Friday, February 16, 2004 – Eleventh Class Session

Unit 3 – Guiding Standards in My Content Areas  --Second Session

Design Framework:  Cooperative Learning Groups – Content Groups and Large Group conclusions

Equipment needed:  Tables sessions / VCR, upfront chairs/

Materials needed: Entry poster, Agenda map, Table tents for Content Groups / National Standards graphic organizer / Turn back Log #5 and Learning-to-Read Autobiography papers / Department Endorsement sheet for information purposes.

Assumptions about Learners:  Students will be given opportunities to assemble charts of content and processes delineated in the National Standards – Most of them will not have been introduced to national standards previously.  Also, most students do not realize that they must receive a recommendation from their major departments in order to student teach.  They will begin to explore how to teach standards without teaching only to the test.

Agenda:  High Expectations—Coach article / Discussion of National Standards—Major and Minor / video tape of Best Practice High School in Chicago / Discussion in Content Groups—Benson’s Chapter 2, “Creating a

    Community of Learners

TEACHING & LEARNING STANDARDS:  Higher Order Thinking: Students manipulate information in ways that help them know what will be demanded of students—and therefore, what they as teachers will be expected to know and be able to do.  Substantive Conversation: Their group time will focus on making distinctions of what must be taught and raising questions about challenges and contradictions that they see.

Timeline:

Looks Like…

Sounds Like…

Multiple intelligences

8:00

We’ll begin with students meeting with Block partners to exchange their participation goals with one another.  There are also to react to the article, “Coach Had More to teach than just hoops.”.

 

Please meet briefly with your partner. Exchange your participation goals and clarify with one another what you would like your partner to observe over the next month that would be helpful.  Take 2 minutes each for this task.

 

Next react to the High Expectations that basketball coach Ken Carter held for his players.  What do you think about this approach to having students expect more of themselves?

You have 4 minutes to share your views with one another.  Be sure to support your opinions.

 

Please come up front so we can check out your responses in large group.  Let’s check out the thinking that going on here.  The coach took a big risk.  What are your reactions?

 

Visual

 

Verbal

 

Interpersonal

 

8:15

Explain plan for the day—Agenda

Provide a visual map with icons of today’s work and the purposes behind activity. 

Professional Thinking—Part I I High Expectations—Coach article

Discussion of National Standards

     Major

     Minor

Best Practice High School in Chicago

    A video tape of a school that

    focuses both on standards AND

    creating communities of learners.

Discussion in Content Groups—Benson’s Chapter 2, “Creating a

    Community of Learners

 

Verbal

 

Visual

 

Logical

 

 

Intrapersonal

 

 

8:20

Students will convene in Major Content area groups.  Using the National Standards worksheet, they will work together to assemble the content and processes that are required by standards.

Today, we are going to spend time working with the National Standards in both your major and minor content areas.  You will use the salmon-colored graphic organizer at your tables to guide you in assembling lists of the content expectations so that you will be able to more easily recognize patterns and processes that you will finally discuss with your mentor teacher.  Please join you Major group.  You will have 30 minutes.

Visual

 

Verbal

 

Logical

 

Interpersonal

8:50

Students will convene in Minor Content area groups.  Using the worksheet, on the back side, they will work together to assemble the content and processes that are required by standards.

Now, please move to your Minor content group.  Use the same graphic organizer (back side) to clarify key facts, concepts, ideas and processes in your minor area.  You will have 25 minutes.

Visual

 

Verbal

 

Logical

 

Interpersonal

9:15

Break for 10 minutes.

You will have break for 10 minutes.  We will reassemble up front to watch a video about Best Practice High School in Chicago.  This is a school that is focused on both meeting the district and state standards AND creating a community of learners.

Interpersonal

Movement

9:25

Students will take seats up front in order to view the Video, “Rethinking High School: Best Practice in Action.”

 

As they watch the video, they are to look for connections between their experiences in the Block to date and the Benson reading.

As you watch is story about an exceptional high school whose students are doing exceptional things – make connections to the Benson Chapter 2 and how the Block class has been organized over the past six weeks.

 

You may want to capture your thoughts in notes as the video progresses so that you can remember key points for discussion.

Visual

 

Verbal

 

Logical

 

Intrapersonal

 

 

 

10:05

Students will return to their content Area groups and use the

Discussion guide to focus their understanding of the processes for creating communities of learners.

Please return to your Major content group.  Follow the discussion guide on the table tops.

Visual

 

Verbal

 

Logical

 

 

10:15

Next steps. 

Handout the graphic organizers to be used for the State Standards in both major and minor content areas.

 

They will also receive a copy of the department endorsement form for student teaching.

For class on Friday, you are to print copies of the Michigan content standards in your major and minor.  Before you come back to class on Friday, you will need to condense the state standards expectations in the pink graphic organizer.

 

In addition, you will need to read Benson’s Chapter 3, “Making Reflection Routine,” pp. 61-81.  In the Given’s book, “The Brain’s Natural Learning Systems,  you were introduced to the importance of the Reflective System.  As you read, see if you can connect the Givens material to this chapter.  Are there any differences between adolescent learners and those learning to be teachers?  Where are the connections?  The differences?

 

Visual

 

Verbal

 

Logical

 

Intrapersonal

10:20

Closure

 

You will report Friday to the Lubbers Computer lab on the second floor – Room 219.