| WEEK # | TOPICS | READINGS | DISCUSSION QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction Class Format and Location Observations, Paperwork Final Paper Introduction - Designing a Classroom Activity - Metaphors for Teaching and Learning (See Pictures and Drawings) | Chapter 6 in How People Learn. | |
| Section I - Schools and Classrooms Images of Schools Classroom Environments School Issues Education Reform Charter Schools / Privatization / Homeschooling / Vouchers | |||
| 2 | What Are Schools Like? What Do We Think Schools Are Like? Fact and Fictional Video Views of Schools and Classrooms Initial Discussion of Student Portfolios and Weblogs: See SchoolBlogs, Education Web Logs Introduction to Current Events | Chapter 1 from How People Learn. Dalton, M. "The Hollywood Model: Who is the Good Teacher?" Chapter 2 in The Hollywood Curriculum: Teachers in the Movies. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 0820468215.Dillon, Sam. "Good Schools or Bad? Ratings Baffle Parents." The New York Times. September 5, 2004. | Please read the New York Times article and answer the following: 1) What can you understand about a school by its performance on a standardized exam? Include pros and cons of using this measure and what you can specifically learn from these measures. |
| 3 | Name Game Introduction to Fastplants - Planting Classroom Environments Jigsaw Straw Towers Activity Part I | Chapters 4 and 6 from How People Learn. | Please read the New York Times article and answer the following: 1) What is the best way to approach the Internet for children? Should school bear another responsibility of introducing such a sensitive thing to its students? Are parents responsible for the actions of their kids? 2) How much can a school involve itself in goings-on in places not directly related to school, like the Internet? |
| 4 | Straw Towers Part II What Are the Major Problems in Education? Brainstorming Impact of No Child Left Behind | "Hot Topics - No Child Left Behind." Education Week. Polman, J. L., and R. D. Pea. "Transformative communication as a cultural tool for guiding inquiry science." Science Education, 85 (2001): 223-238. "A Nation at Risk." Education Week. "Hot Topics - Privatization of Public Education." Education Week. Edison Schools (EdisonSchools.com) "Homeschooling." Time Magazine. "Schools 'Shying Away from Trips'." BBC News. September 28, 2004. | Please read the BBC News article and answer the following: Though this article speaks to a UK audience, its subject is equally relevant to US students. 1) What benefits do trips outside of the classroom bring to a student's educational experience? 2) With increasing budget cuts here in the US, field trips are often the first to go. Are they more expendable than other school programs? 3) As students progress from grade to grade, field trips often become less frequent. Why do you think more field trips are offered to elementary-age students than to high school students? |
| 5 | Fixing Schools Fastplants Stage 1 - Questions Hypotheses | "Schools Relax Cellphone Bans, Nodding to Trend." The New York Times. September 29, 2004. | Please read the New York Times article and answer the following: 1) Should cell phones be allowed in school? 2) Does the convenience of a cell phone outweigh the distractions that it might provide? 3) How does this play out in college classrooms? |
| Section II - Learning and Assessment Ways of Learning and Types of Learners Standards and Assessment | |||
| 6 | Physics - Pulleys What Do We Learn? | "Should it be This Easy to be a Teacher." Time Magazine. "First Impressions." Education Week. Chapter 2 from How People Learn. Carr, Coeli. "The Multiple Choices of Prepping for the SAT." The New York Times. October 3, 2004. | Please read the New York Times article and answer the following: 1) Should parents be spending hundreds to thousands of dollars for tutoring or other programs that will increase their child's performance by 100 to 200 points in most cases? Are SAT scores weighted heavily enough in college admissions to warrant this kind of investment? 2) Does the assistance provided by these preparations and tutoring services warrant their extremely high price tags? 3) Is this indicative of an overemphasis on standardized test scores by parents, or by society in general? 4) Should schools offer some form of standard test prep to all students, as described for the Elizabeth Irwin High School, to make sure that all students have an opportunity for this kind of help? |
| 7 | Introduction to Mini-Lessons Town Hall Meeting Planning | Chapters 7 and 10 from How People Learn. Benchmarks for Science Literacy National Science Education Standards Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards Classroom Assessment and the National Education Standards Bauza, Margarita. "Parents Shape Sex Education in Michigan." The Detroit News. October 17, 2004. | Please read the Detroit News article and answer the following: 1) Should parents have so much involvement in the schools? 2) There are several different opinions on how sexual education should be taught, and what the focus should be (abstinence, contraception, etc). It has been argued that not teaching contraception is irresponsible, but on the other hand it's been argued that teaching contraception is tantamount to giving students "permission" to have underage sex. Is there a compromise to be reached here? |
