Elementary School Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Beth M. Frye    

262-7623 (office) 263-0274 (home)

Office Hours: M, Th 1:30-4:00 AND By Appointment

201 F Duncan Hall

fryeem@appstate.edu            

 http://www.lesn.appstate.edu/fryeem/

(Beth's Homepage)

Course Overview

Welcome to Block!  During the block you will learn about teaching methods and children's learning in various content areas while also having experiences in schools.  As an elementary teacher you will be responsible for many content areas as well as working with students in other contexts during a school day.  CI 4000 will help you think about ways to make thoughtful decisions as you plan and teach in an elementary classroom and to begin to understand some of the many contexts surrounding these decisions.

The internship will be a set of experiences in one of two schools--Mabel and Hardin Park Elementary School (Watauga County).  You will be assigned a home-base placement.  You also may have experiences in other grade levels.  Your internship experiences will consist of individual, partner, small group, and whole group activities.  The field experiences are integrated across the semester as well as an intensive day-to-day in your home-base placement towards the end of the semester.  Your block faculty work as a team.  Some of the block faculty will visit you in your schools.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course explores the basic principles of curriculum, instruction, and assessment as applied to five to twelve year old learners. In addition we will focus on topics such as classroom management, working with parents, and demonstrating performance on teaching standards. We will examine traditional and innovative teaching and assessing strategies with a focus on impacting student learning. The course focuses on planning curriculum and instruction through selecting, planning and utilizing materials, methods, activities and facilities suited to elementary children. Learning programs are planned for specific classroom situations, and are implemented and evaluated during the course. As an elementary teacher you will be responsible for many content areas as well as working with students in other contexts during a school day. CI 4000 will help you think about and develop ways to make thoughtful decisions as you plan and teach in an elementary classroom and to begin to understand some of the many contexts surrounding these decisions.

Course Designators: Writing and Speaking

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Goals for the course span across several interrelated areas. CI 4000 is the “anchor” course for block. It provides the opportunities to synthesize what you are learning in all of your block courses. This course is based on the assumption that teaching and learning are social activities in which the construction of knowledge is a developmental, shared process that occurs within context over time. An integrated, interdisciplinary approach to developing curricula will be taken, recognizing that to be an effective teacher one must be: reflective, flexible, and knowledgeable of the learners within family, school, and community contexts; have a firm grasp of the knowledge base of teaching and learning; and have a solid understanding of the content and structure of what is to be taught. During the course, students will:

·Examine various theories and practice of elementary school (K-6) curriculum and instruction including cooperative learning strategies;

·Review various concepts of classroom management and relate them to successful teaching practices;

·Explore and practice concepts of assessment and evaluation as they relate to the elementary classroom;

·Outline the lesson planning and classroom environment concepts relevant to effective elementary classroom instruction;

·Plan, teach and assess developmentally appropriate lessons;

·Review the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism as related to classroom instruction;

·Become familiar with the use of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study;

·Highlight the use of relevant educational research as a viable teaching tool;

·Learn to use technology in planning and implementing curricula; and

·Gain strategies for building partnerships with families.

GOALS:

• To become experienced in planning, teaching and assessing students in the public school classroom over an extended period of time;
• To become experienced in meeting the needs of all learners;
• To observe and implement a variety of classroom management strategies over an extended period of time;
• To participate as an active member of a parent/teacher partnership;
• To participate in school-based professional development activities; and
• To become familiar with the expectations for public school teachers in their professional community.

Developing Knowledge of Curriculum and Planning: You will continue to construct knowledge of curriculum and how to select and organize content, skills, and strategies.  You will use the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to guide your developing understanding about curriculum.

Understanding Children and Adolescents as Diverse Learners: One of the most challenging aspects of teaching in the elementary classroom is learning to meet the needs of the diverse learners in your classroom.  It is critical that you understand the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of learners that you teach.  Observing and working with students as learners will help you begin to learn how children's knowledge, skills, reasoning processes and dispositions develop over time.  You will begin to learn to adapt your planning to the learning needs of individuals and groups.

Building a Teaching Repertoire: You will begin to build your knowledge of and skill in using a repertoire of teaching strategies, tasks, and resources that are consistent with your philosophy of teaching.  You will begin to learn about ways to think about classroom management.  Topics will include prevention, response, and looking at your own personal classroom management style. You will learn to make analysis and reflection a regular and ongoing part of your teaching activity.

