PIEDMONT COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of all children

 

 

I.              COURSE INFORMATION:

EDMG 345

Teaching in the Middle School                                                                                                        

Prerequisites:  none                                                                                                                                                             Credit:    3 semester hours

Period:  Tuesday evenings                                                                                                

                                                                                                               

II.            INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

                Name: Dr. Heather Fosgate                               

                Office Location:    Wallace Building, Office #3, Prince Avenue, Athens, Ga. 30601

Athens Center, Heritage Building, 463 North Milledge Avenue, Athens Georgia 30601        

                Phone Numbers:   706 548-8505 (Leave a message with the secretary) or 548-2243 

                E-mail: fosgateh@piedmont.edu                      

                Fax Number: 706 548-8871                  

                Office Hours: Wednesday & Thursdays by appt.                                                        

 

III.           TIME AND PLACE

              CAMPUS:  Athens                               SEMESTER:  Fall/Spring                   DATE: 2006/2007

Time: Tuesdays, 5:50

Place: Piedmont College Athens Center, Heritage Building         

 

IV.         TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

Kellough, R. D. & Kellough, N. G. (2007). Teaching young adolescents: A guide to methods and resources, 5th Ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

             

American Psychological Association. (2001).  Publication manual of the American psychological

 association (5th ed.).  Washington, D. C.: Author.

 

Supplemental readings will be required as needed throughout the course.  These readings will include research, professional documents, and personal reading.  Also, copying some materials to share with the class may be required.

 

V.            PIEDMONT MISSION:

Piedmont College Mission:

Piedmont College educates students to become successful and responsible citizens through rigorous academic instruction in the liberal arts and professional disciplines. Learning opportunities are provided through undergraduate and graduate programs offered at various locations. The institution emphasizes high ethical standards and respect for diversity.

 

School of Education Mission:

The theme of the School of Education is “Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of children.”  The School of Education strives to prepare reflective, scholarly, proactive educators in a caring environment with challenging and meaningful learning experiences.  These practitioners effectively educate their own students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive, and collaborative learners in diverse, democratic learning communities.

 

Specific ideals under-gird our conceptual framework.  We advocate the democratic ideals of: equal rights and opportunities; individual freedom and responsibility; responsibility for the greater good; respect for diversity; openness to possibilities; and open, informed discourse.

 

We endorse the following processes as a means of striving for our democratic ideals: engaging in participatory decision-making; collaborating in teaching and learning; collecting information from all constituencies; examining options and projecting consequences; nurturing open discourse; providing for field experiences; assessing processes as well as products; modeling democratic ideals in the classroom; forming communities of learners; and constantly revising the curriculum to reflect new insights and understandings.  Further, we endorse the development of a sense of personal integrity and of strong habits of mind (e.g., reflectiveness, persistence, clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to feedback). 

 

Program Goals:  With the School of Education mission in mind, EDMG 345 is designed to increase all middle grades candidates’ awareness of issues related to middle grades educational curriculum, methods, and resources. This course will assist middle grades candidates in becoming proactive practitioners.  The EDMG 345 syllabus supports the conceptual framework of the College of Education by encouraging students to model democratic ideals in the classroom, to respect diversity, to nurture open discourse, and to reflect a strong degree of personal ethics.

 

VI.       COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE:  This course focuses on the nature and diversity

of the middle grades learner, the pedagogy appropriate for that age level, and the organization of the middle school.  Students will learn about the psychological and sociological principles and practices that aid in determining how to meet the unique educational needs of young adolescents.  Students will learn the history of the development of the middle school and the philosophy of education that determines the curriculum and pedagogy of the middle school.  Students will learn how to work in collaborative teams to create units and classroom management plans that will allow for the success of all middle grades learners.  The format of the course is discussion, small group work, oral presentations, etc.

 

VII.         SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OUTCOMES

                Core Candidate Learning Outcomes :

The following outcomes, adapted from the 1994 INTASC standards (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) and updated Fall 2003, are addressed in this course.

1) Learning Environment: The proactive teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation to create a caring, democratic learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, self regulation, and collaboration.  The proactive teacher fosters the ideals of a democratic classroom by treating students fairly and justly, providing intellectual challenge, and supporting students as they pursue knowledge and understanding.    

