EE510: Fundamentals of Elementary Education

Course Description

This course is intended to be an introductory course at the Graduate Level for candidates seeking initial Licensure as an Elementary Teacher (Grades 1-6). The course is designed to offer students an understanding of numerous relevant topics in education, for example, the foundations of education as it relates to student learning, effective instructional practices and appropriate accommodations for diverse learners, classroom management models, lesson plan models, diversity and exceptionalities, technological applications for the elementary classroom, and resources for practicing teachers. The course is also designed to help students make an informed decision as to if they want to be an elementary teacher. During a 40 hour pre-practica experience, aspiring teachers grow as professional educators as they interact with teachers and children, confirming their choice as an elementary educator.

Course Rationale:

The course develops a theoretical and research foundation in education. Through interviews, readings, videos, and planned observations of teachers and children, candidates learn about the effective practices of teaching and learning. Collaboratively, candidates discuss and apply their understandings of child development as they analyze the uniqueness of each child. Issues such as technology, instructional practices and classroom management are examined as catalysts for improving schools. Using technology and other resources, candidates become aware of the research concerning exceptionality and diversity in schools. By studying the roles of teachers, national organizations’ guidelines and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, candidates become aware of how schools operate and develop curriculum. During their 40-hour prepracticum, candidates grow as professional educators as they interact with teachers and children, confirming their choice as an elementary educator.

Course Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course candidates will:

1. Analyze the teaching profession as an appropriate career choice.

2. .Complete a forty-hour prepracticum experience that includes observation and interaction with teachers and children, reflect on the observations and describe teaching and learning in the elementary schools.

3. .Describe the elements of effective instruction and lesson design.

4. Explain the roles of teachers and auxiliary personnel and parents. Review various school organizational patterns.

5. Demonstrate an understanding of various philosophies of education with an emphasis on constructivism.

6. Explain different instructional models to include: cooperative learning, direct instruction, inquiry learning, and their appropriateness for diverse learners, various grade levels and disciplines.

7. Demonstrate an understanding of current research on exceptionality and diversity using such resources as ERIC, the World Wide Web and other educational journals

8. Summarize classroom management and discipline strategies that create a safe positive, non-violent learning environment and maximize student learning.

9. Assess the role of technology and other resource materials as educational tools and adaptations for diverse learners.

10. Explain how state and national guidelines were developed and how they effect curriculum decisions.

11. Demonstrate an understanding of current research and the theories of child development and how these theories support developmentally appropriate instruction

12. Candidates will become familiar the School of Education program leading to certification.

Major Topics and Issues

1. Teaching in the elementary school

2. School organization patterns

3. Roles of the teachers, auxiliary personnel, and parents.

4. Web Effective instructional practice and adaptations for diverse learners.

5. Growth and development of children in elementary school.

6. Producing a safe environment for children – health and legal procedures.

7. Tools for observing children.

8. Effective instructional practice and adaptations for diverse learners

9. Philosophies of Education.

10. .Educational resources such as ERIC and the World Wide Lesson plan models.

11. Assessing instruction and examining national and state standards.

12. Classroom management models and tools.

13. Diversity and exceptionalities in the elementary classroom.

14. Appropriate use of technology and resources and adaptations for diverse learners.

Measures of Student Success

Participation A given condition of learning is full participation and engagement. One must be present to participate. Engagement is the first criterion for success.

Assignments: The following assignments will assist you in answering these questions on teaching and learning.

· What does it mean to teach in the elementary schools?

· Who is this child I will be teaching?

· What is the most effective way to teach this child and how do children learn?

· How do I know this child is learning?

· What about individual differences?

· What tools should I use for classroom management?

· What resources are available?

· Do I want to be a professional educator?

Assignment Note: Assignments with (*) next to their titles in this section of the syllabus are part of an “Initial Field-work Portfolio.” You will be passing in these assignments on the dates due. Near the end of the semester, you will be asked to pass these same assignments in again as part of this portfolio. Do not discard these assignments when you get them back….you will need them again! Also, when completing any assignment, you should reference the assignment description and grading rubric in this syllabus. When completing any assignment with a (*), you should ALSO reference the “Initial Field-work Portfolio” rubric for a complete understanding of assignment requirements.

1. Class involvement and contributions. Readings are required to enable you to use knowledge for your decisions in constructing an individual reality. These readings equip you to contribute to and respond to team and class discussions about education.

