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Overview: Students engage in a series of observations and reflections to consider how instances of teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment emerge and create opportunities for the development of professional knowledge in a wide range of contexts. You will identify observational events in schools and throughout your community, online and in person, in media, news and popular culture. The cumulative picture of these portrayals of education will be the basis for a statement about your developing principles of teaching and learning. The prompts, each which may be interpreted broadly, ask that you focus on how teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment occur in a variety of in-person and virtual spaces. Examples of these spaces include:
Formal and Informal Learning Spaces – schools, afterschool programs, workplaces, professional development workshops, organized education events, such as meetings, clubs and sports teams, etc.
Structured and Unstructured Public Spaces – this may include museums, art and cultural programming, parks, streets, etc.
Media and Popular Culture – this may include online media, film, theater, news, popular culture, etc.
It is not important to categorize your observations, but instead these descriptions are provided to help you imagine the range of contexts in which in-person and virtual teaching and learning experiences occur, so that you can identify observation sites that are accessible to your situation. *Note: In all in-person observation sites, you are responsible for understanding and adhering to any local community, state or school policies for social distancing, mask wearing, and other covid-related prevention measures.
Observation and Reflections: The list of InTASC standards below will guide your 50-hours of field observation. Throughout the semester, you will plan your own time each week to address the suggested prompts (in any order) as starting points for observation and reflection on a wide range of learning activities. After you complete each standard, write a one-sentence principle statement in the right column of this menu to summarize your personal reflection on this area of educator development. These reflection statements will help you to form a “critical analysis” aligned to each standard.
Format: Maintain a field journal for your observation notes and reflections in any format you choose. At the end of the semester you will submit (1) your field journal, 2) this practicum worksheet with completed principle statements, (3) your log of 50 hours of observation, (4) five analytic memos. Students can not receive credit for the fieldwork practicum without completing all parts of the assignment.
1 | LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
OBSERVE: Identify a learning environment accessible to you. This may be an online course, an in person educational experience, or a portrayal of learning in popular culture, news or other media. Then use the following prompts to observe learning opportunities.
STANDARDS
OBSERVATION PROMPTS
InTASC Standard #1: Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
InTASC Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
InTASC Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
1.1 Explore and describe the range of materials and other resources utilized in the learning environment. Analyze how, why, when and where they are utilized.
1.2 Look critically at how space is organized in the learning environment. Create a map(s) of the spatial environment and note different types of space. Analyze and evaluate the movement, functionality, and quality of the ways in which learners and others inhabit learning space observed at different times of the day.
1.3 Explore how learners are expected to utilize time when engaged in activities or experiences in the learning environment.
1.4 Describe the characteristics of learners in the learning community, noting diverse cultures and individual differences. Describe ways in which the contributions of diverse cultures are integrated into learning opportunities.
1.5 Record examples of language used in the learning context. How are issues of culture, identity, and power raised by language itself?
CRITICAL REFLECTION: As you conduct each observation consider a complex picture of learners – who they are, assumptions made about them, and how learning environments are (or are not) constructed to accommodate differences and individual patterns of learner development.
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT: Summarize your observations with a one-sentence personal belief statement about creating learning opportunities.
2| CURRICULUM
OBSERVE: Observe places where knowledge has been selected and is being taught in the form of content. Content knowledge may be found in classrooms and learning environments, in written textual form, in popular culture or media. Use the following prompts to analyze the content knowledge.
STANDARDS
OBSERVATION PROMPTS
InTASC Standard #4: Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
InTASC Standard #5: Application of Content. The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
2.1 Specify a content area or discipline related to the learning space or text you have identified. Outline the central concepts of the content area or discipline by creating specific lists of what learners are expected to know (facts), understand (concepts and principles), and be able to do (skills) as a result of teaching and learning goals that are explicit or implied.
2.2 Describe how authentic, real world learning is/can be represented as part of content knowledge.
2.3 Create a series of engaging activities in a content area that offer varied opportunities for all to learn the essentials you have outlined.