2) Subject Matter: The scholarly teacher understands and can model the central concepts, tools of inquiry, national standards, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students. 

3) Student Learning: The reflective teacher understands how students develop and learn and provides well-managed learning opportunities that support students’ intellectual, social, and personal growth. The teacher documents student achievements and contributes to systems of accountability designed to improve schooling. 

4) Diversity: By understanding that all learners are products of their innate abilities, preferred learning styles, and cultural experiences, the democratic teacher modifies instruction and assessments to meet diverse needs of all students.

5) Instructional Strategies: The proactive teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage the development of all students’ creative talents, critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. 

6) Assessment Strategies: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher designs a variety of assessments including alternative assessment strategies, which (a) assess the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and dispositions expected in the subject, (b) offset the negative effects of high-stakes testing, and (c) encourage the continual intellectual, social, and personal growth of all students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive learners. 

7) Communication and Technology: The proactive teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal, and media communication techniques and technologies to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. 

8) Planning Instruction: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher plans and manages instruction based upon knowledge of content, pedagogy, students, the community, and curriculum goals. 

9) Reflection and Professional Development: The scholarly teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of her/his choices and actions upon others, institutes research aimed at improving instruction, attends to the development of policies affecting education at the state and national levels, proactively seeks opportunities for the continual development of a personal pedagogy.  

10) Collaboration and Relationships: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher communicates and collaborates with other educators, parents/families, agencies and the community through democratic processes to support student learning and well being.

 

Dispositions for All Candidates: In addition to the common core learning outcomes, all candidates are expected to be familiar with the dispositions expected of professionals. Their work with students, families, and communities reflects the following dispositions as defined by the School of Education faculty:

 Scholarly:  Inquiring, creative; seeks solutions; thinks critically about theory and method; keeps current in discipline (conferences, journals, classes); pursues lifelong learning.

Reflective:  Bases daily decisions on in-depth reflection, done frequently and honestly; considers many possibilities for problem-solving; stays open to constructive criticism.

Proactive: Anticipates problems in management; anticipates problems and difficulties in instruction; addresses pertinent issues of school and community to support student learning; encourages students” critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity; plans for important student learning; fosters visionary thinking and action; promotes mindful leadership to improve schools.

 Democratic:  Facilitator; views others as capable to deal with problems and able to make decisions; promotes equitable treatment for all students; has high expectations for all students; seeks best interest of students they serve; open-minded; able to view other perspectives; accommodates individual differences; culturally sensitive in areas of communications; learning, assessment, and cultural norms; collaborates well with others; works for the good of the community.

Responsible:  Patience, professional temperament; aims to be the best he/she can be; good work ethic; punctual; recognizes when their own dispositions may need to be adjusted and are able to develop plans to do so.  

 

VIII.        COURSE OUTCOMES (CO):

                Upon successful completion of this course, the candidate will be able to facilitate development of

the following performance competencies:

1.        the ability to describe the organization of the middle school.  CCLO 1

2.        the ability to understand the complexities involved in curriculum development and implementation in a middle school class.  CCLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10

3.        the ability to demonstrate knowledge of the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the middle grades child and the implications these characteristics have for developmentally appropriate practice.  CCLOs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8

4.        the ability to plan and implement instructional strategies that provide an equal opportunity for all, including special needs students, to participate and learn in a a middle school classroom.  CCLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7

5.        the ability to assess student learning and teacher effectiveness. CCLOs 6 & 9

6.        the ability to establish and maintain a supportive, democratic, learning environment. CCLO 10

7.        the ability to foster family involvement in young adolescents’ education at home and in school. CCLO 10

8.        the ability to recognize needs and refer students to available in-school and community support service agencies.  CCLO 10

9.        the ability to select appropriate instructional aids, media, and resource.  CCLOs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8

 

 

IX.           COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES:

1.  Class Attendance/Participation:

Attendance, timeliness, and participation are required and part of your grade.  The School of Education policy states that more than the allotted number of excused absences for any reason will result in failure of the course.  The allotted number of excused absences (determined by the professor) for this course is one.  Additionally, tardiness or leaving class early will be considered a partial absence reflected in your grade.  Work missed due to an excused absence may be made up.  It is your responsibility to inform me in writing how you make up the work.  Your writing should include a statement about why you were absent and a detailed quality description of the process you undertook to make up the work as well as a comprehensive summary of the content that was covered in class.  Be sure to include a cover page.  If work is not made up, the highest grade a candidate can receive for the course is a B.  Any candidate who misses more than one class will be asked to drop the course or will receive an F at the end of the semester.  However, if makeup work is approved by the professor and satisfactorily completed, a passing grade is still possible.  Also understand that reading a classmate’s notes cannot easily duplicate many of the experiences of the course.

