ED 5910-01 Curricular Planning/Childhood) ( H/HUD 004/4:00-6:20)
Instructor:
Dr. Ludmilla Smirnova Ph.D. (Ed)
tel. 845-569-3527
mail to: smirnova@msmc.edu
my webpage: http://www.ludmilasmirnova.com
http://faculty.msmc.edu/smirnova
home: 845-294-0751
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
The course is designed to familiarize students
with National, State, and Local educational standards that will serve as a
basis for instructional planning, develop skills in selecting the resources for
designing various plans (Unit, Thematic, Daily), in choosing the ways to
design instruction that enables all the students including those from diverse
cultures, students at risk, and those with disabilities to learn
effectively. The main product of the
course is a Resource Unit Plan the design of which will require from the
students application of course content knowledge, organizational, planning,
management, critical thinking and other professional skills.
REQUIRED
New York State Learning Standards in the main
subject areas.
Paul R. Burden, David M. Byrd Methods of
Effective Teaching, 3/e, 2003, Pearson Education, Inc.
STUDENT OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of
this course, students will be expected to:
OBJECTIVE
|
INTASC
Standards |
ASSESSMENT |
|
1.
1. Become familiar with the purpose and contents of NYS
Learning Standards in basic skills and content areas. |
Standard # 1 |
Take-home tests. Content Quizzes. Lesson/Unit Planning,
Micro-teaching in class and in Field work
experience. |
|
Standard # 3 |
Classroom discussions &
assignments Take-home Tests/Quizzes Individual/Group Presentations |
|
3.
3. Demonstrate the ability to differentiate aims, goals
and objectives, formulate measurable learning outcomes. 4.
4. Describe the
role of assessment in teaching in contemporary classrooms and design both
objective and authentic performance assessment methods |
Standard # 7 Standard # 8 |
Unit, Lesson Planning Take-home tests Field Experience. Unit/Lesson Planning. |
|
Standards # 1, # 2 |
Unit/ Lesson Planning. Classroom discussions &
assignments. Individual/ Group
Presentations / Portfolio |
|
6.
Integrate technology effectively by: ·
·
searching on-line for sources of
information regarding innovative
educational methods
|
Standards #1, # 7, # 8 |
Internet assignments Web ct operation Take-home Tests Lesson Planning/ Presentations |
|
Standards # 2, # 3, # 6 |
Lesson Planning Individual/Group Presentations Field Experience. Reflective Journal Writing. |
|
7.
7. Identify the best ways to plan activities that enable
diverse students to learn. 8.
8. Design a Resource Unit Plan., including: Rationale,
Standards, Goals and Objectives, Starting Activities, Enabling Activities,
Assessment Techniques, Resource Materials. |
Standards # 1, # 2, # 3, #4, # 5, # 6 |
Unit/ Lessons Planning and
Implementing in class Designing and implementing
Planning activities during Field work experience. Reflective Journal Writing. |
|
9.
9. Describe the changing role of the teacher in an
interdisciplinary instruction environment, in designing, developing and
implementing curriculum, formulating objectives, selecting adequate
strategies and methods of instruction, aligning assessment with the teaching
process. 10. 10.
Demonstrate an appropriate, positive
attitude towards teaching and learning through active class participation and
in field experience, behaviors that characterize a life-long learner, an
effective, resourceful and reflective beginning teacher. 11. 11.
Demonstrate the knowledge and ambitions to
apply study skills and study systems, critical thinking skills during the
class sessions and intentions to instill similar skills in pupils in
fieldwork. |
Standards # 7, # 8 Standards # 4, # 2, # 9, 10. Standards # 9, # 2, # 4, # 10. |
Classroom discussions &
assignments Field work Observation
Reports. Reflective Journal Writing. Class Events Participation. The Quality of the Home
Assignment The Quality of the Home
Assignment. Fieldwork Experience. Class/
Field Work Observation Reports |
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
In this class we will learn from each other. Our
role as INSTRUCTORS is to facilitate as much learning and sharing as possible.
The class meetings in many ways will be constructed as a model for teaching
future classes. We will model various methods and alternative assessments.
Our philosophy of teaching and learning can be
best summarized by the following Chinese proverb:
I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
With a new addition: I teach and I learn.
Strategies used in this class: Cooperative learning is considered to be the basic framework for this course, though Direct/ Indirect Instruction, Independent
Study, Role playing, Team-teaching, Video discussions, Guest speakers, Internet
Exploration, Inquiry-training, Reading, Writing Reflective Analysis,
Application to practice will be also used.
