BED 4475
STUDENT TEACHING BIOLOGY (6-12)
KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Biology and Physics
Spring 2011
I.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
University
Supervisor
Dr. Michael Dias
Ms. Hilma Orman
II.
Office Office phone
SC
308b
SC
308b
(678)
797-2217
(678)
797-2217
Cell
Fax
(770)
883-2296
(678)
756-2865
(770)
423-6625
(770)
423-6625
Email
[email protected]
[email protected]
At assigned school Monday January 10 to Friday April 29 or May 5*; Seminars at
KSU, SC 245, 2:30-4:30pm, January 26, February 2, 9, 16, March 16, 30, April 13, 27.
1. January 6, 2011: 9 am, Beginning Seminar, KSU Center, Room 400, 3333 Busbee Drive
2. January 10, 2011: First day at school placement
3. Seminars at KSU with Biology Education Student Teachers, 2:30-4:30 pm, SC 245
Wednesdays: January 26, February 2, 9, 16.
4. March 4, 2011: Midterm—CPI Conference and 2 observations prior
5. March 14, 2011: Last day to withdraw without academic penalty
6. Seminars at KSU with Biology Education Student Teachers, 2:30-4:30 pm, SC 245
Wednesdays: March 16, 30, April 13, 27.
7. Schedule and complete 30-minute Exit Interview with Dias first week of May
8. April 29, 2011: Last day at school placement (May 5 if district has winter break)
9. May 6, 2011: Ending Seminar: 10am-1pm KSU Center, Room 400, 3333 Busbee Drive
III. REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
KSU Field Experiences Handbook: Collaborative Development of Expertise in Teaching
and Learning. (2002, PTEU/KSU, KSU bookstore and online at
http://www.kennesaw.edu/education/ofe/forms/field_experiences_handbook.pdf
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IV. CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION:
12 Credit hours. Prerequisite: Admission to Student Teaching.
Full-time teaching experience in science under the supervision of a middle or high school mentor
teacher and a college science education supervisor. Includes regularly scheduled seminars. Proof
of professional liability insurance is required prior to receiving a school placement.
V.
RATIONALE:
Conceptual Framework Summary:
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 teachinglearning 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 end-state but a process of continued
development.
This is the final course in preparing a Professional Learning Facilitator. This course emphasizes
not only comprehension of content knowledge, but also the ability to communicate that content.
This course will require students to reflect on their teaching and the learning of their students in an
effort to create positive learning environments which encourage students to (1) learn to value the
content, (2) become confident in one's ability with the content, (3) become a problem solver, (4)
learn to communicate their content learning, and (5) learn to reason with regard to the content.
Technology Statement:
Technology Standards for Educators are required by the Professional Standards Commission.
Telecommunication and information technologies will be integrated throughout the 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.
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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.
VI. STANDARDS AND PROFICIENCIES:
NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation
Correlated with Candidate Performance Inventory (CPI)
Kennesaw State University, Biology Education Program
The candidate will demonstrate a starting competence for communicating biological content
knowledge and the dispositions for self-directed professional development.
Standard 1: Content (CPI 1.1-4)
To show that they are prepared in content, teachers of science must demonstrate that they:
a. Understand and can successfully convey the major concepts and interrelationships of biology.
b. Understand and can successfully convey principles unifying science disciplines.
c. Understand and can successfully convey to students important personal and technological
applications of biology.
d. Understand research and can successfully design, conduct, report and evaluate investigations.
e. Understand and can successfully use mathematics to process and report data, and solve problems
in biology.
Standard 10: Professional Growth (CPI 3.1-4)
To show their disposition for growth, teachers of science must demonstrate that they:
a. Engage in opportunities for professional learning and leadership that reach beyond minimum job
requirements.
b. Reflect constantly upon their teaching and identify means through which they may grow
professionally.
c. Use information from students, supervisors, colleagues and others to improve teaching and
professional growth.
d. Interact effectively with colleagues, parents, and students and foster positive relationships with the
community.
The candidate will establish safe and productive learning environments through application of a
broad array of assessment and teaching methods for implementing the curriculum.
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Standard 8: Assessment (CPI 2.8-10)
To show that they are prepared to use assessment effectively, teachers of science must demonstrate that
they:
a. Use multiple assessment tools and strategies to achieve important goals for instruction that are
aligned with methods of instruction and the needs of students.
b. Use the results of multiple assessments to guide and modify instruction, the classroom
environment, or the assessment process.
c. Use the results of assessments as vehicles for students to analyze their own learning, engaging
students in reflective self-analysis of their own work.
