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Tentative Syllabus1 EDUC 318/319
Secondary Methods Spring 2008
5s T-Th
Website: http://faculty.knox.edu/jvanderg/318_S_07/Index318.html Jim Vandergriff Office hours: T-Th 9:30 - 10:30; 12:10 - 12:50; 2:30 - 3:00 Other times by appointment Office: 310 GDH |
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Required Texts
& Materials
Arends, Richard L. Learning to Teach, Seventh Edition (ISBN-10: 0-07-312813-9; ISBN-13: 978-0-07-312813-9) McGraw-Hill Gabler, Ina, & Michael Schroder. (2003). Constructivist Methods for The Secondary Classroom. (ISBN-13: 978-0-205-36057-4) Course Aims and
Objectives
The purpose of the course is to investigate a variety of instructional methods, design curriculum, and practice teaching lessons. A practicum of a minimum of 60 hours (including 20 hours completed in EDUC 310 and a minimum of 40 hours in this course) in a school will provide hands-on experience with students. In addition, teacher candidates will have the opportunity to try out some instructional activities and to interact with a classroom teacher in his/her discipline. The course will operate primarily as a workshop, with numerous small group and individual presentations. State Standards
During this course, you must demonstrate that you have met all of the Illinois Core Language Arts Standards, the Illinois Core Technology Standards, and the Illinois Content Area Standards for your major area that you did not complete in EDUC 310. You will be required to post your artifacts -- with entry slips -- in your Department folder. After they have been posted, I will review them. You are required to post 1/8 of your remaining required standards each week. You will be accountable this term for all the standards you did not fill in EDUC 310. Though these standards will not count toward your grade in the course, you are required to complete them by the end of the course in order to receive a passing grade for this course. Whether or not you post your standards as required (see the class calendar for due dates) will be reflected in your Participation grade, using the ŅMasteryÓ grade scale. To receive full credit for the postings, the standards must be posted according to the schedule on the class calendar. Course Objectives
Students will be able to 1. develop daily lessons for a discipline based unit 2. use a variety of instructional methods 3. teach lessons 4. apply group work strategies 5. apply observational skills 6. write portfolio entry slips 7. write in a scholarly manner 8. give feedback 9. receive feedback Content/Materials
Topics to be explored include (1) instructional methods, (2) observational skills, (3) classroom management, (4) lesson planning, (5) designing group work, (6) assessment/evaluation/grading, (7) technology in the classroom (8) writing for scholarly purposes (9) writing of entry slips, (10) meeting the needs of diverse students, and (11) unit planning. Teaching/Learning
Activities
Class time will be divided between group project work related to particular disciplines, practice teaching, critiquing instruction, and discussion related to course topics. Incomplete grades
Educational Studies faculty do not give "incomplete" grades. See the Knox Catalog for a detailed explanation. It is Department policy that all requests for incompletes go to a meeting of the Educational Studies faculty and the Department faculty decides whether or not to recommend or agree to an incomplete grade. So, if you are contemplating an incomplete grade, you need to make a written application to the Department stating your case a couple of weeks before the end of the term so that I can take it to the next faculty meeting. Please note: We only recommend incomplete grades when there are serious, verifiable, extenuating circumstances. Also, Dean Bailey makes the final decision on "incompletes." But, you need to talk to me first, then to him. Course
Expectations
Class
Participation and Attendance
All components of this course are interdependent and depend on the thoughtful participation and contributions of every class member. This course is part of your professional development as a teacher, and your presence is important. In addition to attending the course, the sites where you will be completing your fieldwork will depend on your presence on the days you are scheduled for that. If you are going to be absent from your fieldwork, you must contact the cooperating teacher and me prior to the beginning of the school day. If you can't call, ask a friend to do it for you. Do not simply fail to show up at your fieldwork site! I insist on regular class attendance. Every absence will count against your grade. If your absence is unavoidable, such as for medical reasons, I expect a statement that corroborates your claim from someone with the authority to say your absence was unavoidable -- a note from someone who is in a position to confirm the "excusability" of your absence or a note from your doctor (Please note: such notes must confirm that the absence was both legitimate and unavoidable. It's not enough for someone just to say that you said you were ill; I have to have proof. Without the supporting evidence, I will count the absence as unexcused. It is your responsibility to see that I get the necessary proof.) That corroboration will permit you to do some kind of oral presentation to the class to compensate for the class participation you missed and to make up presentations that you missed. However, such make up work must be done during the next class meeting, so if you miss you will need to talk to me before the next class meeting. If you don't have a valid excuse (see above), I am not obliged to permit you to make up the work you missed. Being absent on the day a paper or presentation is due does not excuse you from having that work counted as late. Athletes who are absent for school-sanctioned events are not required to present an excuse. However, it is your responsibility to let me know that you are a currently competing athlete and to let me know ahead of time when you are