• Course Overview:
• course description
• rationale
• objectives
• Readings:
• required textbook
• recommended textbooks
• Course Design:
• class structure
• specific course requirements
• evaluation procedures & grading system
• policies
• Class Schedule
• Mission Statements:
• Instructor vision and mission
• College of Education mission
• COE conceptual framework
• Grading Criteria:
• grading rubric (pdf file)
• expanded objectives (pdf file)
• observation forms (pdf file)
..

Rationale:
The mission of the College of Education is to advance the quality of the educational experience for all learners and to educate professionals who can facilitate human growth in schools, homes, communities, and workplaces. In carrying out this mission, the College explicitly values diversity in people and perspectives. This course supports the College of Education framework by addressing student abilities within the context of a diverse society, recognizing the need to support all individuals in life-long learning, and validating all individuals, including those with disabilities, as valuable members of their communities, including their communities of learners.

Course Objectives:
This course is designed to assist participants in developing skills in the following areas:

1.	Individualized Program Plans and Legal Responsibilities: Practicum participants apply applicable legal requirements to the IEP/IFSP process.
2.	Lesson Planning: Practicum participants develop and implement appropriate lesson plans.
3.	Scheduling: Practicum participants coordinate effectively with related service providers.
4.	Individualization and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Practicum participants individualize instruction effectively for each of their students and provide opportunities for their students to engage with their general education peers in multiple and sustained contexts.
5.	Curriculum & Pedagogy: Practicum participants provide age-appropriate instruction, referenced to the general education curriculum and functional objectives, which is individualized to each students’ needs, abilities, and interests.
6.	Classroom-based Assessment: Practicum participants incorporate a variety of classroom-based evaluation measures and techniques into a ongoing coordinated system of assessment for each student that is useful for program planning and evaluation of instruction.
7.	Classroom Management: Practicum participants provide an engaging and positive classroom climate, including the use of positive behavioral supports that fosters the learning of all students.
8.	Professional Behavior: Practicum participants demonstrate the professional behavior necessary to provide effective and appropriate instruction to students with mental retardation and severe disabilities.
9.	Collegiality and Collaboration: Practicum participants demonstrate the professional attitudes and dispositions necessary to work effectively in a school environment with colleagues, students with significant needs for supports, and their families.

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Readings
Required Books:
Burke, K. (1999). How to assess authentic learning. Arlington Heights, Ill.: Merrill .
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HIGHLY Recommended Books:
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J. & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Note: Other readings (required and recommended) may be placed on electronic reserves over the course of the semester. If you have any articles that you think your colleagues would be interested in, please let me know and I will put a copy on reserve for the rest of the class.

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Course Design
Class Structure:
This course is designed so that students will interact actively with the course material -- whole group discussion and small group activities, rather than instructor lecture, will make up the bulk of in-class sessions. Therefore, it is imperative that students arrive at each class having thoroughly read all of the assigned readings. Active construction of student knowledge is fundamental to this course, therefore, many instructional strategies will be presented in this course via modeling, rather than through lecture or direct instruction. These instructional strategies will include:
 

cooperative learning activity-based instruction scaffolding use of multiple intelligences Bloom’s taxonomy quick writes K-W-L jigsaw each-one-teach-one graphic organizers visual aids guided notes

slot notes universal design integration of technology explicit behavioral expectations consistent opportunities for student feedback student-directed learning self-assessment and student participation in assessment development explicit grading criteria performance-based assessment

Students who require special accommodations or instructional modifications need to notify the instructor by the beginning of the semester, or as soon as difficulties become apparent, with appropriate documentation from the Student Support Services Center (277-3506), Mesa Vista Hall, Room 2021.

Specific Course Requirements:
Students will not be required to complete any specific assignments for this course. However, they will be required to engage in those activities, such as lesson planning and classroom-based assessment, customary of professional educators. Students will be required to bring evidence of those activities to the weekly seminar, both to share with other participants and for evaluation by the course instructor. It is expected that there will be variation in the kinds of work products that practicum participants use and bring to seminar, due to differences in teaching positions and settings. However, all students will be expected to demonstrate progress toward to course objectives outlined at the beginning of the syllabus and explained in further detail on the following linked document: expanded practicum objectives.

Failure to bring such evidence to the seminar may result in a lower grade if the seminar instructor has not be provided with sufficient evidence with which to make an evaluation of progress toward course objectives. Students’ grades will be determined using the grading rubric included on the following page. Please note that practicum participants are not expected to perform at the expert level and furthermore, that their grade will be determined by their performance in the final portion of the course.
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Incompletes and withdraws from the course will be allowed only in accordance with UNM policies. Please see the UNM catalog for a description of these policies.
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Policies:
1.) Academic Dishonesty: It is the responsibility of students to avoid practices that may be considered acts of academic dishonesty. UNM’s policy, as found in the UNM Pathfinder  (2001-02), p. 58, is as follows:

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Any student judged to have engaged in academic dishonesty in course work may
receive a reduced or failing grade for the work in question and/or the course.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, dishonesty in quizzes, tests, or assignments; claiming credit for work not done or done by others . . .

• The first time a problem of this sort appears in an assignment, I will assume that it is unintentional and will ask you to re-write the assignment. Points may be deducted from your assignment at my discretion. You will be required to meet with me to learn how to avoid this problem in future assignments.
• The second time this problem is noted in an assignment, you will be assigned 0 points for that assignment.
• If the problem appears for the third time, you will be assigned a failing grade in the course.

