University of Regina
Faculty of Education
Educational Core Studies
ECS 301-010, 020, 040 – Pedagogy, Theory and Practices of Elementary Teaching: Pre-K-6
Term:
Instructors:
Fall 2012
Pamela Kendel-Goodale – 010; Pamela.Kendel-Goodale@uregina.ca (Office: ED 234; Ph: 585- 4697)
Carol Fulton – 020; 040; Carol.Fulton@uregina.ca (Office: ED 336, Ph: 585-4609)
ECS Blog:
http://ecs301.wordpress.com
Learning to teach should be thought of as an intellectual activity. But instead it’s taught as magical methods
and tried and true techniques. New teachers arrive in schools thinking teaching is a matter of having a best
bag of tricks. It’s more than that … so very much more.
(Carter, 1990, p. 214)
Purposes of ECS 301
As described above, teaching is a deeply intellectual, complex undertaking. The University of Regina course
calendar states, “This course allows pre-service teachers to discuss, plan and implement a variety of learning
experiences for students. They investigate the complexities of teaching, learning and assessment from
different perspectives; deconstruct normalcy and diversity; and use instructional technologies. But it is also
much more . . . .
Across all course aspects, you will inquire into learning and teaching in a complex world. Ongoing emphasis
will focus upon planning, assessment and understanding connections between instructional approaches,
teaching roles and working in educative and respectful ways alongside children and families of diverse
backgrounds and experiences.
Required Textbook
Gregory, G. & Chapman, C (2007). Differentiated instructional strategies: One size doesn’t fit all.
(New Edition) Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc.
Other Reference Material
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, Play and exploration: Early learning guide, April 2008, Saskatchewan.
Our Words, Our Ways: Teaching First Nations, Metis and Inuit Learners. Alberta Education. ISBN: 0-77854313-7. http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/K12/curriculum.Our words.asp
Kumashiro, K. (2009). Against common sense: Teaching and learning toward social justice. New York:
Routledge Falmer.
Components:
 ECS 301 courses
 Field: (Wednesdays all day, Oct 10th – Nov 28th inclusive).- eight field experience where you and a
teaching partner will be placed in a classroom with a cooperating teacher. Full attendance is required.
 Pre-internship Orientation: September 19, 9 a.m.- 11:30 a.m., ED Auditorium
 PLACE (Professional Learning as Community Experience) – Treaty Education workshops Sept. 26, 27
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Five Key Strands:
1. The Complexities of Teaching: Understanding the complex nature of learning and teaching within the
Saskatchewan context. Focus will be on the social, emotional, physical, economic, historical, political and
legal factors that affect learners, teachers and educational institutions.
2. Planning and Preparation: Lesson and unit planning; designing learning activities appropriate for
children in elementary contexts; designing coherent instruction; planning for the authentic assessment of
children’s learning; applying equitable and inclusive teaching practices, and planning for culturally
responsive teaching.
3. Professional Development Process: Planning for professional growth targets and goals; soliciting and
analyzing feedback on teaching; setting professional goals; creating a portfolio.
4. Instruction and Assessment of Learning: Developing skills in a variety of strategies for different kinds of
learning (conceptual, skills, processes and affective); using a variety of methods to assess learning; engaging
children in learning; creating safe and orderly classrooms.
5. Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: Understanding how inequities are produced and reproduced in
schools; examining individual beliefs and practices to better understand ourselves; critiquing unjust
educational practices and the role that educators play; working to build caring, respectful communities
through SchoolPLus; incorporating first Nations and Metis content in meaningful ways.
Climate & Community Expectations
Attendance, engagement and participation in all aspects of this course are crucial. Thoughtful, thought
provoking and respectful contributions to the class discussions are expected and will assist you in becoming
intellectually and personally involved in the material covered in the course. The ideas of everyone in the
class are important to our discussion. To achieve these ends students must: critically read assigned readings
prior to the class; be prepared to discuss issues relating to the readings and enter class with an open mind.
If you need to miss any one of these components, please contact the instructor by phone or email before class
begins. If you will be absent from your Field Experiences, you are to contact your cooperating teacher and
course instructor.