going to be gone. You do have to do the make up work if you don't want a "0" for it. Please keep in mind that, if you don't let me know ahead of time what your absence schedule is, I will be totally unsympathetic. Come to class on time and be prepared to stay until the end of the class period. I expect to start class promptly and to stay on task until our time runs out. Late arrivals and early departures disrupt class. So, for purposes of the participation grade, I will count two late arrivals, two early departures, or any combination of the two as an absence. I also expect you to be involved in the class on a daily basis. You will engage in considerable small group work and discussion. So, you must be present, you must have read the assigned material, and you must engage in the group work. If you do miss, expect to be penalized. I do include an attendance factor in my grading. If you are going to be absent from your fieldwork site, you must contact both the cooperating teacher and me ahead of time. DO NOT simply fail to show up!!! Persistent tardiness or absences from your fieldwork placement may result in removal from the fieldwork site and an "F" for the course. Excessive absence from class will result in a failing grade or my asking you to drop the class. The following is an excerpt from the Knox Catalog on attendance and tests. Please read it carefully. Knox Catalog Class Attendance and Excused Absences Students are expected to attend classes regularly and to participate fully in class activities. Students who are absent from class, regardless of the reasons for their absence, are responsible for all work assigned in the course. In all cases of excused absence, appropriate deadlines for the completion of work missed must be arranged by the student with the instructor. Students who fail to attend the first day of class and who have not been excused may be dropped from that class. In case of illness, it is a student's responsibility to see that written verification of the illness is obtained from the [clinician] or hospital and is provided to one of the Deans of Students, who will notify the student's instructors. If a student was not seen by a Physician or at a hospital, but is known by the Dean of Students to have been ill, the student may obtain verification of illness from the Office of Student Affairs. In case of a verified illness, the student is normally excused from the class; in all other cases the decision is the prerogative of the instructor. Instructors may adopt more specific attendance policies in their courses. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the instructor's policy and to abide by it. Students should be prepared to accept a grade of an F in a course for failure to adhere to the instructor's attendance policy. Except in the case of illness, it is the instructor's decision whether to excuse a student from class attendance. Reasonable standards of humanity and responsibility are expected to prevail. Honor Code
I expect all of your work for this class to be done in accordance with the Knox Honor Code. Unless you are specifically told otherwise, all of the work that contributes to your grade must be exclusively your own. Course
Requirements
PLEASE NOTE To receive a passing final grade for this course, you must complete and submit all of the assigned work of the course, including the standards proofs-of-fulfillment. You may not pick-and-choose what assignments you want to do. So, to pass this class, you must submit all of the assigned work and get an average grade of at least 60%, or a "D," on that work. Furthermore, in accordance with Knox policy, all of your work must be turned in before the finals period begins. (Please keep in mind, though, that you need a 2.5 grade point in Education courses, in your content major courses, and overall to be permitted to student teach --more than just a minimally passing "D.") Fieldwork
In order to help you make sense of and apply what we discuss in class in real-life contexts, you will complete 40 hours of fieldwork during this term. The 40 hours must be spread out fairly evenly over the term. Each week, you will be required to report on what you have done and observed at your fieldwork site in the form of journal entries. I will collect journals at various times during the term. Your fieldwork/journal responses will count as 10% of your final grade (See below). All of your fieldwork hours must be completed prior to the last class meeting before Reading Day. If you do not complete all of your fieldwork, for whatever reason (including being asked to leave by your cooperating teacher or the school's administration), you will receive an "F" for the course regardless of what your other grades in the course have been. Guidelines for
Coursework
Teaching
You will teach several mini-lessons during the term -- some using various teaching strategies, some to help your classmates develop the needed knowledge base on such things as assessment and classroom management. In fact, most of our class time will be taken up with your teaching. These will constitute a significant portion of your course grade. (30%) Classroom
Management Plan
You will each compose a classroom management plan that makes specific references to the various theories you will have learned about during the mini-teachings on classroom management. You should compose this plan at least a few days before itÕs due (rather than the night before), then show it to your cooperating teacher for advice and feedback. Then revise it and submit it when it is due on the course calendar. (5%) Annotated
Bibliographies
