Practicum Component.
The practicum component of this class will give you an opportunity to engage in activity with children, youth, and adults experiencing disability. This unique learning opportunity will allow you to combine theory and practice which will complement your experience in learning. Tentatively, the practicum is comprised of 7 formal sessions (tentative dates are listed below). The goals of the practicum are to: 1) provide students with an opportunity to interact with individuals with a disability and develop the skills necessary to create and implement a physical activity program for special populations, and 2) to provide children, youth, and adults with disabilities the opportunity to experience a variety of activities including games, basic skills practice, dance, and swimming in an enjoyable, non-threatening environment.
Assessment (20%)
As you progress through the practicum you will undoubtedly learn many things about the practicum participant(s) you are working with. Through creative and organized activity, you will be required to informally assess your participant’s skills, abilities, and interests. Individually you are required to submit a 4-5 page, typed description of your assessment procedures and the results obtained. In other words, provide specific examples of activities that you facilitated to enable you to come to an understanding of your participant’s skills and abilities. Your assessment should reflect dignity and respect for the one being assessed. The assessment will be graded with consideration given to the suitability and creativity of the assessment activities, the completeness of the information obtained, and the positive light in which you showcase the individual’s abilities.

TIP: Your assessment should be written so that anyone could read it and have a good idea of ‘who’ your participant is. Also, be sure that it is written in such a way your practicum participant could read it and feel good about the story you wrote about his/her/your experience.

A Documentary of Meaningful Skill Development for Fun, Play, & Sport (20%)
It is likely that your practicum participant has an interest in a particular activity or sport. His/her preferred activity may be due to repeated success or enjoyment while engaged in the activity. Conversely, there are likely activities that the individual does not find enjoyable, perhaps due to repeated failures, limited support available, or lack of knowledge/experience.

With your practicum participant(s), determine what they enjoy as well as what they would like to learn. Develop a plan to help them enhance what they are already good at and work with them to learn skills and be successful in a new activity or context.

Throughout the semester, document this journey with your practicum participant. Prior to each practicum, determine (a) how much time you will take to focus on specific skill develop, (b) how you will engage your participant in the endeavor, and (c) how you can make it a meaningful experience. At the end of each session, reflect on what went well and what you will do next time to build on the experience of learning. In your writing, be sure to include information shared during lectures, particularly skill instruction, APA principles, etc.

Here are some writing tips:

• You can incorporate your personal feelings into your writing.
• You can use person-first (i.e., ‘I think that…; I feel that…’).
• Be sure to connect course material to your experience in the practicum for optimal learning (Feel free to refer to topics you wish we had covered, but didn’t).
• Organize your thoughts; then write. Then re-read and smooth out your ideas.
• Know that you cannot be wrong in your writing (i.e., there is no right or wrong answer). Write honestly. Do not write what you think the Instructor wants to read.
• Please, check your spelling and grammar.

Formatting Specifications
All assignments must follow the following specifications. Assignments that do not follow the following formatting specifications may lose 10% per infraction.
• Title page (containing all relevant information including your name, student number,
title of the assignment, course name and number, date submitted)
• Stapled (if it is submitted in hard copy)
• No more than 1 inch margins
• Size 12 font
• 1-1/2 or double spaced
• Black ink

Referencing
All referencing of material must follow APA guidelines. Assignments that do not may receive a grade of zero.

the practicum paper is 1 assignment, with 2 sections (Assessment & Documentary of meaningful skill). Please hand in as one paper. You will however want to separate the two, as they are two different sections. You could do this by having a title page for each section. Just a suggestion.