. This is a reflection paper not a summary of classmates’ presentations. Must
include:
8. An understanding of the stages of English language acquisition for ELLs and how your group would differentiate reading instruction for
students at different levels of English language proficiency applicable to dialogic reading
9. Evidence of understanding and application of current theories of second language acquisition to differentiate instruction for English language
learners of diverse backgrounds and various levels of prior education.
10. Possible factors impeding the student reading development in each of the reading components (phonics, phonological awareness, fluency,
vocabulary, listening or reading comprehension) or the integration of these components.
11. Connections between information from different sources to recognize how characteristics of both language and cognitive development impact
reading proficiency.
12. Examples to recognize the characteristics of proficient readers to more effectively differentiate instruction.
13. Analysis of how to use documentation to monitor student progress and use data to differentiate instruction for all students.
14. Hypothetical implementation of research-based practices in comprehension, oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency and
vocabulary to differentiate instruction for all students.
15. Use of an excellent example to explain how to implement research-based instructional practices for developing students’ higher order thinking.
16. Implications of how to implement research-based instructional practices using writing to develop students’ comprehension of text.
17. How to hypothetically implement appropriate and allowable instructional accommodations as specified in the Individual Education Plan or
504-Plan when differentiating instruction for students with disabilities.
18. Ways to modify assessment and instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities while maintaining high expectations for
achievement that reflect appropriate levels of access to general education instruction.
19. Keep in mind to use this information in the Dialogic Reading/Research Project. How would you use this information with your focus child?
Special Topic 1
Special Topic 2
Special Topic 3
Special Topic 4
Special Topic 5
Special Topic 6
Special Topic 7
Special Topic 8
Special Topic 9
Special Topic 10
Making Thinking visible
Dialogic Reading
Asking good questions
Responding to children’s Literature
Understanding disabilities through children’s literature
Dialogic Thinking English Language Learners
Video documentary techniques
Promoting emergent literacy and social-emotional development
Bibliotherapy
Nurturing Empathy through children’s literature
Grading Criteria: Special Topic Rubric Part I and Special Topics Part II rubrics.
Due Date: Refer to syllabus.
Type of Assignment: Group
How to Submit Assignment: Upload your PowerPoint in the Discussion Board only and your Reflection Paper
in the Assignment Dropbox and Taskstream.
Rubric for Special Topics Part I – Research PowerPoints (15 Points)
5
3
1
Construct
PLC demonstrates
Candidate demonstrates Candidate demonstrates
outstanding research on satisfactory research on poor research on the
Special Topic
the special topic
the special topic
special topic assigned to
Research
assigned to your PLC.
assigned to your PLC
your PLC
PLC demonstrates
Candidate demonstrates Candidate demonstrates
outstanding use of
satisfactory use of
minimal use of
professional resources
professional resources
professional resources
Sources
on the special topic
on the special topic
on the special topic
assigned to your PLC
assigned to your PLC
assigned to your PLC
PLC develops
PLC develops
PLC develops poor 15outstanding 15-minute
satisfactory 15-minute
minute PowerPoint
PowerPoint presentation PowerPoint presentation
presentation to share the
to share the information to share the information
information discovered
discovered about the
discovered about the
about the special topic
PowerPoint
special topic assigned
special topic assigned
assigned with the rest of
Slides
with the rest of the
with the rest of the
the members in this
members in this course. members in this course.
course. Few members
Each member records
Not all members record
record their voices over
their voices over the
their voices over the
the slides.
slides.
slides.
Rubric for Special Topics Part II – Reflection Paper on All Special Topic Groups
(33 Points)
Mastery
Proficient
Limited
value: 3.00
value: 2.00
value: 1.00
In the reflection the
In the reflection the
candidate show
candidate shows
In the reflection the
excellent
proficient
candidate shows
understanding of the understanding of the limited understanding
stages of English
stages of English
of the stages of English
language acquisition language acquisition language acquisition
for English language for English language for English language
learners and
learners and
learners and
REC 4.2
differentiate reading differentiates reading differentiates reading
instruction for
instruction for
instruction for students
students at different
students at different
at different levels of
levels of English
levels of English
English language
language proficiency language proficiency proficiency applicable
applicable to dialogic applicable to dialogic to dialogic reading.
reading.
reading.
