Syllabus

Course Number: ED 481 Course Title: Teaching Methods in Social Sciences Credit Hours: 3 Semester Hours Class Time: Wednesdays – January 11th – May 9th – 7pm-9pm Room: FLC – 212 Instructor: Matt Slocomb Office Phone: 701-356-2050 Cell: 701-730-6161 Email: mslocomb@west-fargo.k12.nd.us

This course is designed to introduce students to the methods and strategies for teaching social studies at the secondary level. For most students, this is their last class prior to student teaching. Students taking this course are expected to have completed the majority of their social studies content and teacher education sequences classes. 1) To introduce students to some of the latest thinking on the teaching and learning of social studies at the secondary level. 2) To provide students, through readings, discussions, and activities, with an introduction to the challenges faced by secondary social studies teachers. 3) To equip students with the intellectual and practical tools they will need to address these challenges, including how to teach primary source interpretation and research methods. 4) To introduce students to the most recent trends, debates, and thought about curriculum development, assessment, and classroom strategies. 5) To give students opportunities to prepare sample course materials and lesson plans. 6) To allow students to sharpen their communication skills by presenting their ideas and projects to their peers. 7) To provide students with opportunities to observe and critique social studies classrooms in local schools. 8) To introduce technological tools for instruction and planning. Steven Prothero, //Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – And Doesn’t// Sam Wineburg, //Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past// Other required readings and required video analysis will be posted on the class wiki.
 * Course Description**
 * Course Objectives**
 * Required Readings/Video Clips**


 * Recommended Readings/Viewings -** We will not have assignments directly on these, but concepts discussed in these will be discussed in the course. These works also are influential in education now, they include many great ideas, and/or make you reflect on your practice and what you hold true, so it is recommended to have exposure to these works.

Jim Fay and David Funk, //Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom// Dennis Fermoyle, //In the Trenches: A Teacher’s Defense of Public Education// Davis Guggenheim, //Waiting for” Superman” (2010 - Movie)// Charles Haynes et al., //The First Amendment in School: A Guide from the First Amendment Center// Robert Marzano et al., //Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement// Charles A. Murray, //Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality// Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, //Understanding by Design// Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong, //The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher//


 * __Course Policies__**

Consistent class attendance is expected. Students who miss class for any reason are required to complete a written reflection related to the material that was covered in class on that day, in addition to other work that was missed. Any students with disabilities or other special needs who need special accommodations in this course are invited to share these concerns or requests with the instructor as soon as possible. Students wishing to discuss course assignments, grades, assessments or any other questions are encouraged to discuss those issues with the instructor after class or via email. Work submitted late will receive no credit. If there are extenuating circumstances, talk to the instructor. =School of Education Academic Integrity Statement = “Students in the School of Education are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of academic integrity, in keeping with expectations both for the counseling, administrative, or educational profession they pursue and for the University standards for academic integrity. All work in School of Education programs must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct: []  “ – (See more on academic integrity here) The NDSU School of Teacher Education uses the INTASC standards to guide the school’s instruction programming. This course will address all of the standards in some form or fashion, but it is focused primarily on two: standard 5 and 9. See this document: [] Teachers must have a deep and flexible understanding of their content areas and be able to draw upon content knowledge as they work with learners to access information, apply knowledge in real world settings, and address meaningful issues to assure learner mastery of the content. Today’s teachers make content knowledge accessible to learners by using multiple means of communication, including digital media and information technology. They integrate cross-disciplinary skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, communication) to help learners use content to propose solutions, forge new understandings, solve problems, and imagine possibilities. Finally, teachers make content knowledge relevant to learners by connecting it to local, state, national, and global issues.
 * __Performance outcomes related to INTASC Standards__**
 * “Content**


 * Standard #5: Application of Content.** The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Creating and supporting safe, productive learning environments that result in learners achieving at the highest levels is a teacher’s primary responsibility. To do this well, teachers must engage in meaningful and intensive professional learning and self-renewal by regularly examining practice through ongoing study, self-reflection, and collaboration. A cycle of continuous self-improvement is enhanced by leadership, collegial support, and collaboration. Active engagement in professional learning and collaboration results in the discovery and implementation of better practice for the purpose of improved teaching and learning. Teachers also contribute to improving instructional practices that meet learners’ needs and accomplish their school’s mission and goals. Teachers benefit from and participate in collaboration with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members. Teachers demonstrate leadership by modeling ethical behavior, contributing to positive changes in practice, and advancing their profession.
 * Professional Responsibility**


 * Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice.** The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.”
 * __ Reasoned Action Model __**

