PIEDMONT COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

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

I. COURSE INFORMATION:

EDEC/MG 360, 361, 362 Educational Practicum

SPED 360, 361 Educational Practicum

Prerequisites: One Methodology Course

Credit: 3 hours

Period: On-Line

II. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Name: Susan C. Smith

Office Location: L-136, Demorest Campus

Phone Numbers: (706) 778-8500 X1342 (Office)

(706) 782-5267 (Home)

E-mail: ssmith@piedmont.edu

Fax Number: (706) 776-0135

Office Hours: Monday 11:00-12:00

Tuesday 10:00-12:00

Friday 3:30-5:30

Others by appointment

III. TIME AND PLACE

DEMOREST CAMPUS, Spring Semester, 2005

Time: Monthly Seminars @ 4:00

Place: Marten’s Lab

IV. TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

NA

V. PIEDMONT MISSION:

Piedmont College Mission:

Inspired by the liberal arts tradition and a historical association with the Congregational Christian Churches, Piedmont College cultivates a diverse, challenging and caring intellectual environment to encourage academic success and spiritual development.

To accomplish this mission, the college offers a number of major fields of study that are informed by the liberal arts, including specialized professional programs and selected graduate programs. Instructional opportunities are also provided at distant locations to meet student needs.

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).

VI. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE:

The practicum course is an important part of your teacher education program at Piedmont College. It is designed to help you connect theory with practice as you bridge the gap between the world of the student and the world of the teacher. During this course you will observe, develop, practice, and reflect on the skills and techniques needed to become a reflective, scholarly, and proactive teacher.

Much credit and thanks must be given to the classroom teacher and the students who have allowed you to come into their classroom. Without their help and support this experience would be impossible.

This course is 3 semester hour practicum at the appropriate grade level/subject area for your certification field. Students will work in the school either 4 or 6 hours per week for sixteen weeks or 8 or 12 hours per week for eight weeks (total 90 hours). A practicum is done in a school setting under the supervision of an experienced teacher. The main objective of this course is to provide you, the prospective teacher, with the direct experience of working with students in a classroom prior to student teaching.

This experience is an important part of your professional development. During this time principals, teachers, and other school personnel will be observing you and you will begin to develop your reputation as a professional. As such, you should always dress and act like a professional. Be on time and stay the entire time you have scheduled. Be dependable and cooperative. If you must be absent or late, always call the school and have your teacher notified. You must also contact your college supervisor prior to any absences. All absences will be recorded on the summative evaluation done by your supervising teacher and must be made up in order to receive an "A" in the practicum. Students will be dropped from the course after missing more than one week without making the time up.

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.

CO: 1,6,7,9

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.

CO: 1,4,5,6,7,10

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. CO: 1,2,3,5,6,7,8

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. CO: 2,3,5,6,7,8

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. CO: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

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. CO: 2,3,4,5,6,7

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. CO: 1,2,3,5, 6,7,9

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

CO: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10

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. CO: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

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. CO: 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10

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 solutions; 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:

1. Develop an atmosphere conducive to student learning and one which gives evidence of effective class control and pupil management in a democratic classroom. CCLO: 1,2,3,5,7,8, 9,10.

2. Increase his/her understanding of the intellectual, social, and emotional growth and development of children and adolescents and how they learn . CCLO: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.

3. Increase his/her understanding of the intellectual, social, and emotional growth and development of children and adolescents and how they learn . CCLO:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

4. Demonstrate subject matter competency. CCLO: 2, 5, 6, 8, 9

5. Prepare and teach specified lessons. CCLO: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

6. Effectively use a variety of appropriate teaching techniques to meet the needs of the diverse learners. CCLO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

7. Effectively use a variety of educational media and materials. CCLO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

8. Demonstrate an ability and willingness to evaluate pupils and self. CCLO:3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10

9. Cultivate and demonstrate such personal qualities as appropriate appearance, enthusiasm, ability to get along well wit others, maturity, dependability, standard edited English usage, positive attitude toward teaching and pupils, sense of humor, and emotional stability. CCLO: 1, 5, 7, 9, 10

10. Explore and analyze the content standards relative to your certification area. CCLO: 2, 8, 9, 10

IX. COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES:

1. Class Attendance/Participation:

1. 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.. Only those absences due to emergencies or school sponsored activities will be excused. Ninety hours in the schools are required for the practicum course. The seminars are over and above the 90 hours and are mandatory. In the event that you find that you must miss a day at your school it is your responsibility to first notify your supervising teacher and then to notify me. If I show up at your school to do an observation and you are not there at your scheduled time 5 points will be deducted from your final grade.

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 Piedmont College catalog for additional information regarding an incomplete).

Inclement Weather – In general, classes are dismissed or canceled (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 ouside 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 canceled classes must be made up during semester breaks, the first available Saturday, or on 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 FM) – Clarkesville/Gainesville: and WXIA TV – 11 Alive. You need to make sure that you contact your base school if you are uncertain about whether or not school has been cancelled for the day.

2. Written Work:

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. All assignments must be typed.

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.

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.

4. Special Considerations: Piedmont College makes every effort to provide candidates with learning disabilities equal access to all academic programs. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations are coordinated through the Academic Support Office. Candidates are obligated to self-disclose and are responsible for providing accurate and current (not older than three years) documentation of their learning disability to the Director of Academic Support before receiving accommodations. Candidates with any 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.

X. STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

1. Set up an initial meeting with your supervising teacher to go over the practicum requirements. Have all of the necessary forms signed and returned to the college supervisor by the designated due date. ( Forms: Letter of Introduction, Permission Form, Practicum Activities Checklist and Practicum Information Form.)