Course Learning Experiences
The ECS 301 and curriculum classes in the pre-internship semesters are intended to help you become
thoughtful and caring professionals who are knowledgeable and competent in the areas of curriculum,
instruction and assessment/evaluation appropriate for children in the elementary grades. You will also be
asked to become involved with an education system that is culturally responsive and socially just. This
course provides opportunities for you to construct knowledge about teaching and learning through dialogues
with colleagues and active participation in class. Besides learning to plan for assess children’s learning, you
will be asked to thoughtfully analyze curriculum, your teaching and beliefs, your observations of classrooms
and assigned readings.
Topics Covered
The following topics, which may not be discussed in this order, will be addressed throughout the
semester and may be revisited several times as you grow in your understanding and skill
development. Some topics may be continued or left until ECS 311, or others may be introduced this
semester, depending on your needs and interests.
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1. Review of the Ministry of Education curriculum; other kinds of curriculum
2. The Professional Development Process (PDP); developing Professional Goals (targets) and
collecting data (ongoing throughout semester)
3. Introduction to Planning – Types of Plans
4. Choosing learning goals – Outcomes and Indicators
5. Planning a lesson – Set, Development and Closure; Planning learning activities
6. Communication Skills; building rapport; developing relationships
7. Giving Directions
8. Questioning
9. Knowing your learners and planning for diversity
10. Engaging and Motivating Students
11. Instructional Strategies
12. Authentic Assessment
Course Assessment For Learning:
1. Attendance, Participation & Professionalism
2. Introductory letter
3. Reading Responses
4. Small Group Presentation
5. Field Experience Planning and Preparation and Reflection
6. Developmental Portfolio
Assessment Details:
1. Attendance, Participation & Professionalism
Faculty of Education Policy on Attendance & Punctuality: Regular and punctual attendance is very
important in the Faculty of Education because courses are often based on participation and experiential
learning rather than lecture. As well, group activities and assignments are often negatively affected by the
absence of students. Instructors will monitor student attendance. You must provide a doctor’s certificate if
missing more than 3 classes due to health. You also should discuss with your instructor any problems that
may be interfering with regular and punctual attendance. Students persisting in poor attendance and
punctuality will be identified at the student review meetings. Further action pertaining to continuation in the
program may be recommended at that time.
2. Introductory Letter
Who am I? Introductory letter
This letter is intended to help your course instructor and your cooperating teacher find out more about you
and what your strengths and talents are. You will prepare a draft for peer editing, then work on your revisions
and then hand in your second draft to your course instructor. If further editing is required before you take the
letter to your pre-internship co-operating teacher, you instructor will advise you. You will up-date this letter
to share with your co-op prior to your internship next fall.
Here are a few guidelines for preparing your letter suggested by the Field Experience Office:

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Keep the letter positive and relatively brief (about one type-written page);
Try to envision the impression your letter may give on the co-op;
Avoid lengthy expositions of your philosophy of education and teaching
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Major points to cover:
 A brief personal background (where you are from etc.);
 Some information about activities you have been involved in;
 Skills that you have acquired that will be an asset to teaching;
 Evidence of a desire to be in the classroom as a pre-intern;
 Appreciation of the role your co-operating teaching will play in your professional development.
In light of your experiences this semester, you will revise this letter to make it appropriate for sending to
your internship co-operating teacher.
3. Reading Responses & Reflective Pieces
You will be given reading assignments and you are expected to come to class with some writing prepared.
Writing about something means that we will have engaged with the reading differently than if we just read it.
These writings will used in class to animate discussions, clarify thinking, and encourage engagement with the
course materials. The writings are also a significant sign of your preparation; however, these ‘inking your
thinking’ pieces will not be handed-in. At the end of the semester, you will hand in a summary of the
knowledge/information from the readings and how the readings have impacted your teaching practice
including questions that the readings have provoked in you.
4. Small Group Presentation
These will be based on instructional strategies and will be explained in class.
