Table of Contents

Course Overview	3
Course Goals	3
Investigation of Course Theme	5
Subject Matter Emphasis in the Course	6
Portfolio Processes in Support of Professional Learning Across the Career	6
Course Policies and Requirements	8
Required Texts and Course Packet	8
Course Requirements and Evaluation	9
Electronic Mail	13
Class Organization, Study Hours and Field Participation	13
Confidentiality	15
Criteria for Progression to the Internship	15
Alcohol and Illegal Drugs	16
Support Available at MSU	16
Summary	16
Mid-Semester Participation Rubric	17
End-of-Semester Participation Rubric	18

Course Overview

We welcome you to your next professional education course within Team 2. We have designed this course to complement your learning from TE 301 where you focused on developing your images of yourself as a teacher and your future classes, began to think about lesson planning, and studied approaches to classroom management. In contrast to TE 301 where you were thinking about issues related to teaching and learning in a variety of subject matters, this course will focus primarily on introducing you to teaching and learning in English language arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and literature study) and mathematics. Other subject matter areas may be brought in as we consider various definitions of "literacy," ways in which English language arts can support content area learning, ways in which integration across subject matters enhances learning, and specific cases of student learning. (TE 402 will focus on teaching and learning in Science and Social Studies.)

Course Goals

Goals for the course span three interrelated areas. You will probably notice that these are stated as areas you are "beginning to" or "continuing to" learn about since you have already begun learning about some areas in prior course work, and others are areas that you will be introduced to in this course. You will continue your learning in these areas during your internship and across your teaching career.

Goal #1: Developing Your Vision of Standards-Based Teaching

You began to develop your teaching philosophy in other TE courses as you thought about and refined your attitudes, beliefs and goals for teaching. In this course, you will think about those issues in subject-specific contexts and be supported in developing and articulating a research-based, principled stance toward teaching diverse learners in English language arts and mathematics.

The following are examples of questions we will explore that will help you develop your vision: What kind of learning community do I want to develop in my classroom? What types of learning experiences do I value, and how will they meet the needs of diverse learners? What do classroom practices that draw upon recent research and theories look like? What guiding principles and concepts will help me make decisions about curriculum, instruction and assessment?

Goal #2: Developing Your Pedagogy

Pedagogy is a word that encompasses many aspects of teaching, including the work a teacher does "behind the scenes" to plan for instruction, as well as the work done in the classroom itself. In developing your pedagogy, you will build upon the knowledge and prior experiences you bring in the three areas listed below, and will have some opportunities to develop your pedagogy in your field placement classroom.

Building a Teaching Repertoire: Building upon your exposure to various teaching strategies in prior courses, you will deepen your knowledge of and skill in using a repertoire of teaching strategies, tasks, and resources (including technology) in language arts and mathematics. You will carefully consider the extent to which your repertoire is consistent with your vision and meets the needs of diverse learners. You will learn to make analysis and reflection a regular and ongoing part of your teaching activity.

Developing Knowledge of Curriculum, Planning and Assessment: You will begin to construct knowledge of mathematics and English language arts curriculum based on State and National Curriculum Frameworks. You will also learn how to select and organize content, skills, and strategies that are responsive to the learners you will be teaching. You will engage in assessment, lesson planning and teaching in language arts and mathematics. You will also participate in collaborative planning with your colleagues where you will appraise instructional resources, make decisions that are consistent with your philosophy, and share your learning with colleagues.

Understanding Children as Learners: Observing, working with, and assessing diverse students as readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and learners of mathematics will help you learn how children's knowledge, skills, reasoning processes and dispositions develop over time. You will learn to adapt your planning to the learning needs of individuals and groups, which includes paying attention to identified disabilities, race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, ability, linguistic characteristics, and gender.

The following are examples of questions we will explore to help you develop your pedagogy: How can I create the kind of classroom I envision? How should I plan for the kind of instruction I envision? Where and how will I locate appropriate resources? How do diverse students learn in English language arts and mathematics? What role does social interaction play in their learning? How do learners construct understanding at different developmental stages? What role can technology play in supporting meaningful learning? How will my understanding of multiple intelligences shape my students' learning? What developmentally appropriate goals, materials, discourse patterns, technologies, and tasks will facilitate learning in mathematics and English language arts?