It is important that you have a set of resources you can use for building lessons and unit plans. Therefore, you will be developing an annotated bibliography during the term. The bibliography items and focus may be of your own choosing but must be approved by me. Selected items must address the course objectives. Each student will prepare a bibliography of at least 20 books, including evidence of having investigated the website of the national organization connected with the discipline of study (e.g., ACTFL, NCSS, NCTS, NCTM, NCTE, NAEA, MENC). (10%) 1. Choose a set of references you plan to include in your bibliography. Be sure that the references you include are relevant and age- and grade-appropriate. 2. You'll present your references in a typed or word-processed paper. Begin each reference with a complete bibliographic entry in APA style. Then provide a brief summary. The bulk of your entry must be a critical evaluation of the book. 3. Your evaluations should be clear, well-written, and reflective of your understanding of the topic. 4. Be sure your evaluations are thoughtful. Comments such as, "I really liked this...." don't tell enough about the resource. 5. PLEASE EDIT CAREFULLY!!!! I will grade down for grammar and composition lapses. ItÕs now time for you to get this stuff right! Digital
Gradebook
As a teacher in the 21st century, you must be comfortable with technology. Perhaps slowly, but certainly, school districts are moving toward electronic data storage, and, inevitably, that includes electronic storage of grades and other teacher-gathered student information. Besides that, teachers who use electronic grade books find them to be real time-savers. The result is that there are numerous grade books on the market, including numerous shareware and freeware versions. To help push you in the direction of technological comfort, I expect you to download (http://www.excelsiorsoftware.com/solutions/gb2_signup.aspx) a copy of the free program called Grade 2SE to your computer, and learn how to use it to keep track of your grades this semester. [This program doesnÕt work on Macs using OS X. If you are using a Mac with OS X, see me.] At the end of the term, you will present me with a print-out from that program that (1) has your final grade calculated on it and (2) shows a grade that agrees with my grade records. (This requirement will help you meet the technology standards, if you haven't already done so.) (5%) Expectations 1. Tinker with the program until you learn how to use it. 2. Set it up so that it calculates grades the same way my program does. (See the handout for the grade categories, assignments, and assignment weights and values.) 3. Keep track of your grades on an on-going basis. That is, every time I return a graded assignment to you, enter it in your gradebook. Subject
Area Unit and Lesson Plan
You will develop a complete unit plan of at least eight (8) class days duration. (Do not use a plan you have already developed for a class.) The unit must include at least one fully developed ŅauthenticÓ assessment tool and a rubric or guidelines for assessment. Content needs to be specifically stated. For this assignment, use a year-long course assumption and a 55 minute class period assumption. The unit plan must follow the guidelines on the course website: ComposingUnitPlan.html. (5%) The eight daily lesson plans must follow the guidelines on the course website: Lessonplanformat.html. Plans must be sufficient for a normal class period in the discipline. (5%) Videotaped Lesson
Individuals will provide a tape of themselves teaching a lesson in the fieldwork classroom. The video will be viewed and critiqued in a peer group if we have time. (5%) Teaching with
Primary Sources
This
assignment requires you to develop a research project for your students using
the Library of Congress American Memory website. (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html) (5%)
The project must have the following
characteristics:
1. It must utilize at least five (5) of the American
Memory collections
2. It must require your students to browse the
collections
3. It must have a clear academic goal tied to the
Illinois Learning Standards for your chosen grade level
4. It must be designed as a lesson plan, including a
grading rubric, objectives (i.e., what Illinois Learning Standards it teaches
to), and adaptations for special needs students
5. It must not be one you have already created for another course Reflective
Teaching Journal
Record an entry in your journal after each visit to your fieldwork site. Briefly describe (one paragraph) the nature of your observation/instruction, then critically reflect on the experience. Although entries may be brief, your emphasis should be on critical reflection (though not less than a full, double spaced page). Analyze, evaluate, question, create, suggest, and envision. Date your entries. (10%)
Participation
You will also be graded on your participation in the course. Participation will include attendance (See the description above), your participation in group projects (based on my observations and your peers' comments), and your "dispositions" (based on my observations and your cooperating teacher's evaluations). (10%) Entry Slips Each item in the exit portfolio must have an entry slip. Use the model provided on the course website: EntrySlipDef.html Exit Portfolio
Throughout the course, you are to compile a digital portfolio of your work, both your work in and for the class and your work in your fieldwork site. This portfolio must include your updated Ed. Philosophy statement, your revised "Big Picture" essay, a unit plan, your Primary Sources assignment, brief reflections on your practice teachings -- accompanied by the lesson plans for those --, your fieldwork journals, your sample gradebook (print it off and scan it), your classroom management plan, your teaching video, your annotated bibliography, and anything else I may mention during the course, as well as anything else you want to include that you think will show your growth as a teacher. Your portfolio will be presented during the final exam time allotted for our class and will be done with digital projection. Though this can be done in Microsoft Word, that is not a very good way to do it. I strongly recommend that PC users download a copy of the free web design program "Nvu" and use it. If your computer will run Netscape 7.2, it has "Composer" built into it. Otherwise, you're on your own to find a program. You will turn it in on a CD at the final exam time. (10%) Expectations and
Grading