The Framework of the course content and process might be
explained through the following formula: the more future teachers are aware of WHO is involved in
the educational process, know WHAT is
going to be taught (subject content), HOW it will be presented to the
diverse learners, and WHY s/he chooses
a particular way of planning and instruction, the more consciously and
effectively the future teachers will teach in the contemporary school. There
are two parts in the course: Part I – theoretical foundations for
Planning; Part II – practical implementation of theoretical principles
and foundations of planning – designing a Resource Unit Plan.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
All the assignments and parts of the course curriculum
will be placed on the Webct. You are expected to daily
visit the course site, follow the instructions and course announcements, keep
in touch with your team members, and submit all the assignments through the WebCT course site.
http://course.msmc.edu or at http://my.msmc.edu hit WebCT link.
Attendance and punctuality are mandatory. This
is a professional development course in which you will be learning and
practicing teaching skills; therefore, attendance is required and critical to
success. The field-based experience
involves an exceptional commitment on the part of the teachers, students and
administration in the public schools. It requires a similar commitment from the
College faculty and students. This is a professional commitment and you must be
in attendance every scheduled time. It is the student’s professional
responsibility to attend classes, produce quality work, and adhere to the
ethics of the profession. Failure to attend all classes may result in
lowered grades or failure.
NB! It’s your
responsibility to call or e-mail the professor if you are going to be
absent. Be sure to get the materials for the missed and the next classes from
the professor’s office as soon as you are back to school.
1. Home Assignments
and Presentations in class/ or online (individual,
and/or within a group): You are expected to thoroughly prepare your home
assignments, as they make the basis for the upcoming class activities.
Participate in class discussions, articulate your ideas on Readings and class
happenings, design variants of daily lesson Plans, develop a Resource Unit Plan
for the final project, keep a course portfolio, etc., and you develop the most
valuable skills and talents of the effective teacher. You have a chance to exercise
eye contact, test voice projection, display professional behavior, apply
and develop different professional skills during class sessions. All class
assignments are viewed as micro-teaching experiences. Therefore,
throughout the semester each student will participate in planning and
implementing an in class icebreaking (or starting a lesson) 3-5 min.
activity. You are expected to observe
and be ready to give fair and honest evaluations of the peers’ work in
individual and group projects to exercise your professional planning,
organizational, presentation, and management skills. Active participation adds “+5pts”, absence without
a reason /and without informing the professor, passive presence in every class
will result in “– 5 pts” to the final score.
2. Individual and Group
Assignments:
Each student is expected to complete the assignments provided by the instructor
on the webct site. Some assignments are designed for practice and will not be
graded (I will keep track of them, however, and not doing them will lower the
final grade). Some assignments are to be completed in assigned groups; this
required work will be graded by the instructor and group members. Group
participation is mandatory.
3. Reflective Journal
writing: Journal writing develops
students’ reflective, critical thinking and meta-cognitive skills.
Students are required to keep a log/journal of class discussions and fieldwork
observations. The Framework for the Journal Writings includes three parts:
·
Preparation. Reflection on course concepts based upon the readings
and assignments, including Take-Home Tests, charts and graphs.
·
Assistance. Responses to Class events that support comprehension of
readings and usage of course concepts in class and field work experience,
including reactions to class discussions, peers clarification comments,
evaluations, etc.
·
Application. How the readings and class events will be used in current
and future teaching.
Reflections should be
focused on topics discussed in class, on assigned readings, and must be substantive in response, demonstrating a critical analysis of any
given topic and your understanding of the educational process. You will be
guided and reflectively supported with the constructive feedback throughout the
semester. If you miss a class, you are responsible to reflect on the assigned
readings anyway.
4. Midterm Project (Independent Research} - Webquest Evaluation Report: First, visit http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.html
(a website on the theory and practice of Webquests. Then, complete the Treasure
Hunt on Webquests on webct. Finally, independently search for 2
webquests on the Internet on any topics related to elementary school curriculum
and evaluate `each according to the provided format.
5. Fieldwork
Experience ( 5 hs). Independently find a fieldwork placement in a school,
record your observations in the Field Work part of the Reflective Journal, and
be ready to discuss the results of your experience with your peers and
instructor in class.
6. Resource Unit Plan Project As a final
outcome of the course, design a Resource Unit Plan that follows the criteria in
the Mount Saint Mary rubric and reflecting your professional growth and
understanding of the curricular planning process and the main concepts of the
course.