 

INCOMPLETES – A candidate may receive an incomplete (I) for reasons such as illness or other extenuating circumstances upon approval of the course instructor and the dean.  An incomplete is not granted just to extend time to complete work that should have been done in a timely manner.  (See the Piedmont College catalog for additional information regarding an incomplete).

 

If the candidate’s illness is extended, causing more than two class absences, the candidate may need to request in writing a medical withdrawal.  If the Registrar approves the request, a candidate may receive a “W” for the course.

 

INCLEMENT WEATHER – In general, classes are dismissed or cancelled (day and/or night classes) when conditions in and around Demorest become such that the main streets and college parking lots become too dangerous on which to drive.  Candidates who live outside the Demorest area for which road conditions are too difficult to proceed should stay at home.  Candidates who miss class should consult their instructors for assignments and make-up work.  Dismissed or cancelled classes must be made up during semester breaks, the first available Saturday, or an agreed upon make-up by class members and the professor.  When classes are dismissed, the following radio/TV stations will be informed of the action taken: Station WCON (99.3 FM) – Cornelia; WMJE (102.9 FM) – Clarkesville/Gainesville; and WXIA TV – 11 Alive.

 

PARTICIPATION - Active participation means:

Ø       prepare for classes by reading the text and/or other assigned readings;

Ø       attend all classes for duration of allotted class time;

Ø       take active part and contribute significantly during class discussions and activities;

Ø       be attentive and respectful of peers and the professor during the discussions, dialogue, and presentations;

Ø       submit all assignments on time.

 

2.  Written Work:

Use APA style (5th ed.).  All papers for the course are to be typed using size 12 print and one of the following fonts: Bookman, Times New Roman, Geneva, or similar font.  Papers should be double-spaced, error-free, and grammatically correct (including punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.).  Make good use of writing references such as dictionaries, writing handbooks, and computer spelling and grammar checks.  Quality is important!  Work submitted should reflect your professionalism and graduate level work.  Your writings and reflections will be assessed according to the depth, breadth, clarity, and accuracy they convey. Be sure to keep a duplicate copy of all submitted work for your own records.

 

 

 

 

3.  Academic Integrity:

By accepting admission to Piedmont College, each candidate makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the "Academic Integrity Policy" without compromise or exception.  This class will be conducted in strict observance of the policy.  Refer to your Piedmont College Student Handbook for details for details. Following are the requirements of the Academic Integrity Policy currently in force:  Academic integrity is an ethical issue of great importance to Piedmont College and society at large. The values of integrity and honesty are important enough to justify serious efforts to enforce them. To protect the integrity of the grading system and to affirm the importance of honesty and accountability in the academic community, the College imposes strict penalties for academic dishonesty.

Academic dishonesty is defined as follows:

Cheating:  Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study

aids in any academic exercise.

                Fabrication:  Intentional falsification or unauthorized invention or citation in an academic exercise.

Facilitating academic dishonesty:  Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help

 

another to commit an act of academic dishonesty.

                Plagiarism:  Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in

any academic exercise.

A student found responsible for any act of academic dishonesty, including a first offense, will be subject to dismissal from the College unless specific and significant mitigating factors are present…(please review the Student Handbook for remainder of policy.)

 

All work submitted must be your original work created in and for this course.  It should be referenced properly using APA (including information from the internet).  Double dipping (to be discussed in class) is not permitted.

 

Some suggestions for helping you abide by the policy include:

·         All work submitted must be your original work created in and for this course.

·         Cite and reference work properly using the current APA guidelines.

1.        Any time you use the exact words of a researcher, author, or source, you must place the words in quotation marks when your quote is less than 40 words. If more than 40 words, place the quote in an indented block omitting quotation marks. (See the APA Manual for specific guidelines.)

