Cunningham Senior Capstone Practicum Proposal Form 2016-17

Student Name _____Colleen Cunningham___________ Period ________

Research Topic _____Motivating Seniors__

Driving Question: _____What are the factors that contribute to burnout and apathy in high school seniors?_____

Thesis Statement __Even though it’s the most critical year of high school because there are few, if any, options for
making-up classes where students receive low grades, seniors are overwhelmingly apathetic about their classes. How can
we motivate seniors by creating a real-world connection to the standards and content they learn senior year?_

Description of Practicum _____I will create a year-long project that integrates students’ passions, strengths, and interests
and makes connections between the literature we study in class and 21st century college and career skills essential for
future success. The lesson plans will include a series of writing assignments that meet the standards for 12th grade ELA,
will incorporate the skills required in the Digital Literacy/Digital Citizenship curriculum, will utilize best practices from
Project Based/Problem Based learning, and will include an element of social engagement/community involvement as
required by the Custom Schools/Personalized Learning Initiative._____

How will your research be evident in your practicum?

My lesson plans will include the best practices for teaching digital literacy and citizenship, project based
learning, and creating socially engaged students as well as for elevating the level of student engagement
overall.

What steps will you take to begin your practicum and how will you document each and every step for completing your
product (journal, blog, video blog, etc.).
1. Outline my ideas for the project, starting with outcomes
2. Determine what project I want my students to create
3. Meet with my grade level team for input/suggestions
4. Write the prompts for 3 writing assignments
5. Review the digital literacy/citizenship expectations from the district. Determine which elements will be
incorporated into the project.
6. List the steps students will need to take to successfully complete the project
7. Create a lesson plan and assignment for each of these steps
8. Determine necessary resources for completion.
9. Meet with Dr. Roe to present the project proposal
10. Create samples for each element of the project
11. Finalize all curriculum resources needed to provide instruction.
12. Upload everything I create to the website along with my notes and photographs of any meetings I hold.

How will you display your final practicum in your digital portfolio? (Pictures, videos, screencasts, etc…)
I will create a separate page on my website for each assignment/step in the project. All lesson plans, student
assignments, and work samples for that step will be displayed on the page. I will also upload a project
rationale statement. I will prepare and upload a presentation to my grade-level team and Dr. Roe to inform
them of the project and upload that presentation to my website. I will type a summary of their response and
whether or not they agree to incorporate the project into the curriculum.

What do you hope to learn during this process?

I hope to learn how to get my students to engage in learning in a way that is meaningful to their future success. I want to
provide them an opportunity to put all that they have learned in the last 12 years into practice and display visible evidence
of learning that can also serve as a reference or resume builder for the future.

Student Signature __________________________________________________ Date _________________

Teacher Signature __________________________________________________ Date __________________

Accepted As-Is ___________ Accepted With Modifications ____________