Week 2 reflection- September 29, 2007
I am both anxious and excited for the course to begin. There is a tremendous amount of work simply because I still find that tech tools don’t always work the way I want them to and lots of time gets spent to accomplish small tasksJ
What strikes me the most this week is the use of D2L from the instructor’s side. It seems to be very user friendly and has lots of tools that as a student I took for granted and didn’t really think about how the sections of each page were developed. The tracking tools for participation and for assignment seem really clear cut and intuitive. The tool for setting up discussions is also something I would appreciate trying to use, even if only for my own learning rather than public viewing.
Seeing the entire structure of a course in D2L makes me begin to understand just how much work designing and implementing a course is. As a student I guess I could only handle little bits at a time so I didn’t let myself fully realize how much information was included. But here I can easily see the big picture and once again as a teacher I am trying to see how you determine how to break down those huge sources of information relating to a curriculum into modules that can be manageable chunks of learning for your intended student population. And of course those age old questions of how do I really establish rapport and interaction? How much interjection is too much? Not enough? Just right? (It sounds like GoldilocksJ)
This experience will be invaluable in helping me find through practical experience just how to navigate my way through those questions as well as all the others that will arise throughout the class. I know I’ll make lots of mistakes but I also know myself well enough to know I will learn from them and that will make me a better teacher.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Week 1 continued
Updated Week 1 reflection
In thinking about the events of the first week, the most important factor that I would like to focus on is preparation. I am in the position of having taught a variation of the same subject matter for many years. Planning and adapting both lessons and materials have become internalized and often feel more like instinct than a well thought out process. Looking over the materials for the 6 Traits takes me back to that position of a beginning teacher. And in many ways I have to remind myself that that is exactly what I am at this point in my professional life.
I have spent a week trying to get a clear picture in my mind of the overarching questions that go along with the new curriculum of the 6 traits. It feels like I am translating one language that I know into a new language of the 6 traits and so I don’t think I yet fully grasp the big picture of the course. For me course and lesson design works well through a backwards design process. But in order to use that process I have to understand where I want my students to end up and then decide how to break the information into manageable weekly chunks.
The most useful thing that I can do for myself at this point is actually step away from the readings and let myself digest and assimilate the ideas. The writing process and the elements assessed by the 6 traits are familiar but I have to adjust my thinking from the real world applications I experienced to the broader realm of possible real world applications.
In thinking about the events of the first week, the most important factor that I would like to focus on is preparation. I am in the position of having taught a variation of the same subject matter for many years. Planning and adapting both lessons and materials have become internalized and often feel more like instinct than a well thought out process. Looking over the materials for the 6 Traits takes me back to that position of a beginning teacher. And in many ways I have to remind myself that that is exactly what I am at this point in my professional life.
I have spent a week trying to get a clear picture in my mind of the overarching questions that go along with the new curriculum of the 6 traits. It feels like I am translating one language that I know into a new language of the 6 traits and so I don’t think I yet fully grasp the big picture of the course. For me course and lesson design works well through a backwards design process. But in order to use that process I have to understand where I want my students to end up and then decide how to break the information into manageable weekly chunks.
The most useful thing that I can do for myself at this point is actually step away from the readings and let myself digest and assimilate the ideas. The writing process and the elements assessed by the 6 traits are familiar but I have to adjust my thinking from the real world applications I experienced to the broader realm of possible real world applications.
Week 1
As this first week comes to an end I find myself feeling extremely optimistic, challenged and excited at the same time. The process of designing and implementing online instruction simply fascinates me. After taking many online courses from the student perspective, I almost feel like Dorothy pulling back the curtain. I am about to find out how the wizard really works! I look forward to being able to share my experiences as an educator with the educators of tomorrow. It is only through the generosity of many experienced teachers that I started out with support. It is my turn to pay it forward, so to speak.
When I retired in January I knew that I couldn’t physically continue to work in middle school and I knew that I could do the job in my sleep. The problem solving challenges of my early years had all been internalized and thinking was rarely required. This program allows me to step back to that time where I need to think and evaluate throughout the design, implementation, and reflection of instruction. Two added bonuses for me are the opportunity to work with you and the opportunity to teach about teaching writing, which I love.
