About the Course

Course Description

This course is designed to provide opportunities for prospective teachers to observe, develop, and practice a variety of methods to create positive learning environments, effective discipline, and traditional and alternative assessments. Emphasis is placed on strategies to include and challenge students with widely ranging linguistic and academic abilities, diverse learning styles and varying cultural backgrounds. Methods and content are closely tied to the California State Framework for grades 6-12. Fieldwork is required.

Course Goals

Teachers will be able to engage their students in accordance with the Common Core Standards, California Social Studies Framework, the National Standards for History, the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Standards, ELD Standards, National Technology Standards and the Teacher Performance Expectation. These goals support the LMU Mission & Goals and Conceptual Framework for more information, see: http://www.lmu.edu/Page20503.aspx (Mission and Goals)

http://www.lmu.edu/Asset8869.aspx?method=1 (Conceptual Framework)

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO 5252.1 Identify and implement the California Board of Education Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies along with the California History-Social Studies Content Standards (TPE 1b, 8, 9, 12 & 13).

CLO 5252.2 Plan and write lessons and activities for all learners to maximize their ability to meet and/or exceed the CCSS (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 & 13).

CLO 5252.3 Demonstrate an understanding of oral, written, and visual literacy and the ability to promote and instruct on oral, written, and visual literacy in the teaching of social studies and history (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10).

CLO 5252.4 Demonstrate competence in creating unit plans and instructional programs in Common Core English/Language Arts and Social Studies content areas (TPE 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 9, 10, 11).

CLO 5252.5 Create and implement lessons, assignments, assessments, and other learning tools that provide challenging educational experiences and opportunities for all learners (TPE 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13).

CLO 5252.6 Provide grade-level learning experiences that create the necessary groundwork for student learning success in subsequent courses (TPE 1b, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10).

CLO 5252.7 Explore and to research effective, current research-based methods and curricula that promote optimal learning environments for students (TPE 1b, 2, 4, 5, 6c, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13).

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Grading Scale

Grades on specific assignments will be given a numerical score based on the attached rubrics. Since a good portion of the class is based on attendance and participation as well as thoughtful and thorough completion of all assignments in a timely matter, this too will be taking into consideration for your grade.

Please remember that in order for you to receive full credit on a written assignment it must be grammatically correct and well written.

Grading Scale: (based on percentage)

93.0%-100% A

89.5%-92.9% A-

88.0%-89.4% B+

83.0%-87.9% B

79.5%-82.9% B-

78.0%-79.4% C+

73.0%-77.9% C

69.5%-72.9% C-

0 - 69.4% F

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Course Policies

Policy on Class Attendance:

This course is required for a State of California Teacher Credential. Completion of the course certifies to the State Board of Education that the student has mastered the required competencies for this area. Class participation is necessary and no sessions are optional. You are required to participate EACH week. All assignments are due the Wednesday of each week. The first week you have an extra few days, but from that point on, the course is divided weekly from Wednesday to Wednesday. The reason for the Wednesday due date is so you have a different time-frame from your own teaching schedule.

Policy on Academic Honesty:

Loyola Marymount University is a community dedicated to academic excellence, student-centered education, and the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. Academic honesty respects the intellectual and creative work of others, flows from dedication to and pride in performing ones own best work, and is essential if true learning is to take place.

Students found guilty of any offence against academic honesty and integrity are subject to a failing grade in the course by the instructor. In addition, students may be suspended or dismissed from the University upon the recommendation of the Program Director, the Dean of the student’s college or the Chair of the Graduate Council. In addition, students enrolled in credential or licensing programs may be suspended, dismissed, or denied recommendation for the credential or license for any violation of the published Code of Ethics for the professional group.

Special Accommodations:

Students with special needs who need reasonable modifications, special assistance, or accommodations in this course should promptly direct their request to the Disability Support Services Office. Please visit www.lmu.edu/dss for additional information.

LiveText:

The School of Education requires all students to register for access to LiveText. Students will utilize LiveText to submit projects, engage in online collaboration, and track academic performance. http://c1.livetext.com . Handouts and drop-in sessions are available for new users. Place ONE of your five LMU Lesson Plans in your LiveText.

Written Work:

Written work should be well written, grammatically correct, and conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual. All assignments should be posted onto your website and lesson plans are to be uploaded to LiveText. An APA Style Manual is available in the student book store.

Policy on Late and Make-up Work:

Late work will not be accepted. In case of personal emergency, the student must contact the instructor immediately.

University Policies:

Please review the University’s Academic Honor Code in the University Bulletin for any violation for the published Code of Ethics for the professional group.

Response and Feedback:

I usually respond to email very quickly. However, please allow up to 24 hours just in case I am away from a computer. I will provide feedback of a major assignment such as the LMU Lesson Plans and Unit Plan after most people submit the assignment, usually on the weekend.

Changes to Course

The instructor reserves the right make changes throughout the progression of the course.

