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?

Yes, both writing assignments should be taken from your teaching within this three-to-four week period of time.

Do the writing assignments for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 1 have to be related to each other?

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 Selecting a Topic in the certificate-specific portfolio instructions, pages 2-7 and 2-8 offers suggestions designed to help you satisfy the scoring criteria for Entry 1.

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?

Yes. In your certificate-specific portfolio instructions, the fourth bullet under Student Responses Format Specifications, page 2-9, states that the student response must "come from students who are in the class that is the basis for your Written Commentary."

I have Instructional Materials that include samples of student work. Can these be submitted?

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.

How should I choose a topic for my Big Idea for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3?

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.

How do I know that the Big Idea I have selected for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3 is acceptable?

Please remember that NBPTS cannot respond to candidate questions or requests for clarification that would require NBPTS to: make choices for the candidate; evaluate the quality of the candidate's work; or give the candidate advance knowledge not released to candidates prior to attending the assessment center.

There are numerous ways to achieve certification. The assessors are reading supportively for the evidence you have submitted for each of the bullets under the Level 4 rubric for this entry which can be found in Part 2, page 9 of the Scoring Guide for your certificate. We also encourage you to review the Evaluation of Evidence for Entry 3 which will be used by the assessors as they review your submission to determine the level of evidence you have submitted. The Big Idea is just one item in a list of aspects from the Standards.

You are welcome to review Excerpts from National Science Education Standards located in the Appendix of the Portfolio Instructions for examples of "Big Ideas." Candidates are welcome to select an idea(s) from Unifying Concepts and Processes since they cut across branches of science and should inform fundamental understandings of each branch. The examples listed on Part 2, page 1 of the Portfolio Instructions - systems, models, evolution, constancy, and patterns of change - are not a comprehensive list of "Big Ideas." Ultimately, the choice is yours.

For Entry 3, you will demonstrate how you help students better understand a "big idea" in science using relevant science and mathematics knowledge. You will engage students in the discovery, exploration, and implementation of these science and mathematics concepts, procedures, and processes by integrating these two disciplinary areas. This entry is designed for you to prove evidence of your ability to plan, describe, illustrate, assess, and reflect on your teaching practice.

Must technology be shown on the video for Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3?

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.

Middle Childhood/Generalist Entry 3 requires two small groups. My whole class is divided into groups. How should I handle this?

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.