Understanding Yourself as a Learner and Colleague: During block you will examine yourself as a learner.  This will enable you to compare and contrast the kinds of instruction you experienced throughout your schooling and the approach to teaching you want to develop across your career.  Learning to pay attention to your prior learning experiences as a learner will help you articulate, challenge, and revise assumptions about teaching and learning.  Personal reflection also will enable you to identify areas in your own knowledge that need further development and to pursue a particular issue or question in depth to extend your learning.  Collaborating in a variety of professional activities and reflecting on your participation will initiate you into collaboration with colleagues across your career.  You also will begin to learn about self assessment.  As a teacher, you need to be able to  self-assess your work.  You also will begin to think about ways to demonstrate your knowledge and skills as a teacher.

INTERNSHIP

During this course, you will be assigned to a licensed cooperating teacher and, working collaboratively with the assigned cooperating teacher, will continue to work on course objectives and will follow the teaching contract schedule of the assigned cooperating teacher. Absences, other than emergencies, must receive prior approval from the course (CI 4000) instructor. You will interact with students, assist the cooperating teacher, teach in small and whole group settings, and become involved in all aspects of the learning environment. You are expected to participate in a professional manner at all times during the internship (including arrival and departure to and from the school).

Expectations:

• Attend all sessions as required for the internship (27 full days);
• Assist the teacher as needed throughout the school day;
• Take initiative to help monitor and work with students;
• Design, teach and assess a variety of learning activities;
• Collect and analyze data and artifacts that reflect student learning;
• Teach individual, small groups and whole group lessons in a variety of subject areas;
• Participate as a member of a professional learning community; and
• Observe and interview educators in a variety of roles and settings.

INTERNSHIP ASSESSMENT

In addition to a satisfactory performance on all assignments (minimum of “C” level), the ASU intern must successfully complete the internship. The intern’s performance will be assessed by the course professor and the assigned cooperating teacher.

Course Policies and Requirements:

Required Texts:

• Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers by Evertson, Emmer, & Worsham  ASU Rental
• Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell (Purchase from me)
• Classroom Management in Photographs Scholastic (Purchase from me)
• Additional readings will be provided online.

  Course Requirements and Evaluation: Grading expectations will be made clear prior to the due date for each assignment.  You are strongly encouraged to meet with me to discuss assignments.  Your final grade for the semester will be based on a series of written assignments, your internship and class attendance and participation.  Specific guidelines and grading criteria for internship experiences and assignments will be given over the course of the semester.  Your teacher will complete an evaluation for your internship. Your final grade will be determined as follows:
 
 
 

Grading Scale (given as a percentage of the total points):

A  = 94 -100
A- = 90-93
B+=  87-89
B  =  83-86
B- =  80-82
C+ = 78-79
C  =  76-77
C- = 74-75
D  = 69-73

Attendance and Participation, Professional Disposition- Attendance, Participation and Preparedness: You are expected to be in class on time every day and to participate fully in class activities and discussion. It is imperative that you come to class with all readings and assignments completed. Participation in class involves engaging in class discussions. Participation in the internship involves being in the classroom on required days, being punctual, dressing and behaving in a professional manner, and being actively engaged in the classroom/school activities. This class will consist of demonstrations, class discussions, group work, and application activities that cannot be experienced through class notes alone. Non-participation in class activities and/or evidence of lack of preparation may adversely affect your grade.  Your participation in our class activities and discussions is important not only for your learning but also the learning of others.  You are strongly encouraged to be prompt for each class.  2 tardies are equivalent to 1 unexcused absence.  Unexcused absences will result in the lowering of your grade.  Prior notification of a valid need to miss class or internship experience is a minimum condition for excusing an absence.  For every class absence, you will have 3 percentage points deducted from your course grade average.  Interns are expected to attend every field time as noted on your calendar.  If you are absent from the field due to illness or have some other emergency you need to call or email Beth 262-7623 AND the school (Mabel 297-3993 or 297-2512 or Hardin Park 264-8481) to leave a message for your teacher.  Teachers and students count on you being there.  Make-up time will be required if you miss more than the equivalent of one school day.  Days available for making up missed internship days are May 2, 3, and 4. Your arrival and departure time from school will be the same as for teachers in that building.  Make-up time will be required for more than one tardy or early departure.  If you do not contact me and your teacher prior to the early morning of an absence, you will be required to make up double time. Students will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times both on campus and at your internship schools. Violation of campus policies or public school rules could result in your removal from the school and this course.

