Rivas 511

Fundamentals of Secondary Education in Multiethnic Secondary Schools

SED 511- Fall 2017

Instructor: Dr. Tae Chang

Classroom: Sierra Hall 267

Class Time: Mon. 4:00 PM – 6:45 PM

Telephone: Office 818.677.6491

E-mail: taechang@csun.edu

Office Hours: Wed. 3 pm – 4 pm and by appointment

ED 2115A Student lab code 0217720, please do not share outside of college


Required Texts/website

    • Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college. John Wiley & Sons
    • Esquith, R. (2007). Teach like your hairs on fire. Penguin Books.
    • Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and School. Washington, D.C.: Click here for pdf version of the book
    • PACT website for Lesson Plan Information (Teaching Event Handbook) http://www.pacttpa.org/_main/hub.php?pageName=Supporting_Documents_for_Candidates#Handbooks
    • Class postings on drtaechang.com

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The faculty of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, regionally focused and nationally recognized, is committed to Excellence through Innovation. We believe excellence includes the acquisition of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions and is demonstrated by the growth and renewal of ethical and caring professionals - faculty, staff, candidates - and those they serve. Innovation occurs through collaborative partnerships among communities of diverse learners who engage in creative and reflective thinking. To this end we continually strive to achieve the following competencies and values that form the foundation of the Conceptual Framework.

    1. We value academic excellence in the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills.
    2. We value the use of evidence for the purposes of monitoring candidate growth, determining the impact of our programs, and informing ongoing program and unit renewal. To this end we foster a culture of evidence.
    3. We value ethical practice and what it means to become ethical and caring professionals.
    4. We value collaborative partnerships within the College of Education as well as across disciplines with other CSUN faculty, P-12 faculty, and other members of regional and national educational and service communities.
    5. We value diversity in styles of practice and are united in a dedication to acknowledging, learning about, and addressing the varied strengths, interests, and needs of communities of diverse learners.
    6. We value creative and reflective thinking and practice.

Policies

Attendance Policy

Attendance and participation are crucial components of this course. Ideas presented in class by the instructor and your colleagues need to be heard and critiqued for individual and collective growth to take place. If you will be absent, it is your responsibility to let me know in advance.

Make-up Policy

Assignments are due at the time designated via electronically or hard copy. Late work, for any reason, will lose 50% with the last day to turn in work being a week after assignment is due. I always maintain the right to use my discretion for extreme emergencies.

Plagiarism Policy

Cheating or plagiarism on a test or other assignment will result in automatic failure on that specific item and possible failure in the course. In addition, there will be a referral to the Academic Ethics Committee. Never forget that character counts.

Professional Expectations

As a student in in the credential program, you are expected to exhibit the behaviors of emerging professional educators and students. This includes active and positive participation in class. Students are expected to treat their fellow students, the faculty, and guests with respect and courtesy. This also relates to the use of cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices. Cell phones and computers should be off unless prearranged with the professor. Class should only be interrupted by emergencies.

Communication

Email is the best means of communication on campus. Please check your CSUN account regularly (you can have it forwarded to another account if desired). Though email is quite effective, please do not think you will get an instant response, especially over the weekend. I will attempt to get back to you within 48-72 hours or sooner. Also, remember that you should never say anything in an email that you would not say in person.

Instructional Philosophy and Course Overview

Scope and Sequence of Course in this Program

The course, intended to be your first in the credential program, provides a general framework and introduction to secondary education and curriculum within a multiethnic American society. Candidates investigate various classroom discipline and management techniques, teaching strategies and techniques, and lesson planning. Candidates are also introduced to the California Academic Content standards and the thirteen Teaching performance Expectations (TPEs). Primary emphasis is placed on the TPEs in three domains: 1) Creating and maintaining effective classroom environment, 2) Engaging and supporting all students in learning, and 3) Planning instruction and designing learning experiences. Completion of classroom-based activities is required to achieve these goals.

Course Objectives

    1. Understand multiple factors that influence the dynamics of student behavior and learning.
    2. Examine and practice classroom management strategies that promote learning for a range of students from diverse academic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.
    3. Research and rehearse instructional strategies that engage and challenge students to use progressively higher order thinking skills.
    4. Explore classroom activities to promote student comprehension of standards-based curricula.
    5. Develop and refine strategies for monitoring student learning and assessing their understanding.
    6. Practice instructional planning by developing long and short-term lesson plans.

