I. Course Number: EDMG 4300
Course Title: Success in the Middle: Teaching, Learning and Advocacy
College: Bagwell College of Education
Semester:
II. Instructor:
III. Class Meetings:
IV. Required Texts:
Reinventing the Middle School (2001). Edited by Thomas Dickinson.
(Routledge Falmer, ISBN 0-415-92593-2
This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents (2003). National Middle School Association
(ISBN 1-56090-142-X)
V. Catalog Course Description: Candidates will focus on the development of middle school curriculum
and instructional and assessment activities that relate to early adolescents, with an emphasis on the
attributes of the middle school philosophy. Candidates will also examine the issues of teaching young
adolescents and the unique role teachers must play as interdisciplinary team members, content
specialists, as well as advocates for the middle school and the middle level learner. Candidates will
further examine issues related to diversity including, but not limited to, ethnicity, race, age, socioeconomic
status, gender, giftedness, disability, language, religion, family structure, sexual orientation, and
geographic region. Information from current research and exemplary practitioners will be used to extend
candidate knowledge on special topics related to social, emotional, and physical development as it relates
to the curricula.
VI. PURPOSE AND RATIONALE: Conceptual Framework Statement
Collaborative Development of Expertise in Teaching and Learning
The Professional Teacher Education Unit (PTEU) at Kennesaw State University is committed to
developing expertise among candidates in initial and advanced programs as teachers and leaders who
possess the capability, intent and expertise to facilitate high levels of learning in all of their students
through effective, research-based practices in classroom instruction, and who enhance the structures that
support all learning. To that end, the PTEU fosters the development of candidates as they progress
through stages of growth from novice to proficient to expert and leader. Within the PTEU conceptual
framework, expertise is viewed as a process of continued development, not an end-state. To be effective,
teachers and educational leaders must embrace the notion that teaching and learning are entwined and
that only through the implementation of validated practices can all students construct meaning and reach
high levels of learning. In that way, candidates are facilitators of the teaching and learning process.
Finally, the PTEU recognizes, values and demonstrates collaborative practices across the college and
university and extends collaboration to the community-at-large. Through this collaboration with
professionals in the university, the public and private schools, parents and other professional partners,
the PTEU meets the ultimate goal of assisting Georgia schools in bringing all students to high levels of
learning.
Knowledge Base: Teacher development is generally recognized as a continuum that includes four
phases: preservice, induction, in-service, renewal (Odell, Huling, and Sweeny, 2000). Just as Sternberg
(1996) believes that the concept of expertise is central to analyzing the teaching-learning process, the
teacher education faculty at KSU believes that the concept of expertise is central to preparing effective
classroom teachers and teacher leaders. Researchers describe how during the continuum phases
teachers progress from being Novices learning to survive in classrooms toward becoming Experts who
have achieved elegance in their teaching. We, like Sternberg (1998), believe that expertise is not an endstate but a process of continued development.
The knowledge base for this course is acquired from books, articles, current periodicals, media and other
sources grounded in sociological, philosophical and historical foundations of education. Course content
will also be derived from the world of current practice and learned societies.
Use of Technology Statement: Technology Standards for Educators are required by the Professional
Standards Commission. Telecommunication and information technologies will be integrated throughout
the master teacher preparation program, and all candidates must be able to use technology to improve
student learning and meet Georgia Technology Standards for Educators. During the courses, candidates
will be provided with opportunities to explore and use instructional media, especially microcomputers, to
assist teaching. They will master use of productivity tools, such as multimedia facilities, local-net and
Internet, and feel confident to design multimedia instructional materials, create WWW resources, and
develop an electronic learning portfolio.
Diversity Statement: A variety of materials and instructional strategies will be employed to meet the
needs of the different learning styles of diverse learners in class. Candidates will gain knowledge as well
as an understanding of differentiated strategies and curricula for providing effective instruction and
assessment within multicultural classrooms. One element of course work is raising candidate awareness
of critical multicultural issues. A second element is to cause candidates to explore how multiple attributes
of multicultural populations influence decisions in employing specific methods and materials for every
student. Among these attributes are age, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, geographic
region, giftedness, language, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. An
emphasis on cognitive style differences provides a background for the consideration of cultural context.
Kennesaw State University provides program accessibility and accommodations for persons defined as
disabled under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990. A number of services are available to support students with disabilities within their academic
program. In order to make arrangements for special services, students must visit the Office of Disabled
Student Support Services (ext. 6443) and develop an individual assistance plan. In some cases,
certification of disability is required.
Please be aware that there are other support/mentor groups on the campus of Kennesaw State University
that address each of the multicultural variables outlined above.
Professional Portfolio Narrative Statement: A required element in each portfolio for TOSS, Student
Teaching, and the Graduate Program is the portfolio narrative. The purpose of the portfolio narrative is to
ensure that every candidate reflects on each of the proficiencies on the CPI (see attached) with regard to
what evidence the candidate has selected for his/her portfolio. Although none of the assignments for this
course are “required” for your portfolio, for this course you will need to complete a brief grid narrative in
which you reflect on each proficiency and how you make the case that the evidence you have selected
supports a particular proficiency.
