Text

Lemlech, J. (2004). Teaching in elementary and secondary classrooms: Building a learning community. Upper

Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Readings

Nova Scotia Department of Education & Culture (2004).Public School Programs. [Online]

http://ednet.ns.ca/index.php?sid=865172598&t=sub_pages&cat=7

Nova Scotia Department of Education & Culture (2004). Document depot-publications, data, and statistics.

[Online] http://doc-depot.ednet.ns.ca/

School of Education (2005). Student handbook. Antigonish, Nova Scotia: St. Francis Xavier University. 

 

* A duplicating cost of $10.00 will be collected to cover the costs associated with the readings for this course.

Rationale and Philosophy  

Principles and Practices 432/439 explores the process of becoming a secondary or elementary school teacher. Our belief is that beginning teacher education is best facilitated through an examination of self, while also inquiring into the contexts of teaching, the rudiments of pedagogy and learning, the official curriculum, and moral and professional purposes of education. We believe teaching requires an understanding and proficiency in the principles of learning. Competent teaching also depends upon the ability to reflect upon the complex pedagogical, psychological, and sociological processes occurring in the classroom and to develop professional judgment. Competent teaching requires the formation of positive, caring relationships rooted in a vision of meaningful and inclusive education. Learning to teach well also depends upon the learning of specific pedagogical skills of teaching including: lesson and longer range planning, classroom management, assessment, and instructional strategies, as well as, an understanding of the Essential Graduation Learnings and General Curriculum Outcomes of various curricular areas established by Nova Scotia Department of Education. Our introduction to curriculum planning will be linked to in-class experiences that help preservice teachers develop their pedagogical style.  This course will support you in all aspects of your preparation for Field Experiences.

Intended Course Outcomes   

General Outcome 1: Awareness of Self: My personal stories and experiences related to my emerging philosophies of teaching.

Students will develop a deep sense of who they are as individuals devoted to the practice of teaching, and come to understand their particular personal philosophical reasons for wanting to teach.

General Outcome 2: Awareness of Principles: My understanding of others, theories philosophies, and guidelines related to curriculum and learning.   

Students will understand of the emotional/psychological, intellectual, social, spiritual and physical dimensions of teaching, curriculum, and learning—and the dynamic interplay of these factors.

General Outcome 3: Awareness of Practices: My awareness of planning, instruction, and assessment strategies.

Students will make use of a variety of instructional strategies that are best suited for the context of curriculum and student needs─ ways of knowing and doing.

General Outcome 4: Awareness of Pedagogy: My personal practice of living relationally with thoughtfulness, and openness to learners.

The development and application of  my emerging relational sensitivities as part of my professional practice that engages student within in learning . This is an evolutionary process, a reflective investment in thoughtful action, as you begin to establish your pedagogic beliefs as part of your life-long career—nurturing pedagogic relationships.

General Outcome 5: Awareness of Moral Professionalism: My personal awareness, translation, and development of philosophical–legal–ethical codes to live well as a moral professional. 

Students will develop a commitment to the profession, by implementing and improving education for valued social ends, by constantly developing one’s own practice and collectively supporting one’s colleagues, and by continually striving for the educational development and inclusion of all students.  Moral professionalism is a balance of these commitments.

General Outcome 6: Awareness of Social, Political, and Policy Contexts of Education: My awareness of the multiple factors outside the classroom that influence my teaching practice and affect my students and their learning.

Students will become aware of the powerful influence of geographic, social–cultural, political, and economic contexts upon curriculum implemented, and be awake to the impact of the school’s hidden and null curriculum, societal and home curriculum, and power and politics in shaping students’ lives. 