To assist you in understanding what plagiarism is and isn’t, you will be provided with a handout during the first day of class on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. Further information on avoiding plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can be found in the APA Manual and at the Dartmouth College Website: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/contents.html. Rutgers University also has many resources on this topic, including an interactive presentation on plagiarism: http://sal.rutgers.edu/plagiarism.html. If you have any concerns or questions about how to appropriately indicate what is your own work and what is derived from the work of others, please see me during office hours, or if that time is not convenient, call or email to set an appointment time.

2.) Class Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory - Students who miss three class sessions will be dropped from the course, regardless of the reason.  Late arrivals to class interrupt the learning of all students. Therefore, a point will be deducted for arriving more than 30 minutes late to class.

3.) Class Participation: Class participation that is conducive to the learning of all course participants is expected. Behaviors that are considered to be conducive to learning (of the student him/herself and others) include:

• arriving to class on time and well-prepared,
• paying attention to instructor and/or other students when they are speaking,
• turning off the ringer of your cellular phone and not taking calls within the classroom (please step out in the hall to speak if you must answer an emergency call),
• use of appropriate and non-offensive language during class and in written work,
• demonstrating cooperation with and respect for the instructor and peers during class discussions,
• actively participating, on-topic, during small group activities, and
• showing consideration for other students' need for alternative teaching strategies.

I expect students to demonstrate consistently positive class participation. Frequent and/or significant failure to fulfill these expectations will result in the student being dropped from the course. The following four areas are defined below:

• Respect for self and others
• Positive contribution to the group
• Listening
• Openness

Respect for self, colleagues and instructor is shown by: 1) following group norms during discussions, 2) consistent use of oral and body language that is professional, and 3) frequent reference to classmate's opinions and perspectives in class discussion in a positive and supportive manner.

Positive contribution to the group is demonstrated when: 1) the quantity of contributions is neither significantly more or less than that of other students, 2) the student is not usually the first one to talk after a prolonged silence, 3) contributions are almost always on topic, and 4) comments frequently engage other participants or support the engagement of other students in a consistently positive manner.

Listening is demonstrated by: 1) providing previously provided information to colleagues when asked, 2) not redundantly repeating what was already stated, 3) consistently following directions, and 4) incorporating others' responses and comments in contributions to class discussions.

Openness is shown by: 1) consistent recognition and consideration of alternative perspectives, 2) consistent reaction to alternative ideas in a thoughtful manner, and 3) a positive response to criticism.
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Class Schedule
Daily Schedule:
 

4:20 - 4:45	Issues, Questions and Quandaries
4:45 - 5:30	Direct Instruction or Interactive Presentation (instructor presentation)
5:30 - 5:45	Break
5:45 - 6:30	Related Activity (whole or small group, as assigned by instructor)
6:30 - 6:45	Professional Development Snapshots (individual practicum participants presenting)
6:45 - 6:50	Minute Paper(individual seat work)

Issues, Questions and Quandaries:
Students will be assigned to cooperative learning groups by the beginning of the second week of class. At the start of each class session, student will independently get together with their cooperative learning group and engage in this activity. Each week, one student will take the role of posing a quandary or question, one will facilitate the discussion, one will record the discussion, and the remaining group members will participate in the discussion. A form will be provided each week to record the discussion. This form must be turned in weekly. The activity will take the following steps:

 

1.	The assigned student will raise an issue, question, or quandary abut his/her teaching practice.
2.	The other group members will ask clarifying questions.
3.	The group will discuss the issue, question, or quandary raised.
4.	The assigned student will restate the issue, question, or quandary.
5.	The group will identify at least three resources, strategies, or suggestions of options that address the issue raised.

 

1.	What was the most important concept you learned in class today?
2.	What was the muddiest point of this class?

Weekly Schedule:
(additional readings and resources will be assigned as the course progresses)

January 21, 2002 (#1)
Topic: introduction to practicum and objectives
Read: no reading due on the 1st class

January 28, 2002 (#2)
Topic: backwards planning and the reflective teaching cycle
Read: Wiggins & McTighe, chapters 1 & 2

February 4, 2002 (#3)
Topic: Bloom’s taxonomy
Read: McTighe & Wiggins, chapters 3 & 4

February 11, 2002 (#4)  (Corine Frankland)
Topic: lesson planning
Read:

February 18, 2002 (#5)
Topic:  aligning content with standards
Read: Burke chapter 1

February 25, 2002 (#6) (Corine Frankland)
Topic:   IEPs and writing objectives
Read:

March 4, 2002 (#7)
Topic: classroom-based assessment
Read: Wiggings & McTighe, chapters 5 & 6 AND Burke chapters 5 & 6

March 11, 2002 (#8) (Corine Frankland)
Topic: graphic organizers
Read: Burke, chapter 10 AND Marzano, Pickering & Pollock, chapter 6

March 18, 2002 (#9)
No Class -- UNM Spring Break

March 25, 2002 (#10)
Topic: scheduling and the IEP matrix
Read:

April 1, 2002 (#11)
Topic: instructional strategies
Read: Marzano, Pickering & Pollock, chapters 3 & 10
 

April 8, 2002 (#12) (Corine Frankland)
Topic: multiple intelligences
Read:  Burke, chapter 3

April 15, 2002 (#13)
Topic: prompting, cueing, fading, chaining
Read:

April 22, 2002 (#14) (Corine Franklin)
Topic: cooperative learning
Read: Marzano, Pickering and Pollock, chapter 7

April 29, 2002 (#15)
Topic: direct instruction (including generalization)
Read: Marzano, Pickering & Pollock, chapter 8

May 6, 2002 (#16)
Topic: portfolios
Read:  Burke chapter 4
 

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