Session #1 - Introductions (due Sept 5)

Learning Outcomes:

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 5252.7 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).

Introduction to course and each other.

Information: California's Standards

Study the appropriate California Standards for the History-Social Studies course that you will focus on this term for this class - be it US History, World History, Government, Economics, or Geography, etc. The course you choose to focus on should be one that you are teaching or will be teaching. Your assignments for this class will focus on this course. You will be writing assignments, lesson plans, and a unit plan for this course. See also the Common Core English Language Arts standards that are applied to the teaching of Social Studies. We will be discussing the Common Core approach. There are skill-based standards for students ALL students in the Common Core. Thus, even though there are no Common Core Content Standards for social studies at this time, there are skills-based standards for all disciplines. These standards are not only for the English teachers. They ARE FOR ALL DISCIPLINES.

For Content Standards see also:

History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools K-12

Make it REAL. LMU's mission in the education field is to make teachers leaders in education. Teachers are to be the standard-bearers for our vocation. (See LMU's REAL). California expects not only students to meet certain standards, but also the teachers. These are called the Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs).

ELD Standards and descriptors are found here. If you have English Learners in your classes, you must familiarize yourself with how they are identified and provide support for their learning. Even if you do not have "identified" English learners, you do have those who struggle in English. These standards and strategies are for them.

(The culminating project is a Unit Plan you will create for your grade and subject level. It will encompass all conceptual areas of this class. You will also be creating detailed lesson plans using the LMU lesson plan template for beginning teachers. Make it REAL. Create lessons and a unit you will actually use in your teaching. No sense wasting time creating lessons you will never use. So choose wisely and for the future.)

The two books we will use in this course are F. D. Drake and L. R. Nelson's Engagement in Teaching History (Second Edition) and J. Zevin's Social Studies for the Twenty-First Century: Methods and Materials for Teaching in Middle and Secondary Schools (Third Edition). For Session 1, please read Zevin's Chapter 2, “The Fields of Social Studies – How They Relate”. If you have not yet received your book, here is the first reading assignment in Google Books. Warning: Zevin's book in its entirety is not found in Google Books, you need to order your own. The reading for this course is FRONT-LOADED. Your reading will be focused in the first half of the course but will be applicable throughout this course and your teaching career.

Production:

1. Create a webcam video of yourself and introduce yourself to the class. See my intro video and create yours. You need to upload your video to somewhere like YouTube and then post a link in your website. Looking for a good a screen-capture webcam program? Looking for a good a screen-capture webcam program? LMU recommends Screencast-o-matic. See tutorial for this free (very basic) program. The full version is only $15 a year (It's worth it.) Another way to make your introductory video is through Adobe Voice (free download for your iPad) - very easy, very cool. Due next week.

2. Create a Google website which will house your work for the term. 1. First log into your gmail account. (You may choose to create a new gmail account for the purposes of this class if you are not comfortable in using your regular Gmail account.) 2. go to sites.google.com - create a website that is PUBLIC (not private) so that I and the members of this class may access it. Due this week.

See video for detailed steps.

3. Once created. Answer the survey below and I will post your info on the class page. Due this week.

4. Post the rules you will have/use in your classrooms. (Post on your web site.) Due this week.

5. Reading Log: For each chapter you read in Zevin and in Drake & Nelson, select at least ONE topic that stood out and tell HOW you will use it in your teaching.

6. Survey (Due this week.)

Next Steps:

This week: Create your web site. Answer the survey. Post your classroom rules. Read Chapter 1.

Week 2: Your intro video is due. You need your texts. Please order the correct edition. Zevin's Social Studies for 21st and Drake & Nelson's Engagement in Teaching History

Week 4: First LMU Lesson Plan due.

Week 15: Unit Plan due.