COURSE PURPOSE: The purpose of this course is to enhance your ability to become reflective teachers by addressing issues that will grow from your own classroom experiences. One important aspect of this process is making connections between research and practice. We will examine how students learn, how teachers participate in that learning, and the practical research strategies that teachers can use to strengthen the foundations of their reflective classroom practice. To that end, you will learn about research strategies - including theories, definitions, and models; explore the various uses of those strategies; and use those strategies in planning a project to improve your classroom practice. Finally, this course hopes to empower you as beginning teachers in your classrooms through your use of reflective inquiry and your understanding of educational research strategies.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS: This student-centered course requires active student participation. During class time, students participate in small group, large group, and individual activities. They are also exposed to various models of teaching, including cooperative learning, concept attainment, and presentation.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

1. Attendance: You are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for all instructional activity that takes place during class time. The second and each subsequent unexcused absence will result in the loss of a grade.

2. Reading Assignments and Class Participation: You are expected to complete reading assignments at the assigned time and be ready to discuss them in class.

3. Written Work: You are expected to complete well-organized, well-written, neat, and thoughtful work. Failure to meet these expectations may result in the return of your work without review or comment to be prepared for resubmission. In addition, work must be submitted on time to receive full credit.

4. Office Hours: You are encouraged to come in for a visit!

5. Learning Activities: Students will be involved in a variety of activities:
Reading Assignments: will be given in class.
In-Class Study Groups: Sharing and feedback sessions will be regularly scheduled.
Journal: of student teaching experience and a study of one student for examination in class.
Case Study: Write up a detailed descriptions of a critical event during yout student teaching experience.
Lesson Plan: selecting a teaching procedure used during your student teaching and writing up your experience.
One Teacher's Work: Review the work done by one teacher. Wrute a review and analyze.
Pre-Action Research Proposal: for study to be done during your internship

Specific assignments and information about the evaluation of these learning activities can reviewed in the attached rubrics. Course evaluations will examine the quality of projects, quality of class participation, including references to the reading assignments, and the quality of other assignments.

Evaluation Weights:
Class participation and Journal Assignment: 20%
Case Study 20%
Lesson Plan 20%
One Teacher's Work: 15%
Pre-Action Research Proposal: 25%

TEXTS:
1. Mills, Geoff. Action Research: A guide for the teacher researcher, New York: Merrill: 2000.
2. Readings as distributed.
Tentative Schedule: Teaching & Leadership 736
Analysis of Teaching and Learning
Fall 2001
Hamilton

Date Topics Readings (Due following week) Due
Week 1
Oct 8 Introduction
Course Overview
Course Requirements Mills - Chapters 1 & 2
(Due Oct 15) Journal
Week 2
Oct 15 Student Teaching Evaluation
Questions to Consider:
How well did you do?
What might you do differently? Mills - Chapters 3-4

(Due Oct 22) Select a critical event for the case study

Week 3
Oct 22 Professional Problem-Solving
o Discussion of research
o Discussion of educational values & beliefs
Questions to Consider:
What is your professional style?
What are your educational values?
How might you represent those ideas on paper? Mills - Chapter 5

(Due Oct 29) Write up the case study

Week 4
Oct 29 Improving Professional Practice
Analyzing Teaching and Learning

Action Research: Conceptualizing a Problem
Questions to Consider:
How would you improve self as a professional?
What aspect of professional self needs improvement? Mills - Chapter 6

(Due Nov 5) Select a lesson plan topic.
Week 5
Nov 5 Designing a Plan: Proposal Writing

Questions to Consider:
What is the relationship between your beliefs and your professional improvement plan? Mills - Chapters 7-9

(Due Nov 12) Write up the lesson plan

Week 6
Nov 12 Looking at a model - what can we learn?
Select "One Teacher" Topic
Week 7
Nov 19 Action Research Plan: Nuts and Bolts
Questions to Consider:
What do you want to examine? Why? Write up "One Teacher" Topic
Week 8
Nov 23-24 Make a selection for the Pre-Action Research Project
Week 9
Nov 26 Portfolio: A Professional Profile
Discussion of the value of portfolios
Discussion of goal setting
Questions to Consider:
How clear and feasible is your proposed project?
How will it help you?
How would you present yourself as a professional?
Bring in a draft of ideas
Week 10
Dec 3 Questions to Consider
What are your final questions?
Week 11
Dec 10 Professional Presentation Day:
Sharing the summary activity Pre-AR Project Due
Summary Discussion