TED 5250 Course Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Bob Pettapiece

E-mail Address: pettapiece@wayne.edu

Office Hours: Available after class

Course Credit: 3 hours

When Offered: Mondays Fall Semester, 4:30-7:15

Course Description: This course provides an understanding of appropriate teaching practices, organization and curriculum for emerging adolescents in middle level education (middle school).

Expected Outcomes of the Course (Objectives): Graduates of this course will-

• be aware of the nature & needs of early adolescents
• be aware of how young adolescents develop in a school setting
• start to develop a philosophy of middle level schools & how they can be organized
• review articles related to middle level education which include a reflection (past experience or future hopes) on teaching
• be able to develop an interdisciplinary thematic unit in collaboration with teachers of other disciplines appropriate to young adolescents
• plan & carry out a field trip appropriate to middle level education
• join a MLE professional organization
• See the teaching methods used in this class as a model for constructivist teaching.
• be able to operate as a constructivist learner & teacher

• Interview a 6-8 grader on what makes a good teacher and bring your results to class.
• Review an article related to good teaching in the middle level (6%).
• Observe adolescents at a shopping mall and bring your results to class.
• Review an article related to the social nature of young adolescents (6%).
• Review an article on school discipline in the middle level grades (6%).
• In small groups, prepare a school discipline plan for presentation to the class (10%).*
• Review an article related to the reasons (rationale) for having middle level education (6%).
• As a class, using a Goldfish Bowl; develop the rationale, make arrangements for, take, plan the follow-up discussion of a field trip appropriate to middle level teaching (5%).
• Review an article related to block scheduling at the middle level (6%).
• In small groups, develop a plan for block scheduling for class discussion (5%)*
• In multi-disciplinary teams of 4-5 members, develop an interdisciplinary, thematic unit appropriate for use in middle level education (20%).*
• In a formal paper, express your philosophy of why middle level education exists, how it is different and how you hope to approach the teaching of your students. This should be a combination of what you and others have brought to class and your own thinking (15%).
• Join a MLE organization, such as NMSA or  MAMSE (5%)
• Be here & participate (10%).

Class Policies: Participation in class is important (see Class Schedule). Each student is expected to be in class for each meeting. Absences in my class are just that, absences; they are neither excused nor unexcused. Being late to class or leaving early may count as .5 of an absence. Every absence will cost you a point. Telephones and beepers are not expected to be heard in the classroom.  You are expected to use your WSU e-mail account.

Evaluation & Grading: A=94-100, A-=90-93, B+=87-89, B=83-86, B-=80-82, C+=77-79, C=73-76, C-=70-72, D+=67-69, D=63-66 & D-=60-62 of a possible 100 points. Work turned more than 3 days late will lose a point. If you participate in a middle school (level) conference it will raise your grade by a third. An incomplete (I grade) may be given only for good reason, after completing a contract with the instructor and may not be for a grade higher than a B.

Class Schedule: The dates for topics dealt with in class will be announced in class and deadlines will be determined by the instructor in consultation with the class. They will, in general be done in the order of Assignments above.

Required Expenses: A field trip plus class copies noted in the assignments above.

Suggested Reading:

Ability Grouping (Oakes, NCSS)

Constructivism (Papert, Piaget & Vygotsky)

Delpit, Lisa, Other Peoples Children

Glasser, William Quality School, A or Quality School Teacher

Goleman, Daniel Emotional Intelligence

Johnson, Roger & David Circles of Learning

Kaplan, Leonard Asking the Next Question

Kelley, Earl The Workshop Way of Learning

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development (especially related to punishment & discipline)

Multiculturalism A Different Mirror

Rogers, Carl Freedom to Learn

Teaming