Goal #3: Engaging in Ongoing Self-Assessment

Self-assessment is a key practice that enables new and experienced teachers to continue learning throughout their careers. We will target two main areas that will inform your teaching philosophy and your pedagogy:

Understanding Yourself as a Learner: You will examine yourself as a learner in English language arts and mathematics. This will enable you to compare and contrast the kinds of instruction you experienced throughout your schooling and the approach to teaching you want to develop across your career. Learning to pay attention to your prior experiences as a learner will help you articulate, challenge, and revise assumptions about teaching and learning. Personal reflections will also enable you to identify areas in your own knowledge that need further development and to pursue a particular issue or question in depth to extend your learning.

Understanding Yourself as a Colleague: Collaborating in a variety of professional activities (e.g., learning collaboratively with your colleagues, sharing resources for projects, participating in an elementary school classroom, observing your colleagues teach) and reflecting on your participation will initiate you into collaborating with colleagues during your internship year and across your career.

The following are examples of questions we will explore to promote self-assessment: How did/do I learn in English language arts and mathematics? How do my own past and present experiences compare with what I want for diverse learners in my own classroom? In what ways am I similar to or different from the learners I will teach (e.g., identified disabilities, race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, ability, linguistic characteristics, gender)? What implications do these comparisons have for my teaching and my students' learning? What kind of learning in these subject areas will I need to continue to pursue across my career? What are important sources of support for my ongoing professional learning? How will being a life-long critical reader of research improve my practice? How can engaging in portfolio processes enhance my professional learning, and what role can technology play in those processes?

Investigation of Course Theme

We will begin the course by investigating a central theme: What does it mean to build an inclusive learning community? How teachers respond to this question brings in ideas that relate to all three course goals, and requires careful thought about how to provide meaningful educational experiences for diverse learners. We will investigate how “difference” among learners is not a deficiency or a problem to solve, but rather a resource for teaching and learning. Difference represents the natural cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic and racial variability found in our world, as well as the inevitable range of abilities that one expects to find in today’s classrooms. We will continue to revisit this theme throughout the course as we work toward the course goals.

Subject Matter Emphasis in the Course

"Literacy" is a term that is used in a variety of ways when teachers discuss student learning, both within English language arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and literature study) and across other subject matter areas (mathematics, science, social studies, the arts). One issue we will explore in TE 401 is the role of both written language (literacy) and spoken language (oracy) in supporting students' learning. In some portions of the course, the role of language will be foregrounded. That is, we will learn about ways teachers can support children to become better readers (of a variety of kinds of printed texts), writers, speakers, listeners, and viewers. This exploration will focus on how to help students develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed in these areas. The following drawing depicts this emphasis:

Text Box: Literacy & Oracy
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening
Viewing

Subject Matter Learning is Context for Learning Language

Processes

At other times in the course we will focus on the teaching of subject matter knowledge, primarily in the context of learning about literature and mathematics. We will explore ways in which the language modes can be used effectively in support of subject matter goals. The following drawing depicts this emphasis.

Portfolio Processes in Support of Professional Learning Across the Career

As part of an overall program, we view your professional learning in TE 401 as one phase of interrelated learning processes that take place over time: (a) learning across the teacher preparation program; and (b) learning across your career. Below, we discuss the creation of a professional portfolio as processes in support of your professional learning. These processes provide a conceptual framework or metaphor for how we have designed and organized the assignments in TE 401. We have also tried to show graphically how the various aspects of the portfolio processes fit together (see Portfolio Processes: Ongoing Intellectual Work of Teaching, p. 10). As you engage in these processes and complete the course requirements, you will begin to collect and reflect on artifacts that represent your ongoing professional learning. These artifacts may eventually become part of your completed professional portfolio that will be ready to share with colleagues and prospective employers by the end of your internship year.

