Dr. Pamela Schram
262-2233 (office) 265-3151 (home)
318 A Duncan Hall
mailto:schrampw@appstate.edu
Course Overview
Welcome to Block! During the block you will learn about teaching methods and children's learning in various content areas while also having experiences in schools. As an elementary teacher you will be responsible for many content areas as well as working with students in other contexts during a school day. CI 4000 will help you think about ways to make thoughtful decisions as you plan and teach in an elementary classroom and to begin to understand some of the many contexts surrounding these decisions.
The internship will be a set of experiences in one of three schools--Crossnore (Avery County), Bethel, and Mabel (Watauga County). Individually or in pairs, you will be assigned a home-base placement. You also may have experiences in other grade levels. Your internship experiences will consist of individual, partner, small group, and whole group activities. The field experiences are integrated across the semester as well as an intensive day-to-day in your home-base placement towards the end of the semester. Your block faculty work as a team. Some of the block faculty will visit you in your schools.
Course Goals
Goals for the course span across several interrelated areas. CI 4000 is the "anchor" course for block. It provides the opportunities to synthesize what you are learning in all of your block courses. You will notice that the goals are stated as areas you are "beginning to" or "continuing to" learn about since these are areas that you will work on during your professional courseware, internship, student teaching, and across your teaching career.
Developing a Philosophy About Teaching: You will be supported in developing and articulating a principled stance toward teaching. Your philosophy is a set of guiding principles that inform decisions and actions while teaching. You will continue to develop your philosophy about teaching throughout your teaching career.
Learning to Use an Inquiry Process to Inform Your Teaching Practice: It is impossible to learn everything you need to know about teaching prior to graduation and certification. There is no way to know specifically what you will need to know in the next 5, 10, 20, 30 years of your career. Through work on our CI 4000 inquiry project you will begin to learn about the process of inquiry, as well as focus on understanding and responding to questions that you have about curriculum and instruction particularly as it relates to diverse learners.
Understanding Children and Adolescents as Diverse Learners: One of the most challenging aspects of teaching in the elementary classroom is learning to meet the needs of the diverse learners in your classroom. It is critical that you understand the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of learners that you teach. Observing and working with students as learners will help you begin to learn how children's knowledge, skills, reasoning processes and dispositions develop over time. You will begin to learn to adapt your planning to the learning needs of individuals and groups.
Developing Knowledge of Curriculum and Planning: You will continue to construct knowledge of curriculum and how to select and organize content, skills, and strategies. You will use the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to guide your developing understanding about curriculum.
Building a Teaching Repertoire: You will begin to build your knowledge of and skill in using a repertoire of teaching strategies, tasks, and resources that are consistent with your philosophy of teaching. You will begin to learn about ways to think about classroom management. Topics will include prevention, response, and looking at your own personal classroom management style. You will learn to make analysis and reflection a regular and ongoing part of your teaching activity.
Understanding Yourself as a Learner and Colleague: During block you will examine yourself as a learner. This will enable you to compare and contrast the kinds of instruction you experienced throughout your schooling and the approach to teaching you want to develop across your career. Learning to pay attention to your prior learning experiences as a learner will help you articulate, challenge, and revise assumptions about teaching and learning. Personal reflection also will enable you to identify areas in your own knowledge that need further development and to pursue a particular issue or question in depth to extend your learning. Collaborating in a variety of professional activities and reflecting on your participation will initiate you into collaboration with colleagues across your career. You also will begin to learn about self assessment. As a teacher, you need to be able to selfless your work. You also will begin to think about ways to demonstrate your knowledge and skills as a teacher.
Course Policies and Requirements
Required Texts:
Course Requirements and Evaluation:
Grading expectations will be made clear prior to the due date for each
assignment. You are strongly encouraged to meet with me to discuss
assignments. Your final grade for the semester will be based on a
series of written assignments, your internship and class attendance and
participation. Specific guidelines and grading criteria for internship
experiences and assignments will be given over the course of the semester.
