Education 437 Integrated Curriculum: Preschool Through Elementary |
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Assignment Criteria |
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We will be reading a variety of texts and articles in this course. It is imperative that you keep up with this reading. You are to read and respond to the weekly readings prior to the class meeting for which they are assigned. Our class discussions and activities are predicated on all of us having read this material. You are to post your reading responses on WebCT each week. Every two weeks, you will post a primary response in which you will include: your new understanding and insights into the themes discussed in the texts and articles, your analysis of the ideas and strategies suggested by the authors, comparing/contrasting related articles, or your personal experiences from your fieldwork which apply to the topics read. On alternate weeks, you will post secondary responses where you will respond to the reading reflections of two of your classmates. Each week has its own discussion forum on the WebCT, so make sure you are in the correct discussion forum for the readings you are responding to. Under subject, write which topic you are discussing. Your classmates can choose to post a primary or a secondary response to your topic or they can define their own topic. At the beginning of your posting, write down whether yours is a primary or secondary response. Some weeks I will include a question or topic which I'd would like you to comment on. Be sure to check whether there is a specific assignment in the discussion forum before you write your reflections. I strongly suggest that you write your reading responses in a word processing document and then copy and paste this into the compose window on our course WebCT site. This way you can save your work to refer to it later, as well as use spell and grammar check. If you need assistance with the use of WebCT, refer to the handout distributed the first week of class. The URL for Ed 437's WebCT is:
http://webct.sonoma.edu:8900/SCRIPT/Edu437_lp/scripts/student/serve_home Your participation in the WebCT discussion forums will be assessed using the following criteria: Weekly participation in the
discussion forums Interaction with a variety of
classmates Demonstration of solid
understanding of the readings Usage of critical thinking
and analysis of the readings and the reflections of
classmates Making relevant connections
between the textbook and real-life
situations GRADED: October 14 and December
2 Your educational philosophy is the basis for all of your decisions as a teacher, from the physical arrangement of classroom furniture to the ways that you communicate with parents. This is an opportunity for you to reflect on all that you believe about teaching and learning, synthesizing educational theory with your own experiences with children. You will be asked to articulate your teaching philosophy throughout your teaching career, from the time that you are being interviewed for a job, to discussing your program with parents at Back to School Night. Organize your beliefs into a cogent statement. Your tone should be confident and professional. It's fine to include material which you've written for another course. Find a format and sequence which best reflects your ideas. Make sure your writing style is also professional and articulate. Proofread carefully for spelling and usage errors. Also watch for grammar. Watch for these common errors: affect and effect; and matching subject to objective pronouns (e.g. "It's important for the child to feel like they are valued.") If you use a singular noun you can not use they. It's easier to use plural nouns, but sometimes that might not create the effect that you want. Possible components to include in your philosophy:
Another way to organize your philosophy is to use the criteria outlined in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and to discuss your beliefs and practices for each standard. You can view the Standards for the Teaching Profession at: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/cstppublication/cstpreport.html#TOC The first draft of your educational statement should include all of the themes that we've discussed up to the midterm, and the final draft should include all of the themes covered in this course. DUE: 1st Draft - October 21
ungraded, feedback given;
You will work with a group of colleagues to study, outline and present to the class one of the California State Frameworks and its corresponding state standards. These documents are the basis for much of the educational reform which is being directed from the state to each school district. Assessment, funding, and textbooks are tied to these documents, and as a new teacher, you will be expected to be adept at using them in the design of your lessons. This assignment has three objectives,
that you will become an expert on one of the state
frameworks and present its contents to your classmastes,
that by becoming an expert on one of the frameworks you will
then become familiar with all of the state frameworks in
order to access them throughout your teaching, and that you
will be an effective member of a cooperative learning group,
applying the skills and dispositions which we are reading
about in Designing Groupwork by Cohen. While you have
all worked on group projects in your previous curriculum
coursework, for this assignment you are to conscientiously
and reflectively practice the techniques from this text. With your group, you will:
DUE: October 14
You will learn two different formats for writing lesson plans, the play/ debrief/ replay lesson plan design by Wasserman and the 5-step lesson plan. Use the templates demonstrated in class. Let me know if you aren't confident about writing either type. You can submit as many redos of these lesson plans as you wish. Play/ debrief/ replay lesson
plan: 5-step lesson plan: Lesson plan modification: You will join with experts of other state frameworks to design an outline for a 2-3 week integrated unit. The theme of the unit should represent the interests of all of the group members and should also reflect the objectives defined in the State Frameworks and State Standards. Use the template for integrated unit planning. Select a grade level(s) for your unit. Activities should be designed to engage children from diverse backgrounds and include a variety of instructional and grouping strategies.
DUE: October 28; ungraded, feedback given
You will design a 4-8 week integrated unit, individually or with a partner. This unit will synthesize all you have learned in this course and demonstrate your understanding of all the course objectives. The theme must be different than the one you worked on with your jigsaw group, and have the potential for sustained investigation for the age level that you select. To review the steps to take in the design of an integrated unit, refer to the template for integrated unit planning. Your unit will contain ten different components. The list of required unit components and the grading criteria are listed below. If you are working with a partner, your unit will span 8 weeks and you will include twice as many required elements as described. (For example, rather than writing 6 lesson plans, you will each write 6 plans.) During our last two course meetings you will present your integrated unit to the class. Make a copy of your unit plan to include in the multiple subject resource library. Submit a self-addressed stamped envelope with your unit for a 1-page grading sheet which I will return to you with my unit feedback and your course grade. Due: November 11: Draft copy of
final unit big ideas, unit objectives, unit assessments
Final Integrated Unit Grade Criteria Your final unit plan will be graded based on the following criteria:
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