What is a professional portfolio? Recently, there has been much discussion in the educational community about representing professional learning with teaching portfolios. Once you become a full-time teacher, some of you will want to earn advanced certification in subject areas or levels through the National Board for Professional Teaching. This national board was created in 1988 and is in the process of developing and offering over 30 separate certificates that teachers can earn on a voluntary basis. The certifications are awarded on the basis of the submission of a professional portfolio, as well as participating in oral and written exams.

When many educators talk about professional portfolios, they are referring to a collection of carefully selected artifacts that represent a teacher's progress and accomplishments in learning to teach. It is a tangible professional learning tool that teachers can use to reflect on their growth as a teacher over time, clarify their philosophy and teaching goals, connect those ideas to their emerging practice, and communicate their accomplishments to prospective or current employers. In the case of MSU's teacher preparation program, teacher candidates can create "drafts" of parts of their "showcase" portfolios any time during their program experiences. Throughout the internship year, the actual showcase professional portfolio is gradually constructed.

What are portfolio processes? The creation of a professional portfolio is accomplished through professional development processes through which teachers document their progress and accomplishments in learning to teach for themselves, for their colleagues, and eventually for prospective employers. Prospective and experienced teachers engage in several processes that assist them in acquiring and making sense of new knowledge and skills and reflecting on their ongoing work in the classroom.[1] These are processes we will engage in during TE 401:

· Reading: gathering evidence of new knowledge and information from texts, articles, teaching resources

· Writing: formal and informal writing that demonstrates thoughtfulness and integration of new knowledge

· Thinking: making new meaning, connecting ideas, taking stock, constructing new perspectives

What are artifacts that demonstrate professional learning? While the above processes may take place individually, it is also important for teachers to interact with colleagues to express their ideas, get feedback and learn from each other. Therefore, in TE 401 we will also engage in:

· Interacting: sharing ideas, discussing and defending, actively constructing artifacts during group inquiry

· Demonstrating: presenting, critiquing, publishing, enhancing traditional lessons, applying thinking and learning

As you engage in reading, writing, thinking, interacting and demonstrating activities to enhance your professional learning in the teacher preparation program, you will also gather and reflect upon various artifacts that will become potential portfolio items. In a sense, you are working on a "rough draft" of your portfolio across the program. This work entails two types of activities:

· Collecting: A major part of developing a teaching practice involves acquiring new knowledge and skills. Artifacts that may represent your gathering of new knowledge and skills may include items such as:

· book notes	· textbook summaries
· journal articles	· trade books
· annotated bibliographies	· historical timelines
· curriculum overviews	· content standards
· lesson plans	· charts and graphs
· assessment tools	· posters
· videotapes	· world wide websites

· Working: By themselves, teaching resources do not demonstrate a teacher's professional knowledge and skill. Attempts to create, test and hone your new knowledge and skill help document how you are making connections, reflecting on and assessing your teaching practice, and finding ways to learn with and from your colleagues. Artifacts that represent these aspects of your professional learning may include:

· reactions to readings	· concept maps
· problem-solving strategies	· philosophy statement drafts
· self-evaluation of teaching	· feedback from colleagues on your teaching
· lesson plans and reflections on teaching	· reflections on student learning
· audio tapes of teaching	· sample assessments
· critiques of use of websites or electronic software in the classroom	· group projects

Collecting and working with artifacts become especially helpful when you take advantage of opportunities to share your ideas with colleagues in TE 401. Then you are able to articulate your thinking, reflect on your teaching decisions and actions, and learn from your ongoing practice.

The third activity in the portfolio process is:

Showcasing: Artifacts with commentary that represent your progress and accomplishments in learning to teach are eventually included in the "public draft" of your emerging professional portfolio. Generally, these are artifacts that have been shared, critiqued, and revised so that you can feel confident that they meet professional standards to which you will be held. In TE 401, your Philosophy Statement and Collaborative Planning Workshop Presentation will become potential items for your professional portfolio.

These three processes—collecting, working, showcasing—are integrated. Many activities that we will do in class and the artifacts that we will create and collect do not fit neatly into one single category.

It is our intention, in crafting this set of requirements, to provide opportunities for you to engage in meaningful practices, and have access to resources that enhance your participation and learning. These requirements are structured to give you ample opportunities to set and pursue your own goals for your learning while still providing direction and support in working toward the MSU Program Standards, and to engage you in self-assessment, a critical aspect of learning to teach.

