EDEL 143A Orientation to Teaching Seminar

TE Collaborative Intern Program Option

Sections 20 & 21  (6 units)

Department of Elementary Education

San Jose State University

Fall 2004

 

Instructor: Nicholas Meier                                                                       Instructor: Kath(ryn) Gray

Office:  SH 333                                                                                       Office: SH 337

Phone: (408) 924-7472 office                                                                   Phone:(408) 924-4114 office

            (831) 688-2708 home                                                                               (650) 948-4204 home

Email: nsmeier (at) stanford.edu                                                                 Email:kgray1 (at) mail.sjsu.edu

                                                                                        SYLLABUS

                                                                                          (9/04/04)

VISION/MISSION/VALUES OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

The faculty of the College of Education at San Jose State University agrees that excellence and equity matter; that each is necessary, and neither is sufficient in the absence of the other.  The mission of the College is to prepare educators who have the knowledge, skills and dispositions that ensure equity and excellence for all students in a culturally diverse, technologically complex, global community.

In the college, we believe that a democracy requires that all students have access to a high quality education based on fairness and respect for all forms of diversity. In addition, we believe that educators at every level must:
*  have knowledge of their subject matter and their students;
*  value and engage in ethical practice and justifiable pedagogy; and
*  develop dispositions and habits of mind that aim to ensure that all students have equitable access to educational opportunities that enable them to develop their talents, abilities and potentialities.

Finally, a democracy requires that all stakeholders be fully involved in the collegial community. We envision ourselves as a learning community of practitioner/scholars in continuous dialogue and inquiry that enable us to revisit, review and revise our practice in an on-going response to twenty-first century issues and circumstances.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 

In the TE Collaborative Internship Program, the field experience portion of the program requires that Interns be placed with one teacher (Faculty Associate or FA) for an entire school year, assuming increasingly more responsibility for planning and implementation of instruction as the year progresses.  From approximately the beginning of October, paid interns will begin to take responsibility for one entire school day each week, under the guidance of their FA. At this time, paid interns are teaching alone while the FAs are engaged in other district duties. Unpaid interns participate in the classroom (with the FA present) three days each week fall semester. The EDEL 143A seminar provides interns with the opportunity to make connections between coursework theories and field experiences, and builds their ability to inquire into their own teaching practice, making instructional decisions based on evidence.

TEACHER PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS (TPEs)

This seminar responds to the new California Standards for Teacher Performance (Teacher Performance Expectations) approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) as well as to the National Commission for Accreditation of Teacher Education Standards (NCATE).

Because this seminar brings together that which is taught and that which is experienced in the field, all of the Teacher Performance Expectations are touched on to some degree. However, in this course the greatest emphasis is placed on the following five TPEs:

TPE 5: Student Engagement

¯       Understanding of goals

¯       Ensuring active and equitable participation

¯       Monitoring student progress

TPE 9:  Instructional Planning

¯       Establish instructional goals

¯       Connect academic content to the students

¯       Select strategies/activities/materials that will provide equitable access to learning for all students

¯       Be able to identify ways in which to use technology effectively in the classroom

TPE 10: Instructional Time

¯       Allocate instructional time

¯       Manage instructional time

¯       Reflect on how to use instructional time most effectively

TPE 12: Professional, Legal, and Ethical Obligations

¯       Professional obligations

¯       Legal obligations

¯       Ethical obligations

TPE 13: Professional Growth

¯       Be able to evaluate teaching practice

¯       Be able to improve teaching practice using a variety of sources of evidence

¯       Be able to reflect on own teaching practice and respond in a non-defensive manner to constructive feedback.


COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is organized around four essential steps in the inquiry teaching cycle: planning, implementation, assessment and reflection (PIAR).  In examining the lesson planning process, we will explore the method of backwards design based on Wiggins & McTighe (1998).  In backwards design, the first step is to identify what the desired teaching results are (goals), the second step is to determine what evidence to collect that will show these results (assessment) and the last step is to create the learning experience (planning). 

The following objectives outline our goals for students to achieve this semester.  Students will be able to:

1.        support each other in developing their teaching, analytic and reflective skills by using a  collaborative method of learning;

2.        develop lesson plans that reflect an understanding of how to write a learning objective, how to develop a coherent process for teaching effectively toward that objective, and how to assess if the students were successful;

3.        understand the backward design process for instructional planning and demonstrate some competence in using this method;

4.        effectively engage with their FA in the coaching cycle process to inquire into their teaching practice;

5.        critically reflect on effective teaching practices through the analysis of lesson plans, videos of self and classmates, and student assessments;

6.        engage in personal self-reflection of teaching practice to increase self-awareness;

7.        understand teachersÕ legal rights and responsibilities.

                                                                                         

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

      Assignments                                                                                                         Due Dates

¯       Complete weekly assignments/readings                                                                      Ongoing

            (as designated by instructors)

¯       Respond to quick-writes in class                                                                                Ongoing

¯       Maintain an intern notebook                                                                                     Ongoing

¯       Complete weekly collaborative logs with FA                                                              Ongoing

¯       Create two formal lesson plans for supervisory visits                                                   Variable

        (including pre-observation logs)

¯       Technology-based lesson plan (optional)                                                                    Variable

¯       Share videotaped lessons with classmates (optional)                                                    Variable

¯       Participate in on-line discussion board (webCT)                                                      See Schedule

       (including posting and critiquing lesson plans)

¯       Complete classroom demographics assignment                                                              9/10

¯       Complete Professional Attributes Survey w/ FA                                                      10/15, 12/3

¯       Videotape lesson & submit written reflection                                                                11/5

¯       Complete one formal coaching cycle with FA                                                              11/19

¯       Develop a teaching portfolio                                                                                       12/3

¯       Complete Formative/Summative Evaluation with FA                                                     12/3

¯       Participate in 3-way conference w/ FA & supervisor                                                      TBA


REQUIRED TEXTS

                         There are no required texts for this seminar.  Readings will be made available to students either on the webCT, via internet links or as handouts in class.

 

 

EVALUATION

 

This is a credit/no credit course. A candidate will receive credit for the course if he/she completes all of the course assignments as listed.  No %  are given as each of these are required to receive course credit.

 

1.  Satisfactory performance in the field assignment as evaluated by both FA and supervisor through the use of the student teaching evaluation forms and conference:

a.        Completion of the Professional Attributes Survey (mid-semester and end-of-semester with FA)

b.        Completion of the Formative/Summative Evaluation with FA (assessment of teaching skills based on the TPEs)

c.        Participation in a 3-way conference with FA and supervisor at the end of the semester to review and assess progress

 

2.  Satisfactory participation in the 143A seminars as evaluated by both instructors.  This will include:

      a.   Active participation in class activities, quick-writes and discussions

b.   Showing up well-prepared and in a consistent and timely manner

d.        Completion of all course assignments (as listed)

 

Since we will all act as both learners and teachers during our EDEL 143A seminars, we all have to be present mentally and physically and be well prepared. As the sessions will involve more student participation than lecture, students need to be on time to class and notify their supervisor regarding absences.  More than two absences during the semester will require a conversation with their supervisor, as absences limit the opportunity to participate and understand the content and could therefore jeopardize the internÕs ability to receive credit for the course.

 

3.  Satisfactory participation in the webCT discussion board and on-line assignments as evaluated by both instructors.