5. Field Experience Planning, Preparation and Reflection
You will be required to teach a lesson every Wednesday in the schools. Please come prepared with your
lesson plan for the ECS class prior to the field experience. Class time will be provided to support planning.
You must pass your Field Experience in order to pass the clas
6. ‘Process of Becoming’ Developmental Portfolio (see attachment)
To reflect a more holistic and complex understanding of our lives as teachers, your teaching portfolio is a
space to develop and share your insights in relation to your emerging questions, the bumps you are
experiencing and examining and what you are learning as you explore the commonplaces (student, teacher,
milieu, subject matter) and the ‘interconnectedness’ and complexity of it all. At the end of this term (and
again at the end of the winter term), we will celebrate your gifts and strengths at a meeting with your
instructor and/peers where you share aspects of your growth as documented in your ‘Process of Becoming’
portfolio.
This portfolio will also include your lesson plans.
Please note:

All students MUST complete all assignments and hand in on assigned dates.

All students MUST receive a Pass in the Field Experience in order to pass ECS 301 and be
recommended in the student review meetings to continue in the elementary program.
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Professional Expectations of Pre-Service Teachers
In order to receive a passing grade in this course, the students must successfully fulfill the following course
expectations.
1. Excellent attendance is critical. Contact your professor/seminar instructor if you will be missing a class.
Missing more than 3 classes throughout the semester could result in your failing the course.
2. Participation is essential to the success of this class. Ensure that your participation in small groups and in
whole group is positive, productive and respectful to all the individuals.
3. Students must display a high degree of professionalism in all interactions within class and in-field
experiences in accordance with the STF Code of Ethics.
4. This is a professional course. Practice the STF Code of Ethics and conduct yourself in a professional
manner (see attached). The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) is committed to supporting
education students and faculty in post-secondary institutions in the province. As “teachers in training,”
all students enrolled in a teacher education program in Saskatchewan are automatically members of the
Federation (from STF website: http://www.stf.sk.ca) .
5. If you have any need for specific accommodations, please discuss this with your course instructor and
contact the Coordinator of the Disability Resource Office (RC 251.15) at 585-4631.
6. The use of technology during class must be conducted in a respectful, professional manner and be
for academic purposes directly relating to class content. PDA’s must be turned off unless required
for the course.
7. Please refer to the current University of Regina General Calendar for information regarding grading
descriptions, important dates, program requirements and plagiarism.
8. The field experience must be rated “satisfactory” by the cooperating teacher.
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ECS 301/311 Developmental Portfolio
Please note: The following is a format of one way that you may want to organize your portfolio and
suggestions of artifacts to collect. You may choose another design/template/organizing framework that works
best for you to ‘showcase’ your professional learning and growth. The “Process of Becoming” reflective
piece described below is a required element to your portfolio. You will reflect on the sections that you create
in your portfolio.
One Possible Design
Four Key Areas for Portfolio & suggestions for materials to collect:
A. Learning to Plan
a. Educational quotes, your philosophy, table of contents
b. Samples of lesson plans – highlight key pieces that you are proud of
c. Unit plans - highlight key pieces that you are proud of
d. ‘Process of Becoming’ Reflective Piece
B. Learning to Teach
a. Educational quotes, cartoons, student quotes
b. Samples/lists of instructional strategies
c. Samples of assessment tools (rubrics, anecdotal records, journal entries, etc)
d. Reference lists of key materials
e. Material or address from Wiki, del.icio.us account
f. Photos of you and your students engaged in learning tasks – tell the stories
g. ‘Process of Becoming’ Reflective Piece
C. Learning to Review, Reflect, and Self-Evaluate
a. Field reflections
b. Professional Development Plans
c. Record of targets set, plans, feedback, growth
d. Blog address & selected entries for example
e. Proud moments (collage, photos, writing) – tell the story in your reflective piece
f. ‘Process of Becoming’ Reflective Piece
D. Learning to Relate Professionally
a. Formal and informal evaluations from others
b. Letters from children, parents, colleagues; community involvement
c. ‘Process of Becoming’ Reflective Piece
“Process of Becoming” Reflective Pieces (for each of the key sections of your portfolio):
Write a reflective piece to help you to see and to celebrate the professional growth that you have experienced
in each of the key areas of your portfolio. Each reflective piece may be maximum one-page in length so
spend some time browsing your portfolio and then write/represent your thoughts in a thoughtful, concise
manner. Please include a summary of what you have learned from your readings and how they have
influenced your teaching as well. Feel free to be creative in your reflections if you wish to express some of
your thoughts in different ways (sketches, graphic organizers, digital story, podcast, Inspiration, etc.)