REC 4.3
Outstanding
Proficient
Limited understanding
understanding and
understanding and
and application of
application of current application of current current theories of
REC 4.4
REC 4.5
REC 4.6
REC 4.13
theories of second
language acquisition
to differentiate
instruction for
English language
learners of diverse
backgrounds and
various levels of
prior education.
theories of second
language acquisition
to differentiate
instruction for
English language
learners of diverse
backgrounds and
various levels of
prior education.
second language
acquisition to
differentiate
instruction for English
language learners of
diverse backgrounds
and various levels of
prior education.
Identify factors
impeding student
reading development
in each of the reading
components or the
integration of these
components.
Identify factors
impeding student
reading development
in each of the reading
components or the
integration of these
components.
Identify factors
impeding student
reading development
in each of the reading
components or the
integration of these
components.
The candidate
successfully connects
information from
different sources to
recognize how
characteristics of
both language and
cognitive
development impact
reading proficiency.
The candidate
proficiently connects
information from
different sources to
recognize how
characteristics of
both language and
cognitive
development impact
reading proficiency.
The candidate does not
connect information
from different sources
to recognize how
characteristics of both
language and cognitive
development impact
reading proficiency.
Candidate use
excellent examples to
recognize the
characteristics of
proficient readers to
more effectively
differentiate
instruction.
Candidate use
outstanding
examples to
recognize the
characteristics of
proficient readers to
more effectively
differentiate
instruction
Candidate does not use
examples to recognize
the characteristics of
proficient readers to
more effectively
differentiate
instruction
Candidate
successfully analyzes
how to use
documentation to
monitor student
progress and use data
to differentiate
Candidate
proficiently analyzes
how to use
documentation to
monitor student
progress and use data
to differentiate
Candidate does not
analyze how to use
documentation to
monitor student
progress and use data
to differentiate
instruction for all
REC 4.14
REC 4.15
REC 4.17
REC 4.18
instruction for all
students.
instruction for all
students.
students.
Candidate
successfully reflects
on the
implementation of
research-based
practices in
comprehension, oral
language,
phonological
awareness, phonics,
fluency and
vocabulary to
differentiate
instruction for all
students.
Candidate has an
outstanding
reflection about the
implementation of
research-based
practices in
comprehension, oral
language,
phonological
awareness, phonics,
fluency and
vocabulary to
differentiate
instruction for all
students.
Candidate does not
reflect about the
implementation of
research-based
practices in
comprehension, oral
language, phonological
awareness, phonics,
fluency and vocabulary
to differentiate
instruction for all
students.
Candidate uses an
excellent example to
explain how to
implement researchbased instructional
practices for
developing students’
higher order
thinking.
Candidate uses an
outstanding example
to explain how to
implement researchbased instructional
practices for
developing students’
higher order
thinking.
Candidate does not use
an outstanding
example to explain
how to implement
research-based
instructional practices
for developing
students’ higher order
thinking
The candidate
successfully
addresses on ways to
implement researchbased instructional
practices using
writing to develop
students’
comprehension of
text.
The candidate
proficiently
addresses on ways to
implement researchbased instructional
practices using
writing to develop
students’
comprehension of
text.
The candidate does not
address ways to
implement researchbased instructional
practices using writing
to develop students’
comprehension of text.
The candidate
successfully
addresses how to
implement
appropriate and
allowable
The candidate
proficiently
addresses how to
implement
appropriate and
allowable
The candidate does not
address how to
implement appropriate
and allowable
instructional
accommodations as
REC 4.19
instructional
accommodations as
specified in the
Individual Education
Plan or 504 Plan
when differentiating
instruction for
students with
disabilities.
instructional
accommodations as
specified in the
Individual Education
Plan or 504 Plan
when differentiating
instruction for
students with
disabilities.
The candidate
successfully
addresses ways to
modify assessment
and instruction for
students with
significant cognitive
disabilities while
maintaining high
expectations for
achievement that
reflect appropriate
levels of access to
general education
instruction.
The candidate
proficiently
addresses ways to
modify assessment
and instruction for
students with
significant cognitive
disabilities while
maintaining high
expectations for
achievement that
reflect appropriate
levels of access to
general education
instruction.
specified in the
Individual Education
Plan or 504 Plan when
differentiating
instruction for students
with disabilities.
The candidate does not
address ways to
modify assessment and
instruction for students
with significant
cognitive disabilities
while maintaining high
expectations for
achievement that
reflect appropriate
levels of access to
general education
instruction.
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