2. ERIC (*) review of selected articles on appropriate topics, including summary, analysis and reflection. Select three (3) articles from ERIC that contains research on the topic of exceptionalities or diversity. Two of the articles should be within the last two years. The third article should be ten or more years since the article was published. Read each article and in your own words, summarize (you want to be concise but be certain the reader gets a complete sense of the article. Be sure to: (1) identify major points and issues addressed in the articles, (2) explain why you selected this article (be specific), (3) How can / should the major findings of the document impact you as an elementary educator as it relates to the topic of exceptionalities or multiculturalism (4) attach a copy of the one page abstract and label items 1, 2, and 3 within your review, (5) title and ED number included in your review. Each review should be no more than two word-processed pages. (12-point font, double-spaced, 1” margin all around.)

3. Evaluation of children's book. Select a children's book from any source. The book must be either a Caldecott or Newbery Award winner. A set of these books is available at the Educator Resource Center at Maxwell Library. Read the book. Within your report no more than two word-processed pages, include the title, author, and copyright date. State your estimation of grade level and why you think it would be appropriate for children at that grade level. In general terms, explain the story. This should be a concise description of the story but not so concise that the reader of your report does not get a clear sense of what the book is about. Provide ideas about how an elementary teacher could use this book (give a few lesson ideas). Describe your assessment of the book and discuss what elements of the book helped you formulate your impressions of the book. When composing your report, please try to organize it in the same sequence as the rubric. Label each section (i.e. book assessment).

4. Workshop: Conduct a workshop with classmates (your cooperative group) explaining a specific educational resource such as: Educational software, teacher made manipulatives, learning activity packages, or learning centers, etc. Use the Internet to access the Massachusetts Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks (http://www.doe.mass.edu/doedocs/frameworks/). You will share how the educational resource you selected connects with the state frameworks.

5. Presentation: You will be working in a group of three (3) students for this course requirement. Select a topic that is of interest to all three of you (a topic you would not usually find as part of school curriculum (i.e., how to develop pictures, how to play football, how to roller-skate, etc.) Your lesson should be planned as if you were going to teach it to an elementary class. Your presentation should have a written lesson plan that lists materials, outcomes (objectives), motivation (introduction), procedure, conclusion (how you plan to end the lesson), and student assessment.

Your presentation should include "hands on" activities; be constructivist; provide instruction for students of ALL ability levels (inclusion); and have elements of the presentation that touch on seven of the eight multiple intelligences. Your presentation should be no less that twenty-two (24) minutes and no longer than thirty (30) minutes.

6. World Wide Web (*) resource review: Consult with your cooperating practitioner in your base classroom of your 40-hour prepractica experience. Ask him/her to identify a topic that the children in that class will be introduced in the next month or two. Go onto the Internet and locate sites that are on that topic. Identify three (3) sites that you believe would be useful to the students in this prepractica classroom. (Note: you should not print out the results of a search. You need to locate an actual web page on the topic you selected).

Print out a copy of the front page of the web site and the listed links. Be sure to include the web address (i.e. http://research.org) within the text of your paper. Provide an accurate and detailed description of the site. Specifically explain (provide several ideas) how you could use these sites as a future elementary teacher AND how this can be used by your base classroom. This explanation should be the focus of this assignment. Discuss the assets and liabilities of the sites (be specific).

8. Interviews (*) : Interview two teachers at two different grade levels, one teacher specialist, such as physical education teachers and auxiliary personnel (the school nurse), in an elementary school to discover the roles of the professional educator. In addition, interview one parent of a child in the elementary grades. Describe the role of the parent you interview in their child’s education. Prepare to share your findings with your cooperative group and together write a summary to answer the questions: What is the role of the elementary school teacher? What types of collaboration takes place between the elementary teacher and other teachers or school personnel? What is the role of parents in their child’s education? Did the parents and the teachers agree as to the role of the parent and teacher in the education of the elementary student? What is the nature and frequency of communication between school and families? This paper should have the names of all group members to receive credit.

9. Observation(*): Candidates will complete a 40-hour prepracticum experience in an elementary classroom setting (grades 1-6) concurrent with taking this course. Candidates must document completion of the following:

· Observe lessons in three different grade levels. For two of the placements, you will observe lessons in language arts and math, and two other content areas. The third placement, at yet another grade level, you will observe one lesson in any content area. Record your observations (observation packet form #3) and compare your findings with the instructional models and educational theories presented in class. When turning in form #3 as part of the portfolio, please reference the rubric for elements to include on these forms and/or the accompanying narrative.