Course Policies and Requirements

Required Texts and Course Packet

· The following required texts are available at MSU Bookstore in the International Center and The Student Bookstore in East Lansing listed under Section 8.

• Van de Walle, J. (2004). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally, Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 0-2053-8563-X. With this purchase you will receive a block set, booklet, and CD that we will use in class.

• Tompkins, G. E. (2001). Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach, Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill, Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0131438441. With this purchase you will receive a free CD set that we will use in class, and free copy of the following: Self-Paced Phonics, Education on the Internet, and ESOL Strategies for Teaching Content.

Please note: We have ordered the Fifth Edition of Van de Walle and the Third Edition of the Tompkins text for Section 8 with a special ISBN for our section because the publishers are providing free materials with each text that we plan to use in class. If you purchase a used copy (previous editions) or a copy designated for another section, you will not receive the extra free materials.

· There are two different course packets for this class located at two different locations. Both are listed under Rosaen & Hobson (Section 8). One is available at Budget Printing, 974 Trowbridge Road (near the Shop Rite), Telephone 351-5060. The second is located in the Erickson Hall Copy Center on the fifth floor of Erickson Hall. Please pick up both of them before the second class session.

Please note: Many of these materials will also be used as resources during your 2004-05 internship year.

Course Requirements and Evaluation

Your final grade for the semester will be based on a series of field experiences, written assignments, and your school and class attendance and participation. All assignments and requirements must be completed satisfactorily to receive a passing grade in the course. Specific guidelines and grading criteria for field experiences and assignments will be given over the course of the semester.

Grading Scale and Final Grades: Grading expectations will be made clear prior to the due date for each assignment. We intend to provide you feedback with both comments and grades. Typically your final grade will reflect the average of the grades for assignments listed on the following pages, but will also take into consideration discussion among your instructors and collaborating teacher as to whether there are trends to be considered (e.g., improvement of quality as the semester progresses). TE 401 assignments have rubrics created specifically to outline expectations and requirements for the assignment. General grading expectations for the quality of your work are as follows:

Course Grade	GPA Scale	General Description of Quality
95-100 pts.	4.0	Outstanding, exemplary work. Uses and integrates readings, classroom discussions, and teaching experiences (where appropriate) to inform the writing/activity. Meets all the requirements of the assignment, is deeply thoughtful, and provides many details and examples to support the assignment. No errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling.
90-94 pts.	3.5	High quality work. Uses many readings, classroom discussions, and teaching experiences (where appropriate) to inform the writing/activity. Meets all the requirements of the assignment, is thoughtful, and provides some details and examples to support ideas. Very few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling.
85-89 pts.	3.0	Good quality work, performing at expected level for this course. Uses some readings, classroom discussions, and teaching experiences (where appropriate) to inform the writing/activity. Meets all the requirements of the assignment, shows attempt to engage with purposes of assignment, provides some details and examples to support ideas. Few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling.
80-84 pts.	2.5	Work below expected level of quality for the TE program. Makes vague references or inappropriate references to relevant readings, class discussions, and teaching experiences to inform writing/assignment. Does not meet all requirements of assignment. Limited attempt to engage with purposes of assignment, few details and examples to support ideas. Many errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling.
75-79 pts.	2.0	Significantly below expected level of quality. Shows little evidence of having read course readings, of uses of classroom discussions, or of field experiences. Meets few of the requirements of the assignment. Shallow attempt to engage with purposes of assignment, no details or examples to support ideas. Many errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling.

The table below (pp. 10 – 12) shows how each requirement provides opportunities to work toward the Teacher Preparation Program Standards and the Technology Requirements (see the Team Two website: http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/TE/team2default.htm). It also indicates which portfolio processes are associated with each requirement.

