Chapters 5 & 6
Week 3 Lecture Notes
Chapter 5 – Teaching, Standards, and You
If we were in a traditional classroom setting, I would bring in state and national standards to give everyone an idea of what is meant by the word, “ standards.” But, since this class is online, I would like all of you to review National and State standards online. You will find links to these under the “Web Links” button. Also, throughout this lecture, you will find web links.
This chapter begins by posing the question, "What should I teach?" That's a very important question because it can have many different responses! So, how do we know what to teach? How do we have all children, across the country, regardless of gender or economic status, to have access to the same information?
Standards: statements of what students should know and be able to do; help answer questions about what to teach children and about what they should learn.
What are local, state, and national standards?
· • Local: Refers to the immediate community, your school district.
· • State: Refers to the state’s standards.
· • National: Refers to the standards that are expected of all schools across the country. They are designed to be applicable to all children, regardless of individual state or local standards.
Today, we are moving towards standards-based education (SBE), focusing on basing the curriculum (all of the experiences children have while in school), teaching, and testing on local, state and national standards. Specifically, states are moving towards using the Common Core Standards.
Foundations of the Standards Movement
Education reform is not new; three federal initiatives played a large role in popularizing our need for standards-based education:
The Reagan Administration’s 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, was the first document that called for such reform. I would like you to familiarize yourself with this document. You will not be tested on it, but it will give you an idea of its historical importance. Please read the sections entitled (click on) A Nation at Risk,Findings and Recommendationshttp://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.html
Goals 2000 was an act designed to ensure that all students reached high levels of achievement.For a summary of Goals 2000, please visit http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/stw/sw0goals.htm
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was the former federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. NCLB emphasizes state and district accountability, mandates state standards for what children should know and be able to do, puts in place a comprehensive program of testing in grades three to twelve, and encourages schools to use teaching methods that have demonstrated their ability to help children learn. Table 5.1 discusses some pros and cons of NCLB. I am sure you've heard of NCLB; most teachers, as your text states, "love to hate" it! In particular, due to NCLB, the rise in standardized testing occurred and this, as many educators w ...
1. Chapters 5 & 6
Week 3 Lecture Notes
Chapter 5 – Teaching, Standards, and You
If we were in a traditional classroom setting, I would bring in
state and national standards to give everyone an idea of what is
meant by the word, “ standards.” But, since this class is online,
I would like all of you to review National and State standards
online. You will find links to these under the “Web Links”
button. Also, throughout this lecture, you will find web links.
This chapter begins by posing the question, "What should I
teach?" That's a very important question because it can have
many different responses! So, how do we know what to teach?
How do we have all children, across the country, regardless of
gender or economic status, to have access to the same
information?
Standards: statements of what students should know and be able
to do; help answer questions about what to teach children and
about what they should learn.
What are local, state, and national standards?
· • Local: Refers to the immediate community, your school
district.
· • State: Refers to the state’s standards.
· • National: Refers to the standards that are expected of all
schools across the country. They are designed to be applicable
to all children, regardless of individual state or local standards.
Today, we are moving towards standards-based
education (SBE), focusing on basing the curriculum (all of the
experiences children have while in school), teaching, and
testing on local, state and national standards. Specifically,
states are moving towards using the Common Core Standards.
Foundations of the Standards Movement
Education reform is not new; three federal initiatives played a
large role in popularizing our need for standards-based
education:
2. The Reagan Administration’s 1983 report, A Nation At Risk,
was the first document that called for such reform. I would like
you to familiarize yourself with this document. You will not be
tested on it, but it will give you an idea of its historical
importance. Please read the sections entitled (click on) A
Nation at Risk,Findings and
Recommendationshttp://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.htm
l
Goals 2000 was an act designed to ensure that all students
reached high levels of achievement.For a summary of Goals
2000, please visit
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/stw/sw0goals.h
tm
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was the former federal law
affecting education from kindergarten through high
school. NCLB emphasizes state and district accountability,
mandates state standards for what children should know and be
able to do, puts in place a comprehensive program of testing in
grades three to twelve, and encourages schools to use teaching
methods that have demonstrated their ability to help children
learn. Table 5.1 discusses some pros and cons of NCLB. I am
sure you've heard of NCLB; most teachers, as your text states,
"love to hate" it! In particular, due to NCLB, the rise in
standardized testing occurred and this, as many educators will
tell you, is not an ideal teaching practice.