When I retired in January I knew that I couldn’t physically continue to work in middle school and I knew that I could do the job in my sleep. The problem solving challenges of my early years had all been internalized and thinking was rarely required. This program allows me to step back to that time where I need to think and evaluate throughout the design, implementation, and reflection of instruction. Two added bonuses for me are the opportunity to work with you and the opportunity to teach about teaching writing, which I love.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Current Portfolio
E-Portfolio
Biography
My name is Pat Hutton and I have been a special education teacher in a middle school. My undergraduate work was completed at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ where I earned a BS in elementary education. I also received certification to teach nursery school through eighth grade from the state. This background work stressed the theories of Piaget. I then continued my work in graduate school at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ where I majored in special education. Upon graduation I received state certification as a special education teacher for grades k to 12. Since graduation I have earned more than 60 additional graduate credits, exploring Howard Gardner’s work with multiple intelligences, cooperative learning, balanced literary, Grant Wiggins’ Understanding by Design, and many applications of technology in the classroom such as Excel, graphics, and creating a webpage. I have authored a webquest that was selected by Blue Web’n to be linked to its site. I am a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, NJEA and ASCD.
I’ve been teaching for the last 29 years and am looking forward to retirement. I’d love to teach college students in an online environment. My hobbies include reading, the beach, spending time with my dog, Koda, and extensive travel.
You can easily reach me through e-mail at the following addresses:
huttonp@uwstout.edu or
tikap@aol.com
My Online Teaching Philosophy
I have been a special education teacher in a middle school for the last 29 years. During that time I have continued my own education by earning more than 60 credits beyond my master’s degree. The theories of Skinner, Piaget, and Montessori provided a backdrop to my initial educational program. Since that time, Gardner and Wiggins have expanded my views of education.This has provided me with ample opportunity to form my own concept of learning. By combining my own coursework and learning experiences with observations of hundreds of students in a variety of settings ranging from large group in-class support programs to small group individualized resource room settings, I have come to believe that learning is:
Ø Carefully structured activity that increases each student’s capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills
Ø Allows learners to grow and mature
Ø Empowers individuals to make choices and meet challenges
Ø Is a lifelong process
Ø Includes physical, sensory, mental, and emotional development
Ø Includes academic and real life skills
Ø Each individual learner has a unique style comprised of a multiplicity of intelligences
Ø Every student is capable of achieving
Therefore, these principles are always operating when I teach in a classroom.
I believe that online teaching should embody all of the elements of strong face to face education. As an instructor I should be able to model the skills, competencies, and knowledge presented in the curriculum using a variety of strategies such as forming collaborative groups, creating assignments in a multiple intelligence format, using media, and providing experiences to ensure rapport with learners. Continual informal assessment through discussion and observation allows me to adjust the content as well as my approach as needed prior to more formal assessments. I match the objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods in a course perhaps by using backward design, or Grant Wiggins Understanding By Design approach.
Self-Assessment of Facilitation Skills
Strengths
Content area knowledge related to middle school English, social studies, and math
Flexibility in approach
Positive class environment/rapport with students
Comfort with a variety of technologies-print, computer, e-mail, chat , IM
Experience in mediating instruction through modified materials and presentation formats
Practical experience in collaborative groups both as an instructor using them in class and as a student participating in professional collaborative communities
Areas to Work on
Achieving a balance between supporting collaboration and directing discussions
Posting assignments and directions in multiple formats for ease of access
Providing timely feedback that critiques performance yet encourages the student
Breaking class materials into appropriate chunks for manageable learning
Continue to get practical experience in online facilitation through formal class structures and through informal interest groups i.e. Yahoo groups I belong to
Where to Go From Here
Continue to take sequence of course for online instructors
Research different delivery systems for courses and their current applications
Ultimately work as an online instructor
Resources (People)
Dan and Joe, the two tech people in my school
E-learning instructors at UW-Stout
Joanna and Kristin, staff developers
Resources
Publishers’ sites for curriculum information :
http://www.hrw.com/
http://www.phschool.com/
Education and technology support sites:
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scicom.html
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mlhall/teach_tech.html
http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/ets/Tech.htm
Tutorials for technologies:
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line2.htm
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/
UWStout library resources and a variety of appropriate databases available through online libraries such as:
http://www.libraryspot.com/
http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/
Beginning action plan
Goal- Determine what materials and tools will foster communication among students and with the instructor
Strategies for enhancing communication-
1. Use course management software that provides:
Ø E-mail
Ø Discussion boards
Ø Chat
Ø IM
Ø Wikis
Ø Class web page
Ø Surveys
2. Use collaborative assignments including:
Ø Pair and share
Ø Small group discussion
Ø Jigsaw technique
Ø Simulations
Ø Large group discussion
Materials to prepare :
Background mini-lessons
Open-ended questions relating to text to prompt discussions
Rubrics for rating participation in each type of collaborative assignment
Resources on hand :
Appropriate texts either assigned by school or chosen as the situation might require
Resources still needed
Current articles from academic literature, published on the Internet, or presented at scholarly or scientific meetings
Timeline
Create calendar with schedule of necessary activities and their due dates two weeks prior to start of class.
