MARY BALDWIN COLLEGE
ADULT DEGREE PROGRAM
ED 310: Middle & Secondary School Methods and Practicum
Spring 2017- 2017 – 4 semester hours
Meeting Dates: 01/18, 02/01, 02/15, 03/01, 03/15, 03/29, 04/12
Location: Jack Jouett Middle School
210 Lambs Lane
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Instructor: Kathryn Baylor - Adjunct Faculty
(434) 531-6093 (cell); (434) 975-9320 (work)
Course Description: Teaching is a demanding, exciting and rewarding profession. A teacher impacts the lives of students inside and outside of the classroom for it is your responsibility to not only teach the content but also to teach to the needs of each of your students. To prepare you for the daily challenges you will meet in the classroom, this course is designed to turn theory into practice. Through panel discussions, workshop sessions, Socratic Seminars, one pagers, and self-evaluation, participants in the course will explore the characteristics and needs of middle and high school students; organize a unit of instruction; and develop evaluation and assessment skills which demonstrate student progress and growth. Observation and participation in area schools will allow students to integrate teaching theory with practical application. This course is a prerequisite for ED 383/ED 384 and must be taken before student teaching. NOTE: Students registered for this class must also register for the 30 hour practicum. You MUST be registered for this practicum by December 1st.
Course Goals: As a result of experiences in this class and practicum, students will be able to:
●Develop an understanding regarding the importance of self-efficacy and a growth mindset as they relate to quality instruction and student learning.
●Interpret and use the Virginia Standards of Learning and related resources to teach the intended curriculum, implement a variety of instructional strategies, and ensure student mastery through thoughtfully created assessments.
●Satisfy the practicum requirement.
Textbooks:
Required:
- The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High Quality Units. Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA ISBN- 978-1-4166-1149-3
ASCD product 109107
- make it stick. Peter C. Brown, Henry, L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 2014 ISBN – 978-0-674-72901-8
- Visible Learning for Literacy Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Hattie. Corwin Literacy, California, 2016 ISBN - 978-1-5063-3235-2
- Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools, Board of Education, Commonwealth of Virginia.
Download from the website as needed (Choose a specific grade level in your area of Licensure):
Optional:
Best Practices: Bringing Standards to Life in America’s Classrooms. Steven Zemelman, Harvey “Smokey”
Daniels and Arthur Hyde, Heinemann, Portsmouth NH Fourth Edition ISBN – 13:978-0-325-04354-8
Course Requirements:
Attendance: Class attendance is a professional responsibility. Therefore, you are expected to attend all class sessions, arrive promptly and be in attendance for the full session. In the event that you must be absent due to personal illness or family emergency, you should call me in advance (if possible) to notify me of the reason you must miss a class. Unexcused absences will reduce your final grade. 5 points will be deducted from the final grade for the first unexcused absence from class. A grade of “F” will be assigned if more than two classes are missed. 2.5 points will be deducted for arriving late or leaving early.
Practicum: You will complete a practicum of 30 hours in a middle school or high school classroom in your area of endorsement. The practicum will allow you to blend theory and practice by observing and working with an experienced teacher in your field. Minimally, during your contact, you are expected to observe the teacher, become involved in the instruction per the teacher’s direction, work with students either individually or in groups, grade student assignments following the teacher’s rubric and instructions, and teach at least two lessons. Your level of involvement in this practicum teaching experience will better prepare you for student teaching. You must fill out a practicum application as soon as you register for this class (NO LATER THAN 12/1). You must read the Practicum Handbook and give a copy of the Practicum Handbook to your cooperating teacher.
Your grade for the course will be calculated according to the following:
Practicum Journal 10 entries/ 30 Hours 25 %
Weekly One Pagers28 %
Unit Plan 21% / 2 Breakout Lessons 16%47 %
TOTAL 100 %
Grade: Letter grades will be determined based on a ten point scale. The percentage for each assignment is listed above.
100-93=A; 92-90=A-; 89-87= B+; 86-83 = B; 82-80 = B- ; 79-77 = C+; 76- 73 = C; 72-70 = C-; 69-67 = D+; 66-63 = D; 62-60 = D-; below 60 = F
NOTE: If you receive a grade below “B-“, you are ineligible to student teach and must retake the course.