School-Based Activities Statement: As a teacher candidate, you are encouraged to be involved in a
variety of school-based activities directed at the improvement of teaching and learning. Activities may
include, but are not limited to, tutoring students, assisting teachers or other school personnel, attending
school board meetings, and participating in education-related community events. As you continue your
teacher candidate experiences, you are encouraged to explore every opportunity to learn by doing.
VII. General Course Goals:
This course is specifically based on the National Middle School Standards for Initial Certification in Middle
Grades Education.
Standard 1 Young Adolescent Development
Middle level teacher candidates understand the major concepts, principles, theories, and research
related to young adolescent development, and they provide opportunities that support student
development and learning.
Standard 2 Middle Level Philosophy and School Organization
Middle level teacher candidates understand the major concepts, principles, theories, and research
underlying the philosophical foundations of developmentally responsive middle level programs and
schools, and they work successfully within these organizational components.
Standard 3 Middle Level Curriculum and Assessment
Middle level teacher candidates understand the major concepts, principles, theories, standards, and
research related to middle level curriculum and assessment, and they use this knowledge in their
practice.
Standard 4 Middle Level Teaching Fields
Middle level teacher candidates understand and use the central concepts, tools of inquiry, standards,
and structures of content in their chosen teaching fields, and they create meaningful learning
experiences that develop all young adolescents’ competence in subject matter and skills.
Standard 5 Middle Level Instruction and Assessment
Middle level teacher candidates understand and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and
research related to effective instruction and assessment, and they employ a variety of strategies for a
developmentally appropriate climate to meet the varying abilities and learning styles of all young
adolescents.
Standard 6 Family and Community Involvement
Middle level teacher candidates understand the major concepts, principles, theories, and research
related to working collaboratively with family and community members, and they use that knowledge
to maximize the learning of all young adolescents.
Standard 7 Middle Level Professional Roles
Middle level teacher candidates understand the complexity of teaching young adolescents, and they
engage in practices and behaviors that develop their competence as professionals.
Objectives: KSU Middle Grades Teacher Candidates will:
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Demonstrate an understanding of the unique needs of middle grades learners
Create developmentally-appropriate lesson plans aimed at meeting the needs of the
middle school learner and the required middle grades curriculum
Discuss ways to involve parent and guardians in learning community of the early
adolescent
Research “typical” behaviors of middle grades learners
Present an argument in favor of the middle school philosophy
VIII. Academic Integrity: Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student
Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student
Code of Conduct addresses the University's policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding
plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation and/or
falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library
materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student
identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established
procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either and "informal" resolution by a
faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a
student to the Code of Conduct's minimum one semester suspension requirement.
IX. Couse Requirements and Assignments - All assignments should be typed and double-spaced in
an appropriate font style and size (12pt.), double-spaced, with no spelling or grammatical errors.
Effective communication skills are expected. Assignments turned in after the due date will be penalized.
No assignments will be accepted one week after the due date.
1. Interdisciplinary unit: Candidates will work in interdisciplinary teams to develop a conceptbased thematic unit. The unit is to address the concept from the perspective of the four core
content areas (math, science, language arts, social studies). The assignment will be assessed
both individually and whole group (see attached rubric). Individual lesson plans must
demonstrate an understanding of the use Bloom’s Taxonomy and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory in lesson planning. (100 points).
2. Flavor of the week: Interdisciplinary teams will research a current topic in education. They will
share their findings and make a determination as to whether they believe their topic to be a “flavor
of the week” or a lasting innovation. This will help familiarize candidates with educational topics
and jargon that they will hear about in the schools. (25 points).
3. Advisory Activities: Candidates will work in groups to develop age/subject-appropriate advisory
activities. This will demonstrate an understanding of a critical component of the middle school
concept as well as an understanding of the middle grades student. (20 points).
4. Observation: (50 points) Teacher candidates will observe an adolescent in their natural
environments (e.g., at school, work, home, and play). Individual observations, in narrative form,
will be due on the dates specified in the course outline.
5. Cultural Immersion Experience (35 points) Each teacher candidate will attend a cultural activity
involving individuals of a group of different race, religion, sexual orientation etc. from his or her
own. Candidates will type a three-page, double-spaced paper describing this experience. As
with the reflection papers, you are not only describe the experience so that the reader has a good
sense of the setting, but you should also reflect upon ways that what you have experienced might
inform your teaching practices. This activity asks you to go outside your comfort zone. Describe
ways that you felt discomfort. In what ways did you develop a greater appreciation for situations
outside of your own culture? Etc
6. End of Course Narrative and Grid: (20 points) This assignment provides you an opportunity to
reflect back on the course and the assignments, activities you have completed or in which you
have participated. In an assignment grid you will describe how the activities, assignments etc.
have helped you develop your expertise as a future teacher. You must connect the activities to
the Kennesaw State University’s Candidate Performance Indictors and explain how you have
improved your expertise in the domains.