Welcome/Icebreaker/Syllabus
Dear Students of Class 001,
Welcome to the spring section of our course, class 001. I have been selected as your instructor for this term. Our class will begin in just over a week. The time has gone quickly and I hope everyone is as eager and excited about this new undertaking as I am. Please check that your computer meets the requirements for our class and that you have ordered the required text, if you have not already done so. Also please complete the pre-class questionnaire as this will help me tailor our class to best meet your needs.
During this week before the official start of class you may log into our class using the following link.
(insert link here)
From the start page you will find a column of links on the left hand side. You will use these to access course materials, post responses, submit assignments, and ask questions. For this week the link labeled Lounge will be open. This is a virtual student lounge where you can stop and chat with classmates. In addition I will have virtual office hours Monday and Wednesday from 3-6 PM EST for this week only. You can reach me at these times by clicking the link labeled Office. Feel free to ask questions, clarify information, or just say hello.
Looking forward to working with all of you,
Pat Hutton
Icebreaker
Please log in to our class web page and click on the Discussion Board link before Friday. Next click on Week One Intro and post a response by introducing yourself. Please address the following in your introduction :
Ø What is your teaching background?
Ø What do you expect from this course?
Ø What experience do you have with online courses?
Ø What book has had the most impact in your life? Why?
Ø What books do you remember reading in middle and high school? Were these books that you would now teach in your own classroom? Why or why not?
Then during the week make sure you comment on at least two posts submitted by your classmates.
Course Syllabus
LIT 001 The Young Adult Novel
Instructor: Patricia Hutton
Contact Information:
Phone (908) 555-0001
Email: ph@yourcollege.edu
ph@yourschool.com
Online office hours: Wednesday 1-3 PM, Thursday 5-7PM (insert link)
Course Description:
Teachers taking this course have the opportunity to learn about the literary form of the young adult novel, how to include young adult novels in their classrooms, criteria for selecting appropriate, high-quality novels relating to specific themes, and techniques for making reading young adult novels relevant and stimulating for students. You will examine the best ways to use novels in your class as well as the rationale for their usage. You will learn practical ways to integrate young adult novels into your curriculum so your students will find their reading not only relevant but also enjoyable.
This course is designed for teachers of grades 5-12. The participants will be required to read sections of text, reflect on the concepts presented in the text by posting them to the class discussion board, to use resources to create lessons based on young adult novels first in small groups working collaboratively in the wiki area and then individually posting work to the assignment section, and to provide feedback through the discussion boards to classmates on their ideas and their original lessons.
Goals and Objectives:
Class participants will:
Ø Recognize the literary elements that are found in young adult novels
Ø Examine the rationale for using young adult novels in a literature curriculum
Ø Connect the teaching of young adult novels to national and state standards
Ø Create lessons that use young adult novels to address contemporary issues
Ø Integrate young adult novels into existing curriculum
Ø Analyze censorship issues and techniques to reduce controversy surrounding certain novels
Course Materials:
Texts
Monseau, Virginia R., and Gary M. Salvner, eds. Reading Their World: The Young Adult Novel in the Classroom. 2nd ed. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 2000.
