Syllabus



Spring 2009
=**COURSE, TIME, DATES, LOCATIONS:**=
 * EDU 583✰ Development and Planning of Curriculum and Assessment I, 3.0 credits/EDU 580◆ Module III Technology Integration, 0.5 credits
 * Tuesdays. 4:00-7:30
 * 112 Education Center
 * January 20-May 12, 2009 except 2/17/09 (Winter Break--no class), 3/3/09 (work session to work with colleague on unit at location of your choice), and 4/21/09 (April Break--no class)
 * [Note: If the University officially closes on a Tuesday due to snow/weather, class will be rescheduled on Thursday of the same week. Watch your email for room location.]

=**REQUIRED TEXTS:**=
 * AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology (Editors) (2008). Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) for Educators. New York: Routledge. ISBN: 10: 0-8058-6356-7.
 * Maine Department of Education (2007). State of Maine Learning Results. Maine Department of Education: Augusta, ME.
 * Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (Expanded 2nd Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. ISBN: 0-13-195084-3.
 * McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. P. (2004). Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ISBN: 0-87120-855-5.

=**OPTIONAL TEXTS:**=
 * Richardson, Will (2008). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. ISBN: 1-4129-5972-8.
 * Warlick, David (2005). Raw Materials for the Mind. Raleigh, NC: The Landmark Project. ISBN: 1-4116-2795-4.

=COURSE DESCRIPTION:= EDU 583✰ Development and Planning of Curriculum and Assessment I - This course focuses on current research and best practice in the area of curriculum development, instructional design, and assessment techniques. Participants will learn about a range of planning models that will inspire the creativity and innovation necessary to provide rich and powerful learning experiences and environments for every student. This course motivates participants to support colleagues in engaging students authentically in their own learning. An integral part of this course will be the development of a critical stance related to current practices in the design of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

¬EDU 580◆ Technology Integration Module III -This course is designed to prepare leaders to integrate diverse educational technologies in an educational setting in ways that reflect a theoretical, research based, and practical understanding of curriculum/assessment development and the effective uses of technology. The course emphasizes practical ways to integrate technology into everyday instruction including content-area knowledge acquisition, inquiry, communication, critical thinking, and problem solving. Course content explores the role of leaders as agents of reform regarding technology and includes the role and responsibility of various technologies to address diverse learning needs by utilizing an array of applications to enhance classroom instruction, motivate learners, and connect home and school.

=PREREQUISITES:= Baccalaureate degree; practicing educator; successful completion of EDU 580 Technology Integration, Modules I & II, EDU 581 History, Philosophy and Ethics in Education, and EDU 582 Research Methods; concurrent enrollment in EDU 580 Technology Integration, Module III; cohort member or permission of instructor and program administrator.

=ESTABLISHED STANDARDS:= (UMF Master’s of Science in Education Conceptual Framework)

• Visionary Leaders (VL): o Create shared visions for learning by using successful models of school, family, business, community, government and higher education partnerships ✰ o Respect the value of diversity and its meaning for educational programs ◆ o Lead for results through • The change process for systems, organizations and individuals ◆ • Effective consensus-building and negotiation skills ◆

• Supportive educational cultures (SEC) are nourished by leaders who: o Create positive change while sustaining effective practices, which recognize and foster • Effective communication ◆ • Healthy educational environments ◆ • Dynamic conditions that lead to rich and diverse educational communities ◆ ✰

• Continuous professional growth (CPG) is promoted by leaders who: o Support professional learning communities. ✰ o Encourage continual investigation of practice by recognizing • The role of current educational technology in promoting student learning and professional growth ◆ ✰ • The importance of continuous improvement cycles as a result of reflective practice ◆

• Theory is translated into practice (TIP) by educators who: o Differentiate curriculum and assessment for all learners through • Critical analysis of the social, cultural and political implications of curriculum design ◆ ✰ • Ongoing critical revision of measurement, evaluation and assessment strategies ✰ • The use of research, particularly action research, in examining curriculum, instruction and assessment practices ✰ • Effective instructional practices ◆

LEADERS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…
(National Board for Professional Teaching Standards)

