Curriculum and Teacher Development

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ECE 8400

Curriculum and Teacher Development

Summer, 2007

Course syllabus

Instructors:

Dr. Barbara Meyers
Department of Early
Childhood Education

404 651 2584 (Office)
404 467 1654 (Home)
404 651 1495 (Fax) / Mrs. Tonia Durden
Department of Early
Childhood Education

404 651 2584 (Office)
404 483 8362 (Cellular)
404 651 1495 (Fax)

Unit Theme: Creating Effective Contexts for Learning

Program Theme: Teacher as Researcher, Child Centered Practitioner, Professional Learner

Course goal:

Seymour Sarason writing in the preface to his 1993 book, The case for change: Rethinking the preparation of educators, presents two assumptions that frame his re-conceptualization of teacher education. In the first he argues that “it is our obligation to nurture and support in students their ever present curiosity and desire to understand themselves and the world they live in. You can count on that curiosity and desire. Our task is to recognize, harness, and exploit those characteristics.” The second, “related assumption is that unless the conditions exist wherein the educators of these students can experience a sense of learning, growth, and personal and intellectual change for themselves, they cannot create and sustain those conditions for their students.”

ECE 8400 has been created for students in the specialist program to examine not only these “conditions” or contexts that may inhibit or promote teacher knowledge, growth and change but also to stimulate inquiry essential to better understand the characteristics, perceptions, tasks and training needs of teachers over the lifespan of their professional development.

ECE 8400 is designed as a learning community in which the engagement of participants is optimized through opportunities to develop identities of teacher as researcher, child-centered practitioner, and professional learner.

Goals of the Ed.S. Program

The primary objective of the ECE Specialist program is to help teachers develop and refine their identities as a teacher researcher, child centered practitioner and professional learner. Therefore, the program strives to develop teachers who become:

1. Knowledgeable teachers who are capable of challenging their students’ thinking and constructing knowledge relative to early childhood education.

2. Social activists who challenge the systems that limit the access, opportunity, and development of young children and their families.

3. Active seekers of knowledge who remain current on theory and research and are able to critique, synthesize, and implement these ideas in their practice.

4. Thoughtful writers and speakers who disseminate ideas through publication, electronic media, and other public venues.

5. Leaders and collaborators, capable and motivated to serve academia, community and/or the profession.

Additionally, at the conclusion of the program students will have earned a Teaching Support Specialist (TSS) endorsement. The requirements for the endorsement are embedded in course assignments throughout the program. The following are the TSS standards all students will be expected to meet.

STANDARD 1: The program shall develop goals, design, and implementation that are based on a sound, well-articulated rationale, grounded in research and standards-based classroom practice.

STANDARD 2: The program shall have sufficient personnel, time, and fiscal resources to deliver the program.

STANDARD 3: The program shall develop a collegial community that supports the mission and goals of the program.

STANDARD 4: The program shall have an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on candidate qualifications and performance to evaluate and improve the program.

STANDARD 5: The program shall involve participants in school-based, collaborative experiences that lead to the development of skills, knowledge, and dispositions related to mentoring, supervision, and instructional coaching.

STANDARD 6: The program shall prepare candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to support a teacher in the construction of an induction portfolio which demonstrates professional growth in standards-based practices.

STANDARD 7: The program shall prepare candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create a supportive and reflective environment for addressing issues facing beginning/pre-service teachers.

STANDARD 8: The program shall prepare candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use student work to evaluate and inform practice.

STANDARD 9: The program shall prepare candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions of effective instructional coaching to assist teachers in planning, implementing, and assessing classroom instruction engaging all students in active learning.

STANDARD 10: The program shall prepare candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills and dispositions to collaborate with the teacher in the development and implementation of an Individual Induction Plan that supports the professional growth of the teacher.

STANDARD 11: The program shall prepare candidates to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions to understand the roles and responsibilities of support providers in induction programs.

Knowledge Base:

Houston, Robert W. (Ed.), (1990) Handbook for Research on Teacher Education, First

Edition. NY: Macmillan

Richardson, V. Handbook of Research on Teaching. (2001). Washington, D.C:

American Educational Research Association.

M. Cochran-Smith & K. Zeichner, (Eds.), (2005). Studying teacher education: The

report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum

Journal of Teacher Education

Harvard Educational Review

Educational Researcher

Extensive bibliography will be distributed

Diversity: This course will include differences among groups regarding teacher development and influences of social concerns on teacher development. Multi-cultural issues in teacher education will also be discussed. / Technology: Technology, such as email, wiki, “chat room”, group bulletin board, blogging and so forth will be integrated into the course.