Snow/Inclement Weather 
The two schools for your internship are in Watauga County.  Interns have the responsibility for knowing whether or not there is school during inclement weather.  The Watauga County Snow Line is 264-0200.    You also can access the website for school closings: http://www.watauga.k12.nc.us/trans/default.htm . The local radio stations also make announcements.   If it is an optional teacher workday, interns, like all beginning teachers, you are expected to attend when it is safe.  Even if your teacher will not be there or tells you not to come, you are expected to attend when it is safe. Check in with the office or principal when you arrive at your school. If your teacher is not there, the principal may have some work for you to do. Your safety is always the first consideration.  Often the roads are cleared by mid-morning so when it is safe, you should go to school.  If you have concerns about the roads, call the school and ask for a report on road conditions.  You and your teachers should discuss in advance work that you can do if your teacher does not attend that day.  Suggestions by teachers in previous semesters include: review of computer software in the schools, review other books and resources in the media lab, plan a seasonal art activity or create snow packets for students. Missed days of internship (including optional teacher workdays) must be made up, except when school is canceled for teachers and students. 

Respect for Intellectual Property: As teachers, it is important that we all model a respect for intellectual property. As you create resources this semester, you must be sure to cite all sources, including those from the electronic media. All text that is copied and pasted must be put in quotation marks with sources noted, and all images that have been appropriated from web sites, books, magazines, or video resources should be noted as such, with credit given to the creator if that information is available.

Course and Internship Attendance and Participation: Participation and attendance details are described above. WE expect you to be present both physically and mentally and to get excited about these wonderful educative experiences!

Internship Participation Plan : You will have a conversation with your collaborating teacher about each of your expectations for participation during your internship.  Together you will develop a plan for your activities and experiences during your internship. A separate handout with additional details will be provided.  A  copy of the Internship Participation Plan is due February 10.

Teaching and Learning in Elementary Schools Project: As a novice teacher, you have many questions and concerns about teaching and learning in elementary schools. You will participate in literature discussion groups focusing on the book Sahara Special.  As you read and discuss the book you will make notes about what you are learning related to your questions and concerns. You will develop a product to communicate what you learned about an overarching question.  More details will be provided.  due February 3.

Portfolio Due April 27

•  Resume: During the course of this semester each of you will work on developing an up-to-date resume.  Details will be provided. Final version due with portfolio April 27.

Classroom Management Plan: Included in CI 4000 is a study of the key areas of creating a well managed classroom. These areas encompass making decisions (proactive) before the year begins, implementing the plan and maintaining and revising management procedures throughout the year. Students will review different management styles and decide which are compatible with their own personality traits. During the semester, each student will develop a classroom management notebook of general and specific techniques and strategies. The following websites should be of use to you: websites.  The plan will be due March 21.

Reflective Journal: Observations and reflections about your field experiences can contribute greatly to learning to teach. Each week you will reflect about something that you observed and learned during your field experience and email it to me. You will be asked to reflect both personally and professionally. Sometimes you will focus on specific topics and other times you will reflect on other more personal classroom issues. Reflection means more than merely describing what happened. Reflection involves analysis about what you observed. For example, analyzing why something was productive or not; being able to unpack the planning and thinking behind an action; thinking about how and why you would modify the activity. Topics for reflection will be provided.

Interdisciplinary Unit:  Unit of Instruction: In cooperation with your internship classroom teacher, you will develop a unit of instruction that is interdisciplinary and that integrates student-centered, inquiry-based instructional strategies. You will incorporate the NC Standard Course of Study in addition to technology competencies. In your assessment plan you will address both formative and summative strategies for assessing the North Carolina Standard Course of Study goals you have chosen. In addition, you will carefully examine student performance based on a pre/post test that you have developed aligned with your goals. Your integrated unit will contain the following components:

a.       Unit topic Due Date: February 14

b.       Rationale for unit Due Date: February 21

c.       Content outline Due Date: March 3

d.       Assessment plan Due Date: March 14

e.        6 lesson plans Due Date: March 24

f.        Resource list Due Date: April 26

g.       Examination of student learning Due Date: April 26

h.       Reflections from teaching Due Date: April 26

Turning in Assigned Work: Assignments are due as indicated on the block calendar and course syllabus.  You are responsible for knowing what the due dates are.  Points will be reduced greatly on late assignments.

Field Experiences: It is important for you to arrive at school promptly, sign/check in at the school office or other designated area, and dress appropriately.  You are expected to follow the same rules and guidelines as regular teachers.  Failure to do so can result in consequences including dismissal from the internship.  You are expected to be at school for all scheduled times.  The teachers and children count on you to be there when scheduled.  It is important that you follow through on whatever commitments you make or give advance notice to both your teacher and me on the rare occasion when you are unable to keep your commitment.  See additional notes regarding field experiences above.

Example of Holland's CI 4000 Unit

Class Schedule