Standard 5: Skills of Teaching (CPI 2.1-7; 3.1)
To show that they are prepared to create a community of diverse learners, teachers of science must
demonstrate that they:
a. Vary their teaching actions, strategies, and methods to promote the development of multiple
student skills and levels of understanding.
b. Successfully promote the learning of science by students with different abilities, needs, interests,
and backgrounds.
c. Successfully organize and engage students in collaborative learning using different student group
learning strategies.
d. Successfully use technological tools, including but not limited to computer technology, to access
resources, collect and process data, and facilitate the learning of science.
e. Understand and build effectively upon the prior beliefs, knowledge, experiences, and interests of
students.
f. Create and maintain a psychologically and socially safe and supportive learning environment.
Standard 6: Curriculum (CPI 1.1,4; 2.3,7; 3.1)
To show that they are prepared to plan and implement an effective science curriculum, teachers of science
must demonstrate that they:
a. Understand the curricular recommendations of the National Science Education Standards, and can
identify, access, and/or create resources and activities for science education that are consistent
with the standards.
b. Plan and implement internally consistent units of study that address the diverse goals of the
National Science Education Standards and the needs and abilities of students.
Standard 9 Safety and Welfare (CPI 1.3; 2.2,3; 3.1,3)
To show that they are prepared, teachers of science must demonstrate that they:
a. Understand the legal and ethical responsibilities of science teachers for the welfare of their
students, the proper treatment of animals, and the maintenance and disposal of materials.
b. Know and practice safe and proper techniques for the preparation, storage, dispensing,
supervision, and disposal of all materials used in science instruction.
c. Know and follow emergency procedures, maintain safety equipment, and ensure safety procedures
appropriate for the activities and the abilities of students.
d. Treat all living organisms used in the classroom or found in the field in a safe, humane, and ethical
manner and respect legal restrictions on their collection, keeping, and use.
The candidate will promote understanding and appreciation of the nature of biological science
through instruction that engages students in a variety of inquiry experiences related to the
contexts of science and the local community.
Standard 2: Nature of Science (CPI 1.1-4; 2.3,5)
To show they are prepared to teach the nature of science, teachers of science must demonstrate that they:
a. Understand the historical and cultural development of science and the evolution of knowledge in
their discipline.
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b.
c.
Understand the philosophical tenets, assumptions, goals, and values that distinguish science from
technology and from other ways of knowing the world.
Engage students successfully in studies of nature of science including, when possible, the critical
analysis of false or doubtful assertions made in the name of science.
Standard 3: Inquiry (CPI 1.1,4; 2.1,2,4-8)
To show that they are prepared to teach through inquiry, teachers of science must demonstrate that they:
a. Understand the processes, tenets, and assumptions of multiple methods of inquiry leading to
scientific knowledge.
b. Engage students successfully in developmentally appropriate inquiries that require them to
develop concepts and relationships from their observations, data, and inferences in a scientific
manner.
Standard 4: Issues (CPI 1.1,3; 2.5,6,8)
To show that they are prepared to engage students in issues related to science, teachers of science must
demonstrate that they:
a. Understand socially important issues related to biology and technology, as well as processes used
to analyze and make decisions on such issues.
b. Engage students successfully in the analysis of problems, including considerations of risks, costs,
and benefits of alternative solutions; relating these to the knowledge, goals and values of the
students.
Standard 7: Science in Community (CPI 2.2-4,8; 3.3)
To show that they are prepared to relate science to the community, teachers of science must demonstrate
that they:
a. Identify ways to relate science to the community, involve stakeholders, and use community
resources to promote the learning of science.
b. Involve students successfully in activities that relate science to resources and stakeholders in the
community or to the resolution of issues important to the community.
VII.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A. Lesson Planning / Reflections Notebook: To optimize the mentoring support
that your university supervisor seeks to offer, please keep the following
documentation available throughout the teaching experience:
(1) daily lesson plans that summarize instructional objectives, activities, and
means of assessment;
(2) written reflections (on lesson plans or in journal format);
(3) written feedback provided by your mentor teacher and university supervisor.