Your teacher will complete an evaluation
for your internship. Your final grade will be determined as follows:
| Course & Internship Attendance & Participation and Internship Participation Plan & Introductory Letter |
40 points
|
| Telefolio | 40 points |
| Classroom Management Notebook | 20 points |
| Internship Observations & Reflections |
40 points
|
| Inquiry Project/Case Study |
40 points
|
| Internship Evaluation |
20 points
|
| TOTAL POINTS |
200 points
|
A = 94 -100
A- = 90-93
B+= 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 78-79
C = 76-77
C- = 74-75
D = 69-73
Attendance and Participation: The learning that I aim for in this course (clarifying, testing, and justifying ideas) depends largely on your attendance and active participation. Attendance is expected at all classes and for all internship experiences. The class will involve much student participation, thus it is particularly important that you come prepared for class--complete readings and other writings--because class and group discussions will generally be based on them. Your participation in our class activities and discussions is important not only for your learning but also the learning of others. You are strongly encouraged to be prompt for each class. 2 tardies are equivalent to 1 unexcused absence. Unexcused absences will result in the lowering of your grade. Prior notification of a valid need to miss class or internship experience is a minimum condition for excusing an absence. For every unexcused class absence, you will have 3 percentage points deducted from your course grade average. Interns are expected to attend every field time as noted on your calendar. If you are absent from the field due to illness or have some other emergency you need to call Pam 262-2233 AND the school (Crossnore 737-7204, Bethel 297-1044, and Mabel 297-2512) to leave a message for your teacher. Teachers and students count on you being there. Make-up time will be required if you miss more than the equivalent of one school day. Days available for making up missed internship days are ASU’s Spring Break, March 8-12, and May 6 & 7. Your arrival and departure time from school will be the same as for teachers in that building. Make-up time will be required for more than one tardy or early departure. If you do not contact me and your teacher prior to the early morning of an absence, you will be required to make up double time. Students will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times both on campus and at your internship schools. Violation of campus policies or public school rules could result in your removal from the school and this course.
Snow/Inclement Weather
The three schools for your internship are
in Watauga and Avery Counties. Interns have the responsibility for
knowing whether or not there is school during inclement weather.
Crossnore is in Avery County. Bethel and Mabel are in Watauga County.
The Avery Snow Line is 733-3655. The Watauga Snow Line is 264-0200.
You also can access the web site http://www.watauga.k12.nc.us/snow.html
for Watauga County. The local radio stations also make announcements.
In Watuage County, they may refer to teacher work days as "optional annual
leave" days. If it is an optional teacher workday, interns, like
all beginning teachers, you are expected to attend when it is safe.
Even if your teacher will not be there or tells you not to come, you are
expected to attend when it is safe. Your safety is always the first consideration.
Often the roads are cleared by mid-morning so when it is safe, you should
go to school. If you have concerns about the roads, call the school
and ask for a report on road conditions. You and your teachers should
discuss in advance work that you can do if your teacher does not attend
that day. Suggestions by teachers in previous semesters include:
review of computer software in the schools, review other books and resources
in the media lab, plan a seasonal art activity or create snow packets for
students. Missed days of internship (including optional teacher workdays)
must be made up, except when school is canceled for teachers and students.
Days available for making up missed internship days are ASU’s Spring Break,
March 8-12, and May 6 & 7.
Respect for Intellectual Property: As teachers, it is important that we all model a respect for intellectual property. As you create resources this semester, you must be sure to cite all sources, including those from the electronic media. All text that is copied and pasted must be put in quotation marks with sources noted, and all images that have been appropriated from web sites, books, magazines, or video resources should be noted as such, with credit given to the creator if that information is available.
Course and Internship Attendance and Participation: Participation and attendance details are described above. You also will write weekly email reflections and an overall reflection at the end of the internship. due April 30
Internship Participation Plan & Introductory Letter to Parents: You will have a conversation with your collaborating teacher about each of your expectations for participation during your internship. Together you will develop a plan for your activities and experiences during your internship. You also will create an introductory letter to send to the parents in your internship class. Please have this completed with no errors. Your teacher must approve the letter prior to sending to make sure that everything is appropriate. A separate handout with additional details will be provided. A copy of your introductory letter and a copy of the Internship Participation Plan are due February 10.
Telefolio: You will create an electronic portfolio. In CI 3750 you will focus on demonstrating the NETS standards. In CI 4000, you will provide evidence for your beginning understanding about teaching and learning also demonstrate some of the NCATE standards. Details will be provided. The telefolio part of CI 4000 is due April 26.
Inquiry Project/Case Study: One of the most challenging aspects of teaching in the elementary classroom is learning to meet the needs of the diverse learners in your classroom. It is impossible to learn everything you need to know about teaching prior to graduation and certification. Nor do we know specifically what you will need to know in the next 5, 10, 20, 30 years of your career. We can help you begin to learn strategies to use to continue your learning throughout your career. Through work on our Inquiry Project you will begin to learn about the process of inquiry as well as focus on understanding and responding to questions that you have about diverse learners. Throughout this project, we will draw on work and learning in other block courses. Peer sharing will be scheduled during CI 4000. A separate handout with additional details will be provided. due March 16
Philosophy of Teaching Paper & Resume: During the course of this semester each of you will work on developing your own philosophy of teaching paper as well as doing an up-to-date resume. You will include these in your telefolio. Details will be provided. DRAFT due April 19; final version due with telefolio April 26.
