Chapman University Extended Education -- Graduate Elective Credit

EDUC 9770B:  Connecting Instruction and the Learner

Franny McAleer, Instructor

Chapman University, Extended Education, Orange, CA

franny@learnerslink.com  724-413-6001 (cell)

Course Overview:  Connecting Instruction and the Learner is designed to provide special and regular educators with an understanding of Danielson's Domains of  Effective Teaching, current research and best practices designed to promote success in the classroom.  Students will look at various instructional practices, research and apply them in their classrooms.  Students will then focus on one instructional strategy that they determine will improve instruction or curriculum in his/her classroom this year.  An instructional improvement plan will be set up, implemented and assessed.   

Assignment 1:  Professional Development Sessions:  Attend and participate in professional development sessions to discuss current trends and best practices in curriculum and instruction.         

Assignment 2:  Selection of some aspect of curriculum or instruction of interest to you and applicable to your teaching.  Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

A.   Models for reflective teaching and thinking

B.   Instructional technology

C.    Instructional perspectives: Constructivist, Cognitivist, Humanistic, and Behavioral

D.    Principles of constructivist pedagogy applied to individual classroom practice

E.    Cognitive development, differences, and diversity across, and within, age groups of learners

F.     DeBono’s Six Thinking Hats®

G.    Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

H.     Metacognition and learning strategies

I.      Instructional assessment and the learner

J.      Environmental and contextual factors affecting instruction and the learner

K.    Differentiating Instruction

L.   Brain Research

Assignment 3:         Develop an Instructional Improvement Project related to the area of interest.  (Preapproval required)

This research project should synthesize the elements of scholarship from the professional development sessions, research, practice from your professional tasks, and reflection on your work life and its alignment with best practices for instruction and learning.

Sample Projects for your consideration as you develop a project proposal: 

A.     Research supports using a variety of assessments to evaluate student performance. Currently, I use mainly paper and pencil tests. For five of my units, I am going to devise performance assessments.  I will thoroughly explain each assessment and devise rubrics and/or checklists for evaluation.

B.     In my classes, I have students with very diverse learning needs and often believe that I am not meeting the needs of all of them.  I am going to rewrite 5 lesson plans and adapt them so that I am sure to provide remediation for those students who do not understand a concept the first time, provide reinforcement for those students who do understand but need to practice a skill to become proficient, and provide enrichment for those students who are accomplished at a particular task.  I will also adapt 5 tests and/or assessments.

C.   Research supports the value of teamwork.  I want to add this element to my classroom.  In addition my students enjoy writing, and I want to be able to show them how to work as a team and improve our written communication.  I will start a classroom newsletter and evaluate the impact on collaborative learning, task commitment, and writing skills.

Instructional Improvement Project Proposal  (Preapproval required)

A.     Need Statement – Why am I interested in this instructional improvement project?  Why should I do this project?  How will it enhance my professional practice? Who will benefit and how will they benefit?

B.     Project Description – Exactly what do I plan to do?

C.     Supporting Research – What does the current research say about this topic? (2 research articles related to this proposal – annotated bibliography format)

Instructional Improvement Project

            1.         Title of Project                                                           

            2.         Introduction including the need statement explaining why you chose this project, how it will enhance your professional practice, who will benefit from this project, and how people will benefit. (1-2 pages)

            3.         Research Review describing the current research to support the implementation of your project (5-10 pages)

            4.         Conclusion explaining what you learned from this project and how you will, or have, implemented it into your program.   (1-2 pages)

            5.         Bibliography including all of your resources appropriately cited (5-10 sources)

            6.         Appendix including samples of your project (lesson plans, assessments, PowerPoint, portfolio, etc.

Assignment 4:  Write a one page reflection of key understandings gained during this course

1. Did I accomplish what I set out to accomplish?

2. What did I learn that was useful to me as an educator?

3. How did this learning change my thinking or practice?

4. What more would I like to learn about the subject?

Method of Evaluating Student’s Performance:

Assignment 1:  Professional Development Sessions                        (30 points) 

      Assignment 2:  Selection of some aspect of curriculum or instruction of interest to you and applicable to your teaching or administrative position. 

Assignment 3:  Instructional Improvement Project                         (60 points)

Assignment 4:  One page reflection                                               (10 points)

The students will be evaluated in terms of the stated objectives using the following point system:  

                         100 - 90 = A     89 - 80 = B      79 - 70 = C

Textbooks and/or Other Materials:

1. Course manual
2. www.ascd.org (web site focusing on best practices and approved publications)
3. www.learnerslink.com – link to resources necessary for this course, communication and on line registration will be through learnerslink

Textbooks and/or Other Materials:

1. Connecting Instruction and the Learner, course notebook
2. Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching – Charlotte Danielson
3. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners,  Carol Ann Tomlinson
4. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, 2nd Edition
   Carol Ann Tomlinson
5. Differentiating Instruction: Evidence of What's Working
   Carol Ann Tomlinson   (ASCD audio, 2004)
6. Six Thinking Hats®, DeBono, Edward.

7. On line article and resources at www.learnerslink.com – link to resources necessary for this course, communication and on line registration will be through learnerslink
8. On line research, publications, and interest topic information at www.ascd.org

Bibliography:

1. Differentiating Instruction: Evidence of What's Working.  Carol Ann Tomlinson   (ASCD audio, 2004)
2. Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades K-5.
   Carol Ann Tomlinson, Caroline Cunningham Eidson
3. Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades 5-9. Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy A. Strickland
4. Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades 9–12.  Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy A. Strickland
5. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms, 2nd Edition
   Carol Ann Tomlinson
6. Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids, by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe
7. Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms
   Susan Demirsky Allan, Carol Ann Tomlinson
8. The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners,   Carol Ann Tomlinson

9. Six Thinking Hats®,  DeBono, Edward

Options resources:

1.       Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development books and articles (www.ascd.org)

2.      Learn and Live – The George Lucas Educational Foundation

3.      Who Moved My Cheese? – Spencer Johnson

4.      Soar with Your Strengths – Donald Clifton and Paula Nelson