General Guidelines 1. All written assignments must be turned in to me by either handing them to me or by attaching the document to an email message. Do not send papers through campus mail. Do not put them under my office door (there are few things I hate worse than stumbling over a bunch of papers when I arrive at the office!). If you send the assignment as an attachment, check to see that I received it. Make absolutely certain that emailed document have your last name as the first part of the file name! (For instance, Vandergriff_Unit.doc) 2. Print only on one side of your paper and do not use "recycled" paper (that is, previously used paper) I expect "professional quality" submissions. Take pride in your work. 3. All assignments must be properly dated -- that is, with both the due date and the date it was actually submitted 4. All assignments must be clearly labeled with the assignment name (e.g., Methods Lesson Plan, Annotated Bibliography, etc.). In the upper left corner of the first page, put the following information: Your name Assignment name Due Date Date Submitted 5. Number the pages of assignments (except the first page) and make sure your name is on every page. If you don't yet know how to use the header and footer functions in your word processor, learn before the first written assignment is due. (Don't try to type this stuff on each page. That doesn't really work. I insist that you use the header/footer function. I can show you how to do it if you need me to, but it will have to be outside class time.) 6. If you are having trouble starting or completing an assignment, make an appointment to speak with me. Because understanding of assignments and expectations are clarified through one-on-one conferences, the quality of students' work in relation to particular assignments frequently improves after a conference. But, talking to me about it does not excuse you from penalties for late work! 7. Group work is an essential component of the course. (See course objectives.) It is difficult for me to evaluate the individual contributions to group work; therefore I will evoke the honor code policy in relation to group projects. You are on your honor to fully participate. Therefore, I expect group members to tell me when someone is not carrying his/her weight Š not attending meetings, not engaging fully, etc. 8. A common grammatical convention that I hold students accountable for is subject/pronoun agreement. I gave you a handout on this Winter term. So, violations of this rule will result in significant lowering of your grade on a written assignment. I expect you to edit your work carefully. This term I am also going to be looking closely at "Faulty Parallelism," so study up on that! 9. I expect students to use gender-sensitive language; therefore, using only "he" or only "she" is only appropriate when speaking specifically about a particular individual whose gender is known to the reader. It is completely inappropriate when referring to a mixed-gender, or unknown gender, group. 10. I expect accurate and appropriate documentation. Education is a social science, which generally follows the APA formatting style. Please adopt the APA style for this course. As Knox students you are supposed to have a copy of Rules for Writers. Use it. Grading Policies To pass the course, you must complete all the fieldwork and assignments. If you do not complete your required fieldwork hours, if the Educational Studies Department is asked to remove you from the fieldwork site, or if the cooperating fieldwork supervisor evaluates your work as unsatisfactory for any reason, you will receive an "F" for the course regardless of what your other grades in the course have been. If you do not complete EDUC 318/319, you will not be able to student teach. Requesting an incomplete also jeopardizes your progress into student teaching. (To maintain your "teacher candidate" status, you must have a 2.5 in your Education major, your second major, and overall.) You
may not pick-and-choose what assignments you want to do. So, to pass this
class, you must submit all of the assigned work and get an average grade of
at least 60%, or a "D," on that work. Furthermore, all work
must be turned in before the finals period ends. [I
had some problems with this last term, so IÕm going to be much tougher about
it this term.] Late work will be penalized unless you make arrangements with me ahead of time, including setting an alternative submission date. I will seriously grade you down for turning assignments in late. This is a course in your professional preparation, so you will be held to the standards of the profession. Teachers have to be present and ready to teach when the students arrive, no matter what. So, get in the habit now of being ready. Not only will I grade you down for late assignments, I will also give you a negative rating for "Dispositions for Teaching." For every class period an assignment is late, I will deduct one letter grade. You are always welcome to challenge your grades, but, in such a case, come prepared to explain why you think it should be different. I won't respond to "Why is this assignment a B, or C, or whatever?" I will simply ask you to prove to me, using the criteria below, why it should be something different. Come prepared to demonstrate to me how the assignment meets the criteria for the grade you desire. The burden of proof is on you.
The chart below provides my interpretation of the grade descriptions provided
in the Knox Catalogue.
Some assignments will be graded with an E, S, U system. Those grades
have the following values.
Work graded on the basis of Mastery has the following percent values: Yes = 100, Part = 65, Redo = 0, No =0. Standards posting, for instance, will be graded using this scale.
1 "Tentative" means that this is the course "contract" for which students are accountable. However, it also means that I reserve the right to make changes as the academic purpose of the course necessitates, including correcting any errors in it. In such an event, students will be given as much notice as possible. |