NOTE: Late assignments will lose points based upon the reason and the amount of time that the assignment is late.
Practicum Journal (10 entries) / 30 Hours (25%)
The Practicum requirements will be completed based on your experiences in the classroom to which you are assigned for the Practicum. It consists of two parts:
Attendance Hours by meeting practicum expectations.
Practicum Journal in which you record your daily activities during each visit to the school and in which you reflect on what you learned or thought about that day based upon the designated focus area. The writing style for the Practicum Journal is informal and conversational.
Format
To stay organized, please include the following information on each journal entry:
●Date and duration of practicum visit
●Grade Level
●Subject Area
●Weekly Topic
●Field Notes
●Reflection
NOTE: Minimum Practicum Requirements (both hours and experiences) must be reflected in both the Practicum Journal & the Class Hours Form.
Weekly One-Pager (28%)
1. A one pager is a single-page response to your reading. It is a way to be creative and experimental. It is a way to respond
imaginatively and honestly. It is a way to be brief and compressed.
2. The purpose of a one-pager is to own what you are reading. We learn best when we can create our own patterns.
3. A one-pager connects the verbal and the visual; it connects the ideas in what you read to your thoughts. It connects words and images. The one-pager becomes a metaphor for the reading you have done.
4. When you do a one-pager, do any or all of these:
a. Pull out a quotation or two, using them to explore one of your own ideas, and write them on the page.
b. Use images to create a visual focus.
c. Cluster around a dominant impression, feeling or thought you have while reading.
d. Make a personal statement about what you have read.
e. Ask a question or two and answer it (them).
f. Create the one-pager so that your audience will understand something about the reading from what you do.
5. What not to do:
a. Don’t merely summarize.
b. Don’t think a half a page will do—make it rich with quotes and images.
6. The expectation will be that you compare make it stick and Visible Learning for Literacy weekly.
7. Grading: full credit depends on completeness (and imagination counts, too.)
Unit Plan with 2 Breakout Lessons (47%)
You will prepare a unit plan in your subject area and grade level.
The unit will be based upon the following UbD Template:
- Stage 1 - Desired Results
- Stage 2 - Evidence
- Stage 3 - Learning Plan
Due date to be determined based upon Practicum Hours.
Final Exam
Each student will be involved in a teacher interview.
Mary Baldwin College ADP/PBTL Practicum Handbook
The Practicum Handbook is available on line at the Mary Baldwin College of Education web site. Download, & print a copy of the Handbook & bring it to the first class session. Also print a copy of the Handbook for your cooperating teacher. The forms that need to be completed by you & the cooperating teacher are in the Handbook & on the MBC web site.
Schedule
Prior to attending the first class meeting, you should have already:
●Obtained copies of the assigned texts and read the assignments listed under Week 1.
●Obtained a copy of the Virginia SOL in the subject area and at the grade level which you plan to teach.
Honor System: As a student of Mary Baldwin College, you have agreed to live under the provisions of the Honor Pledge. Honesty and cooperation are at the heart of all our shared work at the college. If you borrow the ideas or words of another person or persons, you must give credit to the source, be it on paper, on your computer monitor, or in a face-to-face contact. Please use guidelines provided by the American Psychological Association (APA Guide) to give credit on all written work, both in citations and in references.
Email Account:
01/18Week 1: Student and Academic Progress
Reading due bystart of class / Wiggins and McTighe Modules A/B (The Big Ideas of UbD /The Ubd Template)
Brown Chapter 1 (Learning is Misunderstood)
Fisher Chapter 1 (Laying the Groundwork for Visible Learning for Literacy)
Guiding Questions / What are the qualities of an effective teacher?
How does an effective teacher measure student growth?
What is the difference between assessment and evaluation?
What is your definition of student success?
Topics / Theme and filters for the course; Backwards Design
Guest Speaker (s) / TBD
Due next class
02/01 / Wiggins and McTighe Module C (Starting Points)
Brown Chapter 2 (To Learn, Retrieve)
Fisher Chapter 2 (Surface Literacy Learning)
Print the grade level standards for the content in which you will be teaching.