· Observe in one class each of art, music and physical education. Complete form #3 for each observation.

· Observe teachers utilizing different classroom management tools. Explain the tools and how they relate to the research, theorists and models taught in this class. Write a 1-2 page reflection on classroom management (what you think it is and why it is important). Include a description of some effective class management practices. Link what you observe with what you learned about classroom management. You will also attach a copy of the two-page observation packet form #2 on classroom management when you turn in your reflection.

· Assist individuals and small groups under the direction of the teacher.

· Develop appropriate instructional materials assigned by the teacher. Ask for specific feedback on how your materials were effective in the classroom.

· Grade student papers.

· Observe a child with special needs. You may be asked to share your observations with the class.

· Dispositions – Near the end of your 40 hour experience, you will have your cooperating practitioner complete the “Dispositions” assessment. On this same form, you will also complete self-analysis column. This completed form must accompany your observation packet to receive credit for fulfilling the prepractica.

10. Two Self-assessments :

First Self-Assessment (to be completed at the beginning of the semester)

Your task is to write a 2-3 page, double-spaced essay that explores your current thinking about becoming a teacher. Use the following questions to guide your exploration. You do not need to answer all the questions or follow them in order. However, try to organize your essay so that it follows some logical progression.

This is an opportunity for you to develop your thinking about teaching early in the semester. You will have opportunities to revisit this writing at different points in your professional preparation to see how your thinking has changed. This essay will become part of your preliminary portfolio. You should complete this task within the first two weeks of the semester. Toward the end of the semester you will revisit this essay and write a refined piece that documents how your thinking as a potential educator has changed over time. Both the first and final self-assessment will be passed in as part of the portfolio.

Questions to guide your exploration:

What events in your life have influenced your interest in possibly becoming a teacher?
Why do you want to teach? What are your motivations
In your opinion, what is a good education? How do you know if someone is or has received a good education?
What questions do you have about teaching?
Do you think of teaching as a career? A job? A calling? A social service? Why?
What are you most interested in learning about in elementary education?
What do you think are the rewards and challenges of teaching?
What can you learn by thinking about your own teachers and experiences in school?

Final Self-Assessment:

Revisit your first self-assessment. Read it and consider your experiences and

learning as a beginning educator this semester. Pay particular attention to your experiences at your observation site. Your goal is to analyze your experiences in the classroom, connect those experiences with the theories, concepts, and research discussed in class, and to reflect on your initial growth as a potential educator.

Use the questions below to help you write your final self-assessment. You do not need to address every question. Try to write a cohesive essay that presents a picture of where you are as a potential educator and how your thinking/learning has changed over the semester. Please remember that a decision NOT to become a teacher is also a very important one. You will NOT be graded differently if you decide that teaching is not for you; that would be a very important learning from this course. 2-3 pages, double-spaced.

Do you think you want to become an elementary school teacher? Identify several personal motivations for wanting to (or not wanting to) become a teacher. What are your concerns about becoming a teacher?
How have you grown as a professional educator as a result of this course and attached experiences (be specific)?
Have you acquired the habit of self-reflection? How so?
How have your expectations of teaching or a career in education changed over the past semester? Think particularly about issues related to inclusion, multicultural education, assessment and testing, curriculum, and educational philosophy.
How have your experiences at your observation site had an impact on your learning about education?
How has your thinking about teaching and education most changed this semester?
As you reread your baseline self-assessment, what stands out as having changed significantly? What remains important to you?
Why is self-assessment an important activity for you as a teacher, regardless of your level of experience?

NOTE: This is a reflection on your development as a future teacher. It is not a course evaluation or an evaluation of the instructor.