Portfolio Processes: COLLECTING AND WORKING AS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Course Requirements and Assignments

(100 points total)

Due Date

Opportunities to Work Toward Program Standards and Technology Requirements

Portfolio Processes in Support of Professional Learning

TE 401 Class Preparation, Attendance and Participation

(10 points)

ongoing

see below

Collecting: acquiring new knowledge and skill

Working: Applying knowledge and skills to teaching and learning

Classroom Preparation, Attendance and Participation

(10 points)

Classroom Participation Log

Participation Log due:

Thurs., Oct. 9

and

Tuesday, Dec. 9

Standards 1,2,3,4

· Develop standards and appraise tasks and materials

· Use teaching strategies and tasks

· Assessment of student learning

· Teacher and student roles

· Establishing and maintaining learning community

· Reflection and self-assessment

· Professional collaboration

Collecting: acquiring new knowledge and skill

Working: Applying knowledge and skills to teaching and learning

Notebook

(20 points)

Ongoing reflective writing

Synthesis Notebook Entry

Mid-Semester and Final Self-Assessment Notebook Entry

Synthesis Notebook Entry: Thurs. Sept. 25

Mid-Semester Entry: Thurs., October 9

Notebook with Final Notebook Entry: Tues. Dec. 9

Standards 2,3,4

· Teacher and student roles

· Establishing and maintaining learning community

· Professional collaboration

· Reflection as a professional learning tool

Tech Requirement

· Word Processing (L 1)

· Email (L1)

Collecting: acquiring new knowledge and skills

Working: Making connections, reflection & self-assessment

Course Requirements and Assignments

Due Date

Opportunities to Work Toward Program Standards and Technology Requirements

Portfolio Processes in Support of Professional Learning

TEACHER RESOURCE FILE FOR THE INTERNSHIP (45 points total)

Part A: Resource File Framework

(10 points)

Physical file: Thursday, October 16

Website: Tues., Dec. 9

Standard 1

· Develop standards and appraise tasks and materials in LA and math

Tech Requirements

· Spreadsheet or Data Base (L1 or L2)

· World Wide Web (L1, L2)

Collecting: acquiring new knowledge and skills

Working: Applying knowledge and skills to teaching and learning

Part B: LA and Math Lessons & Reflections

(30 points)

Language Arts

· Draft plan due Thursday, October 2

· Teach lesson Oct. 6-10

· Plan and Reflection due Tuesday, Oct. 28

Math

· Draft plan due Tuesday, Oct. 23

· Teach lesson Oct. 27-31

· Plan and Reflection due Thurs., Nov. 18

Standard 2

· Understanding students as math and LA learners

· Lesson planning

· Knowledge and skill in using teaching tasks and strategies

· Reflection and self-assessment

Tech Requirement

· Word Processing (L1)

Part C: Educational Technology Appraisal

(5 points)

Tuesday, November 25

Standard 1

· Assessment of student learning in LA and math

· Knowledge and skill in using a variety of assessment tools & tasks

· Try out and appraise educational software in LA and math

Standard 4

· Work collaboratively with colleagues

Tech Requirement

· Word Processing (L1)

· Educational Software (L2)

Portfolio Process: SHOWCASE PROGRESS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

AND SHARE WITH COLLEAGUES

Course Requirements, Assignments and Projects

Due Date

Opportunities to Work Toward Program Standards and Technology Requirements

Contribution to Professional Portfolio: Professional Learning Across Your Career

Showcasing Your Pedagogy and Self-Assessment: Collaborative Planning

(5 points)

December 2 & 4

(in class)

and

December 9 12:45 – 2:45

Standards 1, 2, 3, 4

· Lesson planning

· Understanding students as learners

· Professional collaboration

· Communicating research-based ideas and beliefs

Tech Requirements

· World Wide Web (L1, L2)

· Word Processing (L1)

Working: Applying knowledge and skills to teaching and learning

Showcasing: Generating and sharing new knowledge

Showcasing your Vision: Philosophy Statement for Language Arts and Mathematics Teaching

(10 points)

Thursday, December 4

Standards 1, 2, 3, 4

· Teacher and student roles

· Establishing and maintaining learning community

· Professional collaboration

· Communicating research-based ideas and beliefs

Tech Requirements

· Word Processing (L1)

Working: Applying knowledge and skills to teaching and learning

Showcasing: Generating and sharing new knowledge

Incomplete Grades:

University policy: When special or unusual circumstances occur, the instructor may postpone assignment of the student’s final grade in a course by use of an I-Incomplete. The I-Incomplete may be given only when: The student (a) has completed at least 12 weeks of the semester, but is unable to complete the class work and/or take the final examination because of illness or other compelling reason; and (b) has done satisfactory work in the course; and (c) in the instructor’s judgment can complete the required work without repeating the course.

