"Focus On" Research-Based Teaching Practices
The following research based strategies to use for my ITU:
- Community/Parental Involvement
- The Tripod Project (Ferguson): Content, Pedagogy, Relationships
- Hold ongoing teacher discussions on strategies to improve instruction
- Assist students with complex understanding by relating to real life experiences
- Infuse lesson plans to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of students
- Embrace the diversity that exists in school
- Provide structures that will enable all students to be successful
- Provide curriculum that reflects the diversity of the lives and cultures of students
Teaching in Secondary Schools
Activities 7.1 & 7.2, pgs. 172-173
Theme: Heroism
The theme that my ITU team came up with is the theme of heroism. According to Andrew Bernstein's "The Philosophical Foundations of Heroism," heroism "is a high-level abstraction--it is primarily a moral concept--and requires a rational philosophical system, including the principle of mind-body integration, as it proper base. Without such a basis the concept can be neither rigorously-defined nor adequately-understood." There are four components of heroism: moral greatness, ability or prowess, action in the face of opposition, and triumph in at least a spiritual, if not a physical, form.
Relating the theme to my discipline, heroism can be seen throughout numerous works of literature, mostly in Greek or epic works. Here is a list of some heroes in literature:
The Odyssey: Odysseus
Romeo and Juliet: Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet: Hamlet
Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Bennett
Treasure Island: Jim Hawkins
To Kill a Mockingbird: Atticus Finch
Theme: Heroism
Essential Questions:
- What is a hero?
- Who defines a hero?
- What makes a person’s actions heroic in our society?
- In what ways can a hero also be viewed as a villain?
- In what ways do real heroes improve the quality of life in our community? In our larger society?
A complete guide to integrated thematic units. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Planning Activities: Initiating, Ongoing and Culminating
Initiating Activities:
- Several Disciplines can Initiate ITU
- Place-based Education to Initiate Study
- Questions to Initiate Study
- Activity A in Scope and Sequence Plan
- Reference A from Professional Standards, State, District and School Documents
Culminating Activities:
- Students plan synthesis for their learning (closure)
Tasks I would be well skilled at leading and contributing for the ITU assignment:
- Task 2: Cover Sheet/ Web Page
- Task 3: Context Info/Community School and Student Population
- Task 5: Overview of Activities
- Task 9: Art Component
- Task 12: Student Description
- Task 17: Differentiation Strategies
- Task 20: Poster Presentation
Theme: Heroism
Essential Questions:
- What is a hero?
- Who defines a hero?
- What makes a person’s actions heroic in our society?
- In what ways can a hero also be viewed as a villain?
- In what ways do real heroes improve the quality of life in our community? In our larger society?
My PLN or Personal Learning Networks:
Blog
TweetDeck
Diigo
Edmodo
Weebly
iGoogle
And...Many more to come! =]
Reading Response #7
Key elements and process for Service Learning:
Service Learning can be defined as a teaching method where guided or classroomlearning is deepened through service to others in a process that provides structured time for reflection on the service experience and demonstration of the skills and knowledge acquired.
Four essential and interdependent stages:
Preparation: Teacher and student work together to set the stage for social learning and action
Action: Students develop knowledge and resources
Reflection: Students put cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of experience into the larger contect of self, the community and the world
Demonstration:Knowledge that students gained from community involvement
Service Learning Blueprint:
Step 1 Points of Entry (What underlying skills and content do you want students to come away with?)
Step 2 Map Out Your Plans (Service idea in detail)
Step 3 Clarify Partnerships (Establish contacts or collaborations)
Step 4 Review Plans and Gather Resources (References)
Step 5 Begin Process of Service Learning and Action (Initiate four stages)
Step 6 Assess the Service Learning Experience (Assessment and debrief period)
Reading Response #8
Ideas and resources to use for Service Learning and ITU:
Community Safety Across the Curriculum
Elders Across the Curriculum
The Environment Across the Curriculum
Hunger and Homelessness Across the Curriculum
Immigrants Across the Curriculum
Literacy Across the Curriculum
Social Change Across the Curriculum
Special Needs and Disabilities Across the Curriculum
Reading Response #9
Ethnographic research on your school site to complete your ethnography for EDSS 530 and to complete Task 3 for the ITU:
Community
Valley High School
410 Hidden Trails
Escondido, CA 92027
Located approximately 30 miles northeast of San Diego and 18 miles inland, Escondido is home to over 133, 000 residents This vibrant and diverse community's economic base is made up largely of successful small businesses, many of which are family-owned. The city of Escondido is quickly emerging as a regional economic leader in the fore froun of job development and new industries. For over 110 years, the Escondido community has relied on the Escondido Union High School District.
School
Mission Statement
The Valley High School staff strongly believes in our mission statement "Learning for All, Whatever it Takes." We also believe that all students will learn because of what we do on a daily basis. Our program emphasizes personal responsibility and accountability, pro-social skill development and a strong, standards based curriculum with integrated technology. We view our diverse community as a resource and our staff members serve as coaches helping students achieve their goals.
