TTE 300C, Fall 2011

TTE 300c: “Classroom Processes and Instruction” (4 units/credits)
Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies
College of Education
University of Arizona

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to introduce teacher candidates to the nature of teaching and learning to teach. Teacher candidates will understand the many dimensions of student diversity and will learn to form and foster parental partnerships. Knowledge of major philosophical orientations and the major theorists will be applied to early childhood classroom systems as well as guidance and management of young children, including student motivation. Teacher candidates will learn to plan for instruction, especially with regard to developmentally appropriate practices. This also includes the elements of play and the major role of play in early childhood settings. Teaching and learning through different methods will be explored including, teaching through presentation, direct instruction, discussion, cooperative learning, and problem-based (inquiry) instruction. Teacher candidates will also engage in a 45-hour field observation.

Course objectives

Develop an awareness and appreciation of the opportunities and challenges that correspond to working in birth through third grade settings and schools, with specific reference to student diversity and multicultural learning environments.

Acquire the skills needed to observe, record and reflect on teaching.

Develop an awareness of how to create a positive learning environment for all children and their families

Identify different approaches to teaching, learning, and education.

Develop a range of teaching models, strategies and tactics to implement in the classroom.

Understand the complexities of teaching, both inside and outside the classroom.

Examine/analyze/understand the multitude of influences that affect teaching in 21^st century classrooms.

Arizona State and National Standards

TTE 300C specifically addresses the following state and national standards as required for professional teacher certification:

Teacher Preparation Program Professional Standards

The Learner and Learning

InTASC Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

InTASC Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

InTASC Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

Content

InTASC Standard #4: Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.

InTASC Standard #5: Application of Content. The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Instructional Practice

InTASC Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

InTASC Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

InTASC Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Professional Responsibility

InTASC Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

InTASC Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.

NAEYC Standards (http://www.naeyc.org/)

Standard 1. Promoting Child Development and Learning Candidates use their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning, to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for all children.

Standard 2. Building Family and Community Relationships Candidates know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children’s development and learning.

Standard 3. Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families Candidates know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence children’s development and learning.

Standard 4. Teaching and Learning Candidates integrate their understanding of and relationships with children and families; their understanding of developmentally effective approaches to teaching and learning; and their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for all children.

Sub-Standard 4b. Using developmentally effective approaches Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of effective approaches, strategies, and tools to positively influence children’s development and learning.

Sub-Standard 4c. Understanding content knowledge in early education Candidates understand the importance of each content area in young children’s learning. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas including academic subjects and can identify resources to deepen their understanding.

Standard 5. Becoming a Professional Candidates identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

CREATE Principles

TTE 300C specifically addresses the following CREATE principles:

Principle 1: Promoting early childhood educators’ understanding of the cultural knowledge and skills – “funds of knowledge” – within diverse cultural communities

Principle 4: Providing prospective and practicing teachers and teacher educators with opportunities to work and reflect together in community and school settings.

Required Readings:

Bullard, J. (2010). Creating Environments for Learning. Columbus, OH: Merrill.

Denton, P. (2007) The power of our words: Teacher language that helps children learn. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.

Supplementary Readings:

As posted in D2L and in class.

COURSE CALENDAR

Additional Assignment Information

Reading Log InTASC Standards #9; NAEYC Standard #5; CREATE principles #1 & 4

Each week as you complete the reading assignments be thinking about and looking for ideas for what you’re seeing now in your studies and/or your school visits and ideas for your future as a teacher. Record these thoughts and ideas in a short written reading response (no more than 2 pages). This assignment is due (hard copy) each Wednesday. After it is scored and returned to you keep it in your portfolio binder.

Language Log InTASC Standards #3, 8, 9; NAEYC Standards #3, 4b, 5; CREATE principle #4

Beginning the week of August 29^th you will begin keeping track of language that you hear grown-ups using, including yourself. You will determine if that language was positive/effective or if it could be changed to be more positive/effective. The purpose of this part of the assignment is to tune your ear to language and how it’s used. You will also keep track of your own language by recording what you say and then how you could have possibly communicated the same message in a more positive or more effective manner. The purpose for this part of the assignment is to help you begin to change some of your own language patterns to be more effective and positive in your work with children. You will hand in your Language Log each Monday beginning September 12^th. After it is scored and returned, keep it in your portfolio binder.

Observation Log InTASC Standards #3, 6, 8, 9; NAEYC Standards #2, 3, 4b, 5; CREATE principle #1 & 4

Beginning August 31^st you will begin an observation log. You will be provided with observation templates (first one in class, the rest on D2L) to guide your observations. The first observation will take place in an environment of your choosing – as long as there are people interacting in that environment. All other observations will occur in your classroom visits and placements. Always remember to record only what can actually be observed – rather than feelings, inferences, or why you think something is happening. You will hand in your Observation Log each Monday beginning September 12^th. After it is scored and returned, keep it in your portfolio binder.