02/01Week 2: Knowledge of Content and Planning
Reading due bystart of class / Wiggins and McTighe Module C (Starting Points)
Brown Chapter 2 (To Learn, Retrieve)
Fisher Chapter 2 (Surface Literacy Learning)
Guiding Questions / What’s an effective process for planning a unit of study?
How does a teacher make learning purposeful and authentic?
Topics / Standards; Habits of Mind; Enthusiasm; Backwards Mapping; Authentic Opportunities for Practice; Resources
Guest Speakers / TBD
Due next class
02/15 / Wiggins and McTighe Module D (Developing an Initial Unit Sketch)
Brown Chapter 3 (Mix Up Your Practice)
Fisher Chapter 3 (Deep Literacy Learning)
02/15Week 3: Instructional Delivery
Reading due bystart of class / Wiggins and McTighe – Module D (Developing an Initial Unit Sketch)
Brown - Chapter 3 (Mix Up Your Practice)
Fisher – Chapter 3 (Deep Literacy Learning)
Guiding Questions / What does the term “best practice” mean?
What’s the relationship among classroom community, instructional delivery, technology and engagement?
Topics / Unit Plan; Marzano, WICOR; Learning Activities; Technology Infusion
Guest Speaker / TBD
Due next class
03/01 / Wiggins and McTighe – Module E (Different Types of Learning Goals)
Brown- Chapter 4 (Embrace Difficulties)
Fisher – Chapter 4 (Teaching Literacy for Transfer)
03/01Week 4: Knowledge of Students
Reading due bystart of class / Wiggins and McTighe – Module E ( Different Types of Learning Goals)
Brown- Chapter 4 (Embrace Difficulties)
Fisher – Chapter 4 (Teaching Literacy for Transfer)
Guiding Questions / How do you get to know your students?
What do you need to know about your students?
How does what you know inform your curriculum, instruction and/or assessment?
Topics / Cognitive Development; IEPs, 504s; Building Relationships; Diversity; Culture; Social Needs
Guest Speaker / TBD
Unit Plan Due
Due next week
03/15 / Wiggins and McTighe – Module F (Essential Questions and Understandings)
Brown – Chapter 5 and 6 (Avoid Illusions of Knowing and Get Beyond Learning Styles)
Fisher – Chapter 5 (Determining Impact)
03/15Week 5: Safe and Effective Learning Environments
Reading due bystart of class / Wiggins and McTighe – Module F (Essential Questions and Understandings)
Brown – Chapter 5 and 6 (Avoid Illusions of Knowing and Get Beyond Learning Styles)
Guiding Questions / What are the qualities of a safe and effective learning environment?
How does a teacher build and maintain this learning environment?
What is the relationship between a safe and effective learning environment and student success?
Topics / Classroom Environment; Responsive Classrooms; Classroom Meetings
Guest Speakers / TBD
Lesson Plan #1 Due
Due next class
03/29 / Wiggins and McTighe – Module G (Determining Evidence of Understanding and Developing Assessment Tasks)
Brown – Chapter 7 (Increase Your Abilities)
03/29Week 6: Communication and Collaboration
Reading due bystart of class / Wiggins and McTighe – Module G (Determining Evidence of Understanding and Developing Assessment Tasks)
Brown – Chapter 7 (Increase Your Abilities)
Zemelman – Chapter 8 (How to Achieve Best Practice Schoolwide)
Guiding Questions / As a classroom teacher, who are all of your collaborators?
How do you maintain effective relationships with all collaborators?
What does effective school-home communication look like?
Topics / Professional Learning Communities; Co-Teaching
Lesson Plan #2 Due
Guest Speaker / TBD
Due next class
04/12 / Wiggins and McTighe – Module H (Learning for Understanding)
Brown – Chapter 8 (Make It Stick)
Zemelman – Chapter 9 (Proof and the Pendulum – Assessing Best Practice)
04/12Week 7: Professionalism
Reading due bystart of class
04/12 / Wiggins and McTighe – Module H (Learning for Understanding)
Brown – Chapter 8 (Make It Stick)
Zemelman – Chapter 9 (Proof and the Pendulum – Assessing Best Practice)
Guiding Questions / What does it mean to be a professional?
Topics / Interview Skills
Guest Speakers / TBD