DIVISION
OF EDUCATION POLICY REGARDING WRITING (July 19, 2005)
“In grading any work submitted by a
candidate, if the instructor identifies five or more errors in spelling
(including use of apostrophes), grammar, and/or sentence construction, the
instructor will discontinue reading that work and will return it the candidate
with a grade of zero. At the discretion of the instructor, the candidate may
correct the document and resubmit it once (only). In this case, the candidate may receive no
more than the equivalent of 73% (undergraduate) or 83% (graduate) on the
document, receiving a lower grade if otherwise warranted. This grade will be
final for the document. (This policy
does not apply to work written in class such as on a test.)”
The final grade will be calculated as follows:
Class Journal - 20 pts
Mid-term
- Evaluation of 2-3 Web Quests - 20 pts
Resource Unit Plan design & presentation)
- 50 pts
Micro-teaching, Tests, Class Projects,
Assignments, S/E - 10 pts
Total:
- 100 pts
Grading Scale and Grading Policy
|
Grade
Value |
Indicator |
Description |
A = 96 - 100 and above
A- = 93-96 |
Exceptional Achievement
|
Demonstrates a superior understanding, creative
application, and ability to connect knowledge, skills, and values. |
|
B+ = 92-88 B = 87-82 B- = 81-80 |
Very Good Achievement
|
Demonstrates a thorough and effective understanding,
application, and connection of knowledge, skills, and values. |
|
C+ = 79-78 C = 77-72 C- = 71-70 |
Proficient Achievement |
Demonstrates a competent level of understanding,
application, and connection of knowledge, skills, and values. |
|
D+ = 69-68 D = 67-66 D- = 65 |
Minimal Achievement |
Demonstrates a basic, but inconsistent understanding,
application, and connection of knowledge, skills, and values. |
|
F |
Superficial/Incomplete Achievement |
Fails to demonstrate a basic understanding application,
and connection of knowledge, skills, and values. |
Professional Responsibility:
Those entering the profession must hold education in the
highest esteem. It is your professional
responsibility, as a student of education, to produce work that reflects this
reverence for the professional educator by maintaining high standards of
performance and producing quality work.
The field experience is more like a professional experience than a
“college” experience. For this reason,
professional behavior is expected at all times and professional dress is
required.
Professional behavior includes, but is not limited
to the following:
|
|
Attending class and field experience |
|
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Being punctual |
|
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Being responsible and reliable |
|
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Dressing appropriately |
|
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Interacting appropriately |
|
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Communicating appropriately |
|
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Being a self-directed learner |
|
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Accepting suggestions, constructive
criticism |
|
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Preparing and presenting appropriate lessons |
|
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Taking initiative |
|
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Exhibiting positive attitude and enthusiasm |
|
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Actively participating in class |
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Solving problems |
|
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Asking for help and accepting feedback |
|
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Caring, sharing, and helping others |
|
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NOT talking about others behind their backs |
|
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Respecting students, teachers,
administrators, professors, and peers |
|
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Behaving ethically |
|
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Establishing collegial relationships |
|
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Collaborating with professors and field work
cooperating teachers. |
While at the
Students are guests in the school. You must comply with all policies outlined in
the Field Work Experience Handbook. The copies are available in the Division of
Education at the Director of Field work Experience.
The Framework of the course content and process might be explained through the following formula: the more future teachers are aware of WHO is involved in the educational process, know WHAT is going to be taught (subject content), HOW it will be presented to the diverse learners, and WHY s/he chooses a particular way of planning and instruction, the more consciously and effectively the future teachers will teach in the contemporary school. There are two parallel parts in the course: Part I – theoretical foundations for Planning; Part II – practical implementation of theoretical principles and foundations of planning – designing a Resource Unit Plan.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Ed
591Curriculum Planning Meeting Days: H HUD/004 (4:00-6:20)
NB! The drafts of all the assignments during the Unit Plan
design process will be collected and initially evaluated.
The final grade
will depend on the final product – the Resource Unit Plan designed according to
the MSMC rubric.
|
Date |
Topic |
Assignments
( |
|
Week1 Aug.31 |
Course Overview. Syllabus Introduction and Discussion. Field
work Requirements Explanation.