Proposition #1: Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning A. Teachers Recognize Individual Differences in Their Students and Adjust Their Practice Accordingly VL◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆ B. Teachers Have an Understanding of How Students Develop and Learn VL◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆ C. Teachers Treat Students Equitably VL◆, TIP✰◆ D. Teachers' Mission Extends Beyond Developing the Cognitive Capacity of Their Students VL◆, TIP✰◆

Proposition #2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students A. Teachers Appreciate How Knowledge in Their Subjects is Created, Organized and Linked to Other Disciplines CPG◆, TIP✰◆ B. Teachers Command Specialized Knowledge of How to Convey a Subject to Students TIP✰◆ C. Teachers Generate Multiple Paths to Knowledge VL◆, TIP✰◆

Proposition #3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning A. Teachers Call on Multiple Methods to Meet Their Goals CPG✰◆ B. Teachers Orchestrate Learning in Group Settings VL◆, CPG◆, TIP✰◆ C. Teachers Place a Premium on Student Engagement TIP✰◆ D. Teachers Regularly Assess Student Progress TIP✰◆ E. Teachers Are Mindful of Their Principal Objectives VL✰, CPG✰◆

Proposition #4: Teachers Think Systematically About Their Practice and Learn from Experience A. Teachers Are Continually Making Difficult Choices That Test Their Judgment VL◆, SEC✰◆ B. Teachers Seek the Advice of Others and Draw on Education Research and Scholarship to Improve Their Practice CPG✰◆

Proposition #5: Teachers are Members of Learning Communities A. Teachers Contribute to School Effectiveness by Collaborating with Other Professionals VL✰, CPG✰◆ B. Teachers Work Collaboratively with Parents C. Teachers Take Advantage of Community Resources

=ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:= Why is it important to consider the vision and/or mission statement of the school when designing curriculum, instruction, assessment and technology integration? How can effective practices and positive change promote student learning and create a rich and diverse educational community? Why do professional learning communities promote collaboration and technology integration as part of the commitment to student learning? How do you design an engaging unit that ensures learning for every student?

LEADERS WILL KNOW HOW TO…
• Provide instructional leadership with consideration for the community’s values, goals, social needs and changing conditions. ✰ • Engage staff in ongoing study of current best practices. ✰ • Use knowledge of research on instructional effectiveness to inform decisions. ✰ • Collaboratively determine high expectations and standards for the academic, developmental, cognitive, learning, and social needs of the teachers and students involved. ✰ • Use multiple sources of data, some of which are self-generated, to plan and assess instructional improvement. ✰ • Inspire a shared vision for comprehensive integration of technology and foster an environment and culture conducive to the realization of that vision ◆ • Ensure that curricular design, instructional strategies, and learning environments integrate appropriate technologies to maximize learning and teaching ◆ • Apply technology to enhance their professional practice and to increase their own productivity and that of others ◆

LEADERS WILL BE ABLE TO...
• Translate the potential of technology to enhance student learning. ✰ • Synthesize and critique current research, instructional practices, and assessment techniques used to improve student learning and share findings within an educational setting. ✰ • Create a process for leading teachers in developing an interdisciplinary unit using a curriculum-planning model and implement the process within an educational setting. ✰ • Collect and analyze actual classroom data from within an educational setting; identify the various methods and techniques used to determine the students’ performance, growth, and development; and facilitate a discussion among educators regarding the findings. ✰ • Classify technology tools available to effectively engage a diverse body of students in the learning process within various content areas. ◆ • Investigate and evaluate technology availability and usage in classrooms, homes, and the community within an educational environment. ◆

PERFORMANCE TASK:
• Design an integrated unit using two conceptual lenses and the backward design planning model. • Create a sample of what you expect your best student on a good day to produce using Type II technology for the performance task of your unit and the rubric by which it will be assessed. • Support a colleague in designing the other selected content area of the integrated unit.

SELF–ASSESSMENT AND REFLECTION:
• Complete the essential belief and reflection statements. • Utilize blogs to reflect on the articles and course readings. • Reflect on your leadership skills and the process used in supporting a colleague in designing the other content area.