Contained in the text is a CD-ROM with reviews for nearly 2000 young adult novels that is searchable by title, author, theme, genre, keyword, and grade.
Donelson, Kenneth L. & Aileen P. Nilsen. Literature for Today’s Young Adults. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Publishers, 2004.
Layout of Course Homepage:
You will find the following links on the left side of the home page. Their descriptions are below.
Student Lounge- Clicking on this link will take you to a virtual student lounge where you can chat informally with fellow classmates.
Q & A- Use this area to ask questions or give answers to classmates regarding course content, technical problems or hints, and even off topic subjects that should not be posted in the discussion board area.
Office- Click this link when I am in my office and we can use IM to have a more immediate real-time discussion.
Portfolio- After you have submitted your assignments you can find your grades in this area.
Weekly Units- Clicking on this link will take you to the background information, reading selections, and assignments for each week of the class.
Discussion Board- This link is where you will post your initial responses to the prompts based on the readings. You will also respond to at least two postings from classmates offering thoughtful comments or questions to further discussion.
Wiki- This link takes you to the wiki area. During week 3 and 5 you will be working with a small group in this area to create a lesson based on a young adult novel.
Assignments- In the assignment page is a short form to be completed for submission along with your assignment for the week. The assignment should be submitted as a word file or a rich text file.
Final Project- Use this link to submit your final individual lesson created in week 8.
Course Requirements:
Assignments
Each week on Saturday the new lesson for the week along with its corresponding activities and assignments will be posted in the Weekly Units section of the course page. Participants are expected to read text materials and respond to prompts in the class discussion area (click on the link for discussion on the home page). Each student should provide feedback that is timely and meaningful, dealing with the subject matter and clarifying or asking questions that evidence thought, to at least two other students’ posts during the week.
Each student is also responsible for either working in the wiki area or posting an individual assignment depending on the directions given for each weekly assignment.
Assessment:
The following percentages will be used to calculate your final grade:
Initial responses to weekly prompts: 20%
Responses to posts of other students: 20%
Collaborative lesson in wiki format: 20%
Final reflection 10%
Individual lessons submitted to assignment folder: 30%
Please read the rubrics for all assessments prior to submitting any work. The descriptors explain each possible score point with specific details. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me for clarification.
The final grade is determined as follows:
90-100= A
80-89= B
70-79=C
65-69=D
64 or below = no credit
Policies:
Attendance
Attendance is required. Because this is an online course attendance will be graded by meeting the minimum number of postings per week.
Late work
According to university policy late work is not accepted. Because this is an asynchronous online course it is particularly important to your classmates as well as to you that work be submitted in a timely manner. Please contact the instructor if you have any problems or concerns.
Plagiarism
Note the university policy on plagiarism or cheating:
(insert link)
Copyright 2006 by Patricia Hutton
Tip Sheet
Tip Sheet for Using Wikis in the Moodle Laboratory
by Patricia Hutton
Start by opening the class home page. Click on the link for the Moodle Lab.
The Moodle log in page will open in a new window. Use your university user name and password to log in to Moodle.
You are now on the Welcome page for Moodle. Go to the upper right hand corner and click on Turn Editing On. This will allow you to edit and make changes in documents. Be very careful because you can change someone else’s work and lose information.
Next, on the Welcome page look for the links on the left hand side under Activities. Click on the link for Wikis. This will take you to a list of wikis where you will click on the wiki for your group.
A new page will open with a list of wikis for your team. To add to an existing wiki, click on its name. To start a new wiki click on the link that reads “Add a new discussion topic”.
When you work on the wiki you do not have to work synchronously. You should use different colors so that it is very clear what changes or contributions each person is making. This makes it much easier to track the work in progress. Be very careful when saving changes because as the current editor you are changing someone else’s work as well as your own.
When all group members have completed collaboration and the group is satisfied with the final product, please select one member of your group to submit the assignment by linking it to our class discussion forum. You may cut and paste the URL into our class discussion page or you may use any other method that you are comfortable using for the submission.
