WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY

EDUC 3780   Interdisciplinary Strategies in Diverse Classrooms

2002/2003

OUTLINES

This course is designed to give you important pre-student teaching experience in the following:

 

1) instructional strategies for teaching your major/minor content area;

2) classroom observation of instructors and students;

3) effective lesson/unit planning;

4) teaching a unit of instruction with peers in a public school classroom;

5) peer review and teacher evaluation.

Parts E, F, and G are required of all students.  In addition you will select three of the five optional  strategies (parts H, I, J, K, L)  to complete the course requirements.

Required  Strategies

Part  E  Utilizing Group Processes for Instruction  (Required)
Class sessions  will focus on important concepts of cooperative learning.  Group member roles and processes will be discussed.  You will be asked to team with other students for peer instruction and review.  In addition, you will design and teach small group activities in your content area.
 
Part  F  Inquiry and Teaching for Thinking  (Required)
Designing learning activities which encourage higher order creative and critical thinking and problem solving is the emphasis of these strategies.  From the methods of inquiry introduced here, you will select one to demonstrate as part of your instructional unit.
Part G  Adapting Lessons for Individual Students' Needs (Required)
Plan or adapt lesson plans to meet needs of diverse students.
 

Select three of the following five optional strategies.

Part  H The Laboratory Method  (Optional)
Labs can be fun, exhilarating hands-on learning for students. They take a lot of creativity, organization, and preparation on the part of teachers for them to be successful.  Learn to construct and conduct effective labs in your content area.  The laboratory method is suitable to any  course content, not just the traditional science classroom.
Part  I  Using Contemporary Learning Experiences  (Optional)
Helping students see that their school experiences are relevant and applicable to their lives outside the classroom is important.  You will be encouraged to use contemporary media as an effective bridge from  in-class activities to "real-world" experience.  You will develop lesson plans and a resource file of learning activities that help integrate course concepts with those life-long skills needed by all students.
Part  J  Field Trips and Guest Speakers  (Optional)
You will design and conduct a field trip relevant to your unit of instruction and/or arrange for a quest speaker or specialist to address your class during your teaching in the public school.
 
Part  K Lecture-Demonstration  (Optional)
You will learn a variety of techniques for creating effective lecture-demonstrations.  You will prepare and give a lecture to a small group of peers in class. You will practice the strategy as part of your instructional unit in the public school.
 
Part  L  Role-play and Instructional Gaming  (Optional)
In this part you will learn the value of role-playing as a teaching strategy and have the opportunity to practice preparing and conducting a role-play.  Or, you may create an original game or simulation based on a concept you could teach, emphasize, or review effectively through this strategy.
 
 

Alert

  1. The requirements of these courses necessitate good organizational skills.  Schedule your teaching activities with a cooperating teacher early in the semester and plan your time  efficiently for successful completion of Level 2.
  2. Attendance is required.  Class sessions will facilitate your understanding of the strategies and your integration of a chosen strategy into required lesson plans.
  3. Approximately four weeks are built into the class calendar to enable you to work in the public  schools.  Begin early to familiarize yourself with the students, class routine, and subject matter you will be teaching.
  4. Take every opportunity available to observe and participate with the class throughout the semester.
08/02
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