EXPECTATIONS:
Teaching is a profession and this course is about teaching and learning. Participation is a critical component of learning and you are expected to arrive to class on time and attend all classes. If an emergency arises, please notify us by phone or e-mail prior to the class. If classes get cancelled due to weather, they will be rescheduled.

Assignments are required to be turned in on time, unless prior arrangements have been made in advance. You may have the opportunity to redo some assignments, if they are turned in on time and will be due one week after being returned to you. You must submit the original work, rubric, the revised work and a brief statement of the improvements you made to the assignment. All assigned work must be typed on a word processor using Times font, 12 points, left justified, double spaced, and free of typographical, spelling and grammatical errors. Please keep a copy of all work submitted, until the final grade of the course has been determined.

Academic honesty and integrity are important to the teaching profession. The University of Maine Farmington (UMF) Code of Academic Integrity is enforced in this course and students are expected to educate themselves. Please take the time to review the code, which is included in the on-line catalogue at https://ecampus.umf.mine.edu/common/acdintegrity.php

If you have an identified learning disability and need special accommodations, please let me know immediately.

=BENCHMARKS:= Below is the point value for each assessment and your grade will be based on the percent of points earned from the total points of 500.



Essential Belief Statement
(25 points) VL✰, CPG✰◆ (Proposition #5A) Please describe your personal experiences and beliefs regarding: 1) Why did you select teaching as your profession? 2) Why did you select the level and/or the content area you teach? 3) What is your ideal teaching environment in relationship to teaming and collaborating? 4) What leadership roles have you taken as an educator? 5) How does your learning styles inventory represent who you are? 6) What do you expect to get out of this course? The three-page paper will be shared with the class and a hard copy will be submitted to the professor. In your final reflection statement, you’ll revisit these essential beliefs and reflect on your growth.

Attendance and Participation
(125 points) VL✰, CPG✰◆ (Propositions #4B, #5A) You must be present and actively engaged in all aspects of the course. You need to be prepared and a contributing member in all the learning components of the course. Articles and course readings reflections will be documented in a blog and synthesized in the class wiki. Teaching is an art and requires dedicated leaders who will collaborate with one another and are not afraid of taking risk in the process of evaluating their teaching methods and developing their leadership capacity.

=PERFORMANCE TASKS:= Integrated Unit Design and Facilitating the Design Process - (250 points) The understanding of the course content will be demonstrated by designing an integrated unit using two conceptual lenses and the backward design planning model and supporting a colleague in designing the other selected content area of the integrated unit.

I. Integrated Unit Design
(25points) Using the templates, complete all the components: Integration, Stage 1, 2, 3, and Student Sample.

A. Integration (points) VL✰◆, CPG✰◆, TIP✰◆ (Propositions #2A, #2C, #3E, #4B, #5A) • Select a colleague in your educational community who will partner with you to create an integrated unit that addresses emerging issues and trends that impact your educational community. (2 points) • Utilize the vision and/or mission statement of your school as a guide when designing your integrated unit. (2 points) • Classify technology tools available to effectively engage a diverse body of students in the learning process. (10 points) • Decide on a unit Title (centering topic of study), which allows all team members to enter the integration process. (2 points) • Identify a major Concept to serve as a suitable integrating or conceptual lens for the unit. (2 points) • Web the Topic for unit, by subject or area around the concept and theme. (3 points) • Write a Unit Overview to engage student interest and introduce the unit. (4 points)

B. Stage 1 (50 points) VL✰◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆, CPG✰◆ (Propositions #1D, #3C, #3E, #4A) • Establish one or more Goals (e.g., Maine Learning Results - content standards) that the design targets. (5 points) • Identify the Understandings, based on the transferable big ideas that give the content meaning and connect the facts and skills. (9 points) • Frame the Essential Questions (at least three) to guide students inquiry and focus instruction for uncovering the important ideas of the content. (9 points) • Identify the key Knowledge we want students to know. (9 points) • Identify the key Skills we want students to be able to do. (18 points)