Prompts and Responses
Prompt 1-
If you were given the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world (or out of it) without worrying about the expense, where would you go? Why? If someone doesn’t know you but know about this trip, what conclusions do you think the person would draw about you? Finally, extrapolate the conclusions the person would draw about you into your professional life. Is there a correlation? If so, what is it? If not, why do you feel there is no correlation?
Prompt 2-
Describe yourself as an animal. What animal would you associate with yourself? What characteristics do you share with the animal? How do these characteristics impact your functioning as an educator?
Prompt 3-
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences keeps expanding the ways in which we can measure intelligence. What intelligence or combination of intelligences is your preferred way of learning? What intelligences are struggles for you? How do you work in a classroom with students who prefer the styles that are difficult for you? How do you teach the students who do not function in the modes where you are comfortable?
Response 1
Most of us are going to agree on this point. But for each of us the concept will be slightly different because we are all unique so that even the same experience will not be understood in exactly the same way. What is your understanding of _________? In what ways can you put this concept into action? I’d really like to hear your ideas and share in the knowledge you bring to our class.
Response 2
Do you have any additional thoughts or questions regarding __________? After some time to process, I am reminded of a time when ________________. Have you had a similar experience? What could you do to generate a variety of responses from your students?
Response 3
You have made important contributions to our class in this and other modules. I’d like you to expound on your thoughts about _______________. What strategies could our students use to solve this problem? Are there any questions that you think might generate additional discussion in our forum?
Current Portfolio
Patricia Hutton
E-Portfolio
Module 8
Biography
My name is Pat Hutton and I am a special education teacher in a middle school. My undergraduate work was completed at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ where I earned a BS in elementary education. I also received certification to teach nursery school through eighth grade from the state. This background work stressed the theories of Piaget. I then continued my work in graduate school at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ where I majored in special education. Upon graduation I received state certification as a special education teacher for grades k to 12. Since graduation I have earned more than 60 additional graduate credits, exploring Howard Gardner’s work with multiple intelligences, cooperative learning, balanced literary, Grant Wiggins’ Understanding by Design, and many applications of technology in the classroom such as Excel, graphics, and creating a webpage. I have authored a webquest that was selected by Blue Web’n to be linked to its site. I am a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, NJEA and ASCD.
I’ve been teaching for the last 29 years and am looking forward to retirement. I’d love to teach college students in an online environment. My hobbies include reading, the beach, spending time with my dog, Koda, and extensive travel.
You can easily reach me through e-mail at the following addresses:
huttonp@uwstout.edu or
tikap@aol.com
My Online Teaching Philosophy
I have been a special education teacher in a middle school for the last 29 years. During that time I have continued my own education by earning more than 60 credits beyond my master’s degree. The theories of Skinner, Piaget, and Montessori provided a backdrop to my initial educational program. Since that time, Gardner and Wiggins have expanded my views of education.This has provided me with ample opportunity to form my own concept of learning. By combining my own coursework and learning experiences with observations of hundreds of students in a variety of settings ranging from large group in-class support programs to small group individualized resource room settings, I have come to believe that learning is:
Ø Carefully structured activity that increases each student’s capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills
Ø Allows learners to grow and mature
Ø Empowers individuals to make choices and meet challenges
Ø Is a lifelong process
Ø Includes physical, sensory, mental, and emotional development
Ø Includes academic and real life skills
Ø Each individual learner has a unique style comprised of a multiplicity of intelligences
Ø Every student is capable of achieving
Therefore, these principles are always operating when I teach in a classroom.
I believe that online teaching should embody all of the elements of strong face to face education. As an instructor I should be able to model the skills, competencies, and knowledge presented in the curriculum using a variety of strategies such as forming collaborative groups, creating assignments in a multiple intelligence format, using media, and providing experiences to ensure rapport with learners. Continual informal assessment through discussion and observation allows me to adjust the content as well as my approach as needed prior to more formal assessments. I match the objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods in a course perhaps by using backward design, or Grant Wiggins Understanding By Design approach.
