TBTE 412-10 - Elementary, Summer 2007 : Assignments/Grades
# name type description / specification

objectives / justification

 pts assess  due
1 Attendance
 process Please be PRESENT for every class and ON TIME for every class. If you need to arrive late or leave early, please contact the instructor ahead of time. Part of winning is just showing up. For K-12 students, coming to school every morning, this is an important lesson.
 5 self (checklist)
 (on-going; grade assigned at end)
2 Participation process During class, be an active listener (e.g., display attending behaviors, take notes when appropriate) and be an active participant in the discussion (ask questions, push for clarification if you need it, offer your opinion, provide evidence such as an anecdote from your experience or a reference to authority). The other part of winning involves putting your head and heart into the game: prepare for the event, and once it's started, give it your full effort. Again, this is a great lesson for K-12 students.
 5 self (checklist) (on-going; grade assigned at end)
3 Quizzes performance Periodically I'll post a few questions as a quick quiz on the reading or other assignments:  multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank--nothing too onerous. I need some feedback on what you're picking up from class and from the readings, and I'd like to reward those who are on the ball. On the other hand, I don't want to unduly penalize those who read it a little differently, missed part of the conversation, or are just victims of a poorly-worded question. So: We'll take quizzes, but they're under-weighted; just give it your best effort, and it should be fine....
 2.5 instructor (scored) (on-going; grade assigned throughout)
4 Content journal process During the class, you'll start (and hopefully continue) a journal that includes entries about social studies content.

(See the overly-ambitious demo entry.)

Each entry should identify and then (briefly) describe some event or person or artifact that you find interesting and relevant to the K-12 classroom.  At a minimum, each entry should feature one or more images, audio or video clips, or references for more information. Ideally, each entry should also cite one or more standards (either NCSS or PSSAs) that could be addressed with this information.		 The content domain in social studies is VAST. No beginning social studies teacher ever thinks, "Gee, I know everything I need to know to teach World History." (I could also add that some veteran teachers who think, "I know everything I need to know to teach World History" have  probably gotten pretty stale in their teaching!)
The content journal provides a mechanism to a.) recognize that you can't know everything, b.) getting up to speed on content is a life-long process, and c.) the ol' journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step--but let's be organized about it!		 10 instructor
(checklist)		 (throughout --grade assigned at end, but feedback given along the way)
5 Curriculum scavenger hunt product Using the curriculum scavenger hunt prompts, ping-pong through your curriculum and locate the specified information. Be prepared to share with your classmates.

Note that the first part of this is strictly information; the second part asks you to be reflective.		 Just as the content domain of social studies is vast, the curricula are quirky. Mining through the standards and any available curriculum docs always turns up something interesting or amusing. (For example, the PAAS history document misspells Jaime Escalante's name. Make of that what you will.)
Furthermore, it's important to know your curriculum--you may be called upon to defend or explain your instruction, and if you don't appear to be familiar and comfortable with your curriculum, there's blood in the water....		 2.5 instructor
(checklist)		 Session 2
6 Curriculum characterization product Review your section of the assigned Pennsylvania Academic Standards, summarize the information, and characterize what you saw: Are these standards aimed towards factual knowledge, broad understandings, or critical thinking? Are any attitudes or ideals promoted?

Assemble your findings in a PowerPoint (or equivalent) presentation, which you will share with the class		 Just as it is important to know your curriculum, it is important to recognize the agenda behind the curriculum. This activity is not meant to be conclusive, just an exploration of the concept and a further unpacking of what is in the standards. 5 instructor (rubric) Session 3
7 Instructional digital video product Create a BRIEF (1-2 min.) digital video that could be used as part of your classroom instruction.

The topic/format is up to you: It could be a public service announcement, a faux commercial for a concept, a straight-forward documentary, an interview, an interactive piece, etc.

