EDU 544 Classroom Teaching Strategies

Prerequisite: Graduate Status

Instructor: Richard A. Roberts Office/Phone: TPH 401/ 745-4290

Office/fax: 270/745-6279

Home Phone: 270/842-1503

e-mail: richard.roberts@wku.edu

Course Description:

Examination of alternative teaching strategies related to four main goal attainment areas: Fact/process retention, information processing, social interaction, and personal development.

Course Text:

Gunter, M.A., Estes, T.H., & Schwab, J. (1999). Instruction: A Models Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Experienced Teacher Standards:

1. The teacher provides professional leadership within the school, community, and education profession to improve student learning and well-being.

2. The teacher demonstrates content knowledge within own discipline(s) and in application(s) to other disciplines.

3. The teacher designs/plans instruction that develops student abilities to use communication skills, apply core concepts, become self sufficient individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.

4. The teacher creates a learning climate that supports the development of student abilities to use communication skills, apply core concepts, become self sufficient individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.

5. The teacher implements/manages instruction that develops student abilities to use communication skills, apply core concepts, become self sufficient individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.

6. The teacher assesses learning and communicates results to students and others with respect to student abilities to use communication skills, apply core concepts, become self sufficient individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.

7. The teacher reflects on and evaluates learning.

8. The teacher collaborates with colleagues, parents and other agencies to design, implement, and support learning programs that develop student abilities to use communication skills, apply core concepts, become self sufficient individuals, become responsible team members, think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.

9. The teacher evaluates overall performance in relations to Kentucky's learner goals and implements a professional development plan.

10. The teacher uses technology to support instruction; access and manipulate data; enhance professional growth and productivity; communicate and collaborate with colleagues, parents, and the community; and conduct research.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify instructional leadership styles appropriate for different levels of student maturity, (1, 3)

2. Describe the instructional goals which selected models of teaching are designed to address. (2)

3. Describe the syntax, principles of reaction, social system, and support system for selected models of teaching. (2, 3)

4. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the instructional goals and syntax of selected models of teaching by developing lesson plans for these models. (2, 3, 6)

5. Implement lesson plans using selected models in a classroom and evaluate the success of the implementation. (5, 6, 7)

NOTE: The number or numbers in parentheses following objective identifies the Experienced Teacher Standards(s) addressed by the objective.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to Models of Teaching

a. Information Processing Family

b. Personal Family

c. Social Family

2. Situational Leadership for Teachers

3. Information Processing Models

a. Concept Attainment

b. Concept Development

c. Advance Organizer

d. Inquiry

e. Direct Teaching

f. Academic Rule

g. Synectics - Making the Strange Familiar

h. Memory

4. Personal Models

Synectics - Making the Familiar Strange

5. Social Models

a. Simulation

b. Cooperative Learning

Course Requirements:

A. Lesson Plans:

You will be expected to demonstrate a working knowledge of selected models of teaching by developing lesson plans and implementing these plans in your classroom. Each of your plans should include:

~ Cover Page

~ Objectives

State the specific learner objective(s) for the lesson. Be sure all objectives are stated in behavioral terms and describe learner outcomes that are challenging.

~ Connections

Describe how your learner objective(s) relate to the Kentucky Learner Goals and Expectations. Explain why you selected the model(s) used in the plan.

~ Materials

Describe materials to be used during the lesson

Attach a sample of all print material used with students

~ Procedures

This section of your lesson plan should be organized in an outline format using the phases of the model's syntax as the major headings. This section should describe how each phase of the syntax will be developed and should provide the reader with a clear understanding of how the lesson will be developed to help students achieve the lesson objective(s).

~ Assessment

Describe or provide samples of how you will preassess student knowledge of lesson content. Describe or provide samples of how you will assess student attainment of lesson objective(s).

Lesson Plans will be evaluated as Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). To be judged satisfactory, plans must:

• be typed,

• have a completed Cover Page,

• have learner objective(s) which are stated in behavioral terms,

• describe the relationship between learner objective(s) and Kentucky Learner Goals and Expectations,

• use model(s) which is/are appropriate for lesson content, goals/objectives,

• use the syntax of the model(s) as the outline for describing the lesson's procedures,

• provide a clear understanding of how the lesson will help students achieve the lesson objectives, and

• describe and/or provide samples of how you will preassess student knowledge and assess student attainment of lesson objective(s).

