San Diego State University--School of Teacher Education--Fall Semester 2014
TE 954 (3). Humanistic and Social Aspects of Teaching [Math and Science]. Teacher competencies
as they relate to values, awareness, self-concept, rights and responsibilities. (SDSU Bulletin)
Professor Emeritus: Kathleen Faith Mikitka-Gomez, Ph.D.
SDSU Office: EBA 205A
Office Hours: Electronic and SDSU Office Meetings TBA By appointment
Email: kmikitka@mail.sdsu.edu
SDSU Office Phone: 619-594-6493/Cell Phone: 619-892-1806
Email and voicemail usually checked at least once daily except weekends and holidays.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Course Overview
The California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) provide the developmental framework
for SDSU’s accredited teacher credential programs. The teacher education program builds on experiences,
knowledge, and personality we bring to it. We bring a specialized knowledge of our subject matter and
dispositions shaped by a variety of factors. A student orientation profile (formative assessment) provides a
baseline for the detailing and launching of this course. One of the major goals of the professor is to assist
credential students in developing the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPE) of the California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing preparing for the Teaching Performance Assessments/TPA (in-depth
Teaching Events) required for awarding a California Preliminary Teaching Credential.
Math and Science credential candidates prepare to teach in schools that have multiple socio-economic,
cross cultural and language variables. We will explore these variables and critical issues in education in
these wider contexts in which students are engaged in the teaching and learning process. We interact
with class colleagues/peers, administrators, teachers, parents, others, and most importantly with students.
Therefore, another major goal of the professor is to assist in the exploration and clarification of attitudes
toward, and readiness for teaching with awareness of responsibilities and rights of the profession. These
attitudes and dispositions evolve throughout teaching careers and the need for inquiry, reflective
self-awareness and reflective practice are on-going elements of professional development and growth.
REQUIRED Course Materials
Purchase/acquire the following items and texts:
>Loose-leaf notebook binder/s, 3 D- rings, at least 1.5-inch capacity. See professor’s samples.
>Berger, W. (2014). A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas.
New York: Bloomsbury.
>Infantino, R. & Wilke, R. (2009). Tough Choices for Teachers: Ethical Challenges in Today’s Schools and
Classrooms. New York: Rowan & Littlefield.
>Urban, H. (2008). Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things Good Teachers Do. CA: Great Lessons Press.
Class orders direct from the author ($24. check or money order written to Dr. Hal Urban).
>Membership in the CUE statewide organization and networking with SDCUE (San Diego) members is highly
recommended for keeping on the leading edge of education technology users in math and science. For
opportunities to volunteer and/or participate in the local SDCUE Annual Tech Fair (November 15, La Costa
Canyon High School) checks the following link: http://sdcue.cue.org/content/sdcue-tech-fair
To volunteer at the Tech Fair (conference fee is free for volunteers) access the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18xGRkotY4B-4o9VnEvEMRtDliIzOLy88FTf9DWqDH3s/viewform
>See the next page for “FREE” items to download from Internet sites and our class Blackboard links.
Other items will be added given the progression of topics and relevant current events.
Check the SDSU School of Teacher Education website* or the California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing website** to download the following documents and have this
information ready for reference. Some items are linked to our class Blackboard:
>California Standards for the Teaching Profession (including TPE).
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. **
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/TPA-files/TPEs-Full-Version.pdf
>California State curriculum framework/s, content standards, and Common Core State Standards
documents for your subject matter.**
http://www.nextgenscience.org
http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/ngssintrod.asp
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug2013.pdf
>Credential Program Handbook, San Diego State University, School of Teacher Education website
(look in current students section).*
http://go.sdsu.edu/education/ste/files/03437Teaching_Credential_Program_Handbook_2014-15.pdf
Websites and/or Documents Posted on our class Blackboard Site:
>Chowning, J.T. & Fraser, P. (2007). An Ethics Primer. Seattle, WA: Northwest Association
of Biomedical Research (NWABR). www.nwabr.org
>Northwest Association for Biomedical Research. (2012) Bio ethics 101. Reasoning and Justification,
Grades 7-12. Seattle, WA: NWABR. www.nwabr.org
>CUE Website: OnCUE archives.
http://www.cue.org/sites/cue.org/files/images/OnCUE_Fall13.pdf
Novak, J.D. & Canas, A. J. (2008). The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How
to Construct Them. Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition.
http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf
These items and others will be posted to the class Blackboard site as the class progresses
in concert with current events and professional development assignments.
