Culminating Experience Report (CER)
A culminating experience is a substantial piece of original work synthesizing education theory and practice, relevant to the grades 1-6 curriculum, and meeting the highest standards of academic presentation and content. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate your growth as a learner and for you to describe that growth via three assignments. Please be advised that this culminating experience will involve at least two semesters of work and is divided into three parts.
Description:
Part I – Action Research Plan
Part I of the CER focuses on investigating a specific issue in teaching grades 1-6 that is of particular interest to you. During EDU 5226, Teacher as Researcher, you will explore theoretical perspectives that inform classroom practices. You will apply these perspectives to identify a problem or issue and develop an action research plan to address this problem or issue.
Examples of issues in teaching grades 1-6 may include the evaluation of a teaching method, the choice of an appropriate instructional program, or the analysis of a specific classroom problem that is interfering with students’ learning.
A detailed description of the plan and its outcomes will be discussed in EDU 5226, Teacher as Researcher.
Part II – Integrative Project
You will begin Part II the CER of the culminating experience after taking three intermediate and capstone courses: EDU 5085 and EDU 5274, and EDU 5380. Part II consists of integrating and analyzing four course assignments completed during the Master’s degree program. These assignments are:
Assessment project - (EDU 5380- Curriculum, Management and Assessment)
Management plan - (EDU 5380-Curriculum, Management and Assessment)
Resource file - (EDU 5085- Instructional Strategies for Diverse Learners)
Literacy profile - (EDU 5274- Literacy Methods II)
When these four assignments are examined as a whole, they are used to determine your ability to think critically, to apply discipline specific knowledge for the purposes of planning, designing instructional strategies and assessment. Examine and analyze the four assignments that make up the integrative project. Discuss how these assignments have helped you to: (use a subheading for each item discussed)
- Make connections across the curriculum
- Integrate and apply knowledge for instruction
- Demonstrate your ability to adapt to diverse students
- Demonstrate your understanding of English Language Arts as it applies to assessment of a students’ reading weaknesses and development of an appropriate intervention plan
- Use assessment to improve instruction
- Summarize how this integrative project demonstrates your understanding of the pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills needed to be an effective childhood educator.
Part III – Critical Reflection
Part III of the CER will be completed during the Student /Supervised Teaching semester. Think deeply about an area of concern you are facing in your student/supervised teaching practicum experience. This reflection asks you to relate your action research plan and integrative project to your student/supervised teaching. Begin by describing the school setting, classroom demographics, classroom environment, and the situation so that the readers will have an understanding of the context of this particular area of concern. Remember the area of concern need not be a problem; it may be something that will deepen your understanding of the teaching profession or your personal growth as a teacher.
During your program you completed two substantial pieces of work (action research plan, integrative project) that demonstrate your ability to use critical reflection and inquiry and to create effective learning environments. In this section you will:
- Describe how you use the knowledge and skills developed in your action research plan and integrative project to address this concern.
- Discuss how a critical examination of one’s own professional practice improves the teaching and learning process.
- Draw conclusions about the teacher’s role as a problem solver.
Directions for submission:
- Register for the project during EDU 5226, Teacher as Researcher
- Complete the Childhood “Culminating Experience Report (CER) Review Form” in the School of Education
- Pay the $ 50.00 registration fee to cover the cost of the review.
- Submit the entire CER by the last Thursday of your first student/supervised teaching experience (week seven)
- Make sure that the School of Education secretary logs in the CER
- Please note: The report will not be returned to you. It is suggested that candidates make copies for professional purposes.
Guidelines:
- The Culminating Experience Report is organized into three sections using a three–ring binder:
- Cover sheet:
Your name
Childhood Education Culminating Experience Report
Date - All work must conform to the APA Style Guide.
**Each section of the report must include the graded assignment with the professor’s comments and the graded CER Rubric. - Tab to designate the three areas of focus:
Part I: Action Research Plan
Part II: Integrative Project
Part III: Critical Reflection (For parts II and III, provide subheadings for each question you answer.) - The report is submitted at the end of the seventh week of student/supervised teaching. The review takes approximately 8 week to complete. Upon completion of the review, candidates will receive written notification of the grade earned.
- The review is conducted by two independent readers using the CER Rubric. The CER is graded on a scale of 1-3, a grade of 3 is exemplary, 2 is satisfactory, 1 is limited. Candidates must receive a passing grade of 2 or above on their Culminating Experience Report (CER) to be eligible for graduation. If your CER does not receive a passing grade, you will be required to resubmit.
- The CER is not returned to the candidate and becomes the property of the department.
- Culminating Experience Report (CER) Workshops are held in the fall and spring. All candidates are urged to attend.
EDU 5226
Action Research Plan
Guidelines: As Childhood Education major you are required to complete a culminating project. You will begin part I in this course and complete part II and III during your student teaching experience.
Part I Directions:
Develop an Action Research Paper using the following format and prepare a power point presentation for your classmates.
Action research is the process of studying classroom situations for the purpose of improving instruction or to develop an understanding of a complex problem. It is a way for teachers to reflect on their practice, investigate an area of concern, and develop an appropriate plan of action.
- Problem Identification:
Problem or topic to be researched
State in the form of a question
Focus: why is this problem significant for teachers?
Rationale:
Explain your purpose for addressing the problem. - Literature review:
What does the research say about this specific problem? - Methodology:
Describe your research methodology. Discuss the methods and procedures you intend to use. Will you be gathering qualitative or quantitative data? How would you collect the data? Develop at least 1-2 data collection techniques. - Analysis of Data:
Interpretation of data, how would you analyze the data? Identify the types of themes or patterns that materialize. - Conclusion/Recommendations for Future Planning
- Develop an Action Plan:
As a result the information you gathered during this study, describe what you are going to do to address the problem you selected.
Possible Research Topics:
- Evaluate a teaching method
- Investigate a classroom problem
- Examine an area of interest
Possible Research Outcomes:
- Greater understanding of a situation
- Discovery of a problem
- Identifying an effective instructional program or teaching method
- Identifying an ineffective instructional program or teaching method