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Requirements

Posts, Discussions, Online Meetings (Participation): 30%

LMU Lesson Plans: 30%

Final Unit Plan: 35%

Final Unit Plan Video presentation of your Unit: 5%

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students are to have a mastery of college level reading, writing, grammar, listening, and speaking skills. A familiarity of US and World History, Economics, the Behavioral Sciences, and American Government is needed. Students need to know how to teach children the skills needed for success in elementary and/or secondary schools.

Technical Skills

Students must have proficiency with the following technical skills:

Internet Access

Intermediate Technology and Internet Skills

Required Texts/Materials:

Drake, F. D. & Nelson, L. R. (2008). Engagement in teaching history: Theory and practices

for middle and secondary teachers. (2nd edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson. (ISBN 0131586734)

Zevin, J. (2007). Social studies for the twenty-first century: Methods and materials for

teaching in middle and secondary schools (3rd Edition). New York: Lawrence

Erlbaum.

State approved social studies textbooks (the textbook from the class you teach, or the class you’d like to teach)

California Department of Education (2000). History-Social Studies content standards for

California Public Schools. California State Department of Education. (Available

online: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/ ).

Common Core State Standards Initiative: Preparing America's Students for College and Career. (2014). Common Core State

Standards Initiative. (Available: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/ )

Recommended texts:

English Language Development Standards, available at

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp

Khan, S. (2012). The one world school house: Education reimagined. New York: Twelve.

Kindle Edition.

Kroesch, G. and Swanson, M. C. (2002). The write path: History-Social Science

teacher guide. San Diego: AVID Press.

Kobrin, D. (1996). Beyond the textbook: Teaching history using documents and

primary sources. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Loewen, J.W. (1995). Lies my teacher told me: Everything your American History

textbook got wrong. New York: A Touchstone Book, Simon & Schuster.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2001) Understanding by design. Upper Saddle River:

Merrill.

Williams, Y. R. (2009) Teaching U.S. history beyond the textbook: Six investigative

strategies, grades 5-12. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Wineburg, Sam (2001). Historical thinking and other unnatural acts: Charting the future

of teaching the past. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Wong, H.K. & Wong, R.T. (2004). The first days of school: How to be an effective

teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.

Zinn, Howard. (2001). A people’s history of the United States 1492-present. New York:

HarperCollins Publisher.

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Netiquette

Netiquette, or network etiquette, is concerned with the "proper" way to communicate in an online environment. Consider the following "rules," adapted from Virginia Shea's The Core Rules of Netiquette, whenever you communicate in the virtual world.

Rule 1: Remember the Human

When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant message, discussion post, text, or some other method, practice the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication. Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?"

Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly should not be lower. You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone face-to-face? On most occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in the virtual world.

Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace

"Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) Depending on where you are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be acceptable in one area, where it might be considered inappropriate in another. What you text to a friend may not be appropriate in an email to a classmate or colleague. Can you think of another example?

Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth

Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous text or superfluous graphics or attachments that may take forever to download.

Rule 5: Make yourself look good online

One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical appearance, sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear (unless you post a video of yourself singing Karaoke in a clown outfit.) You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind:

Always check for spelling and grammar errors

Know what you're talking about and state it clearly

Be pleasant and polite

Rule 6: Share expert knowledge

The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the ease in which information can be shared or accessed and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one of the reasons the Internet was founded. So in the spirit of the Internet's "founding fathers," share what you know! When you post a question and receive intelligent answers, share the results with others. Are you an expert at something? Post resources and references about your subject matter. Recently expanded your knowledge about a subject that might be of interest to others? Share that as well.

Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control

What is meant by "flaming" and "flame wars?" "Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion." (Shea, 1994). As an example, think of the kinds of passionate comments you might read on a sports blog. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy

Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled with care. Perhaps someone is sharing some medical news about a loved one or discussing a situation at work. What do you think would happen if this information "got into the wrong hands?" Embarrassment? Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.

Rule 9: Don't abuse your power

Just like in face-to-face situations, there are people in cyberspace who have more "power" than others. They have more expertise in technology or they have years of experience in a particular skill or subject matter. Maybe it's you who possesses all of this knowledge and power! Just remember: knowing more than others do or having more power than others may have does not give you the right to take advantage of anyone. Think of Rule 1: Remember the human.

Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Not everyone has the same amount of experience working in the virtual world. And not everyone knows the rules of netiquette. At some point, you will see a stupid question, read an unnecessarily long response, or encounter misspelled words; when this happens, practice kindness and forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if you had committed the same offense. If it's a minor "offense," you might want to let it slide. If you feel compelled to respond to a mistake, do so in a private email rather than a public forum.

Adapted from The Core Rules of Netiquette Shea, V. (1994). Core rules of netiquette. Netiquette (Online ed., pp. 32-45). San Francisco: Albion Books.

Greta Steber . (1994 - 2012). Core Rules of Netiquette. Learning@CSU. Colorado State University. Available at http://learning.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=4.

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Course Syllabus

Attached