TLT 444, Fall 2011 - Course record

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Session 1 - Tuesday, 30 Aug

Before class

Get a copy of the textbook, if you can
Log into CourseSite and explore the course documents, if you can
Bring to class: An artifact to represent where you are in your teaching process at the moment

During class (ppt)

Introductions
Reviewing syllabus and assignments
One thing I would have added to the orientation: You're entering a profession, and its has rules/standards but also lots of judgment calls. See for yourself.
"Portrait of Practice" photo #1
Intro to action research
Closure

After class

Reading: Start working on Parsons & Brown
Assignments
- WTL
- Work on reading quizzes
- Check out action research samples

Session 2 - Tuesday, 6 Sep

Before class

Get the textbook, start reading, take quizzes along the way.
Poke around more in CourseSite & the wiki, as needed

During class (ppt)

Check in: How was the first week? We'll do a quick technique called photo elicitation. Start in WTL, then we'll share. (If you want the ppt that I'm using, it's linked in CourseSite.)
Conceptual work
- Consider the challenge that you shared. Is it INSTRUCTIONAL (e.g., how to teach something) or INTERPERSONAL (adjusting yourself to the classroom; working out the relationship between yourself and a student)?
- Framework for parsing the 'teaching' part of being a teacher: (t)PCK (aka TPCK, TPACK, or just PCK)
- Stop-and-jot: An emerging area of interest for me in my classroom practice is.... A potential action research topic might be.....
- (I'd encourage people at the same cert level to take a look at one another's threads, comment as you feel appropriate)
- Action research: Getting started
  - Purpose --> Questions
  - Definitions
  - Lit review -- I'll use eric.ed.gov to model this.
- Closing off conceptual stuff.
Housekeeping
- How are things coming with the textbook? Reading quizzes? Don't forget about the Help Me! forum.
- Portfolios
  - Help sessions
  - Portfolio URLs -- please locate and share! Link is in CourseSite and right here.
- Putting together our portraits of practice--I'll post these in the hallway later tonight. A template is in CourseSite (and right here); here's a couple of samples: previous peer, your fearless instructor.

After class

Reading--keep chugging on the textbook! Take your reading quizzes!
Assignments
- WTL -- I'm curious as to how schools 'observe' the 10th anniversary of Sept 11th (if at all), so feel free to write about that...
- If you need help working your portfolio, it's probably a good idea to show up at one of the sessions.

Session 3 - Tuesday, 13 Sep

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Housekeeping -- how are things looking with the textbook? Portfolios?
Conceptual work: By popular demand, certification & job-searching!
- Certification
  - What paperwork is required? Here you go. NOTE: DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH THIS UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER. This is just for your informational purposes at the moment. Donna T. and/or the Office of Field Placement and Teacher Certification will contact you when you need to get this done.
  - How long is this going to take? No idea, but you can track the progress of your certificate as it goes through.
  - What's it good for? Where can I get reciprocity?
    - The official group that has all the legal info is NASDTEC, but I think to get into their "Knowledge Base" you need to be a member ($$). I find this frustrating and even unethical, but there you go.
    - Lots of places give info derived from the official legal sources. For example, certificationmap.com, thanks to the increasingly omnivorous USC. Keep in mind that this info comes with disclaimers (or it should).
    - You can also go straight to the state depts of ed for info. For example: Vermont! (Why Vermont? Why not!)
- Job searching
  - First, know what resources exist to help you. Lehigh has a Career Services office, with a section specifically for grad students. One of the staffers focuses on education jobs: Lynn D'Angelo (lmd204). They have workshops and events -- again, look for the ones that are specific to the teaching field. Talk to these folks for more detailed info than what I can give you.
  - Second, know the territory. For example, in Pennsylvania, consult the following handy map of districts and IUs. There's a lot! Keep in mind that private and independent schools are NOT listed here.
  - Third, know your opportunities
    - Job fairs.
      - This is a hodgepodge, but search around. For example, the Delaware Valley Education Consortium offers a "Greater Philadelphia Teacher Job Fair"every spring.
      - In our neck of the woods, Kutztown University does the largest job fair--their own students get first shot at the recruiters, then the rest of us get in. So: Find the regions you're interested in and find out which job fair(s) cover that region.
      - Keep in mind that you get better results when you prepare: AHEAD OF TIME, know what schools will be there, what openings they have; have applications filled out (if you can get your hands on them); have extra copies of your resume; bring something to write with and write on, etc. For more tips, see Kutztown's page o' advice.
    - Districts may also post openings--look for the Human Resources department. (Example: Allentown; Bethlehem) If there are no openings, PHONE THEM. Don't assume that what you're looking at is current/correct.
    - Below the district level it gets very hit-or-miss, but go ahead and work your network: Make sure principles / counselors / etc. know who you are and what you're good at, pass along contacts and opportunities among your peers.
Closure

