MIT 2009 Independent Small Group Contract Project Description Winter 2009 Introduction This project provides an opportunity for you to learn more about a topic that is particularly relevant to your development as a teacher in light of the needs and interests that emerged during your fall student teaching experience As an independent project or as a small group project you will explore a specific field of study pertaining to your area of endorsement To gain the most from this opportunity you should select a topic that is highly interesting to you and very relevant to your future teaching This project will be a very important part of your winter MIT experience The structure of the experience is that of an independent project meaning that your work although approved and reviewed by the faculty is not guided by the faculty You and or your group are responsible for determining the experience the fields explored the materials reviewed and the formative and summative outcomes Selecting a Topic Your topic must be approved by the faculty team by Friday of our first week We expect you to use your time over the course of the holiday to reflect on your fall quarter experience and arrive at a project that will enhance your current skills and foundation of information in your endorsement If you choose to conduct this work in a small group format then we expect you to use your time likewise to discuss and arrive at your central ideas for your project We will use the first week of the quarter for you to arrive at the initial contract and proposed work for the quarter Sources of Information You can use a variety of sources as you pursue your topic including research articles from professional journals articles from non research journals books teacher interviews and classroom observations These sources and others as appropriate will be identified in the contract you complete detailing your course of study Accountability Whether working independently or in a small group you will need to hold yourself accountable for the time spent on your project and the completion of credit worthy work This includes identifying deadlines for work to be completed each week scheduling meeting times when appropriate with other students and faculty as needed devising formative and summative outcomes for review by faculty and providing an accurate record at the end of the quarter of time spent on the project Community Service As part of your project you must identify a community service component and spend a minimum of 5 hours week completing this community service component We encourage you to seek a weekly experience that allows you to familiarize yourself with the local community for your spring quarter student teaching You must record hours spent as part of this project Once again you re welcome to do this as independent or group work Our hope is for you to more fully amplify your understanding of community based concerns during spring quarter One caveat you cannot teach at your fall quarter school You re welcome to find an experience that involves teaching but it should be centered on the community for your next student teaching experience and not within the school itself The Mini Workshop Design and conduct a 20 30 minute learning experience for your colleagues based on some subset of your findings You are encouraged to be creative and to use good pedagogical practices as you share the useful and important information you have gathered keeping in mind the limited time you have to teach something useful to your colleagues You will need to include evidence of your planning for this workshop for your faculty and colleagues typically a handouts and a detailed lesson plan In addition you should incorporate the technology practices developed from your fall quarter student teaching and your work this quarter with Masao or Terry using technology Credit This is a four credit project for students needing to complete Elementary Social Studies and a four six credit project for the rest of you The community service component equals one of the four credits whether you spend five hours week or 25 hours week Independent Contract Approval Form Your Name Faculty Name MIT 06 08 Winter 2008 Tentative Planning complete on January 7 during seminar Describe your tentative topic Describe tentatively your three primary sources of information for this project Finalized Contract complete by January 14 and bring to seminar for faculty to collect make a copy for yourself as well Describe your topic Describe the rationale for your topic List one or more specific learning outcomes Describe your three primary sources of information for this project in the order in which you will likely use them your signature signifying that you have read and understand the requirements and timelines for of this project faculty signature signifying that your choice of topic and sources has been approved
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