The purpose of this assignment is to give you specific and directed practice towards writing one superb caption for your EEP (Elementary Education Program) portfolio.  The goal of the Caption Assignment is to have you know the caption writing criteria will enough to be able to distinguish between a poorly written caption and a well written caption.  The intent of this assignment is for caption writing to be an automatic behavior for you by the time you begin to assemble your portfolio.

It is also important to remember that the reader of your portfolio knows very little about you.  The only way you have to convince the reader that you have professional knowledge (ie. knowledge about teaching and learning) is through your captions.  Otherwise, you may be perceived as an excellent collector of pictures and student work with not much to reveal about why your artifacts are important in your professional judgement.
 

1. Select a rich example of something that shows a significant element of the teaching and learning process in your classroom.  "Something" could mean:

• a short video segment of classroom interaction (with you in it, perhaps)
• a piece of children's work (with your commentary on it)
• a K-W-L, completed
• a running record
• a photograph of children in a science learning center
• a piece of artwork that demonstrates student knowledge (for a child for whom words come hard)
• a photograph of you working on an interactive bulletin board
• a photo of a child's construction showing a beginning understanding of division

2. bring the example to class

3. study the criteria for an effective caption prior to class

4. complete your caption in class and be prepared to defend it's adherence to all necessary criteria as well as why it qualifies as a "caption" as distinct from a "label"