11. Final Exam A final exam will be scheduled.

Texts

Brooks, J. and Brooks, M. (1999). The Case for Constructivist Classrooms

Grading Rubric

I. Class participation (74 points)
(a) each EE 220 class session (27) attended minus
One permitted absences................................27 @ 2 = 54
One permitted absence: ______________
Other absences: ____________; ____________; __________; ___________
Subtract 2 from 54 for each other absence	_____
(b) participates in class discussion (5)	_____
(c) works cooperatively with others in assigned groups (5)	_____
(d) participates in class activities (5)	_____
(e) shares reflections & insights experienced in class with classmates. (5)	_____
SECTION I SUB-TOTAL	_____
II. ERIC Reviews (7 points each x3 reviews = 21)
Includes major points and issues addressed in the article (2)	_____
How can / should the major findings of the document impact you as an elementary teacher as it relates to the article topic of exceptionalities or multiculturalism (be specific) (2)	_____
Explain why you selected this article (be specific) (2)	_____
Title, ED number, copy of abstract included in review AND sections labeled. (1)	_____
First ERIC Review _____________
Second ERIC Review _____________
Third ERIC Review _____________
SECTION II SUB-TOTAL	_____
III. Presentation (23 pts)
(a) lesson plans include:
materials (1)	_____
outcomes (objectives) (1)	_____
motivation (introduction) (1)	_____
procedures (1)	_____
conclusions (1)	_____
student assessment (1)	_____
list of accommodations made for students of different ability levels (1)	_____
(b) presentation:
"hands on" activities (1)	_____
age appropriate for elementary level (1)	_____
instruction provided for multiple intelligences:
Linguistic (1)	_____
Logical-Mathematical (1)	_____
Spatial (1)	_____
Bodily-Kinesthetic (1)	_____
Musical (1)	_____
Interpersonal (1)	_____
Intrapersonal (1)	_____
Naturalist (1)	_____
topic selected not usually part of school curriculum (1)	_____
time of presentation within limits (4 if within 15-22 mins., 3 if 14 or 23 mins., 2 if 13 or 24 mins., 1 if 12 or 25 mins.)	_____
Presentation completed on date scheduled (1)	_____
SECTION III SUB-TOTAL	_____
IV. Children's Book Evaluation (20 points)
book selected is Caldecott or Newbery Award winner (provide copy of book cover.) (1)	_____
report includes title, author, copyright (1)	_____
report has estimated grade level use and why you think it would be rated at that grade level (3)	_____
CONCISE description of story (3)	_____
Describe how book could be used by elementary teacher. Be sure to provide specific ideas. (8)	_____
book assessment (3)	_____
report set up with each section labeled (1)	_____
SECTION IV SUB-TOTAL	_____
V. World Wide Web resource review (10 points)
has web address included within the report (1)	_____
Copy of front page of each of 3 sites provided (1)	_____
topic selected likely to be of interest and used by elementary-aged children for research (1)	_____
Provided an accurate and detailed description of each site (2)	_____
explanation of how site could be used as an elem. teacher with specific ideas of how you could use this with your students (5)	_____
SECTION V SUB-TOTAL	_____
VI. Self-Reflections (2) paper (6 pts each = 12 total) (see product description)
SECTION VI SUB-TOTAL	_____
VII. Classroom management (7 pts)
1-2 page narrative : describes what classroom management means to you. (2)	_____
Describes examples of effective practices (1)	_____
Links what you observed in your base class to what you believe are effective management strategies. Try to make connections to educational theorists you have learned. (3)
Completed form #2 of observation packet (1)
SECTION VII SUB-TOTAL	_____
VIII. Workshop on educational resources ( 9 pts)
Links resource to the Curriculum Frameworks (2)	_____
Participates (equal share)in workshop & follow up discussion (3)	_____
Brought in educational resource with all necessary supports to demonstrate it (2)	_____
Provided specific ideas of how this resource can help students learn. Also identify any limitations of the resource (2)	_____
SECTION VIII SUB-TOTAL	_____
IX. Interview write up (7 pts) note: each group member receives the same point value for the assignment.	_____
Describes the types and frequency of communication between school and families recommended by teachers and parents of elementary students. (2)
Discusses the types of collaboration that takes place between teachers and other school personnel (2)
Describes the roles of teachers and the parent of an elementary student in the education of that child as described by the teacher and parent. (2)
The written report is a synthesis of the collected data and not just a report on what the individuals said. (1)
X. Final Examination (50 points)	_____
SECTION X SUB-TOTAL	_____
TOTAL EARNED:	_____

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS......................................................246

233 = A	221 = A-	213 = B+	205 = B
197 = B-	189 = C+	180 = C	172 = C-
164 = D+	156 = D	148 = D-	Below 147 = F

For example: A student with a score between 213 to 220 would receive an earned grade of B+.

Grading note: You will be eligible to receive the full points listed above if the assignments are passed in on the dates due. Each assignment is designed to help prepare the student to become an elementary teacher. If you know you are going to be absent the day the assignment is due, you are encouraged to have it passed in (it could be passed in early, sent in with another person, or emailed to me). If the assignment is not turned in on the date due, you are encouraged to still complete it. Any assignment passed in at a reasonable date beyond the due date will still be eligible (with the instructor’s permission) to earn points up to but not exceed 50% of the points indicated on the grading rubric.