Student Learning Objectives

    1. Create and maintain effective environments for learning for a range of students from diverse academic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.
    2. Engage and support students in learning by clearly communicating instructional objectives, making instruction relevant, and selecting materials to address state academic content standards.
    3. Design learning activities that encourage students to use progressively higher order thinking skills to master challenging academic curriculum.
    4. Design and implement lessons that use a variety of instructional strategies to make content comprehensible and accessible to students from varied backgrounds and of differing academic language abilities.
    5. Know strategies from monitoring student learning.
    6. Understanding the multiple factors that influence the dynamics of student behavior and learning in the classroom.
    7. Be familiar with a range of student assessments, including classroom informal measures and standardized tests commonly used in California.
    8. Understand and apply California laws and regulations that pertain to the classroom and serve to protect the welfare of students and their families.
    9. Examine personal beliefs, attitudes, and biases in order to create an open and fair learning environment for students from all backgrounds.

Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) (http://www.csun.edu/educ/sed/ptp/index.htm)

    1. Subject-Specific Pedagogical Skills
    2. Monitoring Student Learning
    3. Interpretation and Use of Assessments
    4. Making Content Accessible
    5. Student Engagement
    6. Developmentally Appropriate Practices
    7. Teaching English Learners
    8. Learning About Students
    9. Instructional Planning
    10. Instructional Time
    11. Social environment
    12. Professional, legal, and Ethical Obligations
    13. Professional Growth

Main Areas of Focus

Learning about Students (TPE 8). Effective teachers draw upon an understanding of patterns of child and adolescent development to understand their students. Using formal and informal methods, they assess students’ prior mastery of academic language abilities, content knowledge, and skills, and maximize learning opportunities for all students. Through interpersonal interactions, they learn about students’ abilities, ideas, interests and aspirations. They encourage parents to become involved and support their efforts to improve student learning. They understand how multiple factors, including gender and health, can influence students’ behavior, and understand the connections between students’ health and their ability to learn. Based on assessment data, classroom observation, reflection and consultation, they identify students needing specialized instruction, including students whose physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or health status require instructional adaptations, and students who are gifted.

Student Engagement (TPE 5). Effective teachers clearly communicate instructional objectives to students. They ensure the active and equitable participation of all students. They ensure that students understand what they are to do during instruction and monitor student progress toward academic goals. If students are struggling and off- task, candidates examine why and use strategies to re-engage them. Candidates encourage students to share and examine points of view during lessons. They use community resources, student experiences, and applied learning activities to make instruction relevant. They extend the intellectual quality of student thinking by asking stimulating questions and challenging student ideas. Candidates teach students to respond to and frame meaningful questions.

Instructional Planning (TPE 9). Effective teachers plan instruction that is comprehensive in relation to the subject matter to be taught and in accordance with state-adopted academic content standards for students. They establish clear long-term and short-term goals for student learning, based on state and local standards for student achievement as well as on students’ current levels of achievement. They use explicit teaching methods such as direct instruction and inquiry to help students meet or exceed grade level expectations. They plan how to explain content clearly and make abstract concepts concrete and meaningful. They understand the purposes, strengths and limitations of a variety of instructional strategies, including examining student work, and they improve their successive uses of the strategies based on experience and reflection. They sequence instruction so the content to be taught connects to preceding and subsequent content. In planning lessons, they select or adapt instructional strategies, grouping strategies, and instructional material to meet student learning goals and needs. Candidates connect the content to be learned with students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds, experiences, interests, and developmental learning needs to ensure that instruction is comprehensible and meaningful. To accommodate varied student needs, they plan differentiated instruction. When support personnel, such as aides and volunteers are available, they plan how to use them to help students reach instructional goals.

Social Environment (TPE 11). Candidates for a Teaching Credential develop and maintain clear expectations for academic and social behavior. The candidates promote student effort and engagement and create a positive climate for learning. They know how to write and implement a student discipline plan. They know how to establish rapport with all students and their families for supporting academic and personal success through caring, respect, and fairness. Candidates respond appropriately to sensitive issues and classroom discussions. They help students learn to work responsibly with others and independently. Based on observations of students and consultation with other teachers, the candidate recognizes how well the social environment maximizes academic achievement for all students and makes necessary changes.

Classroom Norms

1. You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss topics critically, having finished all reading, writing, and group assignments before class.

2. You are expected to become part of a community of lifelong learners: to express ideas clearly, to help those in need, and to ask questions when in doubt.

3. You are to show respect to the learning community and to value your classmates. We challenge ideas not people. Listen with the same care you would want.

4. The goal of education is to learn to think and this class will provide opportunities to continue on that journey.

Assignments and Assessments

This course includes class participation and quizzes (as needed), short papers, interviews, current events, etc. All assignments must be typed, double-spaced and submitted via electronically or hardcopy turned in at the appropriate due date. Use of Word or a word processing application that is compatible with Word is required. Each assignment or set of assignments is worth the listed points. Grade will be determined by points earned/points possible and you can check your progress throughout the course. Distribution is as follows:


A = Outstanding The grade of “A” is reserved for those students whose performance is truly outstanding. Performance reflects an outstanding level of competency attainment -- including critical analyses, information syntheses, and application of theory and research to practice. Projects and exams are comprehensive, thoughtful, well organized, and clearly written.