Teacher Education policy: Teacher candidates may not enter TE 402 without having successfully completed TE 301 and TE 401. Therefore, incompletes must be cleared before the first meeting of TE 402.

Extra Credit: We will make information available to you regarding conferences in the local area, such as the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE) to be held at the Lansing Center, Lansing, Michigan on Friday, October 3 (for program and registration information, see http://www.msu.edu/~mcte/; and the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) Annual Meeting to be held in Lansing, Michigan, October 17-18 (for program and registration information, see: http://www.mictm.org/). If you choose to attend either conference (or another conference related to the content of TE 401), you may write a notebook entry reflecting on the experience to receive up to 2 points credit for attending.

Turning in Assigned Work: Assignments are due as indicated on the course schedule and you are responsible for knowing what the due dates are. Unless arrangements are made in advance of the due date, we reserve the right to reduce the grade on late papers by a quarter to a full point, depending on the circumstances. It is very important to keep up with the due dates that are outlined since each assignment builds on the next. You are strongly encouraged to meet with your instructor to discuss assignments.

Electronic Mail

We intend to use email in the course. If you have not activated your @msu.edu account, please do so by the end of the first week of classes. If you use an email account other than your MSU account, please have your MSU account forward your messages to your alternate account, since we will use your MSU address for all class correspondence. Please read your email between class sessions.

Class Organization, Study Hours, and Field Participation

TE 401 is a five credit course. Because this is a professional learning course, you may need to organize your time and schedule differently than you are used to doing for other courses. We expect that you will devote six or more hours per week outside of class to reading, preparation, writing, and other course-related work. The instructional model for TE 401 (3-8) constitutes 11 contact hours per week (3 hours "lecture" and 8 hours "lab/field"). Generally, 6 hours will be devoted to lecture/lab time in Erickson Hall. Four hours weekly will be devoted to "arranged time" for field participation during the remainder of the semester. The Course Schedule specifies how the contact hours are organized each week. We are eager to assist you in organizing your time and schedule if you feel the need.

Attendance and Punctuality: As teacher candidates move toward the internship, they also move from the norms of attendance and punctuality that apply to university courses and students to the norms of attendance and punctuality that apply to schools, teachers, and therefore intern teachers. In general, this means that expectations for punctual and regular attendance rise because teachers, as compared to students, work under far more stringent expectations to be reliable, punctual, and prepared. In the field, this means that the collaborating teacher (CT) expects you to be on time, adhere to the jointly established schedule, notify the CT of any impending absence, be conscientious in making up absences after the first absence, and be considerate of the CT’s needs at all times. The same kind of consideration should apply in the class meetings on campus towards both the instructor, who is attempting to maximize use of time within a condensed program of learning to teach, and fellow teacher candidates, who want to maximize their opportunities to learn through discussion and activities scheduled for normal class meetings.

You are expected to notify your instructors and collaborating teachers of any necessary absences ahead of time. This is part of the behavior expected of a professional. Attendance and punctuality at class meetings and field experiences are critical to your success in the program.

In accordance with the Teacher Preparation Program’s professional conduct policy, the instructor will notify the Team 2 coordinator, Philippa Webb (116Q Erickson Hall, 432-1687, webbp@msu.edu), of recurring absences or tardiness, and you may be required to attend a meeting regarding your attendance. More than a total of 2 unexcused absences (e.g., without timely communication with the instructor and/or the collaborating teacher, or absences without adequate reasons) in class or in the field is cause for concern. Recurring absences or tardiness will put your recommendation for continuation in the program in jeopardy. Also, since active participation is a significant portion of your grade, absences will affect your course grade. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with Team 2 policies in your student handbook.