Selected References and Sources Used by the Instructor to Share and Prepare for Classes
>What’s happening in the “real world?” Current news media relevant to our course are explored.
>http://www.whitehouse.gov/
>Ernst, P., Greer, B. & Sriraman, B. (2009). Critical Issues in Mathematics Education. Charlotte,
NC: Information Age Publishing.
>Corlett, I.J. (2009). E is for Ethics: How to talk to Kids About Morals, Values, and What Matters
Most. New York: Simon & Shuster.
>Gardner, H. (2008). 5 Minds for the Future. Boston, MA: Harvard Press.
>Lemov, D. (2010). Teach Like a Champion-49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
>Marshall, J.C. (2013) Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms. Alexandria: ASCD.
>Marx, G. (2014) 21 Trends for the 21st Century: Out of the Trenches and Into the Future. Bethesda,
MD: Education Week Press.
>Nelson, J. L.; Palonsky, S. & McCarthy, M.R. (2013). Critical Issues in Education,
Eighth Edition. New York: McGraw Hill.
>Tauber, R. T. & Mester, C. S. (2007). Acting Lessons for Teachers: Using Performance Skills
in the Classroom, 2nd Edition. Westport, CT: Praeger.
>Truesdell, P. (2014) Engineering Essentials for STEM Instruction: How Do I Infuse Real-World
Problem Solving Into Science, Technology, and Math? Alexandria: ASCD Arias.
Wong, H & R. (2014) The Classroom Management Book. Mountain View, CA: Harry K Wong
Publications, Inc. http://teachers.net/
Knowledge Based Standards. The required texts and other references used by the instructor
provide socio-humanistic foundations of math and science education applicable in effective school
settings. These sources include emphases on character development, professional ethics, standardsbased curricula designed for diverse learners, collaborative and individual accomplishment,
reflective practice, and technology that supports and enhances learning and teaching.
Education Foundations Outcomes. Students will be able to identify perpetual and current education
issues in American and the global society; apply elements of critical thinking and creative inquiry
to analyze/discuss controversies; discover and propose integrative opportunities and possibilities
for moving our education systems and world society in positive directions.
Academic and Professional Competencies
During and upon completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
1.
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recognize dispositions and strategies that contribute to establishing a class and school
climate conducive to learning and teaching.
recall and document professional education perspectives drawn from cultural, historical,
philosophical, sociological sources and professional education sources.
articulate and analyze character, ethical, and legal issues in current educational
environments and prepare for addressing and handling them.
refer to national/state and world educational goals, curriculum and professional standards,
and exemplary school practices.
discover, develop/create and use teaching performance skills and strategies, community
resources, school site and district resources, electronic resources and other technologies to
facilitate and enrich the education process.
General Expectations of Class Members and the Professor:
Respect each other, the classroom environment, and the academic integrity of the university.
Act and react in a professional manner with professional dispositions.
Read. Keep up-to-date with reading assignments before the start of the class due date.
Check email daily.
Learn and enjoy the math and science teacher preparation process, and SMILE :>)
NOTE: Our class is situated in a new (Fall 2014) state of the art technology- equipped collaborative
classroom at SDSU. To protect this equipment, we will honor the “No food or drinks of any kind
are allowed in this room” policy of SDSU’s Instructional Technology Services staff, as posted
on the sign outside the room. This might policy be undergoing changes.
If we made the rules ala Hal Urban:
Students would not be allowed to1.
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Students would be encouraged to1.
2.
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NOTE: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for
this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To
avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability
Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that
accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your
instructor with an authentic accommodation letter from Student Disability Services.
