TE 408 Crafting Teaching Practices in Social Studies
Spring Semester 2012 – 6 credit hours
Instructors: Justin Detmers & Gerardo Aponte (Section 007)
Erickson Hall Office: 118D Erickson Hall
Email: detmersj@msu.edu - Phone: 517/712-0558
MW
12:40 PM - 2:30 PM
C103 McDonel Hall
Th
4:10 PM - 6:00 PM
107 Ernst Bessey Hall
Course Description:
Gathering data on learners to inform content and instructional decisions. Deciding what should be taught for
specific disciplines at the secondary level (7-12). Teachers' multiple roles and their professional, intellectual,
sociopolitical, and communal responsibilities.
New Texts:
Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder
Night, Elie Wiesel
The Complete Guide to Special Education, Wilmshurst & Brue (Second Edition)
KEY DATES:
*January 16 No class/Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
*March 5-11 SPRING BREAK
*April 30-May 4 Final Exam Week
This is the second course in the two-semester sequence on attempting to figure out what it means to teach
social studies. Much of last semester in TE 407 was devoted to asking:
- What is/are the social studies?
- What does it mean to teach social studies?
- Why are these subjects taught?
- How can we arrange & present curriculum about social studies in meaningful ways?
We will continue to explore those questions this semester, but we add new questions to which we anchor
our work this semester:
- What might the consequences of different approaches to social studies be for various groups of people?
- How do we, as teachers, enact a pedagogy that amplifies, rather than silences, student voice?
- How do we make lesson plans that address the above issues?
- How do we navigate the public school system as we go about doing so?
- What actions can we undertake as novice teachers to ensure we understand the legal, political, and ethical
facets of the teaching profession?
Course Expectations
We firmly believe that as teachers, the most powerful messages we send to our students, colleagues and
communities come through our actions. As teachers, it therefore behooves us to model responsible, positive,
democratic behavior. Each of us has our own way of being in the world, our own values, and our own beliefs
about what constitutes a good citizen. Nevertheless, it is our expectation that we will all strive to model certain
aptitudes and behaviors important to the success of democratic living. Primary among these include:
1. A positive and supportive attitude toward the groups of which we are part
2. Respect for public space (at MSU, in our field placements, and elsewhere)
3. Offering helpful, constructive feedback as opposed to unproductive criticism
4. Sharing of knowledge and experiences in ways that build and not tear down
5. Coming to class on time, turning in assigned work and doing assigned readings
Course Work: If you use or adapt an idea from another person (published or unpublished), the individual
should be given appropriate credit. Written work is expected to have appropriate grammar and spelling. As
educators, it is imperative we can communicate professionally with students, colleagues, and parents. Any lack
of careful proofreading for typographical errors will result in a lower grade.
Class Attendance: Being in class for each class session (and on time) is an important piece of the class being
successful. You should view attending your courses as a professional obligation in which absences should be
communicated to both instructors before class. This correspondence should be either by phone message or
email. You are allowed two absences for this semester. Upon the third absence, your grade will be lowered and
a probationary meeting will be held with the course instructors and university supervisors to determine your
progression in the program and to decide upon your eligibility for the student teaching internship. This policy
applies to the seminar and the face-to-face lab components of TE 408.
Field Placements: As part of TE 408 you will continue your field placement experiences that you began last
semester in TE 407. Your attendance at the field placements is required for four (4) hours a week. These visits
should be scheduled for the entire group to attend. If you miss a visit, you will need to make it up and you must
notify the mentor teacher, your group members, and the course instructors. Successful navigation of your field
placement is a requirement to pass TE 408. Completion of a field placement project will be required this
semester in addition to teaching, independently and in groups, lessons you design and deliver to students.
Discussion: Your participation in class discussions is an important way to develop yourself as an educator. We
ask that you pay careful attention to your role as a classroom discussant. Do you need to discuss a bit more than
you might normally? A bit less? How can we ensure that all of us meaningfully participate in democratic
classroom relationships?
TENTATIVE CONTENT FOR SESSIONS:
- Cooperative Learning
- Simulations & Role-Play
- Classroom Discussion & Debate
- Student-Directed Investigations
- Using the Humanities (and interdisciplinary approach)
- Technology
- Assessment
- Classroom Management
- English Language Learners
- Legal/Political/Ethical Issues
- Differentiated Instruction
- Communities & Families (Place-Based learning, incorporating the community in teaching)
- Career Preparation
- Social Issues & Justice
Course Grading Scale
93 - 100: 4.0
86 - 92: 3.5
51 - 57: 1.0
0 -50: 0
79 - 85: 3.0
72 - 78: 2.5
65 - 71: 2.0
58 - 64: 1.5
Course Assignments
25% - Participation [20 points] Semester Long
Similar to the process in TE 407, you will be asked to contribute thoughtfully, positively, consistently, and
appropriately. Being that class is largely seminar and participatory in nature, punctuality, participation, and
professionalism is a must. Your instructors(s) will be assessing your overall contribution to 408. See the above
informational for additionally specific criteria & guidelines.
*All dates are flexible, but due prior to finals week. The dates given are merely guides to pace your work and
allow you to work with the rest of your busy schedule. By the end of the semester, all will be graded. Please
create tabs/headings on your wiki page to organize your work for instructor review.
25% - 4 Lesson Plans [20 points] Put on wiki (as word document)
1. Cooperative Learning Lesson Plan - due January 30
2. Simulation/Role-Play Lesson Plan - due February 13
3. Discussion/Debate Lesson Plan - due February 27
4. Student-Directed Project Lesson Plan - due March 12
25% - 4 Artifacts of Instructional Enhancement [20 points]
Your instructor will assign and evaluate the following artifacts (paste electronic version on your
wiki page and include a printed version in your Professional Practitioner Portfolio).
1. Humanities-Based Lesson - due January 25
2. Assessment Samples - due February 22
3. Classroom Procedures Plan - due March 21
4. Resume & Cover Letter - due April 18
25% - 4 Artifacts of Teaching All Learners [20 points]
(paste electronic version on your wiki page and include a printed version in your Professional Practitioner
Portfolio).
1. Focus Student Portfolio - due February 6
2. Special Education Artifact - due February 29
3. English Language Learner Artifact - due March 14
4. Differentiated Instruction Artifact - due April 11