Valley High School believes that all students will learn whatever it takes and demonstrate mastery in a climate of support and high expectations. The program emphasizes personal safety and growth, pro-social skill development, basic skills, integrated technology and standards based curriculum. The program views the community as a resource, staff as coaches and providers of support services and students as workers and learners.
Valley High School teachers and staff are dedicated to ensuring the academic success of every student and providing a safe and productive learning experience. As an alternative education high school, the entire staff understands the importance of identifying and meeting the needs of each student. The school has developed educational programs designed to provide the skills and tools necessary for students to explore their creativity while developing a strong educational base.
Reading Response #10
ITU Cover Sheet Details: Weebly Website
Reading Response #11
TBA
Reading Response #12
Art Component: Heroism
-
Creating Student Hero Art - Steps for Students to Follow
- 1. Choose and Research your hero.
2.Identify Five traits that qualify your hero as a role model.
3. Find photographs, biographical information, Inspirational quotes.
4. Complete your hero art (Sketch, Collage, PowerPoint, Poem, etc.)
5. Prepare all hero art works to be digitally photographed.
6. Upload your hero art to the MY HERO Virtual Art Gallery.
7. Prepare a summary to explain why your personal hero was selected
Ethnographic Research
Border Policy ITU Greak Oak High 2009
Structure and Format
Civil Rights ITU Temecula Valley High 2009
Reading Response #13
For this week, I have seen multiple co-teaching approaches modeled during my English Methods class as well as in Dr. Thousand's Presentation. In my English Methods class, the co-teaching models used were Supportive and Complementary. For the Supportive, a few of my colleagues were responsible for facilitating components of our class agenda, which was primarily lead by our Methods professor. One colleague was responsible for facilitating our "Who" poem while the other was responsible for creating a rubric for our Digital Age Reports. For the Complementary, our Methods professor assisted my colleagues to clarify anything they may have missed. For Dr. Thousand's Presentation, the co-teaching model used was Supportive. For Supportive, there were other instructors who managed the room by walking around and provided support when necessary as Dr. Thousand presented.
Reading Response #14
Team Co-Teaching: We will plan, teach, assess and assume responsibility in the classroom.
Major teaching strategies used in this ITU will vary from one discipline to the other. In English the major teaching strategy will be cooperative learning allowing students to discover literary heroes without a large amount of direct instruction. This will allow students to investigate their own literary heroes rather than the entire class learning the same hero. In Social Studies, short lectures will proceed cooperative and individual work. The short lectures are in place to ensure all cultures are represented, creating social justice and equity. The cooperative group and individual assignments are necessary for completion of the tasks that involve technology
Reading Response #15
TBA
Reading Response #16
Five Different Components of Cooperative Learning:
1. Positive Interdependence: (sink or swim together)
- Each group member's efforts are required and essential for group success
- Each group member has a unique contribution to make to the joint effort because of his or her resources and/or role and task responsiblities
- Keeping the size of the group small. The smaller the size of the group, the greater the individual accountability may be.
- Giving an individual test to each student.
- Randomly examining students orally by calling on one student to present his or her group's work to the teacher (in the presence of the group) or to the entire class.
- Observing each group and recording the frequency with which each member-contributes to the group's work.
- Assigning one student in each group the role of checker. The checker asks other group members to explain the reasoning and rationale underlying group answers.
- Having students teach what they learned to someone else.
- Group members discuss how
well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working
relationships
- Describe what member actions
are helpful and not helpful
- Make decisions about what behaviors to continue or change
- Leadership
- Decision-making
- Trust-building
- Communication
- Conflict-management skills
- Orally explaining to solve problems
- Teaching one's knowledge to other
- Checking for understanding
- Discussing concepts being learned
- Connecting present with past learning
1. Positive Interdependence: Group students together to
complete KWL Chart for the Literary Hero Socratic Seminar in order to
participate. Ensure that each student in the group is held accountable for
certain Literary Hero topics
2. Individual and Group Accountability: Group rotations of
KWL Chart
3. Group Processing: Feedback session for group work
involving a rubric
4. Social Skills Taught: Literary Hero Socratic Seminar
5. Face to Face Interaction: Literary Hero Socratic Seminar
debrief session.
Reading Reflection #18:
To Be or Not to Be a Literary Hero
Story Map: Journey of selected and non selected Literary Heroes
Process Chart: Demonstrate what and what does not make a Literary Hero
Literary Hero Socratic Seminar Notes
KWL Chart: What students know about selected Literary Heroes
What students want to know about selected Literary Heroes
What students have learned about selected Literary Heroes
Graffiti Walk
Spider Map: Different Literary Heroes
Good work on RR 1-9. Some suggestions, post a solid background for your blog text, to make it easier to read your posts. Also add images to represent your school.
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