Assessment Components and Standards: Grade Levels
“C” Grade Level: Reading Assignments Comprehension and Retention Progress Assessments
Meet benchmark standards of at least 150 of 200 (75% standard) total points accumulated from the two progress
assessments (50 points each and the final exam assessment (100) on content from class texts and notes. Sample
review assessment items are provided the week before each progress assessment date and before the final
assessment date. Please see the progress assessment dates and corresponding reading assignments on the class
schedule. For each progress assessment and the final exam assessment you will need to provide a ParSCORE
scantron (Red Form No. F-289) for objective items and an Examination Blue Book (11x8.5 with 8 sheets) for essay
items: these are available at the SDSU Aztec Bookstore. You will also need to bring a No. 2 sharp pencil with good
eraser (for marking the ParSCORE Test Form) and a pen (for writing essay items in Examination Blue Book).
This requires that you have good reading comprehension and study habits for test taking. Skim reading texts
probably will not be enough to earn you a C. You will need to read and study the content. Taking notes, underlining
text, making outlines, flash cards, etc. are useful study strategies.
“B” Grade Level: adds In-Class Collaborative/Independent Inquiries and Rotations Participation, Field
Experience Observations and Teachable Moments Video Clips
Meet the benchmark standard or better for the “C” grade level. Participate in all collaborative in-class
activities/discussions/rotations and all Independent Electronic Inquiry Experiences (IEIEs). Rotations participation
schedules will be distributed after the first class meeting. Activity/inquiry/discussion prompts in the form of
questions and response items will be drawn from the assigned readings on the class schedule and current events
relevant to class content. Attendance in class is required for participating in face-to-face in-class assignments,
discussions and collaborative activities/rotations. These activities extend us beyond class text reading.
A class notebook capturing these events and materials is due at the end-of-semester meeting with the professor.
“A” Grade Level: adds the synthesis/creation and launching of a Professional Development Portfolio IDEA
Meet the benchmark standard or better for the “C” grade level. Participate in all electronic
activities/discussions and in-class collaborative inquiries/discussions for the “B” grade level. Engage
in an “Individual Discovery Education Activity” (IDEA) taking your weekly notebook a step beyond
capturing class activities and information. Use a dialectic/integrative inquiry and creative process, drawn
from this collection of notes and items, class readings and supplemental notes with a focus on ethics and
character development strategies, resulting in the synthesis and launching of a hands-on Professional
Development Portfolio. The Professional Development Portfolio IDEA must be unique for this class and
not a “double dip” including an assignment/s prepared for another class (e.g., content methods or language
development strategies). Guidelines for the portfolio will be posted in our BlackBoard class documents.
The professor will provide a checklist of requirements and standards for the PDP IDEA that supports
individual interests, and communicate with individuals about this. The outcome of this activity is due at
the individual face-to-face meeting with the professor scheduled close to the end of the semester (see this
noted on the class meetings calendar schedule, following this page).
Grade Levels Plus and Minus Variations
>Absence- serious and compelling reason with documentation ((Make-up required)
>Choice Absence (not available on assessment dates), absences result in grade reductions (-2 each)
>Attend the San Diego CUE Conference, (+2) cancels 1 choice absence, adds a + to grade level if no
absences are recorded.
>Other variations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Class meeting times on Wednesdays at SDSU, AH 1112, 1-3:40 PM
& Individual Electronic Inquiry Experiences (IEIEs yellow highlight) as scheduled below.
August/September 2014
INTRODUCTION to Humanistic and Social Aspects of Teaching Math and Science
Part I: VALUES-Inquiry, Critical Issues, Critical Thinking, Class Environment, Teacher Performance Skills
W 8/27 1. GREETING OUR CLASSMATES & ORIENTATION TO OUR CLASS
Welcome and Collaboration: Who are we, and why are we here?
Formative Assessments, Class Syllabus, Expectations, Calendar Schedule & Topics
Technology in Our Class Learning Resource Lab, CUE Membership, Class Notebook
Video: Author and Teacher, Hal Urban, PhD, Character Education Partnership Conference Keynote Speech
*****
Read ALL of Hal Urban’s “Lessons from the Classroom” before the beginning of our next class.