7. Middle School Advocacy Paper: (25 points). Candidates will research best practice articles
and research on NMSA to write a position paper advocating for the middle school concept. The
paper will demonstrate and understanding of the major components of the middle school
philosophy and its effect on teaching and learning.
8. Attendance/Professionalism/In-class Participation: (25 points) It has been noted that when
teacher candidates are not successful in their advanced field experiences (TOSS and student
teaching), the area often cited as the focus of concern is that of professionalism. Behaviors that
indicate professional skill may be demonstrated in a teacher candidate’s approach to participating
in and completing the requirements for any particular course, such as this one. Professional
behavior will be monitored in this course. Should concerns arise regarding an individual teacher
candidate, the instructor of this course will communicate these concerns to the teacher candidate
with the purpose of drawing attention to deficiencies so that they may be remedied before further
field placements. Indicators of professionalism that will be monitored are addressed in the
questions below.
Does the teacher candidate:
 Model high standards and expectations for him or herself?
 Display a commitment to becoming a teacher and to the profession of helping students learn?
 Enjoy learning and indicate enthusiasm toward working with students to facilitate their
learning?
 Regularly reflect on and assess his or her performance and effectiveness for selfimprovement?
 Learn from experiences and show improvement over time?
 Manage interpersonal relationships effectively?
 Demonstrate courtesy, respect, and civility in interactions with others? (If appropriate, the
instructor should include descriptions and/or copies of emails from and/or conversations with
the teacher candidate that may be judged unprofessional.)
 Work collaboratively with professional colleagues and faculty?
 Demonstrate punctuality and timely completion of responsibilities? (Including any tardies,
absences, and late or missing work.)
 Accept responsibility for actions and non-actions, placing the locus of control upon him or
herself rather than shifting blame or claiming inability to control outside factors?
 Maintain appropriate attire and appearance?
 Promote and model standards of academic honesty?
Professionalism. Future teachers are expected to conduct themselves with professional behavior that
includes effective and respectful collaboration and communication with colleagues, prompt attendance
of all meetings and classes, moral behavior and actions, appropriate communication with the
cooperating teacher and university supervisor, professional dress (even on “casual days”), etc. Please
note that “meeting” expectations for teachers is usually what others consider to be “exceeding”
expectations. Teacher candidates are entering a profession of extremely high standards that they are
expected to live up to daily. The way a candidate interacts with peers and faculty on campus is strongly
indicative of how he or she will deal with future students, colleagues, and administrators. Assumptions
may be made about your professionalism in the schools based on professional behavior on campus.
IF, AT ANY TIME, A CANDIDATE’S ACTIONS OR ATTITUDES ARE JUDGED TO BE LESS
THAN PROFESSIONAL BY A UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR, COOPERATING TEACHER,
PRINCIPAL, OR OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL, APPROPRIATE REMEDIAL ACTION WILL
BE TAKEN. SUCH ACTION MAY INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REMEDIATION
PLAN AND/OR THE REMOVAL OF THE CANDIDATE FROM THE PROGRAM.
When teacher candidates are not successful in their advanced field experiences (TOSS and
student teaching), the area of concern is often that of professionalism. Behaviors that indicate
professional skills may be demonstrated in a candidate’s approach to participating in and
completing the requirements for any particular course. Professional behavior will be monitored in
this course. Should concerns arise regarding an individual candidate, the instructor will
communicate these concerns to the candidate and to the appropriate program coordinator so that
he or she may be remediated before further field placements. Indicators of professionalism that
will be monitored are addressed in the statements below.
The teacher candidate shows acceptable professional ability to:
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Assess, reflect upon, and improve professional performance.
Work collaboratively with colleagues, supervisors, students, parents, and community
members.
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Show regard for human dignity in all relationships.
Assume responsibility for professional and ethical behavior.
EVALUATION AND GRADING:
Grading scale:
A (90-100)
B (80-89)
Assignment:
Interdisciplinary Unit
Flavor
Advisory
Observation
Cultural Immersion
End of Course Narrative and Grid
Middle School Advocacy Paper
Professionalism and In-class participation
TOTAL
C (70-79)
D (60-69)
F (0-59)
Points/Weighting:
100/33%
25/08%
20/07%
50/17%
35/12%
20/07%
25/08%
25/08%
300/100%
TOPICAL OUTLINE:
Week
Topic
1
What is middle school? Middle School vs. Jr. high
2
Components of the middle school philosophy
3
What makes the early adolescent learner so unique?
4
Adolescent development needs
5
Meeting the needs of the adolescent in the classroom
6
Teaming
7
Interdisciplinary Planning
8
Planning an effective middle grades lesson
9
Bloom’s Taxonomy and Planning
10
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory and Planning
11
Assessment
12
Authentic Assessment
13
Home/School connections (how to interact with parents and guardians)
14
Advocating for the middle school and the middle grades student/Becoming Teacher Leaders
15
Self reflection/course summary: What makes an effective middle grades teacher?