Class Participation: Your attendance and active participation in class will count in your grades because it is vital to the course and to your learning. We and your colleagues depend on you to share your load of reading for meaning, analyzing cases, generating ideas, making presentations, participating in peer teaching activities, giving feedback on lesson plan and paper drafts, sharing classroom observations and experiences, and so on. You cannot do your share if you are not present and active. Please make sure you call your course instructors, or their secretary, in advance if you are unable to attend class. You are responsible for the content of any class you miss.

Professional Communication: Professional education can be an intensely personal and challenging process. In your classes and field placements, you are expected to give and accept constructive feedback appropriately and to react appropriately, even in stressful situations. You are also expected to take an active role in your learning and contribute to the learning of fellow students.

If you have concerns, problems, or questions about any aspect of your course work or field work, you should first address them to the instructor or team person who is most directly involved. This applies to situations at the university as well as in the field. If the situation is not resolved at that level, you should request assistance from the Team Coordinator or Faculty Leader.

Field Participation during Arranged Time: You will be assigned to an elementary classroom during the second or third week of the semester and need to arrange to be at the school for 4 hours each week--either 2 two-hour blocks, or one 4-hour block. Since this course is focusing on teaching of mathematics and English language arts, it is important that you schedule your field time to match the times those subjects are taught (at least the majority of the time).

In the classroom, you will be observing and taking notes, working with small groups, teaching lessons, talking with students, trying out and appraising assessment tools, and participating in the routines of the classroom at various times across the semester. Field assignments connected to the classroom will be discussed in class, and you are encouraged to discuss them with your instructor as needed. On particular occasions when you do not have a specific assigned task to complete in the classroom for a field assignment, it is your responsibility to arrange with your collaborating teacher how you will participate in the classroom. This may require communicating with your collaborating teacher by electronic mail or telephone in advance, or talking with him/her after each field visit to plan for your next one.

We will use a folder system to keep track of your attendance in your field placement classroom. You will bring to and maintain in the classroom an attendance folder to be accessible to both the CT and you. You are responsible for recording your attendance (both arrival and departure time) for each day present in the classroom, and noting ways in which you were involved in the classroom each time you go. The CT will be asked to comment on your attendance record as an element of performance and professionalism. If you must be absent, you are responsible for notifying the CT in advance and for making up all field absences after the first absence. If you are unable to attend school, you need to call your collaborating teacher in advance. You must also notify your instructor regarding the date and reason for your absence. Do not rely on your peers to relay messages--make sure you communicate directly with your collaborating teacher.

The folder is also a place where you can write down questions, comments, or messages for your collaborating teacher. Be sure you leave your phone number and a suggested time to call so your collaborating teacher can get back to you. You also might find questions, comments, or messages from your collaborating teacher that will let you know about issues you need to talk with him/her about.

Be sure to arrive at school promptly at the time you have arranged, sign/check in at the school office according to the school's policy, and sign in using your classroom folder. You are expected to be at school regularly according to the schedule you have arranged with your collaborating teacher. Often your collaborating teacher will have taken your field assignment needs into consideration in his or her scheduling and planning. It is important that you follow through on whatever commitments you make or give advance notice on the rare occasion when you are unable to keep your commitment.

When you are in school, you are expected to dress appropriately. You will be viewed and judged as another adult by students, parents, teachers and others in the building. Ask your collaborating teacher about the norms of dress in your building regarding appropriate professional attire. Be sure to be polite and considerate of all adults and children in the building including the principal, custodians, secretary, paraprofessionals, etc.

The rubrics included at the end of this document will be used at Mid-Semester and End-of-Semester to evaluate your class and field participation.

Confidentiality

Classroom Discussions: Your field experiences are an important part of your learning and you will be discussing them in this course. Just as teachers are expected to respect the privacy and dignity of the children and families with whom they work, so we expect you to use discretion. In casual conversations or social situations, do not relate stories from classrooms or schools that may be embarrassing to teachers or students or that include sensitive information about a child or family. When discussing classroom situations in class, do so carefully. Use a fictitious name for the student involved. Mask the name of a student on any written or visual work shared in class or used in an assignment. When discussing teaching practice you have observed in the field, be mindful of maintaining a tone of professional courtesy.