B = Average Performance surpasses a basic level of competency attainment, understanding, and skill, and indicates an ability to integrate and apply information.

C = Below average Performance meets expectations for a basic level of competency attainment and understanding. (For a Graduate student, this is weak work.)

C- or Below = Unsatisfactory Performance does not meet expectations for a basic level of competency attainment and understanding.

Class participation

As mentioned previously, your participation is vital for the success of the class and that participation hinges significantly on your reading. You will be asked to help determine your participation grade during the semester through self reflection supported by evidence. This will give you the opportunity to make adjustments as needed during the course as opposed to the end. The purpose of this assessment is to insure we are all actively engaged in the teaching/learning process.

Reading Reflections - Teach Like a Champion (TLC)

For each reading assignment from TLC, write a 2-page paper detailing how it helped you gain an understanding of what it means to teach effectively. There will be three sections to this assignment- Summary, Analysis, and Application. Some questions to think about: What were the most important ideas (summary) of the reading selection? What portions of the reading seemed be particularly meaningful and why (analysis)? What areas do you question and why (analysis)? How might these insights affect your own practice (analysis)? Describe how one or more of the techniques can be applied in your classroom (application). The summary should be the shortest section and the analysis the longest. This assignment will expose you to a variety of tested techniques that can help advance your understanding of the teaching profession.

Interviews

Make arrangements to speak to various school personnel as dictated by the interview protocol. After the conversation, write a brief reflection of how it helped you gain an understanding of how each school staff member prepares and performs specific duties. What insights have you gained? How might the interview/observation affect your ideas about what you need to learn in order to prepare for teaching? Be sure to follow the guidelines for the interview, which will be posted on the class website. This assignment will increase your level of experience/understanding through the work of and interaction with experienced educators.

Lesson Plan and Commentary

First, design a lesson plan for one or two hours of instruction (based on the PACT guidelines for Task 2: Planning Instruction & Assessment that you will find the teaching event handbook). You will design and describe a sequence of learning activities for teaching a specific topic in your subject area. Be sure to identify the topic, the California standard that it addresses, and the actual learning goal of the lesson. Make explicit connections to the Common Core Standards and how you will help English Language Development of your students. The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you for the PACT teaching event that is a high stakes assessment of your student teaching assignment. An example will be posted on the class website.

Key Components of the Lesson Plan

    • Context: Identify the class for which the plans are developed, the classroom context, and the topic for the unit.
    • Objectives: Clearly identify the state, Common Core, and English Language Development standards (as appropriate) addressed in the lesson and the intended learning goals for your students (i.e., the central focus of the lessons).
    • Identify both content objectives and academic language objectives, including key vocabulary that need to be addressed.
    • Tasks: Describe the sequence of the learning activities (i.e., agenda). List what the teacher will do in the lesson, including the specific examples used or questions to be asked. Also list what you expect students to actually do during instruction (i.e., learning tasks). Also, identify what prerequisite skills are needed for students to be able to engage in the lesson activities.
    • Tools: Identify any materials, manipulatives, or technology that are used to achieve your learning goals. Attach any instructional materials or handouts.
    • Evaluation: Provide your plans for determining if students achieved the learning objectives that you set for the lesson, including any assessments.

Second, write a commentary that explains your instructional decisions (based on the PACT guidelines for Task 2: Planning Instruction & Assessment and Common Core Standards).

Key Components of the Lesson Commentary

    1. What is the central focus of the lesson? Why is the content for this lesson important for students to learn?
    2. Briefly describe the theoretical framework and/or research that informed your instructional design for developing students’ knowledge and abilities in both subject area content and academic language during this lesson.
    3. Discuss the rationale for the selection and sequence of particular activities. How do the key student tasks within the lesson build on each other to support student understanding, and skill development, reasoning, and the development of related academic language? Describe specific strategies that you will use to build student learning during this lesson. Include any instructional materials or handouts that you will use.
    4. How do your choices of instructional strategies, materials, technology, etc. reflect secondary students’ backgrounds, interests, and needs? Explain how your knowledge of adolescents informed the design of the lesson, such as the choice of text or materials used, how groups are formed or structured, using student learning or experiences (in or out of school) as a resource, or structuring new or deeper learning to take advantage of specific student strengths. (This can be based on general student characteristics that you are aware of, based on readings or other coursework.)
    5. Identify students’ possible misconceptions or common errors for this lesson.
    6. Consider the language demands1 of the oral and written tasks in which you plan to have students engage as well as the various levels of English language proficiency related to the lesson.
      1. Identify words and phrases (if appropriate) that you will emphasize in the lesson activities. Why are these important for students to understand and use in completing classroom tasks in this lesson? Which students?
      2. What oral and/or written academic language (organizational, stylistic, and/or grammatical features) will you teach and/or reinforce?
      3. Explain how specific features of the lesson activities, including your own use of language, support students in learning to understand and use these words, phrases (if appropriate), and academic language. How might your lesson increase students’ abilities to follow and/or use different types of text and oral formats?
    7. Describe any teaching strategies you have planned for students who have identified educational needs (e.g., English learners, GATE students, students with IEPs). Explain how the features of your lesson activities will provide students access to the curriculum and allow them to demonstrate their learning.