Self-Assessment of Facilitation Skills
Strengths
Areas to Work On
Where to Go
From Here
(Goals)
Resources
(include URL)
Content area knowledge related to middle school English, social studies, and math
Flexibility in approach
Positive class environment/rapport with students
Comfort with a variety of technologies-print, computer, e-mail, chat ,IM
Experience in mediating instruction through modified materials and presentation formats
Practical experience in collaborative groups both as an instructor using them in class and as a student participating in professional collaborative communities
Achieving a balance between supporting collaboration and directing discussions
Posting assignments and directions in multiple formats for ease of access
Providing timely feedback that critiques performance yet encourages the student
Breaking class materials into appropriate chunks for manageable learning
Continue to get practical experience in online facilitation through formal class structures and through informal interest groups i.e. Yahoo groups I belong to
Continue to take sequence of course for online instructors
Research different delivery systems for courses and their current applications
Ultimately work as an online instructor
Dan and Joe, the two tech people in my school
Publishers’ sites for curriculum information :
www.hrw.com
www.phschool.com
Education andtechnology support sites:
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scicom.html
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mlhall/teach_tech.html
http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/ets/Tech.htm
Tutorials for technologies:
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line2.htm
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/
UWStout library resources and a variety of appropriate databases available through online libraries such as:
http://www.libraryspot.com/
http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/
Beginning action plan
Goal- Determine what materials and tools will foster communication among students and with the instructor
Strategies for enhancing communication-
1. Use course management software that provides:
Ø E-mail
Ø Discussion boards
Ø Chat
Ø IM
Ø Wikis
Ø Class web page
Ø Surveys
Ø
2. Use collaborative assignments including:
Ø Pair and share
Ø Small group discussion
Ø Jigsaw technique
Ø Simulations
Ø Large group discussion
Materials to prepare
Background mini-lessons
Open-ended questions relating to text to prompt discussions
Rubrics for rating participation in each type of collaborative assignment
Resources on hand
Appropriate texts either assigned by school or chosen as the situation might require
Resources still needed
Current articles from academic literature, published on the Internet, or presented at scholarly or scientific meetings
Timeline
Create calendar with schedule of necessary activities and their due dates two weeks prior to start of class.
Welcome/Icebreaker/Syllabus
Dear Students of Class 001,
Welcome to the spring section of our course, class 001. I have been selected as your instructor for this term. Our class will begin in just over a week. The time has gone quickly and I hope everyone is as eager and excited about this new undertaking as I am. Please check that your computer meets the requirements for our class and that you have ordered the required text, if you have not already done so. Also please complete the pre-class questionnaire as this will help me tailor our class to best meet your needs.
During this week before the official start of class you may log into our class using the following link.
(insert link here)
From the start page you will find a column of links on the left hand side. You will use these to access course materials, post responses, submit assignments, and ask questions. For this week the link labeled Lounge will be open. This is a virtual student lounge where you can stop and chat with classmates. In addition I will have virtual office hours Monday and Wednesday from 3-6 PM EST for this week only. You can reach me at these times by clicking the link labeled Office. Feel free to ask questions, clarify information, or just say hello.
Looking forward to working with all of you,
Pat Hutton
Icebreaker
Please log in to our class web page and click on the Discussion Board link before Friday. Next click on Week One Intro and post a response by introducing yourself. Please address the following in your introduction :
Ø What is your teaching background?
Ø What do you expect from this course?
Ø What experience do you have with online courses?
Ø What book has had the most impact in your life? Why?
Ø What books do you remember reading in middle and high school? Were these books that you would now teach in your own classroom? Why or why not?
Then during the week make sure you comment on at least two posts submitted by your classmates.
Course Syllabus
LIT 001 The Young Adult Novel
Instructor: Patricia Hutton
Contact Information:
Phone (908) 555-0001
Email: ph@yourcollege.edu
ph@yourschool.com
Online office hours: Wednesday 1-3 PM, Thursday 5-7PM (insert link)
Course Description:
Teachers taking this course have the opportunity to learn about the literary form of the young adult novel, how to include young adult novels in their classrooms, criteria for selecting appropriate, high-quality novels relating to specific themes, and techniques for making reading young adult novels relevant and stimulating for students. You will examine the best ways to use novels in your class as well as the rationale for their usage. You will learn practical ways to integrate young adult novels into your curriculum so your students will find their reading not only relevant but also enjoyable.