Interviews: Use pseudonyms and screen or mask identifying information when reporting interviews with children or youth or adults. If an assignment requires you to interview an adult other than your CT, you should clearly state or give the interviewee, in writing, the purpose of the interview and the uses you will make of the material.

Photographs, Videotapes, Audio Tapes: Always ask permission of the classroom teacher to make photographs, videotapes, or audio tapes of students. Occasionally there are circumstances that require a student’s whereabouts to be kept secret and photographs may not be allowed. Some schools and districts require written permission from parents/guardians for taking any photographs, videotapes, or audio tapes. Be sure to check with the classroom teacher on what is needed.

Criteria for Progression to the Internship

To progress to the internship a teacher candidate must: a) meet the Academic Requirements; b) submit a complete Criminal Disclosure Form; and c) meet the Professional Criteria set forth in the policy adopted by the Teacher Education Council in the Spring of 1999. This policy is outlined on the Team 2 website: http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/TE/team2/default.htm. Please review this policy carefully so you understand clearly how your participation in TE 301, 401 and 402 course work and school participation impact your progression to the internship.

Alcohol and Illegal Drugs

The University Drug and Alcohol Policy will be enforced. This policy prohibits the possession or use of illegal drugs and alcoholic beverages in classes and field placements. Students are expected to be free of the influence of such substances in classes and field placements.

Support Available at MSU

Regarding Disabilities: Students who have special needs and require accommodations in testing or other aspects of course-taking should speak to the instructor and call the Office of Programs for Handicapper Students at 353-9642. The OPHS website is: http://www.msu.edu/unit/ophs/.

Counseling Center: Even typical, capable, intelligent and reasonable persons like the members of this class sometimes face situations and problems that they find difficult to deal with by themselves. Team Two's instructors or cluster leaders might be able to help. Also, MSU has an Office of Student Affairs and Services, with a Counseling Center, for which the phone number is 355-8270. The Center is at 207 Student Services Building.

Writing Center: Teachers are models and coaches of writing for their students, and must communicate effectively in writing with colleagues, parents and others. For those reasons, teacher candidates are expected to write effectively and to follow writing conventions. If you need more help in meeting those expectations than you can get from instructors and other teacher candidates, try the Writing Center at 300 Bessey Hall, 432-3610. Grammar Hotline: 432-1370.

Summary

As you can see from reviewing this syllabus, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Evaluations from past TE 401 students have indicated that they felt somewhat overwhelmed at the beginning, but with some organization on their part, and continued support from their CTs and us, they were able to meet the assignment dates without too much stress. They also have felt they learned a great deal from their hard work. We expect that you will feel the same when you give us feedback in December.

TE 401 is a course that will in part be shaped by the needs and experiences of each teacher candidate. We believe that each of us brings important understandings and experiences to each class session and that we can all learn a great deal from each other. We also believe that each of us needs to shape our own learning in meaningful ways and there is ample room for individual responses to learning opportunities and assignments. We look forward to working with you this semester. We plan on learning a lot—and having some fun, too!

Cheryl and Sharon

Mid-Semester Participation Rubric

(5 points)

Name: _____________________________ Points: ____________

Expectations for Quality

Criteria

Outstanding Exemplary Range

High Quality Range

Good Quality Range

Below Expected Quality Range

Comments

Class Attendance and Punctuality

Class Participation

· assigned readings and notebook entries completed on due date

· active participation in whole group discussions

· active participation in group work

· active participate in group presentations and peer teaching

End-of-Semester Participation Rubric

(5 points)

Name: __________________________________ Points: ___________

Expectations for Quality

Criteria

Outstanding Exemplary Range

High Quality Range

Good Quality Range

Below Expected Quality Range

Comments

Class Attendance and Punctuality

Class Participation

· assigned readings and notebook entries completed on due date

· active participation in whole group discussions

· active participation in group work

· active participate in group presentations and peer teaching

[1] The categories for the portfolio process as represented in this document and the accompanying figure are adapted from Wilcox, B. & Tomei, L. (1999). Professional Portfolios for Teachers: A Guide for Learners, Experts, and Scholars. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.