Assignments and Grading:
You will be given advance notice of points for assignments and tests.  You will also be given points for class attendance and presentations (discussed below) .  Points will be converted to percentages.  Your final grade will be calculated from the following categories and percentages:

Tests 25%
Attendance and Presentations 25%
All Assignments 50%

Your final grade based on a PERCENTAGE system as follows:

A         94-100
A-        90-93
B+       88-89
B         85-87
B-        81-84
C+       79-80
C         75-78
C-        71-74
D         68-70
E          67 and below

Grading Example:
Suppose you have the following percentages in each category after calculating your final points and converting into percentages:

Tests 82
Attendance and Participation 95
All Assignments 100

Final percentage is 94.2
Final grade is an "A"
Note: Percentages that end in .5 or greater will be rounded to the next whole percent.  For example, a 91.5 will be a 92 and a 92.4 will also be a 92.

Attendance:
Class attendance and participation are expected.  You will be given points for class attendance and presentations (see below) that will constitute 25% of the final grade. If you miss class when you are scheduled to do a presentation, you will not be able to make-up the presentation unless you have an excused absence.  An "excused" absence is one that has been authorized by the University Administration or documented by a physician.  Please note that this does not include notes from the student health center.  Missing class to observe in the schools is NOT an "excused absence."  Please read the "Student Pilot" for definitions and policies of class attendance.  If you come to class after roll was taken, it is your responsibility to inform me that you were not present.  If you miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain class notes and assignments from me.  An attendance roll sheet will be circulated during each class after the first week.  It is your responsibility to sign this sheet. You will not receive credit for class attendance unless your name is on your sheet.

Attendance and Class Presentations:
During the semester, there will be occasions when class members present their projects to the class. The educational value of these session in terms of presenting and sharing are difficult to measure through written assessments.  Therefore, students will be given extra points for class attendance during presentations that will exceed the value of points given for attendance on other days.

Timeliness of Presentations:
If you are unable to do a presentation because you were having technical problems, you must notify me at least one week in advance so that we could have time to remediate your problems.  I cannot excuse you from doing a scheduled presentation because you had technical difficulties.

Late Assignments:
Assignments that are turned in late after the due date will be docked 10% for each day they are late unless you have and excused absence.  If you turn an assignment in to my office on the same day after the assignment was due in class, it will be considered at least one day late.  If you turn in an assignment to my office before a weekend or a break, those days will count as late days.  An assignment that has to be redone by recommendation of the instructor will be docked 10%.  No assignments will be accepted more than one week late.

Quality of Your Work:
As a future teacher, you will be expected to bring the latest research methodologies and technologies to your student teaching experience and ultimately, your first job experience.  You will not gain all of the technical knowledge that you need to know from this course; however, you will become aware of some of the high expectations of today's schools. Many of our Bloomsburg teachers are sought after as high quality teacher candidates and a significant portion of our teachers eventually become leaders in the schools.  You will be expected to put no less than 100% effort into the work of this course.  Consequently, I reserve the right to reject any work including units, web pages, and presentations that signifies minimal effort and does not reflect the high quality expected in our graduates. 

Class Participation:
In every class, students distinguish themselves by volunteering to ask and answer questions and participate in class discussions.  As a future teacher, you will become a classroom leader; therefore, you need to become an active participant and leader in class discussions.  I will reserve the right to give students extra points at the end of the semester if they strengthen and enhance classroom interactions through their contributions.  Do not misinterpret strong participation as someone trying to impress the instructor or someone trying to get "brownie points."  Good common sense dictates that you should have an interest in your future career and are willing to share your opinions though discourse.  Also, remember that you are going to be a teacher and this involves a certain amount of risk-taking. 

Plagiarism:
On past occasions, students have copied materials from other students (i.e. web site resources) and have had other persons work on their projects outside of class.  Persons suspected of plagiarism will be asked to demonstrate the work through written and/or verbal assessment by the instructor.  Any student caught engaging in cheating or plagiarism will be subject to sanctions described in university policy #3512 that can include failure of the course.

University Students with Disabilities:
If you have an identified disability that may affect your performance in this class, you should schedule an appointment with the instructor so that reasonable adjustments/provisions may be discussed to better insure that you will have an equal opportunity to meet all the requirements of this course.

Class Cancellations by the Instructor:
In the event that I may have to cancel a class due to an emergency, I will post a message on the class web site.   You may have an alternate assignment posted on the web if a scheduled class is cancelled.  

Web Classes:
During the course, you may have a number of "web classes" posted on the class web site.  This does not mean that class is cancelled.  It means that class activities and assignment are posted on the web.  You should complete these assignments as they are posted.  Do not wait until the last minute.  Remember that web classes take the place of class meetings and are given in addition to homework assignments. I WILL NOT GIVE CREDIT TO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO COMPLETE THESE WEB CLASSES TOGETHER.  The web classes are intended to give individualized instruction.  Please note that some of the web classes may be posted during class cancellations due to weather or other unexpected emergencies.

Group Meetings:
During the course, you will be given some class time to meet with your group.  You are expected to attend these meetings and they will count as part of your class attendance.