This course is designed for teachers of grades 5-12. The participants will be required to read sections of text, reflect on the concepts presented in the text by posting them to the class discussion board, to use resources to create lessons based on young adult novels first in small groups working collaboratively in the wiki area and then individually posting work to the assignment section, and to provide feedback through the discussion boards to classmates on their ideas and their original lessons.
Goals and Objectives:
Class participants will:
Ø Recognize the literary elements that are found in young adult novels
Ø Examine the rationale for using young adult novels in a literature curriculum
Ø Connect the teaching of young adult novels to national and state standards
Ø Create lessons that use young adult novels to address contemporary issues
Ø Integrate young adult novels into existing curriculum
Ø Analyze censorship issues and techniques to reduce controversy surrounding certain novels
Course Materials:
Texts
Monseau, Virginia R., and Gary M. Salvner, eds. Reading Their World: The Young Adult Novel in the Classroom. 2nd ed. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 2000.
Contained in the text is a CD-ROM with reviews for nearly 2000 young adult novels that is searchable by title, author, theme, genre, keyword, and grade.
Donelson, Kenneth L. & Aileen P. Nilsen. Literature for Today’s Young Adults. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Publishers, 2004.
Layout of Course Homepage:
You will find the following links on the left side of the home page. Their descriptions are below.
Student Lounge- Clicking on this link will take you to a virtual student lounge where you can chat informally with fellow classmates.
Q & A- Use this area to ask questions or give answers to classmates regarding course content, technical problems or hints, and even off topic subjects that should not be posted in the discussion board area.
Office- Click this link when I am in my office and we can use IM to have a more immediate real-time discussion.
Portfolio- After you have submitted your assignments you can find your grades in this area.
Weekly Units- Clicking on this link will take you to the background information, reading selections, and assignments for each week of the class.
Discussion Board- This link is where you will post your initial responses to the prompts based on the readings. You will also respond to at least two postings from classmates offering thoughtful comments or questions to further discussion.
Wiki- This link takes you to the wiki area. During week 3 and 5 you will be working with a small group in this area to create a lesson based on a young adult novel.
Assignments- In the assignment page is a short form to be completed for submission along with your assignment for the week. The assignment should be submitted as a word file or a rich text file.
Final Project- Use this link to submit your final individual lesson created in week 8.
Course Requirements:
Assignments
Each week on Saturday the new lesson for the week along with its corresponding activities and assignments will be posted in the Weekly Units section of the course page. Participants are expected to read text materials and respond to prompts in the class discussion area (click on the link for discussion on the home page). Each student should provide feedback that is timely and meaningful, dealing with the subject matter and clarifying or asking questions that evidence thought, to at least two other students’ posts during the week.
Each student is also responsible for either working in the wiki area or posting an individual assignment depending on the directions given for each weekly assignment.
Assessment:
The following percentages will be used to calculate your final grade:
Initial responses to weekly prompts: 20%
Responses to posts of other students: 20%
Collaborative lesson in wiki format: 20%
Final reflection 10%
Individual lessons submitted to assignment folder: 30%
Please read the rubrics for all assessments prior to submitting any work. The descriptors explain each possible score point with specific details. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me for clarification.
The final grade is determined as follows:
90-100= A
80-89= B
70-79=C
65-69=D
64 or below = no credit
Policies:
Attendance
Attendance is required. Because this is an online course attendance will be graded by meeting the minimum number of postings per week.
Late work
According to university policy late work is not accepted. Because this is an asynchronous online course it is particularly important to your classmates as well as to you that work be submitted in a timely manner. Please contact the instructor if you have any problems or concerns.
Plagiarism
Note the university policy on plagiarism or cheating:
(insert link)
Copyright 2006 by Patricia Hutton
Tip Sheet
Tip Sheet for Using Wikis in the Moodle Laboratory
by Patricia Hutton
Start by opening the class home page. Click on the link for the Moodle Lab.
The Moodle log in page will open in a new window. Use your university user name and password to log in to Moodle.
You are now on the Welcome page for Moodle. Go to the upper right hand corner and click on Turn Editing On. This will allow you to edit and make changes in documents. Be very careful because you can change someone else’s work and lose information.