Child Development Jigsaw Assignment InTASC Standards #1, 2, 4, 10; NAEYC Standards #1, 4c, 5; CREATE principles #1 & 4

In this assignment you will become a “specialist” on one age group of children. You will then share your knowledge with a small group of your classmates through a presentation and a flyer. Further details will be provided in class and on D2L.

SAzAEYC Conference Classroom Connections InTASC Standards #3, 9; NAEYC Standards #4b, 5; CREATE principle #4

While you are at the SAzAEYC conference make a list of ideas/items you’d want to implement in your classroom. Choose 4 of these ideas/items to further expand upon. Describe the idea/item, why it caught your attention, and what you’ll do with it. Each item expanded upon in that manner will receive one point.

Licensing Scenario Assignment and Rubric InTASC Standards #3, 6, 9, 10; NAEYC Standards #1, 3, 5

You will complete this assignment in class on November 9th. You will be provided a description of an early care and learning environment. You will be asked to evaluate this environment based upon the Arizona licensing regulations appropriate for that environment. After this initial assignment has been graded it will be returned to you for placement in your portfolio binder.

Scoring – One point will be given for each of at least 5 appropriate positive notations and one point will be given for each of at least 5 appropriate items that the center/home will need to change to be in compliance.

Support of Play Interaction InTASC Standards #1, 3, 5, 8; NAEYC Standards #1, 4b; CREATE principle #1 & 4

In this activity you will participate in a play experience in your placement classroom. During this experience you will play one or more of the supportive roles discussed in the Feeney et al. reading assignment (stage manager, observer, protector/mediator, participant, or tutor). After the play experience you will write a short paper including a description of the play experience and a personal reflection. More information will be provided in class and on D2L.

Literature Circle Book Reflections InTASC Standards #1, 2, 3, 9, 10; NAEYC Standards #1, 4b, 5; CREATE principle #4

Through this project you will have the opportunity to explore, discuss, and reflect upon the classroom experiences of Vivian Gussin Paley by reading and discussing one of her books. Students will have the opportunity to provide input as to which of three books they would prefer. Every two weeks you will be meeting in either TTE 300C or TTE 350D (see course calendar) with small groups to discuss assigned portions of the book. Prior to that meeting you will complete a written reflection that you will add to or revise after the discussion. At the end of the semester you will complete a written summative reflection. More details will be provided in class and on D2L.

Classroom Map and Processes Project InTASC Standards #3, 7, 8, 9; NAEYC Standards #4b, 5; CREATE principle #1 & 4

Initial Classroom Map/Process Assignment

You will complete this assignment in class during the first week of classes. You will be provided with a “class picture”, a general description of your class, and a floor plan of your classroom. You will be asked to design your classroom space within the floor plan and then be prompted to provide information about your classroom procedures, processes, environment, etc. After this initial assignment has been graded it will be returned to you. Throughout the semester you will be revising this initial plan working towards the final project.

Final Classroom Map/Processes Assignment

This part of the assignment will build upon the initial portion completed in the first week of class. You will revise and add to that initial assignment throughout the semester, culminating with a final written project to be submitted at the end of the semester (see Course Calendar). This project should reflect everything you’ve learned about classroom environments, how classrooms operate (processes), and how to creating a positive classroom community. The final project should contain the following sections: classroom map, class routines, and the building and maintaining of the class community. Important elements such as building family-school relationships and the roles of language and play in learning must also be included and all elements must be developmentally and culturally appropriate for the classroom description that you received the first week of class. More details will be provided in class and on D2L.

Signature Assignment: Portfolio InTASC Standards #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9; NAEYC Standards #1, 2, 3, 4b, 4c, 5; CREATE principles #1 & 4

The final project for this class will be a portfolio of your assignments from TTE 350D and TTE 300C. You will have 6 specific sections in your binder. The specific sections will be labeled Histories, Philosophies, Reflective Teacher, My Classroom, Logs and Resources. Each section will contain artifacts, the assignments you have worked on throughout the semester in both classes. At the beginning of each section you will also have a ‘Portfolio Entry Slip’. This will be your own personal reflection regarding your assignments in that particular section of the binder.

The Portfolio Entry Slip should address these questions…

*How do the artifacts address the NAEYC, CREATE and InTASC standards?

*How do these artifacts relate to YOUR philosophy?

A majority of the assignments from TTE 350D and TTE300C will be included in this portfolio. The specific layout of the binder will be discussed in more detail later in the semester, however it is recommended that you start thinking about these questions as you collect your assignments.

The signature assignment for TTE 350D will be the Artifacts and Portfolio Entry Slip assignments for the Histories, Philosophies and Reflective Teacher sections on your Final Project Binder

The signature assignment for TTE 300C will be the Artifacts and Portfolio Entry Slip assignments for the My Classroom, Logs and Resources sections on your Final Project Binder.

Please see the rubric for details on this assignment.

The Signature Assignment is a performance based assessment that evaluates your progress toward meeting the NAEYC and InTASC Standards and the CREATE Principles. In order to pass this course, you must pass the Signature Assignment. Even if you receive passing grades on all other assignments, if you fail the Signature Assignment, you will fail the class. Passing the Signature Assignment means you have met the objectives of the course, which are tied to the the NAEYC and InTASC Standards and the CREATE Principles. Failing the Signature Assignment means that you have failed to demonstrate mastery of objectives of the course, which are tied to the NAEYC and InTASC Standards and the CREATE Principles.