Schedule for Fall 2006

Dates	Session Topics	Activities & Assignments	Readings
Sept 7	A Gathering What is P&P? Purpose of P&P! Where are we going with P&P and why? The transition from student to teacher Why do you want to teach?	The Best Teacher I Ever Had Why do you want to Teach? Tenets of educational philosophy Introducing life writing and personal teaching texts	NSTU's Beginning Teachers Handbook Text 2
12	What is meaningful, powerful, engaging, culturally responsive, authentic learning? Ways of learning- the theoretical roots Principles of Learning Exploring personal knowledge of learning.	Best Learning Experience Understanding students and learning	PSP B-3 to B-4 PSP A-3 to A-7 Text 3
14	What learning environments do I want to cultivate for my students?		Text 1
19	How do we begin to understand our identities as teachers?	Setting up Life Writing #1	Text 1, 2, & 3     (review purposes)
21	What is the official curriculum as plan for the province of Nova Scotia? The Goals of Public Education Provincial documents: The Public School Program The Essential Graduation Learnings (EGLS) The General Learning Outcomes & Outcomes Framework	Exploring the outcomes framework PSP GCO’s from various subject fields	PSP  EGLs
26	What are the expectations of the professional development process? Setting Professional Growth Targets “Professional Growth Sequence”	Life Writing # 1 Due	Student Handbook regarding the PDP
28	How do I structure my initial    lessons?  Lesson Planning  Set and closure		Text 4 Student Handbook regarding the PDP
Oct 3	Designing and sharing our lessons  related to set and closure	Micro teachings Initial LP set and closure #1 Due	Text 13
5	What moral and ethical codes guide our professionalism in NS and beyond?  Core traits and beliefs  Teacher identity connected to  professionalism  Examples of professional actions?  What is ethics?	Defining a Code and an Ethic Setting up LW #2	Saskatchewan Teachers Federation Code of Ethics  NSTU Code of Ethics  School Code of Conduct
10	How and why will I live by the NS Code of Ethics? NSTU Code of Ethics The Education Act Membership Diary Provincial Agreement	Guest Speakers: NSTU Case Studies	Student Handbook Ethics (pp.  )  NSTU Membership Diary
12	How and why should I teach through direct instruction?	Draw upon giving directions  Life writing # 2 my initial code of ethics Due	Text 8 (specifically pp. 164-174)
17	Designing and sharing our lessons related to direct instruction.	Micro teachings LP #2 direct instruction Due
19	How do I ask and respond to questions?  Lesson Planning  Circles of Core Traits and Beliefs	Let's help out students Bloom	Text 8&9 (specifically pp. 180-188, 195-197) Bloom's Taxonomy
24	Designing and sharing our lessons related to questions and responding.	Micro teachings LP  #3 questioning and responding Due
26	What are some basic aspects of managing classrooms?	Learning Centers	Text 6
31	What are some approaches to classroom discipline?	Learning Centers	Text 7
Nov. 2	Preparing for the Field Experience	Revisiting our Learning Reflective In-class Assignment #3 Approaches to Discipline and Management  Showing our Personal Teaching Texts (PTTs Due)	Student Handbook (pp)  Teacher Self Reflection Text 13 revisited
8	Synthesis Period

Semester One Assignments

 Professional Life Writings

After reading and processing relevant chapters, policy, and/or government documents associated with education, you will have identified several nuggets of knowing that resonate with, deepen, and or challenge your views of education.  We ask that you engage in a life writing that lays your personal and social views, along side the particular life writing theme. This should be 500 words that is properly referenced. You will be evaluated on the basis of your ability to: 1) vividly and insightfully connect your responses to life experiences, 2) link these themes critically and creatively to readings, and 3) to write clearly and thoughtfully about this key idea in ways that show thoughtful understanding.

#1: Life Writings #1 The Beginning Teacher

• why you chose teaching as a profession?

#2. Life Writing # 2 The Code of Ethics

• what is my personal code of ethics?

#3. Life Writing #3 Discipline and Management

• what might discipline look like in my classroom?

 2.   Lesson Plans

Over the fall term we will be planning and practicing 3 lessons that allow you to work with curricular content taught in the public schools of Nova Scotia. As you do this, you will begin to develop teaching strategies on a weekly basis. Please hand them in for feedback on the day we do them in class.  This hand-in product should include a detailed plan. Once you receive feedback from us, you can reflect upon them to show your emerging thinking about pedagogy and place this in your PTT (see assignment three below). You will be evaluated on the basis of your ability to: a) plan lessons that capture the essence of each strategy; b) plan lessons with detail, clarity and thoroughness that reflect appropriate elements of the PSP; c) plan lessons that are engaging, powerful, authentic, meaningful and culturally appropriate learning. 

 

3. Personal Teaching Text (Formative Assessment)

To assist you in developing your teacher identity you have been asked to explore and critically reflect on selected topics and activities during the course, and reflect upon the core beliefs and values which determine how and why you do what you do.  In order to facilitate this professional development, you are asked to develop a personal teaching text (after Bullough and Gitlin, 2001). This PTT encourages you to put together an array of artifacts that represent and chronicle your teacher education experience. The PTT will emphasize writing and reflection on these artifacts over time.  All of your work that you deem appropriate are to be placed in a binder to form a text of development. You will draw upon the six broad outcomes that frame this course in order to periodically review and engage in self-assessment of your PTT. You will link this PTT to the PDP that frames your Field Experiences.

PTT Format

Values

Professional Life Writings: Over the course of the year you will be engaged in the reflective process of writing 5 life writings worth a total of 30% of your final grade.

 

Planning and Pedagogy: Over the course of the year you will move from 3 discrete lesson plans (15%) on several instructional skills to a more sophisticated and personalized pedagogic style by means of a pedagogic presentation (10%) and Jackdaw (15%) worth a total of 40% of your final grade.