W 9/3
2. Google Hangout Video Conference: Matt Baier, CUE 2014 Innovative Educator, Innovation Center Director CHS
Results of formative assessments, Getting Acquainted: Sharing individual presentations of bio/lifeline
How do we make the best use of our time, texts, and technology resources in our classroom? TBContinued
*****
Read ALL of Berger before the beginning of our next class.
DROP/ADD Classes DEADLINE: Monday, September 8
W 9/10 3. Guest Consultant: John Franey, PhD, USD Center for Education Policy & Law, Mobile Technology/STEM Research
Urban and Class Culture Inquiry: Observations in schools, class environments- OQDQ Question Prompt Strategy
*****
Read ALL of the Novak and Canas article on “Concept Mapping” before the beginning of our next class.
W 9/17 4. Guest Conversation with Paty Meacham, Mathematics and Character Development Teacher, 9/11 First Responder
What’s in the “real world” with implications for teachers? What Frameworks/Maps can we synthesize/create?
*****
Review all assigned readings and class notes to prepare for next week’s progress assessment.
9/24
5. Progress Assessment 1: RECAP: How do we put all this information together?
Collaborative & Independent Assessments: Graphic/Visual Concept Maps, Scanned Response & Essay Items
*****
Access the “Ethics Primer” from Blackboard and read ALL of this before the beginning of our next class
October 2014
Part II: RIGHTS & RESPONSIBLITIES-Ethics in Teaching and Learning Math and Science and in the Profession
10/1
6. What does it mean to be ethical? What are dispositions? teacher dispositions? “Ethical thinking” frameworks
*****
Access Bioethics 101 from Blackboard and read ALL of this no later than 10/8 @ 1 PM.
10/8
7. Independent Electronic Inquiry Experience and Collaboration Posted in BlackBoard
IEIE
Ethical Issues in Math and Science DUE: before or by Friday 10/10 by 6 PM
*****
Reading assignment and electronic class collaboration embedded in IEIE
10/15
8. Results of the IEIE : Collaborative Lesson Presentations
*****
Read Mikitka-Gomez Book Review and all of Infantino and Wilke book before the beginning of our next class.
10/22
9. Why character education? Casey Currigan, Science Teacher and Principal, Oak Valley Middle School (4-S/Poway)
What do lesson planning, class management, & school culture have to do with character development and ethics?
*****
Reading Assignment TBD
10/29
10. Progress Assessment 2: Ethics Primer, Bioethics 101, Infantino & Wilke, other reading assignments and class notes
Scanned Responses & Case Study Analysis Essay
*****
Reading Assignment TBD
November 2014
Part III: AWARENESS: Larger Community and School Environment Affecting Learning and Teaching
11/5
11. Critical Issues Ranking and Inquiries
*****
Reading Assignment TBD
11/12
12. Critical Issues
***** Reading to be assigned for this week based on critical issues rankings.
San Diego CUE Conference, Saturday 11/12 at La Costa Canyon High School: Optional Opportunity
11/19
13. Independent Electronic Inquiry Experience Posted in BlackBoard: What About Teachers’ Unions?
IEIE
DUE: Friday, 11/21 by 6 PM
*****
Reading assignment embedded in IEIE
11/26
14. Thanksgiving Holiday Break-No Classes at SDSU: Work on Notebooks and IDEAs-PDPs
December 2014
Part IV: SELF-CONCEPT-Humanistic and Social Aspects of Teaching Math and Science-GRAND FINALE
12/3
15. Individual Progress Consultations with the Professor: Face to Face
Times TBA this week, Class Notebooks and Optional “A” Level Professional Development Portfolios Due.
*****
Reading Assignment TBD
12/10
16. Teachable Moments Video Clips Featuring: Humanistic and Social Aspects of Teaching and Learning
*****
Reading Assignment TBD
12/17
17. Final Progress Assessment: 1-3 to P.M. ATTENDANCE REQUIRED.
Format TBD based on performance and progress assessments to date.