The School of Education at North Dakota State University has adopted the Reasoned Action Model (RAM) as a **conceptual framework** to guide and enhance the professional education program. There are six components of this model, which represent the cognitive processes involved in learning and teaching. Teachers develop comprehensions about their subject specialty and educational practice, which they transform into instructional strategies and teaching materials. They instruct their students and evaluate their understanding of the subject matter through a variety of assessments. They then reflect individually and with their students on the results of the evaluation. Through this process, the teacher and students develop new comprehensions about themselves, the subject area, and the process of teaching and learning. On a typical course day, we will start out with a real world scenario: a story that I have personally experience, one of my colleagues has experienced, or something that was in the news. We will take a brief amount of time to analyze this scenario (maybe 10 minutes) and discuss it. Then (other than the first day), we will go into a period of micro-teaching where each student or group of students are expected to teach for approximately 20 minutes. We will do 3 or 4 of these each day (schedule will be planned for the first rotation the first day of class). The last 30 minutes of class each day will involve instructor led discussion of concepts and strategies.
 * Comprehension ** - prior knowledge and developing understanding of concepts and skills in subject specializations and educational theory and practice.
 * Transformation ** - process of using subject matter knowledge and teaching skills learned through coursework and field experiences to develop instructional plans, teaching strategies, and materials to teach others.
 * Instruction ** - interactive process of teaching others.
 * Evaluation ** - formal and informal assessment of understanding and application of concepts and performance of skills.
 * Reflection ** - thoughtful self-reflection and analysis by students and instructors of what has been learned.
 * New Comprehension ** - new knowledge and skills related to subject specialty and teaching that result from experiencing the above cycle of learning.
 * __Course Schedule__**


 * __Schedule__** *The instructor reserves the right to change the schedule. Schedules changes will be posted on the class Wiki.
 * 1) January 11 – Starters – Setting the tone, getting to know you, Syllabus, Plans, etc…
 * 2) January 18 – Controversies in Education
 * 3) January 25 – Current Events
 * 4) February 1 – Educational Games and Review Activities
 * 5) February 8 – Educational Games and Review Activities continued
 * 6) February 15 – Facilitating Classroom Discussion
 * 7) February 22 – Facilitating Classroom Discussion continued
 * 8) February 29 – Grading and Assessment
 * 9) March 7 – Grading and Assessment continued
 * 10) March 14 – SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES
 * 11) March 21 – Learning Styles
 * 12) March 28 – Popular Media – The Wall and the Blitz
 * 13) April 4 – Primary Documents
 * 14) April 11 – Standards
 * 15) April 18 - Technology
 * 16) April 25 – Technology Continued
 * 17) May 2 – Web 2.0
 * 18) May 9 - Writing in the Social Studies
 * __Activities/Assessment and Grading__**


 * Attendance** – Simply attending class every week is part of your grade. Students who miss class are required to find an article, video online, or a journal that is not discussed or linked in class, but that relates to the material that we discussed that day in class. The student would read the article, watch the video and write a two page reflection on that piece, including a summary and explanation regarding how that item effects or could be incorporated into one’s classroom practices.


 * Class Participation*** – We will collectively develop our Rubric for this on the first day of class. Students are expected to discuss real world scenarios, ask questions, offer constructive feedback, respect other student’s opinions and be generally be involved in the discussion and activities of the class. Students will receive a rubric with feedback for this once in March and also at the end of the course. *This grade is different from the Wiki discussions.


 * __Microteachings – 4 for each student__**

Microteachings will include 4 elements
 * 1) Lesson Plan
 * 2) Materials
 * 3) The Actual Lesson
 * 4) A Reflection (Due the week after your microteaching)


 * Lesson Plan** – A link to a lesson plan template is found on the class wiki. Your lesson plan should be submitted to me when you start your microteaching. There is no length requirement, but it should have 5 parts explained thoroughly:
 * 1) Standard Being Address – The standard can be taken from any organizations standard: school, state, national…
 * 2) Learning Objective – What should the students know, understand and be able to do after the lesson?
 * 3) Assessment – How are you going to assess the student learning? Formally/Informally? Formative/Summative?
 * 4) Activities – These are the learning activities of the lesson – notes, video analysis, discussion, debate, lab, etc…
 * 5) Materials – A description of the materials needed to complete the lesson.


 * Materials** – Most materials that you use in the lesson you need to have copies of for me and the students in the class. *PowerPoints, Graphs displayed on the overhead, etc… do not need to be printed. See the instructor for questions.