2.        You must also give credit to an author or source when you paraphrase.

3.        When referring to information from your course text, be sure you cite and reference the source and/or authors.

4.        Follow the protocol in the current APA manual for citing and referencing all electronic sources.

a.        Double dipping is not permitted.  For example”

1.)      You may not use an assignment created in one course to meet the requirement in another.

2.)      Visiting a classroom for one field experience may not be used to meet a field experience requirement for another course.

 

4.  Special Considerations: Piedmont College makes every effort to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations to students with disabilities.  Accomodations must be coordinated through the Office of Academic Support by contacting the director at 1-800-277-7020 ext. 1359 or by email- dtaylor@piedmont.edu  Students are responsible for providing accurate and current documentation of their disability and for making a written request to the Director of Academic Support before receiving accommodations.  Students with special needs (disabilities, problems, or any other factors that may affect their performance or that require special instructional strategies) should make these special needs known to the professor/instructor during the first class session.

5.  Assignments:  Readings from the assigned texts will be the focus for discussions, writings, and group activities. Please read the assigned readings before coming to class in order to facilitate quality discussions. Think about how the readings relate/have related to your personal experience/could relate to your classroom experiences.  Also, keep in mind that you are responsible for the reading assignments even if we do not go over them in class. All work for the course is to be in on time or handed in on an agreed upon future date. Completion of all assignments is required for a passing grade in the course. If at any time you are unclear about assignments or expectations, please contact me for clarification. At any time throughout the course other assignments or activities may be required as deemed necessary to assure the mastery of the course objectives.

 

X.  STUDENT EXPECTATIONS AND COURSE OUTLINE:

                1.  Instructional Methods

This class will operate as a democratic classroom.  Candidates will engage in shared decision- making and in taking responsibility for making the classroom the best it can be.  Interactive discussions and problem solving will be emphasized where all ideas and contributions are explored and respected.  Various approaches will be utilized by the candidates and professor including:  lecture, demonstrations, observations, class discussions, small group discussions, cooperative group work, field observations, use of educational technology, student presentations, readings, writings, listening, questioning, and formative and summative evaluations.

 

2.  Assignments:  Readings from the assigned texts will be the focus for discussions, writings, and group activities.  Please read the assigned readings before coming to class in order to facilitate quality discussions.  Think about how the readings relate/could relate to your classroom teaching experiences.  Also keep in mind that you are responsible for the reading assignments even if we do not go over them in class.

 

All work for the course is to be in on time, or handed in on an agreed upon future date.  Work submitted late will automatically lose 10 points per class meeting unless prearranged by the professor and the candidate.  To meet the deadline, assignments may be mailed (post marked by the due date) or delivered by a peer at the class meeting.  Make-up tests will be considered if a reason for missing the original test is justified.  Completion of all assignments is required for a passing grade in the course.  If at any time you are unclear about assignments or expectations, please contact me for clarification.

 

Other assignments or activities may be required as deemed necessary to assure the mastery of the course objectives as stated.

 

3.       Description of Assignments  

a.        Class participation is a part of your grade and consists of taking part in individual work, small group activities, whole group activities, presentations, and discussions.  Active participation means: Prepare for classes by reading the text and/or other assigned readings; attend all classes for duration of allotted class time; take an active role and contribute significantly during class discussions and activities; be attentive and respectful of peers and the professor during the discussions, dialogue, and presentations.

b.       Written chapter summaries.  Each student will write a description of the assigned chapters, including important points/facts within that chapter and be able to discuss those points/information from the chapter with the class.

c.        Unit Plan. Each middle grades candidate  will develop a 5-day instructional unit, using the Piedmont College lesson plan,  incorporating the four major disciplines (mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts)  with age/grade level appropriate activities. 

d.       Class presentation.  Each middle grades candidate will participate in peer teaching of a lesson from his/her unit.

4.       Field Experiences (Initial and Advanced Certification Tasks):

a.        Candidate will interview a middle grades student, write up a written summary of that

interview, and reflect on how his/her answers compare and contrast with the textbook. (Number 5 on the field experience documentation form.)

b.       Candidate will interview a middle grades school teacher and write up a summary of

that interview and reflect on how his/her answers compare and contrast with the textbook. (Number 10 on the field experiences documentation form.)

c.        Candidate will interview a parent of a middle school-aged child and write up a

summary of that interview, and reflect on how his/her answers compare and contrast with the textbook.  (Number 10 on the field experiences documentation form.)