Note that this assignment is not about getting a video camera and filming. We will explore digital video in class and will focus on working from digital still images, not from digital video. Actually filming footage, importing it, editing it, etc., is exponentially more challenging and time-consuming. This assignment is the simplest possible pass through digital video. You can do something more ambitious, but it is not expected.		 Self-created digital video is an emerging medium of expression. (Consider, for example, what's available on YouTube and elsewhere.) Educators should experiment with this medium for two reasons. First, teachers should explore what added value a targeted, fine-tuned video brings to their instruction. Second, teachers should consider the opportunities and implications for having students create their own videos. None of these things will happen unless teacher candidates are exposed to creating and editing digital video during their training.
 10 instructor (rubric) Session 6 = rough cut
Session 9 = final cut
8 Midterm product Using a three-dimensional matrix (which we will create), design and describe three instructional scenarios that integrate content, teaching strategies, and technology.

(A more detailed document describing the exact steps will be linked here.)		 Partway through the course, I'd like to see how the elements are coming together for you. I could create a test that reviews the material, but I prefer this format: it allows you to draw together the elements that speak to you/interest you, and it also allows you to surprise me--you may find some way to integrate content, pedagogy, and technology that I never thought of. 20 instructor (rubric) Session 6 = x-axis
Session 7 = first square
Session 9 = full midterm
9 Lesson plan (two versions) product Following the Backwards Design format (or other format; just be sure to let me know which you're following), write a lesson plan for a single class session. Be sure that this lesson incorporates students' hands-on use of technology.

Next, write a second version of that same lesson (i.e., the same goals and same assessments) that incorporates no or little technology.  		K-12 schools have varying levels of tech infrastructure. Some schools have 1-to-1 computing (i.e., a laptop program), others have a single lab or a cart for checkout. Some schools have projectors or interactive white boards in every classroom, while others don't have a functioning data jack.

While your teacher training should prepare you to use technology, it should also prepare you to adapt your use to fit your local infrastructure. This assignment allows you to explore some of the tough questions: What adaptations are necessary to the activity? How do these adaptations impact the assessments and goals? What is gained and what is lost by reducing the level of technology use?		 10 instructor (rubric) Session 7 = rough draft
Session 10 = final draft
10 Resource list product Assemble a set of ten or more internet-based resources that you can use for professional development, for instruction (either preparing for class or during class), for supplementing instruction, or for assessment.  For each resource, categorize it (in-class use? assessment?) and describe it (how might you use it?). Most of what you need to know as a teacher you learn while teaching. This resource list will (I hope) serve you well, or at least get you started, when the times comes for that vital, just-in-time learning. 5 instructor (rubric) Session 11
11 Elementary social studies manifesto product In 250 words or less, express your mission statement for your teaching of elementary social studies. Why do it? What is it good for? What do students need to learn? Why? Given the tangled structure of the social studies as a content area, and given the amorphous nature of social studies standards, it's hard for a teacher to find a clear, unifying thread to follow as they design instruction. And, of course, if you don't stand for something, you can fall for anything--a new textbook, and new assessment regimen, a change in political climate, etc. As we wrap up the course, put down your thoughts, as they stand now. 5 instructor (rubric) Session 12
12 Final portfolio product Assemble your previous concrete work for this class (i.e., assignments 4-11) into a single place and give me a copy. (I would also recommend that you make a copy for yourself--you may need it during a job interview.)

For each assignment, write a few sentences of commentary: what was the goal or purpose of the assignment? What direction did you go with your work? As you worked, what surprises or challenges arose? What is your takeaway from the assignment? Would you do something like this in your future classroom teaching or not?

Note that you can do this all electronically (post everything to a website or wiki, burn everything to a CD, or copy everything to a USB drive) or you can do it through paper (a binder, with the digital video referenced by a URL at a hosting service), or you can do it through a combination of paper  and digital media.
 Too much of what gets done gets lost! By asking you to create a final package (and inviting you to make a copy for yourself), I'm hoping that you hang onto what you've developed in this course, both in terms of the products you made and the insights you gleaned.

Furthermore, this portfolio may be useful to you in a future job search or to satisfy a requirement, such as demonstrating a tech competency.		 20 instructor (rubric) Session 12

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