About the Use of Technology in this Course:
In order to avoid misconceptions about the role of technology in this course, you need to be aware of basic assumptions made by this instructor:

• Technology use in the schools is only at the "tip of the iceberg."  The use of technology, particularly web-based technologies, will  permeate the school curriculum in growing proportions.

• Recent graduates  will be expected to become technology leaders in the use and integration of technology in the classroom.

• Technology is a tool used to improve teaching and learning.  It is not a means to an end.

• The proficient use of technology will distinguish you from other teacher candidates who are not proficient in technology.

• The technology in this course is "leading edge" technology.

• The difficulty of the technology in this course is for the average person, not a technology "wizard."

Back-ups & Saving Files:
SAVE OFTEN AND ALWAYS MAKE BACK-UP COPIES OF YOUR WORK! I cannot accept the excuse that you lost your files.  Please make back-ups.  Assume that you will lose files; therefore, you must have a back-up.

Although I usually collect "print-outs" and not disks, you are expected to produce a copy of the file on a floppy or zip disk if requested!  If I request a copy of your work on a disk and you cannot produce it, you will not be given credit for you work.  You are responsible for all work in this course; therefore, you must always protect your work by saving often and making a back-up copy.

Tests:
You will have one or two tests, depending on the progression of this course.  A review will be conducted for each test.

Final:
Your final may be a written test and/or a portfolio.  This information will be given to you as the course progresses.

1148 Lab Hours:
TBA-Check the web site after the first week of classes for this information.

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Course Standards:
This course is offered through the Department of Educational Studies and Secondary Education and as such is designed to meet one or more of the ten Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards and the Pathwise criteria, which is part of the Educational Testing Service’s PRAXIS Series.
 

The INTASC STANDARDS that are addressed in this course are as follows:

Standard #1: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he/she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

Standard #2: The teacher understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.

Standard #3:  The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

Standard #4: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

Standard #5: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Standard #6: The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Standard #7: The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

Standard #8: The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.

Standard #9: The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

Standard #10: The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being.
 

The PATHWISE FRAMEWORK is the conceptual framework for the Bloomsburg University School of Education.  The PATHWISE elements that are addressed in this course are as follows:

Domain #1 Planning and Preparation

 1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
 1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students
 1c: Selecting Instructional Goals
 1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources
 1e: Designing Coherent Instruction
 1f: Assessing Student Learning

Domain #2 The Classroom Environment

 2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
 2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
 2c: Managing Classroom Procedures
 2d: Managing Student Behavior
 2e: Organizing Physical Space

Domain #3 Instruction

 3a: Communicating Clearly and Accurately
 3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
 3c: Engaging Students in Learning
 3d: Providing Feedback to Students
 3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

Domain #4 Professional Responsibilities

 4a: Reflecting on Teaching
 4c: Communicating with Families
 

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:

1. Identify the role of diversity and culture on learning.  INTASC #2,3 Pathwise 1b
2. Describe the role of teacher as decision-maker and facilitator of learning.  INTASC #1-7  Pathwise 1a, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3c, 3e 
3. Write goal statements and behavioral objectives for lessons appropriate to diverse student needs.  INTASC #1-7  Pathwise 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e 
4. Write effective lesson plans appropriate to diverse student needs. INTASC # 1-7  Pathwise 1a-f  
5. Write a unit plan appropriate to diverse student needs.  INTASC #1-7 Pathwise 1a-f 
6. Identify, define and give examples of questioning at different levels of
the cognitive domain.  INTASC #2  Pathwise 2a, 3a, 3b, 3c  
7. Identify and describe instructional strategies supported by current research to promote thinking skills of all learners.  INTASC #4 Pathwise 1a-f
8. Identify, define, and give examples of methods of assessment of student knowledge/skills.  INTASC #3,4  Pathwise 1b, 1c, 1f, 3c, 3d
9. Identify and describe instructional strategies for instructing children with special needs and different learning styles.  INTASC #3,4 Pathwise 1a-f 
10. Explain the techniques for establishing a positive and supportive environment in the classroom.  INTASC #3,5  Pathwise 2a-e
11. Identify and explain the six basic types of Small-Group discussion. INTASC #1,2,5,6,7  Pathwise 3a-e
12. Identify and describe instructional strategies to promote and encourage active student participation in the classroom. INTASC #1-7  Pathwise 3a-e
13. Make general suggestions about how a lesson may be improved. INTASC #10  Pathwise 4a
14. Identify methods to engage families in the instructional program. INTASC #10  Pathwise 4c
 

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Your responsibility...

• Decide whether you want to become the best teacher that you can possible be...

• Come to class

• Do all assignments to the best of your ability

• Participate in class

My responsibility...

• INTRODUCE you to timely topics and issues related to teaching methodologies

• Provide you with the most recent research and trends that are affecting the schools

• Provide you with leadership and help to be most successful in this course

• Stimulate your creative thinking about teaching and give you a positive vision of the teaching future

Some Final Advice
Teaching is a great and rewarding career!  Hopefully this course will give you some positive insight into teaching outside of your past experiences as a K-12 student.  Relax, have fun, and enjoy the course.  You should not worry about the work load or technologies in this course because you will progress through the these areas one step at a time.  Keep up with the work and come to class.  Remember that you are here to prepare for the future!  I will be happy to meet with you if you have an apprehensions about succeeding in his course.

 

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