Revisit each section to “look back” to see where you were in the beginning, “look between” to see the
journey you have been on, “look here” to recognize how much you have grown in the last semester and “look
beyond” to set goals for your future professional development.
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University of Regina & Faculty of Education
Summary of Academic Regulations & Reminders
Please refer to §5.13 of the University of Regina Undergraduate General Calendar for more information or
please visit the website at http://www.uregina.ca/gencal/ugcal/
1. Attendance and Punctuality – Regular attendance is essential in all classes and if a class is missed it
is incumbent upon the student to be responsible for all material covered during the class and any
corresponding assignments. As well, group activities and assignments are often negatively affected by
the absence of students. Instructors will monitor student attendance.
2. Cheating – (University of Regina Undergraduate Calendar, 2010-2011, p. 37).
Cheating constitutes academic misconduct. Cheating is dishonest behaviour (or the attempt to behave
dishonestly), usually in tests or examinations. It includes:
 unless explicitly authorized by the course instructor or examiner, using books, notes, diagrams,
electronic devices, or any other aids during an examination, either in the examination room itself or
when permitted to leave temporarily;
 copying from the work of other students;
 communicating with others during an examination to give or receive information, either in the
examination room or outside it;
 consulting others on a take-home examination (unless authorized by the course instructor);
 commissioning or allowing another person to write an examination on one’s behalf;
 not following the rules of an examination;
 using for personal advantage, or communicating to other students, advance knowledge of the
content of an examination (for example, if permitted to write an examination early);
 altering answers on an assignment or examination that has been returned;
 taking an examination out of the examination room if this has been forbidden.
3. Invigilators’ Rights – An invigilator who suspects a student of cheating has the authority to ask the
student to do such things as empty pockets, pencil cases, etc., and roll up their sleeves. The invigilator
should ensure they have a witness when asking the student to perform the request. The invigilator
should not badger the student or unduly disrupt that student’s (or other students’) ability to complete the
examination. If the student refuses to cooperate, the invigilator can not do more except to make written
note of the students’ refusal when reporting on the matter under the disciplinary regulations.
4. Harassment – All members of the University community are entitled to a professional working and
learning environment free of harassment and discrimination. This entitlement, however, carries with it
the expectation that all members of the University community will conduct themselves in an appropriate
and responsible manner, with due respect and regard for the rights of others. No member of the
university community shall cause or participate in discrimination against or harassment of another
person.
http://www.uregina.ca/presoff/vpadmin/policymanual/hr/2010510.shtml
5. Late Assignments – Action regarding late assignments may vary from instructor to instructor.
Expectations or due dates for assignments, as well as the marks that may be deducted for late
assignments are noted in the course syllabus. (For example, some instructors deduct one mark for each
day late.) Normally, all required elements of the program must be successfully completed by each
student.
6. Plagiarism – The Faculty of Education encourages students to obtain materials from multiple and varied
sources for assignments; however, it is a student’s responsibility to acknowledge the sources when
submitting work for credit.
7. Language Competence – Students are expected to meet recommended standards of language
competence as part of graduation requirements in the Faculty of Education.
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8. Special Needs – Students, who because of a disability may have a need for accommodations, please
discuss this with your instructor as soon as possible. You may also wish to contact the Coordinator of
the Disability Resource Office (RC 251.15) at 585-4631.
9. Unprofessional Conduct – The Faculty of Education has established sound and reliable criteria and
procedures for evaluating the suitability of aspiring teachers. The criteria specify appropriate conduct for
students in teacher education programs. The procedures specify processes for screening, regulating
and monitoring professional conduct.
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