 

Personal Teaching Text: On an ongoing basis you will formatively construct, and reconstruct a personal teaching text that shows your understanding of the 6 main outcomes of the course. After receiving formative assessment on your PTT, you will be asked to submit a final synthesizing PTT which will be a summative evaluation for a total of 30% of your final grade.

Schedule for Winter 2007

Dates	Session Topics	Activities & Assignments	Readings
Jan 9	Welcome Back! Student motivation & management: What worked and why?		Review Text 6&7
11	Deepening our awareness of engaged learning	PTTs revisited in relation to field: Where do we go from here?	Text 3&4
15	HOT Teaching	Life writing # 4	Text 9
17	Technologically rich pedagogy Introduction of Pedagogy Assignment		Text 12
22	Assessing engaged learning		Text 10&11
24	Assessing engaged learning Introduce Jackdaws		Text 10&11
29	Unit Planning in relation to Jackdaws NSTU preparation	Show & Tell example Writing case studies	Text 5
Feb 1	NSTU preparation	Writing case studies In-class assignment
6	NSTU Case Studies	Life Writing # 5 Student presentation and case Due
8	Pedagogy	Pedagogy Due
13	Pedagogy	Pedagogy Due
15	Pedagogy	Pedagogy Due
20	Pedagogy	Pedagogy Due
22	Jackdaws	Show and Tell: Jackdaws Resource fair Sommer's Place
27	Linking PGTs & PTTs
March 1	PGTs
6	PTTs	PTTs Due
8	Building Bridges

Semester Assignments

 

1. Pedagogy

 In groups of 6 to 8, students are to present to the class a pedagogic example of “someone teaching something to somebody.” The presentation must capture the uniqueness of the teacher’s style, and the nature of the pedagogic relationship between the learner and the teacher. This lesson should be based on a deepening of your pedagogy that advances what you did in your field experiences, and linked to pedagogical concepts explored in chapters 9-12. Each presentation must facilitate and challenge the class to unpack the lesson for teachers. Presentation criteria: all group members must take an active role during the presentation, the pedagogic example must be shown (story, movie clip, music, and I am open to other possibilities), a lesson plan must be submitted before the presentation, the lesson plan must contain the pedagogic outcome for the presentation, the outcome should be the focus of the unpacking during the facilitation, technology needs to be incorporated in the presentation, and each session is to be 60 minutes in total. 

 

2. Jackdaw 

A curricular collection of artifacts carefully linked to Nova Scotia’s PSP. This Jackdaw must be connected to a Unit Plan. Your JD must contain a list of items that can explain your pedagogic intent for the unit. Most Jackdaws contain an extensive collection of items allowing the abstract to become concrete realizations for the learner. In short, a Jackdaw allows students to make curricular connections with actual items. Thus we are expecting between 14 to 18 artifacts to support the Unit Plan, a series of activities that utilize the artifacts, as well as outcomes and assessment strategies. We encourage you to contact your Cooperating Teacher to try and determine an area that you will be responsible for during the Winter Field Experience. Unit Plan (Scope: Outcomes, Activities, Artifacts, Assessment)

     

3. Professional Writings

 

Life Writing #4: Principles of Learning and Student motivation

Individual assignment. Pick at least three of the nine criteria and interview a number of your classmates about ways they integrated these motivation strategies into their work in the field. Describe this in a narrative that presents the context of these learning experiences and its impact upon a particular group or perhaps just one learner. Connect this statement of learning to your past Professional Growth Targets or to new goals that have been set by you since your Field Experience. Considering the uniqueness of time constraints and personal schedules I am leaving the date to be open to fit into your needs. Please keep this discussion (which could be used in your PTT) to a maximum of 2 pages double spaced.

Life Writing #5: Teaching Code of Ethics

 Group assignment with four to six people. Discuss the “Teaching Code of Ethics” as they were experienced in the Field. Elements of this professional code could have been quite present or obviously absent in your experiences. I think many of us could identify numerous occasions when the code was experienced in varying degrees of appropriateness. In your group identify a common theme that is a nagging issue, an exemplar element of ethical practice and create a similar Case Study to present to the NSTU. Connect this case directly to the Code and support your case, if possible, with legislation that will allow for you to raise a series of questions for class discussion. Key is for you to identify implications for your professional growth and how this ethical case will impact upon how you will teach in the future.

 Criteria:

After reading and processing relevant chapters, policy, and/or government documents associated with education, you will have identified several nuggets of knowing that resonate with, deepen, and or challenge your views of education.  We ask that you engage in a life writing that lays your personal and social views, along side the particular life writing theme. This should be 500 words that is properly referenced. You will be evaluated on the basis of your ability to: 1) vividly and insightfully connect your responses to life experiences, 2) link these themes critically and creatively to readings, and 3) to write clearly and thoughtfully about this key idea in ways that show thoughtful understanding.