| 8 | Town Hall Meeting on Standards and Standardized Tests | Cox, Amy. "Moving Out of the Traditional Classroom." CNN. August 13, 2004. | Please read the CNN article and answer the following: 1) Do non-traditional learning environments affect a student's social skills? 2) Do you feel that the public schools are suffering/benefiting from the creation of non-traditional learning environments? Is there a balance between the traditional and non-, or should there be only one type? 3) Do you feel that different curriculums or learning environments contribute to the success of these charter schools in preparing college-bound students? |
| Section III - Teaching Pedagogies and Practices | |||
| 9 | Mini Lessons Trip to the Museum of Science Informal Learning Environments - MOS Visit | "English-Language Learners." EdWeek, Research Center, Issues Page. | Please read the EdWeek article and answer the following: 1) In your opinion, which form of teaching (bilingual, English immersion) would be best for students who don't speak English as their primary language and why? 2) In the end do we want people to learn English better at the expense of their own native languages? 3) Do you feel that a student would be able to learn history, science, and math topics in an environment in which they didn't understand the language? (Same as question 2, but asking, do we want people to learn English better at the expense of their academics?) 4) Any other points you'd like to bring up? Some background info: Proposition 227 in California basically abolished all types of bilingual programs. All instruction must be in English Proposition 203 in Arizona is the same as Proposition 227 |
| 10 | Trip to the Museum of Science (cont.) Informal Learning Environments - MOS Visit (cont.) | "Fall in Compulsory Language Lessons." BBC News. November 4, 2004. | Please read the BBC News article and answer the following: 1) Do you think it's important to learn another language? 2) Do you think this trend from England is paralleled in the US? 3) In the view of the more global community of today's world, is it more important that children be exposed to other languages and cultures? |
| Section IV - Technology in the Classroom Digital Divide Modeling Internet | |||
| 11 | Mini-Lesson Debrief Massive Current Events | Chapters 3 and 9 from How People Learn. "Wisconsin district to teach more than evolution." CNN. November 6, 2004. | |
| 12 | Participatory Simulations: The Prisoner's Dilemma, Modeling and Simulation, Competing Prisoners Project, StarLogo Information | Herszenhorn, David M. "In the Schools; Making Good Works Part of Their World." The New York Times. November 15, 2004. Randall, Laura. "In the Schools; Colleges Say, Don't Bother to Dabble." The New York Times. November 15, 2004. | Please read the New York Times article and answer the following: 1) Should colleges be placing more or less of an emphasis on community service when considering applications? 2) When filling out their college applications, do applicants regard community service in a mercenary manner (e.g., 'Are 400 hours of community service enough for Vanderbilt?')? 3) Apart from college admissions, do you think that students should be made to do some form of community service? If so, how much? Should it be something they have to do continuously throughout the year? Should schools be allowed to do that? |
| Final Projects | |||
| 13 | Concept Mapping and Teacher Education: Introduction to Concept Mapping, Concept Mapping 11.124 | Concept Mapping Overview "Education boss wants overhaul of teacher licensing." The Boston Herald. November 23, 2004. Postrel, Virginia. "Economic Scene; A Texas experiment that shifts money from rich to poor school districts is turning into a policy disaster." The New York Times. October 7, 2004. | Please read the Boston Herald article and answer the following: 1) What do you think should be required of teachers to get a professional license (the highest teaching license)? 2) How do you think the teacher's union should be involved in this discussion? Please read the New York Times article and answer the following: 1) Do you think that Robin Hood will help equalize education among schools? 2) If you do think so, do you think is a fair system? If you don't think so, what other methods do you propose for leveling academic standards among schools with unequal resources? 3) Overall, would you recommend this system to be implemented on a greater scale? (I.e. do the benefits of equalizing resources negate any drawbacks regarding fairness?) |
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