Eastern Illinois University College of Education and Professional Studies Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle Level Education Curriculum and Instruction in the Middle Level School MLE 3110 Course Syllabus Spring 2007 Credit Hours [3] Time: Mon/Wed 8:00-9:40 a.m. Instructor: James Harden, III E-mail: [email protected] Buzzard Hall 2212 Office Hours: M/W 10-12 T 2-5 Office: (217)581-7882 Others by appointment Section: 001 Unit Theme: Educator as Creator of Effective Educational Environments: Integrating Students, Subjects, Strategies, and Societies. Course Description: An overview of the early adolescent, historical development of middle/junior high education, curriculum and organizational patterns, planning for instruction and the teacher’s role in middle/junior high school. Prerequisites: ELE/JHE 2000 and ELE2320. Prior concurrent enrollment in Psychology 3521 is recommended Purpose of the Course: This course is design to provide learning experiences and assist future middle/junior high teachers understand early adolescents and the unique school environment that should exist to respond to their needs. The course is designed to develop within ear pre-service teacher an awareness of physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth taking place during these years. Learning Model: Information-processing Model (Joyce, Weil & Showers, 1992) This model enhances student attempts to comprehend acquiring and organizing data, sensing problems/generating solutions, and developing concepts (i.e., including the language needed to convey them). This model focuses on input, processing and output. As the content is taught, the teacher directs attention to the methods and materials used to present the data, (e.g., advance organizers) and has students focus on what is occurring as it is assimilated (e.g., inductive thinking and questioning). This model provides the student with information while emphasizing concept attainment and hypothesis testing. TEXTBOOKS Charles, C. (2005). Building classroom discipline (Eighth Ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.Knowles, T., & Brown, D. (2000). What every middle school teacher should know. Portsmouth: Heinemann. Muth, K., & Alvermann, D. (1999). Teaching and learning in the middle grades. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ISTE STANDARDS ADDRESSED • Aspiring teachers to use technology tools and information resources to increase productivity, promote creativity, and facilitate academic learning (I, III, V). • Prepare teachers to use content specific tools (e.g. software, simulation to support learning (I.III). • Aspiring teachers use technology to facilitate higher order thinking skills; include problem solving, informed decision making, constructing knowledge, exploration, and discovery (I, III, V). • Teachers exhibit positive attitudes towards technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity (V). Technology Objectives: To include proven research and hands-on activities utilizing appropriate software to teach in the content area and writing across the curriculum. Upon the completion of this course students will be able to: • Understand the importance of using technology to teach multiple intelligences while teaching reading and writing. • Encourage creative thinking by implementing technology and the use of mind tools in the classroom. To use technology to enhance lesson plans (i.e. Inspiration, Kidspiration). COURSE OUTCOMES FOR ALL MLE CLASSES: • Develop a desire of lifelong learning in students and personally display one's own desire for lifelong learning, including self-evaluation skills. • Demonstrate good communication skills • Demonstrate and exhibit compassion to students of all cultures and backgrounds. • Design instruction to develop and utilize the cognitive process by which students learn. • Demonstrate knowledge of children’s language acquisition. • Describe the factors which influence the development of language. • Demonstrate knowledge of facts and an understanding of fundamental principles, ideas and relationships among various knowledge domains. • Demonstrate knowledge of past and present developments, research, and social influences in the field of education.• Describe cultural influences which are reflected in the history of the English language. • Demonstrate knowledge of current issues in the language arts domain. Proficiency is required in planning and teaching directed reading lessons using a variety of instructional strategies. COURSE OUTCOMES SPECIFIC TO MLE 3110: • Provide for the uniqueness of individuals, and foster an appreciation for those differences. • Strive to model and develop in students’ intellectual, social, ethical, moral, and behavior skills. • Perform successfully within the social and political contexts of schools and community. • Design instruction and evaluation to promote a healthy self-concept in students • Demonstrate alternative methods of achieving similar learning outcomes. • Emphasize higher-order, critical thinking, and creativity COURSE GOALS • Introduce students to the middle/junior high school learner and the unique school that should exist to respond to their needs. • Develop within each pre-service teacher an awareness of the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth taking place during the middle/junior high school years. • Be aware of the tremendous problems facing this age group. Topics should include but not limited to: Drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, bullying, single parenting, teen pregnancy, peer pressure, peer identity, and low self-esteem. • Be able to develop topics for academic growth that will help lessen these problems and make provisions for each student.COURSE REQUIREMENTS/EVALUATION: 1. Attendance and Active Participation: Students are expected to attend and fully participate in all scheduled classes. If it is necessary to miss a class, please inform the instructor about your absence before the scheduled class meets. More than two missed classes or failure to participate in any in-class activities may result in reduction in total points. Due dates will be set for all work, and grades on all assignments will be lowered five points per day after the due date. (25 points) 2. Lesson Plan: Prepare a lesson plan demonstrating the essential