2. On your first day give your supervising teacher the page entitled Summative Evaluation of Practicum Student so that the teacher will be aware of the behaviors that he/she will be asked to evaluate. Also provide the teacher with a stamped envelope addressed to the following: Susan C. Smith, PO Box 10, Piedmont College, Demorest, GA. 30535. Please note that your final grade cannot be posted until this form is received. This form should be mailed, not delivered by you, during your final week of practicum.

3. The Practicum Time Log is a very important form. It should be completed at the end of each day of the practicum. If you are registered for the 16 week session, you need to log 4-6 hours per week, for a total of 90 hours. If you are registered for an 8 week session, you need to log 8-10 hours per week, for a total of 90 hours. It is your responsibility to record your hours and have it initialed by your supervising teacher daily. All hours must be completed by Friday, April 29th.

4. Complete all assignments and submit them on the designated due date. All work will be evaluated on the correct use of Standard English. Systemic errors will be noted and will affect your final evaluation.

5. You will be formally observed by your supervising teacher on two occasions (when you teach your whole group lessons). It is your responsibility to provide him/her with the necessary observation forms prior to teaching the lesson.

6. The scheduled seminars are mandatory. You must attend all seminars unless you previously clear an absence with the instructor. Missing any of the seminars will result in points being deducted from your final grade.

ASSIGNMENTS

Journals

You are responsible for maintaining a journal entry for EACH time that you attend your practicum. Record what you have done, observed, and learned. Funny, interesting and meaningful experiences that happen should also be included. Use this journal to reflect on what you have learned and how you will apply it to your own teaching. Reflection means that you analyze the classroom environment to assess the effort of the teacher’s and your own instructional practices in order to improve educational practices. Journals will be submitted bi-weekly for 16 week session and weekly for 8-week sessions. Journals will be submitted via WebCT e-mail as a WORD attachment. Journals are confidential between you and your college supervisor.

Assignments 1-12

All assignments are posted on WebCT. Assignments 1-6 are applicable to both general education and special education majors. Assignments 7-12 are separated by general education and special education.

Research Project

You will find detailed instructions for the research project for both general education and special education majors on WebCT.

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

Evaluation Breakdown

Assignment Point Value Total Points

Assignments 1-6 3 pts each 18 points

Assignments 7 & 8 4 pts each 8 points

Assignments 9, 10, 11 and 12 5 pts each 20 points

Journals (8 total) 3 pts each 24 points

Research Project 15 pts 15 points

Professionalism:

Activities Check-sheet (1st week) 1.5 pts 1.5 points

Activities Check-sheet (last week) 1.5 pts 1.5 points

*Information Sheet/Schedule 1 pt 1 point

*Permission Form 1 pt 1 point

Seminar Attendance (5) 2 pts 10 points

Total: 100 points

XI. RESOURCES:

1. Bibliography

Price, K. & Nelson, K. (1999). Daily planning for today’s classroom: A guide for writing lesson

and activity plans. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Wong, H. & Wong, R. (1998). How to be an effective teacher: The first days of school. Mountain

View, CA: Wong Publications

2.Relevant Web Sites: Piedmont College’s Web Page: www.piedmont.edu

§ Library: http://library.piedmont.edu

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

§ Bookstore: http://www.piedmont.bkstr.com/

§ Georgia Professional Standards Commission: www.gapsc.com

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

§ QCC objectives/GPS: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us

US Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/

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

Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org/

Education Website Clearinghouse: http://library.ucf.edu/internet/Education/webed.htm

Educational Software Institute: http://www.edsoft.com/

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

Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE): http://www.crede.ucsc.edu

Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA): http://cela.albany.edu

Better Teaching: Tips and Techniques to Improve Student Learning: http://www.teacher-institute.com

2. Praxis Information:

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

SAT: minimum required score – 1000 (w/ no minimum verbal score 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 score – 43 (w/ 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 English and the math sections of the test.

GRE: 1030 minimum score (w/ 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 – Used in California and Oregon

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

CLAST: Passing Scores indicated on report – Used in Florida

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

FTCE: General Knowledge – Passing Scores indicated on score report – Used in Florida

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

Teacher candidates who are seeking initial certification must also pass Praxis II in the appropriate

content area 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/teachingandlearning/index.html

XIII. Seminar Schedule

DEMOREST 16 WEEK CALENDAR

Spring 2005

DATE	TOPIC	TIME/PLACE	WHAT'S DUE
January 11, 2005	Initial Meeting	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Just You
February 8, 2005	Lesson Plans/DI	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Assignments 1-3
March 15, 2005	Ethics	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Assignments 4-6
April 5, 2005	What Just Happened?	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Assignments 7-10
April 26, 2005	I Made It !!!	4-5:00 pm Marten’s Lab	Assignments 11-12 Research Paper Time Log Practicum Activities Log

DEMOREST 8 WEEK CALENDAR

Spring 2005

DATE	TOPIC	TIME/PLACE	WHAT'S DUE
January 11, 2005	Initial Meeting	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Just You
February 8, 2005	Lesson Plans/DI	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	None
March 15, 2005	Ethics	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	None
April 5, 2005	What Just Happened?	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Assignments 1-8
April 26, 2005	I Made It !!!	4-5:30 pm Marten’s Lab	Assignments 9-12 Research Paper Time Log Practicum Activities Log

Seminar attendance is required. Any absences will be reflected in your final grade.

If you are completing the Practicum during an 8 weeks session please see me after class.