I find that many people are confused by the title "No Child
Left Behind" and think this means grade retention no longer
exists (students repeating a grade). The title does not mean this
at all; please carefully read this section of your text.
Our text does not include President Obama’s education reform
plan. This is called “Race to the Top.” If you would like more
information on this topic, please refer to
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-race-top
Standards are important for 4 main reasons:
1. Standards enable you to know what a district expects of its
children and teachers. In this regard, they bring CLARITY AND
3. FOCUS to curriculum and teaching.
2. By knowing what your district expects, you will be able to
INTEGRATE CONCEPTS, ideas and skills into your teaching.
This is where the idea of curriculum alignment fits in.
3. Standards IDENTIFY WHAT CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW
and be able to do.
4. Standards serve as one means by which states and local
programs can be ACCOUNTABLE for teaching and learning.
Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
Common Core is on the rise! These standards serve to do
exactly what is stated: they are to be "common" for all, across
states. Ideally, this is to enable all students in the U.S. to have
more common abilities and knowledge. Your text discusses the
U.S. being behind other states when it comes to testing, and
although that's true, don't let it fool you either! There are many
reasons as to why this is, not simply because our curriculum is
not "good enough."
The goal of Common Core is to prepare students for college.
Therefore, the focus of these standards is on English and
mathematics and, think of them as a continuum in which
children are to master skills and learn information... then, build
upon those the next year. Regardless of what you read on social
media, it is not a "form" of teaching (so no, there is no such
thing as "Common Core Math"), but rather details goals that
children must achieve.
Issues Surrounding Standards
Of course, this system is not flawless and has led to some
important issues! One of the most well-known is the idea of
“teaching to the test.” This means that teachers are teaching
exactly what their students need to know, therefore, leaving no
room for anything “creative.” Also, standards may not be for all
children. Especially the idea that all children will be able to
know x,y, & z by a certain age when, in fact, we know that all
children develop at different rates.
That being said, there are also positive outcomes of CCSS…
4. · Support of intentional teaching (teachers are developing
lesson plans)
· Enables teachers, students, and families to have shared goals.
· Helps states assess the effectiveness of schools
The CCSS Mission Statement consists of the idea that all
students should be prepared to enter college and/or work with
the same knowledge. Remember: a "standard" means that it is
achievable for everyone; so, yes, it is the same expectation for
all children across the country. The goal here is that every
child in every state, regardless of socioeconomic status and
culture, should have the same knowledge.
Please review the MA standards (these resources are provided
within this week's Resources folder)
Chapter 6: Observing and Assessing Young Children
"As an early childhood professional, assessment will influence
your professional life and will be a vital part of your
professional practice."
Assessment is a continuous, on-going process. You should use
assessment practices to, not only understand what children can
do, but also to make all your decisions in the classroom. This
involves multiple steps of data collection.
Figure 6.1 is a good reference for you; this details the puproses
of assessment.
There are a number of principles that should guide your policies
and principles of assessment. Above all, assessment should
always be Developmentally Appropriate!
What is developmentally appropriate assessment? That really
depends on each child, individually (remember: that's part of
what Developmentally Appropriate Practice is!). As we've
discussed, all children are different; therefore, what is
appropriate assessment for one child, may not be appropriate
assessment for another (and this is where standardized tests
become concerning!)
Selecting Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Practices is
5. important. Specifically, notice that the text states that
assessment "is conducted in natural, authentic situations." You
want to observe and assess children during their typical,
everyday activities. Remember that assessment should be
purposeful.
Reporting to and communicating with parents and families is
something that takes practice. Often times, teachers can feel
anxious about talking with the parents. Remember: it's always
important to be honest and not sugar-coat anything! You also
want to communicate with parents in a way that they will
understand; this means that you want to avoid the use of jargon
or specific phrases that only those in education would
understand. Finally, provide the parents with ideas and
information that will help them assist their children with the
learning process.
Observation: the intentional, systematic act of looking at the
behavior or a child or children in a particular setting, program,
or situation; sometimes referred to as "kid-watching."
Observations should be done with purpose. The purposes listed
on pages 169 & 170 provide good information for you as to
what you should be looking for when you observe young
children.
There are four steps for conducting an observation:
1. Plan for observation
2. Conduct the observation
3. Interpret the data
4. Implement a plan
Types of Assessment
Authentic Assessment is very important! Take a look at Figure
6.3; notice that this type of assessment is the evaluation of
children's actual learning. With this type of assessment,
children are expected to demonstrate what they know and are
able to do; it has more purpose and meaning to their lives.
