ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION GENERAL SECONDARY METHODS SEDU 448 (2 hours)
Dr. Ann K. Petersen
311 Smith Hall
Storm Lake Campus email:
I am always in the classroom by 5 p.m. so that you may call me via the telephone in the room. As I am on sabbatical this year, I am available daily via email or phone at home. Feel free to contact me at any time.
Phone: 712-943-5197 (home)
Term I: Class meets 5:30 to 8:00, commencing August 25th and concluding October 6th. There will be no class on Monday, September 1st. If you are unable to attend any class, you need to notify me in advance. In the event of a class cancellation, you will be notified via your Center.
Course Description
The intent of this course is to help students translate educational theory into best practices in order to teach effectively in a secondary classroom. Particular attention will be given to the following topics: awareness of and development of a broad range of learning resources and instructional strategies that are appropriate to diverse classrooms, use of assessment strategies that are appropriate to diverse classrooms, use of assessment strategies and technology as a means to enhance student learning, consideration of curricular and ethical issues relative to teaching the subject area, use of reading strategies to improve learning, and opportunities to practice instructional skills through both micro teaching and field-based classrooms. This course includes a ten hour field component to promote the integration of methods and field experiences and to link theory to practice. Students enrolled in this course must also complete a one hour methods course that is specific to their disciplines. The requirement for secondary methods is not met until both methods components are complete.
Course Competencies
Course competencies establish what is to be learned in a course. The competencies for this course are drawn from the BVU Education Program goals, Iowa Department of Education guidelines, and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) principles endorsed by the Iowa Department of Education.
At the end of this course the student will:
1. have read and reacted to articles and books dealing with various aspects of the teaching of secondary content
2. have developed an awareness of the various curriculum materials available to secondary teachers and have been afforded an opportunity to analyze and to evaluate these materials. INTASC 1 Competency: class log and personal reflections
3. have prepared, evaluated, and revised lesson and unit plans for the teaching of various components of a secondary content subject. INTASC 4 and INTASC 8
Competency: lesson plans and unit plan
4. have developed an awareness of the materials appropriate for middle school/junior high students, especially as these materials relate to success or failure in the middle school classroom. INTASC 7 Competency: class log and personal reflections
5. have practiced various teaching methods related to the presentation of the secondary curriculum .Competency: microtaught lessons
6. have developed an awareness of some of the potential problems within a secondary classroom and explored various solutions to those problems.
7. have addressed some of the philosophical and social implications involved in a decision to teach at the middle school / junior high / high school levels.
8. have practiced the skills of reading in the content areas
Textbooks:
Kellough, R. and N. Kellough (2007) Secondary School Teaching: A Guide to Methods and Resources. Prentice Hall: Columbus, OH.
A textbook in your content field is also required.
Student membership in a state or national council in your subject area, for which you will receive a professional journal is suggested. Your Center Director should be able to provide the appropriate application forms.
Expectations:
1. Each of us will be responsible for the maintenance of a collaborative class log. As practice for making effective classroom observations, students will take turns as participant-observers in our own classroom. This will involve taking qualitative notes regarding class proceedings, recording as many details as possible.
2. You will be expected to read the assignments, demonstrating a thoughtful consideration of the material in classroom discussion and written responses. Additionally, you will be required to read a minimum of 100 pages of additional text related to teaching in your content area. This reading will be reflected in your unit plan.
3. You will complete a ten hour field experience in a secondary classroom for your content level. During this time, you will observe and reflect on the experience as it relates to the various teaching practices presented in this course and you will teach at least one lesson, engaging in appropriate reflection after the experience. (Field Experience: 50 pts.)
4. You will create five discrete lesson plans and one two week unit plan. Two of your lesson plans will be micro-taught in our class. One lesson will be taught in your assigned classroom.
(Class Participation/Daily Assignments: 150 Points)
5. You will complete three components to include the following:
Component #1 Due September 15th (100 Points)
1. An introduction –in general, the introduction to the component can be conceived as a letter to me. You might list the contents of your component and discuss some of the elements that you are addressing within the enclosed documents.
2. A teaching biography in which you discuss the events and circumstances that led to your decision to teach in your particular content area. What are your earliest memories related to your subject matter, both in and out of the classroom? What are some of your favorite experiences with your subject matter? Your audience is your classmates who, like you, are trying to understand how and why people chose to become teachers of your content area.
3. An annotated bibliography of resources you might use to supplement the textbook you are using for the assignments in this first component.
4. Notes/text used to prepare for your class presentations.
5. A self-evaluation of your class presentation, written after viewing a videotape of that presentation.
6. A thoughtful response to the evaluations produced by your peers of your lesson plans presented in class, based on the secondary scoring rubric.
7. Three lesson plans, one of which was micro-taught in our classroom.
8. A reflective conclusion.
Component #2 Due September 29th (100 Points)
1. An introduction
2. An analysis of the curriculum materials you examined within your content area as they relate to the lesson plans you have created.
3. A unit plan, covering two weeks, with draft copies and critical responses from peers. At least two of these lessons must be reading strategy based. This unit will be scored using the scoring rubric for the secondary unit plan.
4. A reflection based on discussion, and observation within your assigned classroom of the potential problems that may be encountered in a classroom in your subject area and possible ways of addressing these problems.
5. A reflection on your experiences in your assigned classroom with a particular emphasis on the lesson you taught within the classroom and including the revisions of your lesson plan, based on the experience.
6. A reflective conclusion
Component #3 Due October 13th (100 points)
1. An introduction
2. A paper that discusses the philosophical and social implications involved in a decision to teach at the middle school/junior high/high school levels in your content area.
3. Two lesson plans prepared for the needs of middle school students. A self evaluation of the lesson plan micro-taught to the class after viewing a videotape of that lesson must also be included.
4. A reflection of the potential for you to teach/not to teach at the middle school level.
5. A thoughtful response to the evaluations produced by your peers of your lesson plans, presented in class.
6. A reflective conclusion
Note: All materials should be submitted to me via email. PLEASE USE YOUR BVU ACCOUNT, AS THE FILTER FOR BVU DOES NOT ALWAYS ACCEPT OTHER EMAIL ACCOUNTS.
Course outline
August 25-28: Chapter One: Secondary School Teaching Today
September 4-8: Chapter two: Teacher Professional Responsibilities
September 11--first lesson microtaught
September 15-18: Chapter three: Thinking and Questioning: Skills for Meaningful Learning
September 15—first component due
September 18: Chapter four: The Classroom Learning Environment
September 22: Chapter five: The Curriculum: Selecting and Setting Learning Expectations
September 22-25: Chapter six: Planning the Instruction and Chapters 7: Assessing and Reporting Student Achievement and 8: The Thinking Curriculum: Using Teacher Talk, Demonstrations, Inquiry and Games
September 29—second component due
September 29-October 2: Chapter 9: Organizing and Guiding Student Learning: Alone and in Groups and Chapter 10: Professional Development: A Continuing Process
October 6—second lesson microtaught
October 13--third component due
Note: I am excited about the opportunity to participate in this class. If we are going to work together, it’s imperative that none of us miss class. In the event that you are unable to attend, please email or call me. If you are having difficulty meeting course deadlines, please contact me immediately. More than one absence or late submission of one or more components may result in a lower letter grade. The tenets of the University’s Academic Honesty Policy will be adhered to in this course.