 * Lesson –** The lesson is where you are involved in leading the class. You are free to use any techniques, activities, or topics that you would like to, with a few exceptions…
 * Out of your 4 microteachings, at least one must be from a unique discipline (e.g. they can’t all be Geography)
 * After the first microteaching, you must use at least one technique which has been discussed in class or which is described on the course Wiki. Once you use a technique, you can use it again, but each of the following microteachings must then include a different, unique technique from class or the class wiki.
 * Each of your microteachings must be from a different area of study (e.g. they can’t all be on the U.S. Civil War)


 * Reflection –** You need to have a brief reflection on your lesson. This should follow the following format…

Reflection Example (You should be slightly more specific than this, including specific points from the lesson)

__3 Good Things/Things I Did Well__
 * 1) Knowledge of Subject Matter – I believe I knew the subject well and demonstrated that to my students. I didn’t notice any mistakes and my students seemed to do well on the assessments I gave them.
 * 2) Volume – I believe that this time I spoke much more loudly than last time. I believe this because no one asked me to repeat myself and when I checked for understanding, everyone could repeat what I had said.
 * 3) Activity – I believe that the activity I did worked well in class. The students participated and seemed to enjoy it.

__3 Areas to Improve__
 * 1) Movement – When I looked back on the lesson, I mostly stayed near the podium for most of the class time. I need to move around the room more in order to be aware of the class dynamics.
 * 2) Classroom Discussion – During the classroom activity, I noticed that I did not get all students involved as much as I should. In the future, I will make it a point to call on all students.
 * 3) Distractions – I left the door to the classroom open and a group of students walked by making a lot of noise. I will remember to shut the door next time to help keep my students focused.


 * __Grading Exercises__**

I will give you actual current samples of work from some students in my classes now. You each will grade those and we will discuss those in class. More information regarding this will follow prior to the grading and assessment lessons.

__Unit Plan – Overview/Schedule__ Students will develop a document which describes a unit of study for a specific social science discipline of their choice. This document should have a paragraph introduction of the unit describing what topics will be covered in the unit, a list of unit goals included topics and skills to be developed/refined, and a schedule which lists and briefly describes all activities, lessons and assessments from the unit.
 * Unit Plan –** You will receive a rubric for this later. Below is a brief overview

__Unit Plan – One class activity__ You should describe in detail one class activity from one of the days of your unit plan.

__Unit Lesson Plan – One Day__ – *See description above in Microteaching section for lesson plan expectations

__Unit Plan – Formative Assessment with key__ Your unit plan will include an example of one formative assessment with a key

__Unit Plan – Summative Assessment with key__ Your unit plan will include a developed summative assessment which has multiple question types and a key.

Students will write two 5 paragraph essays (one for each book) in which you take a position related to a key argument from each text, citing reasons and quoting the texts. You will receive a rubric for this later…
 * 5 Paragraph Essay on “Historical Thinking” AND “Religious Literacy” Text**


 * Field Experience – 10 hours** – Students will complete 10 hours of classroom observations in a local secondary school. To receive credit for this portion, the student needs to have the documentation sheet signed and dated for each visit by the teacher that they observe.


 * Summary and Reflection of Field Experience** – On the documentation sheet, the student should briefly explain what they observed during that observation, as well as a description of what ideas, techniques or strategies they observed during each visit that will be useful in their teaching career.

Students will receive a rubric with feedback for this once in March and also at the end of the course.
 * Discussions On Wikispaces** – Students respond to the discussion questions posted on each page of the Wiki site, both posting their thoughts regarding the instructor’s questions, as well as responding to other students’ posts in an active dialog. These discussions will require that you read articles that are linked on the Wiki, read instructor comments on the Wiki, or watch embedded videos. Discussions are to be completed for the day prior to coming to class that day.

Attendance 200 points Participation 500 points Microteaching 1 100 points Microteaching 2 100 points Microteaching 3 100 points Microteaching 4 100 points Grading Exercise 1 – Essays 100 points Grading Exercise 2 – Projects 100 points Unit Plan – Overview/Schedule 100 points Unit Plan – Class Activity 25 points Unit Plan – One Lesson Plan from the Unit (Use guide from microteachings) 25 points Unit Plan – 1 Formative Assessment with key and/or rubric 50 points Unit Plan – 1 Summative Assessment with key and/or rubric 100 points 5 Paragraph Essay on Historical Thinking 100 points 5 Paragraph Essay on Religious Literacy 100 points Field Experience – 10 hours – Signed Sheet 100 points Reflection on Field Experience 100 points Discussions on Wikispaces.com 500 points
 * Assignments**
 * 10 points per class period, 30 points for timeliness, being ready to go, etc…
 * First participation rubric – March 21st à Final – May 9th (250 points each)
 * Dates for microteaching will vary by student and by unit
 * Due February 29th
 * Due March 7th
 * Due April 4th
 * Due April 11th (Class Activity Description and One Lesson Plan)
 * Due April 18th (Formative Assessment)
 * Due March 21st
 * Due April 25th
 * Due May 2nd
 * First discussions rubric – March 21st à Final – May 9th (250 points each)


 * Total (Graded on 90, 80, 70, 60 scale; no curve) 2500 points**