After class

Reading -- keep chugging with Parsons & Brown, do reading quizzes as you go
Assignments -- WTL, look through your portfolio, submit your first action research checksheet (if you haven't done so already)

Session 4 - Tuesday, 20 Sep

Before class

Keep working through Parsons & Brown and taking the reading quizzes -- I'd like you to be done after this week!

During class (ppt)

Housekeeping
Conceptual work
- Walking through portfolios--does your intro page have your picture? Is it a good one? Do you have a 'Philosophy of Teaching and Learning'? (etc.)
- Looking at research questions -- can we UTOS these things?
- ~~Working with data~~
  - ~~Example of quantitative data: I'll be using some data from the fall of 2007 -- 10 special needs students in a stand-alone social studies class.~~
  - ~~Example of qualitative data: Sketchmaps from 2007-2008.~~
Closure

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 5 - Tuesday, 27 Sep

Before class

Complete the reading.

Meeting schedule

4:00-4:30 = Greg
4:30 - 5:00 = Chantal
5:00-5:30 = Kelly
5:30-6:00 = Tom
6:00-6:30 = Sonya

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 6 - Tuesday, 4 Oct

Before class

Complete readings

Meeting schedule

4:00-4:30 = Robyn
4:30-5:00 = Sarah
5:00-5:30 = Whitney

After class

Reading
Assignments

Pacing break - Tuesday, 11 Oct -- no class

Session 7 - Tuesday, 18 Oct

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Housekeeping:
- Reading quizzes – if you haven't done them, do so or accept some small but annoying penalty. (Or, if you don't do it at all, a larger bite–they count for a total of 5%, after all)
- Discussing capstone: December 15, 5 pm in Iacocca. Attendance is MANDATORY.
- Planning next several weeks
- ePortfolio...once you're launched with your action research, I want to turn my beady eyes to that.
Conceptual work: Working with data. How will you track the dependent variable(s)? How can you make sense of it – what's moving up or down?
- An experience with quantitative data
  - Examine the test items
  - Look at student demographic data
  - Look at pretest results
  - Look at posttest results
- Hold on a minute: Reich, 2009 – what do these sorts of data really tell us?
- Two experiences with qualitative data
  - Three student essays (movie scripts, actually) on the Harlem Renaissance
    - Understanding the prompt
    - How to make sense of the students' work?
    - What are alternate ways to evaluate the work?
    - How certain/trustworthy are your conclusions?
  - Three students' sketchmaps about the area around Broughal Middle School
- Trade-offs of quant vs. qual
- Importance of triangulation
Closure

After class

Reading–if you want to read the Reich article, I've uploaded it to CourseSite
Assignments
- Work on ePortfolio!
- If you haven't yet done your lit review for action research, I need it!

Session 8 - Tuesday, 25 Oct

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Housekeeping
Conceptual work
Closure

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 9 - Tuesday, 1 Nov

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Housekeeping
Conceptual work
Closure

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 10 - Tuesday, 8 Nov

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

3:00-3:30
3:30-4:00 = Greg
4:00-4:30 = Tom
4:30-5:00 = Chantal
5:00-5:30 = Sarah
5:30-6:00
6:00-6:30
6:30-7:00

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 11 - Tuesday, 15 Nov

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

3:00-3:30
3:30-4:00
4:00-4:30
4:30-5:00 = Kelly
5:00-5:30 = Chantal
5:30-6:00 = Robyn
6:00-6:30
6:30-7:00 = Whitney

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 12 - Tuesday, 22 Nov

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Housekeeping
Conceptual work
Closure

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 13 - Tuesday, 29 Nov

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Presenting action research
- Whitney
- Robyn
- Tom
- Greg

After class

Reading
Assignments

Session 14 - Tuesday, 6 Dec

Before class

Complete reading

During class (ppt)

Presenting action research projects
- Kelly
- Chantal
- Sarah

After class

Reading
Assignments

CAPSTONE: Thursday, December 15, 5:00 pm in Iacocca Hall

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