Scoring of Assignments:

Attendance, Participation and Contributions: 15 points (1 pt./week)

Reading Log: 30 points (2 points/week)

Observation Log: 24 points (2 points/week)

Language Log: 24 points (2 points/week)

SAzAEYC Conference Classroom Connections: 4 points

Licensing Scenario: 10 points

Support of Play Interaction: 5 points

Child Development Jigsaw: 10 points

Literature Circle Book Reflections: 15 points

Classroom Map/Processes project: 15 points

Signature Assignment – Portfolio

(My Classroom, Logs, Resources sections & Pecha Kucha): 48 points

Grading scale: A:      90-100%
B:      80-89%
C:      70-79%
D:      60-69%
Z:        0-59%

Academic Integrity

The University of Arizona’s Code of Conduct (available via www.arizona.edu) specifically prohibits “all forms of student (and faculty) academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism.” Cheating is defined by the Code as follows, “Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise.” Plagiarism is understood by the Code to mean, “intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.”

Classroom Behavior

Our classroom should be a safe and positive environment for all participants. It is expected that everyone be treated with respect at all times. Students creating disturbances or hindering the learning of others will be asked to stop the disruptive behavior and/or be asked to leave the classroom. Threatening behavior will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to university policy. (See the university’s policy on threatening behavior at http://web.arizona.edu/~policy/threatening.pdf.) It is also expected that all university rules will be followed at all times including, but not limited to policies regarding drugs, alcohol, firearms, etc.

NOTE: Please do not use cell phones, pagers or other electronic devices during our class time! If you have a specific unavoidable reason/emergency you may have your phone set to vibrate and step outside the room to receive the call. The instructor MUST be notified before class begins of this need. Out of respect for all class participants, the reading and answering of emails, participating in social networking, texting, etc. should not be occurring during class. If you are unable to control this urge, you will be asked to put away your electronic devices.

Attendance

Dependability and punctuality are critical qualities in the profession of teaching and your regular attendance and punctuality are important to your success in this class. You are allowed one excused absence from class for illness or personal emergency. In order for this absence to
be excused, a) You must notify me before class or on the day of the absence. b) The reason for the absence must be justifiable and for the most part unplanned and unavoidable. Doctor's appointments, vacations, family events, or conflicts with work schedules do not constitute excused absences. 
 Under most circumstances, more than one excused absence or any unexcused absences will result in lowering your grade by one full letter. For example, if you were receiving an A in the course, the highest grade you could receive is a B. More than two excused absences are a serious cause for concern; they will necessitate a conference with me and may result in a failing grade for the course. As per university policy, "EXCESSIVE OR EXTENDED ABSENCES from class is sufficient reason for the instructor to recommend that the student be administratively dropped from the course."
 Arriving to class on time and prepared is also very important. We will start class promptly each day. If you arrive more than 5 minutes late, or leave more than 5 minutes early, this will be noted. 3 or more late arrivals or early departures constitute an unexcused absence. Again, please be aware that excessive absences will result in significantly lowering your
grade, and/or dropping you from the class.
 If you are sick or have an emergency that requires you to miss or be late for class, you should notify me as soon as possible. You should make arrangements for another student to gather handouts and take notes for you. You are responsible for catching up on any missed material.
 All holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion. Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean's designee) will be honored (for example, absences required of athletes).
 Finally, this attendance policy also applies to your applications placements. Your arrivals and departures along with attendance will be noted on a time sheet in the classroom. If your tardies, early departures and absences in applications exceed the attendance policy described above, your grade will be lowered to a full grade in EACH of your courses. For example, if you were receiving a B in each of your courses, you would receive a C in EACH of your courses. 
 To earn a passing grade in your courses, you must successfully complete the associated application experience. Successful completion involves attending practicum every week and making up missed hours, receiving positive evaluations from your cooperating teacher regarding your classroom performance and professionalism, and completing all required practicum assignments.

Additional Important Notes:

1. The information contained in the syllabus, other than grade and absence policies, is subject to change with advanced notice as deemed appropriate by, and at the discretion of the instructor.
2. Disability Resource Center: The University is committed to equal working and learning opportunities for students, faculty, and staff with disabilities and recognizes that accommodations or modifications may be necessary to ensure access. The mission of the Disability Resource Center is to equalize the educational opportunities for students and provide support services for students, faculty, and staff with disabilities. The program is designed to promote full inclusion and participation in the educational experience and campus life. The Disability Resource Center is the designated office that reviews disability documentation, certifies eligibility for services, determines reasonable accommodations, and provides or arranges for reasonable accommodations. If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.

The instructor is fully and firmly committed to the goals of diversity, anti-discrimination, and justice relative to race, ethnicity, culture, nationality, age, gender, sexuality, religion, language, socioeconomic status, and ability/disability (etc.)