2.4 Observe two learners engaging with content in both formal and informal instructional time. Formal instructional time may include structured lessons, events, and other educator-led activities related to the goals of the curriculum. Informal instructional time may include lunchtime, breaks, or recreational time in or outside of the learning environment. Compare and contrast how the learners apply the knowledge, skills, and ideas learned as a result of both formal and informal programming?
CRITICAL REFLECTION: Process these observations by considering a complex picture of curriculum – what knowledge is being taught either intentionally or unintentionally in the form of content, who has selected that knowledge, who does it include/exclude, and what are the consequences? What kind of learning experiences are made possible because of the way the content has been portrayed and delivered? What kind of learning experiences are made difficult because of the same choices?
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT: Summarize your observations with a one-sentence personal belief statement about curriculum.
3 | ASSESSMENT
OBSERVE: : Identify a teaching and learning encounter accessible to you. For example, this may be an online or in-person class, a video recording, or a portrayal of teaching and learning in a film – anywhere where a teacher is engaging with a learner. Then use the following prompts to observe assessment.
STANDARDS
OBSERVATION PROMPTS
InTASC Standard #6: Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher and learner’s decision-making.
3.1 Identify, observe and document the formal and informal assessment strategies used before, during, and after instruction.
3.2 Evaluate a lesson plan that demonstrates how assessment data is or can be used to plan for the intellectual, social and/or physical development of the learner.
3.3 Observe a learning experience and evaluate the success of the lesson for all learners.
3.4 Collect work samples from three students. Collaboratively assess the students’ work with another educator. *Note: If you refer to these samples in your essay, delete any reference to student names.
CRITICAL REFLECTION: Process these observations by considering a complex picture of assessment – how is learning evaluated, and what are the effects of the assessment strategies that are used with learners? Consider whether or not the assessments observed ensure success for different types of learners, for different types of content, and/or for different instructional approaches.
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT: Summarize your observations with a one-sentence personal belief statement about assessment:
4 | INSTRUCTION
OBSERVE: Identify a learning context accessible to you. This may be a formal or informal learning space, a public space, or media/popular culture portrayal of a learning context. Then use the following prompts to observe instruction.
STANDARDS
OBSERVATION PROMPTS
InTASC Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
InTASC Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
4.1 Define an equity issue in the learning context. Observe or suggest 3-5 activities that resolve or respond to the issue.
4.2 Describe how technology is/is not applied in the learning context. What might be the consequences?
4.3 Describe a range of classroom management strategies and/or instructional approaches that support respect for all learners, conflict resolution, timely transitions, maintenance of learners’ attention during instruction, active student engagement, and social justice.
4.4 Listen for 5-7 statements that colleagues (cooperating teachers, program administrators, etc.) utilize consistently with learners to enable participation in decision making, to work collaboratively and independently, and to engage in purposeful learning activities.
CRITICAL REFLECTION: Process these observations by considering a complex picture of instruction – what characteristics of learning contexts enable or suppress equity-based instruction? Consider how instructional approaches can foster or hinder learner responsibility for academic work, behavior and community.
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT: Summarize your observations with a one-sentence personal belief statement about instruction.
5 | PROFESSIONALISM
OBSERVE: Identify a professional learning context that is accessible to you. This may be a meeting of professionals in formal or informal learning spaces, a workplace, or a media portrayal of a professional learning context. Then use the following prompts to observe instruction.
STANDARDS
OBSERVATION PROMPTS
InTASC Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
InTASC Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning and development, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
5.1 Observe a professional meeting or faculty meeting in a learning space. Describe and critique issues discussed in this meeting.
5.2 Observe a conference between parent-teacher and/or teacher-adult student. Describe and critique issues discussed in this meeting.
5.3 Identify neighborhood or community-based resources that might enrich your curriculum planning and teaching.
5.4 Describe formal and informal professional development opportunities available to educators that support new levels of educational performance, personal growth and social insight.
CRITICAL REFLECTION: Process these observations by considering a complex picture of professionalism. Consider how resources, community, and collegial relationships are/can be utilized to inspire a sustainable career while also supporting student learning.
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT: Summarize your observations with a one-sentence personal belief statement about professionalism.
C&T 4005 FALL 2022 – Updated August 30, 2022 1
C&T 4005 FALL 2022 – Updated August 30, 2022