 

4.      Personal Teaching Text

The PTT will serve as a receptacle for relevant course work, life experiences, and teaching practices based on your Field Experience and life experiences. In short, the PTT is a document for your professional growth and development during the Bachelor of Education experience. The PTT is based on the 6 course awareness outcomes of Self, Principles, Practices, Pedagogy, Professionalism, and Contexts. 

• Your collection must be placed in a binder, have a table of contents, dividers–distinct divisions for the 6 categories.

• Each section should include 5 to 15 personal artifacts that represent you as an educator.

• These representational items must speak to your emerging practice; thus your personal teaching text is similar to a portfolio.

• Each artifact must be proceeded by a critical analysis of the artifact. This should be no more than a page and reflective of your practice.

• It is critical that you indicate how you are engaged as an educator in P&P, as we make sense of the complexities of public education that influence our school practices.

• You will introduce each of the 6 outcomes with an introduction that shows your current understanding of the main concepts behind this particular outcome.

*Keep in mind this collective work should represent your best efforts. Thus I am expecting a quality that indicated by diligence and professionalism.

Course Completion Policy

If course work is not completed by the end of the regular scheduled term, a mark of IP (in progress) will be granted and you will not be permitted to commence your Field Experiences. This mark will stand until the work is completed and submitted by a negotiated date or the first day of the following term. If the outstanding work is not submitted by the established date, a grade of NM (no mark) will be entered as the final mark.

• Late assignments will result in a 3% loss per day and consistent with University policy, missed due dates will require acceptable documentation
• All assignments must be completed to an acceptable professional level to obtain credit for the course, and all assignments must be handed in before students are permitted to participate in Field Experiences
• Information on grade appeals can be obtained from the University Calendar Section 3.14.

 

 B.Ed Course Confidentiality Guidelines

The primary purpose of these guidelines is to insure that the names or identities of human subjects are safeguarded in recorded course work and both within and outside of the classroom. The names of any of the human subjects or institutions involved should not be used in class, whether in formal or informal discussion, or in any written work submitted as part of the course, including journal or logbook entries.  Thus any oral or written analysis that is derived from the observations and conversations indicated above should employ pseudonyms in the place of actual names for individuals, institutions, or unique events. 

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to be familiar with university policies associated with academic dishonesty. If you are unsure as to whether to cite a reference, please cite it! For example, you do need to acknowledge material taken from others for your lesson plans, JackDaws, and in particular, if you have found ideas on the internet, you need to acknowledge what is yours and what came from others. Failure to follow this practice may result in a grade of 0. Please consult the University Calendar Section 3.9.

Class Participation and Attendance Policy

As you are in a professional program your full attendance in all classes is expected. Your participation in class discussions will enhance your assignments and benefit not only yourself but your fellow students. Since this course is highly participatory and is based heavily upon in-class interactions, it is not possible to make up for experiences missed. Each missed class will result in a deduction of 3 % from your final grade. If you must miss a scheduled class and cannot inform the instructor in the previous class, please inform the instructor directly by email or phone call prior to the class. Extenuating circumstances for missed classes for personal and family emergencies and illnesses will be considered on an individual basis. Students maybe asked for a valid medical excuse.

 Course Evaluation

Outcomes that relate to broad teacher certification outcomes, our particular program threads, and the four semester field-course integration themes are valued in how we assess. We will assess you mark as an on-going process within the Initiation Phase considering the following overarching considerations that are inherent to establishing individual growth targets: awareness of professionalism, your emerging practice, and development of your pedagogic intent. The following qualities frame our broad grade ranges. The mean grade for classes is the very good range

 Excellent 85-99 (Strong written quality, reflects a high degree of originality, curriculum processes are highly proficient and push borders, highly critical and creative responses, professional attitudes well developed)

Very Good 75-84 (Very Good written quality, reflects originality, curriculum processes are proficient and may push borders, critical and creative responses, professional attitudes are partially developed)

Good 60-74 (Good written quality, may reflect some originality, curriculum processes are usually proficient, responses may be critical but lack creativity, professional attitudes need considerable developing)

Unsatisfactory below 60 (Unsatisfactory written quality, reflects little to no originality, curriculum processes are not competent, responses lack creativity and critical thinking, professional attitudes are inappropriate and inconsistent with those associated with a beginning professional)

 St. Francis Xavier University

School of Education  

As instructors, we are committed to providing an environment of equity and respect for all people, which is inclusive of all learners.  We strive to create a classroom in which all individual’s experiences and views are treated with respect.

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