Classroom Management Notebook: Included in CI 4000 is a study of the key areas of creating a well managed classroom. These areas encompass making decisions (proactive) before the year begins, implementing the plan and maintaining and revising management procedures throughout the year. Students will review different management styles and decide which are compatible with their own personality traits. During the semester, each student will develop a classroom management notebook of general and specific techniques and strategies. Details will be provided in a separate handout. The notebook will be due April 23
Turning in Assigned Work: Assignments are due as indicated on the block calendar and course syllabus. You are responsible for knowing what the due dates are. I reserve the right to reduce the grade on late assignments. You must turn in all assignments to pass the course.
Field Experiences: It is important for you to arrive at school promptly, sign/check in at the school office or other designated area, and dress appropriately. You are expected to follow the same rules and guidelines as regular teachers. Failure to do so can result in consequences including dismissal from the internship. You are expected to be at school for all scheduled times. The teachers and children count on you to be there when scheduled. It is important that you follow through on whatever commitments you make or give advance notice to both your teacher and me on the rare occasion when you are unable to keep your commitment. See additional notes regarding field experiences above.
Class Schedule
The readings are available online by going to the ASU libraries (http://www.library.appstate.edu/), click on "reserves" and then search by instructor.
| Date | Focus | Assignment Due |
| Tuesday, January 13 | Overview of internship
Introduce Internship Observation & Reflections Introduce Internship Participation Plan & Letter |
|
| Thursday, January 15 |
Introduce Inquiry Project Intern Expectations Directions to Schools Challenging Issues: Abuse Prepare for school orientation visit Wednesday, January
21
|
Read online: Anna's Undergarments
|
| Tuesday, January 20
Wednesday, January 21 |
Challening Issues: Celebrations
Introduce Telefolio and NCATE Standards School visits January 21 |
Read online: Go into the Hall
|
| Thursday, January 22 | Discuss school visits
Introduce field experience assignments Discuss online school information assignment Challenging Issues: Parents and homework |
Read online: Students' Stress |
| Tuesday, January 27 | Introduce Classroom Management Notebook Assignment &
Resume Assignment
Standardized Tests |
Read online: What a Teacher Should Know about Tests |
| Thursday, January 29 | Internship Reflection (includes online school assignment) | |
| Tuesday, February 3 | Classroom Management "Big Picture" | |
| Thursday, February 5 | Classroom Management
Prevention |
Chapters 1-3 Internship Reflection |
| Tuesday, February 10 | Classroom Management
Prevention |
Chapter 4
Identify focus student for inquiry project Internship Participation Plan and Introductory Letter due |
| Thursday, February 12 | Classroom Management
Prevention |
Chapters 5 & 6 Internship Reflection |
| Tuesday, February 17 | Revisit: Classroom Management Notebook | Chapter 10 |
| Thursday, February 19 | Classroom Management
Response: What is appropriate & inappropriate? Goals of misbehavior; Creating misbehavior; Maintaining appropriate behavior |
Chapter 7
Internship Reflection |
| Tuesday, February 24 | Classroom Management
Response: Responding to inappropriate behaviors |
Chapters 8 & 9 |
| Thursday, February 26 | Classroom Management
Case Studies & Role-Play Situations |
Internship Reflection |
| Tuesday, March 2 | Developing Your Philosophy & CM Style | |
| Friday, March 5 | Inquiry Presentation Group Work | Internship Reflection |
| Spring Break March 8-12 | ||
| Tuesday, March 16
Wednesday, March 17 |
Inquiry Project Presentation
Visit Hardin Park Teachers
|
Inquiry Project due when you do your presentation
4:00-6:00
|
| Thursday, March 18 | Inquiry Project Presentation | Internship Reflection |
| Tuesday, March 23 | Inquiry Project Presentation | |
| Thursday, March 25
March 29-May 5 |
AIG Presentation
Full-time in internship school |
Internship Reflection
Reflection due each Friday |
| Monday, April 19
Friday, April 23 Monday, April 26 Wednesday, May 5 |
Block wrap-up and lunch |
Draft of philosophy & resume due April 19
CR Management Notebook due April 23
4000 Telefolio due April 26 8:30-12:00
|