Upon request, the instructor will review draft copies of your lesson plans and provide feedback

before you teach them.

B. Implementation Critiques

After each lesson plan has been implemented, you should prepare a reflective critique of the implementation. Each critique should include:

~ Your name, and the lesson being critiqued

~ Impact

What was the effect of the lesson on you and your students? How did you feel moving through the syntax? What do you feel were the strengths and weakness of the lesson and the model(s) used? How did the students react to the lesson? Did the students achieve the lesson objectives? Provide samples of student work and/or assessment results which support your responses to the questions above.

~ Refinement

Based upon the impact of the lesson, discuss plans for subsequent lessons to reinforce/extend student learning. If you were to use the plan again, how would you change the plan to improve its impact?

Implementation critiques will be evaluated as Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). To be judged satisfactory, implementation critiques must:

• be typed,

• describe the full range of lesson impact (positive, negative, and/or none) on student learning,

• provide student work and/or assessment results which support the description of lesson impact,

• describe the impact of the lesson on you,

• show that you are thinking about lesson improvements and next steps,

• be carefully written and honest.

C. Article Critiques

Articles selected should be recent (1992 - Present) and relevant to your teaching situation. Each critique should include:

~ Bibliographic citation and one page summary of the article

~ one or more pages of personal response to and discussion of possible applications of the contents of the article

~ copy of the article

Article critiques will be evaluated as Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). To be judged satisfactory, article critiques must:

• be typed,

• have a complete bibliographic citation,

• present a summary of the article, and

• address a strategy or strategies which is/are relevant to your teaching situation as evidenced by your personal response to and discussion of possible applications of article contents.

The instructor will provide feedback on article selection upon request.

D. Written Assessment

The written assessment at the end of the course will assess general understanding of the models presented in class. A score of 70% or higher is required for satisfactory completion of this assessment.

E. Attendance

Since this class will rely heavily on class participation and lectures, regular attendance is expected. Regular attendance is defined as no more than two (2) absences during the semester.

F. Submission of Course Requirements

Due dates for materials for the first half and the second half of the course requirements are noted on the schedule of activities for the class. No credit will be given for work submitted after the due dates.

Grading

You can select the final grade you wish to receive using the requirements below. You must meet all the requirements for the grade you desire. If you fail to meet any of the requirements for a grade you will receive the next lower grade.

As noted earlier, upon request your instructor will review draft lesson plans and articles selected for critique and provide feedback.

Any lesson plan, implementation critique, or article critique, which is judged unsatisfactory may be redone or replaced providing there is time available. Therefore it is important that you avoid turning in materials on the final class meeting since there would be no time to replace or redo unsatisfactory materials.

For a Grade of A:

~ submit six satisfactory lesson plans which were implemented in your classroom. The plans must demonstrate the use of at least five (5) models of teaching. Two of the plans must involve integrated use of two models

~ submit a satisfactory implementation critique for each implemented plan

~ submit three satisfactory article critiques. Each article should be recent (1992-present). The first article should address a strategy or strategies for dealing with student diversity. The second article should address strategies for assessing student progress. The third article should address a strategy or strategies for teaching the content for which you are responsible.

~ satisfactorily complete a written assessment over the course content.

For a Grade of B:

~ submit four satisfactory lesson plans which were implemented in your classroom. The plans must demonstrate the use of at least four (4) models of teaching. One of the plans must involve integrated use of two models.

~ submit a satisfactory implementation critique for each implemented plan.

~ submit two satisfactory article critiques. Each article should be recent (1992-present). The first article should address a strategy or strategies for dealing with student diversity. The second article should address a strategy or strategies for assessing student progress.

~ satisfactorily complete a written assessment over the course content.

For a Grade of C:

~ submit four satisfactory lesson plans which were implemented in your classroom. The plans must demonstrate the use of at least four models of teaching.

~ submit a satisfactory implementation critique for each implemented plan.

~ submit one satisfactory article critique. The article should be recent (1992-present) and should address a strategy or strategies for dealing with student diversity.

~ satisfactorily complete a written assessment over the course content.