Icebreaking Activities. Welcome to the class of 2005! What’s in your Name? Presentations of the
Name projects. How to study effectively and instill study skills in future school
children. Professional Competences
discussion |
Name
Project (Design a poster/collage or a poem about yourself or the meaning of
your name). Questionnaire. Designing a
Learning Contract ( tips: SYLLABUS-BASED
STUDENT CONTRACTS websites). Submit your learning
contract to the instructor via WebCT mail by the
end of the week. Read and reflect on
the Websites on “How
People Learn,” “Study Strategies.”
Define your personal Learning Style, Brain domination, etc. in the
handout inventory sections and think of the ways of teaching study skills.
Think how you will instill study skills in your future students. Study INTASC
Standards. Based on reading the INTASC standards define the
professional Roles the teacher fulfills at school. Test your own competences,
using the Chart provided by the instructor in the Rubrics/Handouts link.
Think and reflect on the question: “Is Teaching an Art or a Science?
Why?” |
|
Week 2 Sept. 7 |
Teaching as an Art and a Science.
Professional Roles of an Elementary School Teacher. Class discussion.
Let’s Start from the end! Unit Design PPP |
Find the
definitions of the term “Curriculum.” From the site on types
of curriculum in the course topic related page find illustrations for
explanation of philosophical, psychological, social and methodological
underpinnings of Curricular Planning. Take a tour to the PPP and the Manual
for the Standard-Based Unit of Study Design Read the Handouts. Search on the Internet on
the main Educational
Philosophies: Perennialism, Essentialism,
Progressivism, Postmodernism. Fill in the Chart (given in
Rubrics/Handouts Location) on one of the assigned philosophies (optional
all). |
|
Week 3 Sep. 14 |
Foundations of Curricular Planning.
Philosophical Foundations of Planning.
Who is teaching: Teachers’ Styles: behavioral, constructivist, humanistic.
Main Educational Philosophies in Curricular Design. What is my educational
stance? Basic Model of Pedagogical
System: Its
Importance for Planning and Instruction. |
Learning
contract is Due. Find the definitions of “Pedagogy”
(pedagogue, pedagogical, etc.), and “System.” Think what components (elements) Pedagogical
system consists of, and draw a diagram of the Pedagogical System
showing the interrelations of its elements in the way you see it. See example
of a model in Ch. 2 p.35 and at: http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/images/shs.gif Study
the definitions and the content of
National, State and Local NY
Standards. Study the internet sites on the WebCt
Course related websites’ page. Prepare Group Presentations on Curricular
Documents. (Assigned by the professor). National,
State, Local Standards,
Textbooks, Curricular Guides. |
|
Week 4 Sept. 21 . |
Pre-assessment Stage: what is to be
diagnosed? Selecting the
Curriculum/Content/Standards. Guest Speaker (audio-lecture): “Standards Movement in
the American Educational History.”
Understanding the Standards. Group Presentations on Curricular
documents. |
Standards’ structure, major concepts: key
ideas, performance indicators. Study the topic Content, Concept, Task Analysis – read and reflect on Ch. 2 pp
41-42, the webct readings, topic handouts and the internet
Readings. |
|
Week 5 Sep.28 |
Theme/Topic.
Rationale. Unit/Lesson Plan Types (Single-Subject, Multi-subject,
and Interdisciplinary/Thematic Unit planning). |
Read Ch.2 on Planning (pp 22-38, 46-55).
Choose a theme of your interest for your Unit plan. Explore the internet,
google on the chosen Unit theme to become an expert in the topic. Study the
curriculum guides, textbooks, teacher’s manuals, etc. Get ready to present
the Unit theme in class. Design a Graphic Organizer on the topic of
Content Analysis based on the provided readings. |
|
Week 6 Oct. 5 |
WHAT is to be learned? CONTENT/Task Analysis. Unit theme and Content Analysis. Discussion of the Unit Content Analysis/ Unit
rationales |
Design
a subject matter outline, task and content analysis, select vocabulary, key
ideas of the Unit plan. Submit the Rationale. Read |
|
Week 7 Oct 12 |
Who
is Studying? Student/Learner’s
Diversity Learners’
Diversity. Discussion. Exchange of Graphic organizers on student
diversity. Learning
theories Presentations. |
Prepare Group Presentations on Learning
Theories. (Assigned by the professor)
Do your own search on the Internet on Teaching theories
(Behavioral, Constructivist, Humanistic, etc.). MI, LS, Brain-compatible teaching, etc. Read and reflect on the Internet
Readings on the topic. Do the exercise using Course related websites on
the WebCT course page. |
|
Week 8 Oct. 19 < |