Lesson Intro or “Hook” (Presentation and Written Description)

Design and present a developmentally appropriate activity that engages students as a part of a lesson that supports a clear learning goal. In this assignment you will, identify the topic as well as the California standard that your activity addresses and incorporate the key principles of learning discussed in class to engage students in higher order thinking in your subject area. Activities that merely entertain or keep students busy are not acceptable. The 5-6 minute in-class presentation may employ the use of media or other hands-on materials. Please make arrangements with the instructor if you need special equipment. Handouts or visual aides are highly recommended. The key is to “hook” our attention to want to learn what is coming next. After you conduct your hook, we will spend a few minutes discussing what you did well and what you could do better next time. I have found previous class sections have much to offer their colleagues and growth takes place throughout the semester.

A written description of the activity must be typed and turned in before the class session in which you will present. The written description should provide details about the activity as well as a description of the class for which it was developed, the unit, the classroom context, and any other details that might increase a reader’s understanding of the hook and the lesson it would lead to. This assignment will enhance your ability to discover strategies that will enhance your ability to motivate your students.

Professional Development or School Event

Attend a Professional Development (PD) or a school event that can serve as the beginning of a “good habit” of involvement from others who are on the front lines. After experiencing the PD or school event, use your emerging expertise to evaluate the experience. For the write up, give a summary of the event and why you attended it, an analysis of the value of the information/experience, evaluate the teaching methods used by the presenter(s) or the value of the activity, and then make a personal application to your future classroom or involvement in the school culture. Great teachers continue to development new understandings and skills and this assignment will help you along that path. This will be an effort grade.


Course Topics (Tentative), Assignments, and Readings

Week 1 (8/28)

Topic: Syllabus and North, South, East, and West Activity. :

Assignment: “Dispositions at Program Entry” survey (PSWD: 511programentry)

Chang's first day of class survey


Week 2 (9/4)

No Class: Labor Day

Week 3 (9/11)

Topic: Getting Started Correctly

Assignment: Sign up day for Hook and

HPL (Chp. 1-5, and Chp. 6-10) (jigsaw prompts)

Reading: Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Week 4 (9/18)

Topic: Classroom Culture and Expectations.

EdTPA with Dr. Moguel (4:00-4:30)

Assignment: Reading Reflections

Reading: TLC Chap. 5 and 6

Week 5 (9/25)

Topic: Designing an Effective Lesson

Assignment: Hook I.

Reading Reflection

Reading: TLC Chap. 4

Week 6 (10/2)

No Class: Online Assignments

Assignment: Interview # 1 –Classroom Culture.

Reading Reflections.

Professional Development/School Engagement (due week 16)

Reading: TLC Chaps. 2 and 3

Week 7 (10/9)

Topic: Engaging Students in Learning

Assignment: Hook II.

Interview # 2 –Engaging Students

Reading: TLHF Chaps. 1 and 2


Week 8 (10/16)

Topic: Creating a Safe Place to Learn

Assignment: Reading Reflection

Reading: TLHF Content Area Chap. (3-11 Pick) TLC Chap. 7


Week 9 (10/23)

Topic: Supporting Diverse Learners/ELD Standards

Assignment: Interview # 3 – Differentiated Instruction

Reading: TLHF Chaps. 12, 13, and16

Week 10 (10/30)

Topic: Formative Assessment - Questioning

Assignment: Hook III.

Interview # 4 - Monitoring Students


Week 11 (11/6)

Topic: Summative Assessment

Assignment: Hook IV.

Bring sample test.

Reading Reflection.

Reading: TLC Chap. 9

Week 12 (11/13)

Topic: Academic Language and ELD Standards

Assignment: Hook V.

Reading Reflection

Reading: TLC Chap. 12

Week 13 (11/20)

Topic: How People Learn # 1 (jigsaw prompts)

Assignment: Hook VI

Reading: HPL Assigned Chap. 1-5


Week 14 (11/27)

Topic: How People Learn # 2

Assignment: Hook VII.

Lesson Plan

Reading: HPL Assigned Chap. 6-10

Week 15 (12/4)

Topic: Professional and Legal Obligations/Mandatory Reporting

Reading: Case Law.

Jigsaw activity

Assignment: PD Write Up. Optional Dinner to evaluate teaching and learning.