Course Schedule and Modules of Inquiry

Introduction:

June 2nd Eds. Retreat

Welcome and Course Overview

Constructing a learning community

Readings:

Two Teachers of Letters (Metzger & Fox, 1986)

Module I: Contexts

June 6 Theory and Research

Topic 1: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Historical Overview

Teacher Characteristics (Chapter 3 & 4)

Fast Write/Independent Response Share

Readings:

Teachers’ Characteristics: Research on the indicators of Quality

Teachers’ Characteristics: Research on the Demographic Profile (Zumwalt & Craig, 2005)

Application

Topic 1: Clinical Supervision

Readings:

Clinical Supervision Defined (Goldhammer, Anderson, Krajewski, 1993)

Supervision (Glickman & Bey, 1990)

Exploration

Create and discuss exploratory groups

Module II: Reflection

June 13 Theory and Research

Topic 3: Teacher as Reflective practitioner

Guest speaker: Lydia Mays

Fast Write/Independent Response Share

Readings:

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Ingredients for Critical Teacher Reflection (Howard, 2003)

Reflection and Reflective Teaching: Ways to improve pedagogy or ways to remain racist? (Webb, 2001)

Application

Topic 2: Observation and Conferencing Skills Part I.

Readings:

Providing Guidance through Observation and Conferencing (Garland, 1982)

Exploration

Dialectical Journals group share and submissions

Module III: Socialization

June 20 Theory and Research

Topic 2: Apprenticeship of Observation

Guest Speaker: Brian Lack

Fast Write/Independent Response Share

Readings:

Endemic Uncertainties (Lortie, 2002)

Teacher Socialization (Zeichner & Gore, 1990)

Application

Topic 3: Observation and Conferencing Skills Part 2.

Readings:

The Evaluation Process (Garland, 1992)

Exploration

Research and library time

Module IV. Culturally responsive teaching

June 27 Theory and Research

Topic 4: Culturally responsive teaching

Fast Write/Independent Response Share

Readings:

Multicultural Education: Historical Development, Dimensions, and Practice (Banks, 2004)

Issue 7

Application

Topic 4: Developmental Supervision and Resistance

Readings:

Clarifying Developmental Supervision (Glickman & Gordon, 1987)

Differential Supervision for Early, Middle, and Late Field Experiences in Teacher Education: The Case of Emily (Kagan & Warren, 1992)

Exploration

Share and submit preliminary annotated bibliography

Plan of Action for Fall Exploratory Group Work

Fall Schedule

Supervision Logs (5)

Submit upon completion

Supervision Critique #1, #2:

October 3, 2007

November 7, 2007

Supervision Video Critique and Exploratory Group Consultations:

September 19th, 2007: North Group

October 17, 2007: West Group

October 31, 2007: South Group

Exploratory Groups:

Dialectic Journal Wiki Postings and Responses

August 23, 2007

September 6, 2007

September 20, 2007

October 4, 2007

October 18, 2007

November 1, 2007

Exploratory group work share and submit written report: December 5, 2007

Modes of constructing and contributing to a learning community:

Assessment

Assignment / Points
Literature Responses / 40 points
Exploratory Group Project / 150 points
Supervision Critiques 150 points
Supervision Critique #1: 30 pts
Supervision Critique #2: 30 pts
Supervision Critique (Video): 40 pts
Summative Report: 50 points
Attendance and Participation / 10 points
Total / 350 points
A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D / F
324-350 / 314-323 / 303-313 / 289-302 / 279-288 / 268-278 / 254-267 / 244-253 / 209-243 / 0-208
93-100 / 90-92 / 87-89 / 83-86 / 80-82 / 77-79 / 73-76 / 70-72 / 60-69 / 0-59

Themes of study for exploratory projects and related bibliography:

Cultural Diversity:

Readings: Learning to teach for diversity and equity

·  Zeichner & Gore: Teacher socialization for cultural diversity

·  Cochran-Smith: Learning to teach for social justice

·  Garcia: Preparing instructional professionals for linguistically diverse students

·  York & Reynolds: Special education and inclusion

·  Hollins & Guzman: Research review of multicultural education and teacher development

Mentoring

Readings: Induction and Mentoring Programs

·  Huling-Austin: Teacher induction programs and internships

·  Huling-Austin, Odell, Ishler, Kay & Edelfelt: Assisting the beginning teacher

·  Odell & Huling: Quality mentoring for novice teachers

·  Feiman-Nemser: Helping novices learn to teach: Lessons from an exemplary support teacher

·  Foxx: Professional development schools

·  Teitel: The Professional Development Schools Handbook

Reflection

Readings: Developing and Promoting Reflectivity

·  Howard; Gay & Kirkland: Critical Reflectivity and Consciousness

·  Zeichner & Liston: Teaching student teachers to reflect

·  Van Manen: Levels of reflectivity

·  Gipe & Richards; Hatton & Smith: reflective thinking and teacher development

Teacher Collaboration

Promoting Collaboration

Readings: Creating learning communities

·  Richardson: developing learning teams

·  Barth: Professional learning communities

·  Dufour & Eaker: promoting teacher collaboration

Teacher Attrition/

Retention

Readings: Attrition and Retention

·  Podsen: teacher retention

·  Gold: Beginning teacher support: Attrition, mentoring and Induction

·  Darling- Hammond & Sclan

·  Ingersoll & Smith

·  Minarik, Thornton, & Perreault

·  Luekens, Lyter, & Fox

·  Shen

·  Weiss