Please let your supervisor know where this notebook is located in your teaching
setting.
Although adjustments are inevitable, you are required to plan lesson
objectives/activities/assessments one week ahead of delivery. A suggested
routine is to discuss lesson plans for the upcoming week with the collaborating
teacher no later than Thursday. Leave school each day with the general plan for
the next week in place and all the details, documents and materials for the next
two days ready to go!
B. Impact on Student Learning Assignment (ISLA): Just as you did during the
methods practicum, you will choose one class for which you will analyze your
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impact on student learning. This analysis targets several formative assessments
and one summative assessment for a set of instructional objectives, and occurs at
level of whole group, two sub-groups and two individuals in the chosen class.
This will be completed in the early weeks of student teaching. ISLA is due
March 4, 2011.
C. Critical Incident Reflection (CIR) of Video-taped lessons: Starting the last
week of January, you should videotape your teaching of one lesson per week for
10 weeks. Observe and analyze your teaching via the videotape, considering
general aspects of what is going well and what could be improved in your
teaching. Specifically be on the lookout for the “critical incidents” or significant
events that help you develop as a teacher. Consider also the assignment criteria
relating to Nature of Science, Scientific Inquiry in the Classroom, and Culturally
Responsive Teaching. As you watch weekly video and reflect on your teaching,
write up the Part I Critical Incident Reflection and Part II Reflection of
Reform-based Teaching. Save weekly video in a form easily shared with your
supervisor, as we will be asking you to present and comment on these. CIR is
due April 15, 2011.
D. Portfolio Evidence with Written Narrative: The purpose of the portfolio
narrative is to ensure that every candidate reflects upon their growth and
competence for each of the proficiencies on the CPI, and presents evidence in
support of their level of achievement. Using the Portfolio Narrative Rubric as a
guide, include a written narrative for each of the three performance outcomes in
which you
a) first explain why you chose this profession (a few paragraphs or less), then
b) identify and describe evidence for each proficiency (5-8 pages), ending
with a
c) summary of your professional development goals for the induction phase
(first three years).
Your portfolio organization should follow the CPI Outcomes of KSU Teacher
Education:
Outcome I: Subject Matter Expertise, with evidence for proficiencies 1.1-1.4
Outcome II: Facilitator of Learning, with evidence for proficiencies 2.1-2.10
Outcome III: Collaborative Professional, with evidence for proficiencies 3.1-3.4
You are far along in this process, having written the first draft of the narrative in
BED 4416. This semester you will be adding some new evidence and replacing
some evidence from other parts of your program with evidence that better
represents where you are now as a teacher. After mid-term of this semester, you
should revise the portfolio narrative to depict your growth process and describe
your evidence and final standing relative to the CPI as a program graduate. The
Portfolio Narrative final reflection is due April 29, 2011.
E. While participating in all field experiences, 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
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field experiences, you are encouraged to explore every opportunity to learn by
doing.
F. Candidate Performance Inventory: At mid-term and semester’s end, the
candidate, mentor teacher and university supervisor will discuss our individual
ratings and comments on the CPI evaluation sheets. These forms are available at
http://www.kennesaw.edu/education/ncate/instruments.html Please contact
KSU Service 770-423-6999 if you experience any problems logging into the Owl
Express or accessing the forms. Contact your KSU Supervisor or The Office of
Field Experiences if you have questions about the instruments.
VIII.
EVALUATION AND GRADING:
Your final grade will be either a S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory) and will be
determined by the final evaluation and conference with both your university supervisor
and collaborating teacher, and by a careful review of your portfolio. Passing student
teaching means that your university supervisor finds candidate evidence to adequately
meet the proficiencies of the Candidate Performance Instrument (CPI) of Kennesaw State
University’s Professional Teacher Education Unit. Frequent verbal and written feedback
from your university supervisor and collaborating teacher will keep you well informed as
to your progress.
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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/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 an
“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.
X.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance during student teaching is of utmost importance. Student teachers follow the
same daily schedule as their collaborating teacher, with attendance and punctuality on
par with that of the best employee. Student teachers attend all workdays, faculty
meetings, etc. Absences will be allowed for emergencies only and should be handled
by informing both your university supervisor and collaborating teacher prior to the
start of the school day. Excused absences may include attendance of student teaching
seminars, professional conferences, the career fair, and other such opportunities as
allowed by the university supervisor.
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