Traditional Assessment is the category that the typical
standardized test would fall.
Formal Assessments include the traditional assessment, but also
6. includes screenings. Screenings assist teachers in
understanding what children know and are able do do; it
indicates a child's abilities. These are often used upon entrance
into kindergarten.
Informal Assessments are assessments of students' learning,
behavior, and development through means other than
standardized tests. Observations, anecdotal records, and event
sampling are examples of these.
Portfolios are a form of informal assessment. These are very
often used within the early childhood classroom.
Essay III – Historical Analysis Research Essay: (200 points)
Analyzing historical events and their consequences is common
research practice. In this essay, choose an historical event that
is interesting to you, one that you may even be passionate
about. Choose a topic that is debatable and has extensive
sourcing. Prior knowledge of the event may be useful, even
necessary. This assignment will require that you conduct a
reasonable search for documentation and support. Start early
and keep good notes. Start with an internet and library search.
Good pre-writing protocol requires that you take notes as you
read and that you document your sources accurately. Develop a
thesis statement that is narrow enough to cover in a short (1700
– 2100) word paper and debatable—make a claim of value, fact,
or policy.
Choosing a topic:
You may deal with various aspects of the topic: artistic, geo-
political, scientific, moral, aesthetic, cultural, social, or
economic. The following suggestions on the attached list may
help you choose a topic.
7. You may wish to take a conservative or a liberal stance on a
topic. Be sure that the essay is thesis driven. The essay should
be developed according to the methods discussed in class and in
the textbook. The paper should be 6 - 8 pages. The paper is
worth 200 points. You will be responsible for all phases of the
writing process. Research is required (6+ sources cited;
websites/magazine/newspaper articles are OK but much less
valuable).
Directions:
Write a 6 to 8-page historical analysis research paper (including
a Works Cited page) in MLA format on the topic of an historical
event. Follow the writing process as discussed in class and in
the textbook. Be prepared to show every step of the process in
class. Show evidence of brainstorming, note taking, outline and
rough draft. Write a thesis driven analysis of the topic. The
thesis, preferably a divided thesis, should make a strong
statement or claim about the event. Write a multi-paragraph
essay analyzing the historical event that you have chosen. The
essay should be expository, with some description and narration
where appropriate.
Historical Analysis Essay Rubric (200)
40 pts. Structure SLO #1 – divided thesis with debatable
claim, coherence, organization, unity, transitions, topic
sentences, paragraph structure – SEE, logical, academic and
scholarly, embedded sources
60 pts. Content Development SLO #2 – debatable issue;
enough content; rhetorical strategies; skillful use of summary,
paraphrase, and quotations; concrete details; integrated
research; academic and scholarly; insightful/thoughtful
analysis; engages in synthesis with sources; engages in a
conversation with sources-- extensive research is required for
maximum credit!
20 pts Sentences/Style SLO #3 – clear and varied style;
8. academic; scholarly; formal; objective; concise; uses MLA style
tags for authors and sources; uses coordination; relative clauses;
participial phrases; adverbial subordinate clauses
20 pts. MLA/ Presentation SLO #4 - MLA format; in-text
citations (uses appropriate tags); spacing; and style
30 pts. Information Literacy SLO #5 – evidence of
extensive research; using longer sources; peer-reviewed
journals; academic sources
15 pts. Process Pre-writing (brainstorming; free writing;
diagramming; clustering; outline); Hook and TS; Rough Draft
and Peer Review; Final Draft proofread
15 pts. Mechanics punctuation; spelling; capitalization;
syntax and grammar
+10 pts. Uniqueness / creativity 10 points bonus for fresh,
innovative, thoughtful research
A - The student clearly understood the assignment and devoted
a lot of time and effort to the writing process. The essay
synthesizes a clear view using personal commentary; and
additional common knowledge and research; fluently and
logically. The essay must contain a thesis statement (divided),
clear organization and unity. The essay presents six or more
sources on the Works Cited page, the author proofread
carefully; as there are very few in MLA format; mechanics;
creativity and uniqueness.
B - The student understood the assignment and devoted
sufficient time and effort to the writing process. The essay
synthesizes a clear view using personal commentary and some
additional information; clearly; clear and valid attempt to
synthesize research with analysis. The essay must contain a
thesis statement or claim. There are few errors in mechanics;
usage; grammar; or spelling.
C - The student mostly understood the assignment and devoted
some of time and effort to the writing process but did not
clearly follow the writing process.