 

XI.           RESOURCES:  (Make sure this section includes current information)

                1.     Bibliography:  (Handouts used in class.)

2.       Relevant Web Sites:

                Piedmont College’s Web Page:  www.piedmont.edu

                Piedmont College Library: www.piedmont.edu

                Galileo: http://www.galileo.usg.edu/

                Georgia Professional Standards Commission:  www.gapsc.com

                Georgia Department of Education: http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/

                GPS: http://www.georgiastandards.org

                                Georgia Performance Standards/QCC’s   http://www.glc.k12.ga.us

                Piedmont College Home Page  http://www.piedmont.edu

                National Middle School Association  http://www.nmsa.org

                National Council of Teachers of English  http://www.ncte.org

                National Council of Teachers of Math   http://www.nctm.org

                National Council for Social Studies  http://www.ncss.org

                National Science Teachers  http://www.nsta.org

                U.S. Department of Education:  http://www.ed.gov/

                Education World: http://www.education-world.com/

               

3.       Praxis/GACE Information:

All students seeking initial certification in the state of Georgia must pass Praxis I or GACE I  in order to be admitted to student teaching.  Students may exempt this requirement by providing either SAT, ACT, or GRE scores which meet the following criteria:

                SAT: minimum required score:  1000 (with no minimum verbal or math score required.)

The composite score is obtained by adding the verbal and the math scores.  Candidates must take both the verbal and the math sections of the test.

                ACT:  minimum required score: 43 (with no minimum English score or math score

                                required.) The composite score is obtained by adding the verbal and quantitative

                                scores. Candidates must take both the verbal and quantitative sections of the test.

                                GRE:  minimum required score: 1030 (with no minimum verbal score or

                                quantitative score required.)  The composite score is obtained by adding the verbal

                                and quantitative scores. Candidates must take both the verbal and quantitative

                                                sections of the test.

                                CBEST: Passing scores indicated on score report.  Test used in California & Oregon.

                                                http://www.ctc.ca.gov/profserv/examinfo/cbest.html

                                CLAST: Passing scores indicated on report. Test used in Florida

                                                http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/clast/clstpscr/htm

                                FTCE:  General Knowledge. Passing scores indicated on score report.  Test used in Florida.

                                                http://www.cefe.usf.edu/TestDescGK.aspx

 

Teacher candidates who are seeking initial certification must also pass Praxis II or GACE II in the appropriate content area(s) in order to be recommended for certification. Candidates who are currently certified and are adding a new field must also pass the appropriate content exam. Information on Praxis I & II may be found at www.ets.org/k12learn.  Information on GACE tests may be found at http:///www.gace.nesinc.com/.

The first administration of GACE is November 18, 2006.

·         If you have not received a passing composite score on the Praxis I test as of September 1, 2006 you will be required to pass the GACE Basic Skills Assessment (all three sections.)

·         If you have passed one test of the two-test Praxis II, you will have until March 1, 2007 to pass the other test. Otherwise, you will have to take the two tests of GACE II.

·         A candidate who has passed neither part of a two-test Praxis II requirement by September 1, 2006 will need to take the GACE II assessment

 

XII.         ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:

Class participation: consists of taking part individual work, small group activities, whole group

                activities, and small and whole group discussions/sharing.   10 pts   (Objectives 1-9)

                Written chapter summaries:  from the textbook.   20 pts  (Objectives 1-9)

                Field Experiences:  20 pts  (Objectives 1-9)

                Unit Plan:  The unit plan must be based on what you have learned through reading Kellough and

Kellough and based on the Piedmont College lesson plan format given out in class.  The plan must be for at least 5 days.   You may have a “kick-off” or summation lesson and four days of lesson plans for each subject.  Science, math, language arts, and social studies are the minimum subjects to be address.  30 pts  (Objectives 1-9).

Class presentation:  Students will present one of the unit lessons in class to the other members of

                                the class.  20 pts (Objectives 1-9)

 

A= 90-100 pts

B=80-89 pts

C=70-79 pts

D=60-69 pts

F=below 60 pts