C. Stage 2 (50 points) VL◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆, CPG✰◆ (Propositions #1A, #1C, #3D, #4A, #4B) • Performance Task using GRASPS (12 points), Other Evidence (9 points), Self-Assessment and Reflection (9 points). (30 points) • Design two rubrics for the performance task. (15 points) • Assessment Task Blueprint - What understandings/goals will be assessed through this task? Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding? What student products/performance will provide evidence of desired understanding? By what criteria will student products and/or performance be evaluated? (5 points)

D. Stage 3 (75 points) VL◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆, CPG✰◆ (Propositions #1A, #1B, #1C, #2A, #2B, #2C, #3A, #3B, #3C, #4A, #4B) • Know Where they’re going (the leaning goals), Why (reason for learning the content), and What is required of them (unit goal, performance requirements and evaluative criteria). (10 points) • Be Hooked and Hold students interest - engaged in digging into the big ideas (e.g. through inquiry, research, problem solving, and experimentation). (10 points) • Have adequate opportunities to Explore and Experience Big Ideas and receive instruction to Equip them for the required performances. (10 points) • Have sufficient opportunities to Rethink, Rehearse, Revise, Refine their work based upon timely feedback. (10 points) • Have an opportunity to Evaluate their work and set future goals. (10 points) • Be flexible in addressing student interests and Tailor the unit to the seven learning styles. (10 points) • Be Organized in order to maximize engagement and effectiveness and integrate technology. (5 points) • Develop an implementation plan and establish a benchmark system for assessing student work. (10 points)

E. Student Sample (50 points) VL✰◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆, CPG✰◆ (Propositions #1B, #1C, #1D, #2B, #3C, #3E) Create a sample of what you expect your best student on a good day to produce using Type II technology for the performance task of your unit and the rubric by which you will assess it. • The product utilizes technology in a Type II way to address the desired learning outcomes and engage the students. (20 points) • The rubric ensures that students know the expectations and that the product addresses the desired learning outcomes. (10 points) • The sample could inspire a student to create a product of equally high caliber. (20 points)

II. Facilitating the Design Process (50 points) Support a colleague in designing the other selected content area of the integrated unit and reflect on your leadership skills and the process used.

A. Collaboration (25 points) VL✰, CPG✰◆ (Proposition #5A) Support a colleague in designing the other selected content area of the integrated unit. • Teach your colleague how to use the backward planning design model (Stages 1 and 3, see above for expectation) and provide feedback on their work, by using the criteria checklist. (25 points)

B. Reflection on the Process of Collaborating (25 points) VL✰, CPG✰◆ (Proposition #5A) Reflect on your leadership skills and the process used in supporting a colleague in designing the other content area. (25 points)

III. Analyzing Data to Plan and Assess Instructional Improvement (25 points) VL◆, SEC✰◆, TIP✰◆ (Propositions #3D, #4A) A. Gather, analyze, and reflect on classroom assessment data that was collected over an entire unit. (25 points)

Reflection Statement (25 points) VL✰, CPG✰◆ (Proposition #5A) Reflect on the information, learnings, readings, and experiences of this course. Compare this information to your original essential belief statement. What has changed and why? Respond to the four essential questions listed in the syllabus. What grade do you deserve and why? How has what you learned changed your thinking? This is an authentic demonstration and this product can take any form of technology.

GRADING SCALE: A (93 -100) 4.00 grade points per credit hour A- (90 - 92) 3.67 grade points per credit hour B+ (87 - 89) 3.33 grade points per credit hour B (83 - 86) 3.00 grade points per credit hour B- (80 - 82) 2.67 grade points per credit hour C+ (77 - 79) 2.67 grade points per credit hour C (73-76) 2.00 grade points per credit hour Grades less than C are not acceptable for graduate work. Students receiving such grades will be reviewed for retention in the graduate program. C- (70 - 72) 1.67 grade points per credit hour D+ (67 - 69) 1.33 grade points per credit hour D (63 - 66) 1.00 grade points per credit hour D- (60 - 62) 0.67 grade points per credit hour F (0 - 59) 0.00 grade points per credit hour W No GPR computation