Next, on the Welcome page look for the links on the left hand side under Activities. Click on the link for Wikis. This will take you to a list of wikis where you will click on the wiki for your group.
A new page will open with a list of wikis for your team. To add to an existing wiki, click on its name. To start a new wiki click on the link that reads “Add a new discussion topic”.
When you work on the wiki you do not have to work synchronously. You should use different colors so that it is very clear what changes or contributions each person is making. This makes it much easier to track the work in progress. Be very careful when saving changes because as the current editor you are changing someone else’s work as well as your own.
When all group members have completed collaboration and the group is satisfied with the final product, please select one member of your group to submit the assignment by linking it to our class discussion forum. You may cut and paste the URL into our class discussion page or you may use any other method that you are comfortable using for the submission.
Prompts and Responses
Prompt 1-
If you were given the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world (or out of it) without worrying about the expense, where would you go? Why? If someone doesn’t know you but know about this trip, what conclusions do you think the person would draw about you? Finally, extrapolate the conclusions the person would draw about you into your professional life. Is there a correlation? If so, what is it? If not, why do you feel there is no correlation?
Prompt 2-
Describe yourself as an animal. What animal would you associate with yourself? What characteristics do you share with the animal? How do these characteristics impact your functioning as an educator?
Prompt 3-
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences keeps expanding the ways in which we can measure intelligence. What intelligence or combination of intelligences is your preferred way of learning? What intelligences are struggles for you? How do you work in a classroom with students who prefer the styles that are difficult for you? How do you teach the students who do not function in the modes where you are comfortable?
Response 1
Most of us are going to agree on this point. But for each of us the concept will be slightly different because we are all unique so that even the same experience will not be understood in exactly the same way. What is your understanding of _________? In what ways can you put this concept into action? I’d really like to hear your ideas and share in the knowledge you bring to our class.
Response 2
Do you have any additional thoughts or questions regarding __________? After some time to process, I am reminded of a time when ________________. Have you had a similar experience? What could you do to generate a variety of responses from your students?
Response 3
You have made important contributions to our class in this and other modules. I’d like you to expound on your thoughts about _______________. What strategies could our students use to solve this problem? Are there any questions that you think might generate additional discussion in our forum?
E-Portfolio
Module 8
Biography
My name is Pat Hutton and I am a special education teacher in a middle school. My undergraduate work was completed at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ where I earned a BS in elementary education. I also received certification to teach nursery school through eighth grade from the state. This background work stressed the theories of Piaget. I then continued my work in graduate school at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ where I majored in special education. Upon graduation I received state certification as a special education teacher for grades k to 12. Since graduation I have earned more than 60 additional graduate credits, exploring Howard Gardner’s work with multiple intelligences, cooperative learning, balanced literary, Grant Wiggins’ Understanding by Design, and many applications of technology in the classroom such as Excel, graphics, and creating a webpage. I have authored a webquest that was selected by Blue Web’n to be linked to its site. I am a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, NJEA and ASCD.
I’ve been teaching for the last 29 years and am looking forward to retirement. I’d love to teach college students in an online environment. My hobbies include reading, the beach, spending time with my dog, Koda, and extensive travel.
You can easily reach me through e-mail at the following addresses:
huttonp@uwstout.edu or
tikap@aol.com
My Online Teaching Philosophy
I have been a special education teacher in a middle school for the last 29 years. During that time I have continued my own education by earning more than 60 credits beyond my master’s degree. The theories of Skinner, Piaget, and Montessori provided a backdrop to my initial educational program. Since that time, Gardner and Wiggins have expanded my views of education.This has provided me with ample opportunity to form my own concept of learning. By combining my own coursework and learning experiences with observations of hundreds of students in a variety of settings ranging from large group in-class support programs to small group individualized resource room settings, I have come to believe that learning is:
Ø Carefully structured activity that increases each student’s capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills
Ø Allows learners to grow and mature
Ø Empowers individuals to make choices and meet challenges
Ø Is a lifelong process
Ø Includes physical, sensory, mental, and emotional development
Ø Includes academic and real life skills
Ø Each individual learner has a unique style comprised of a multiplicity of intelligences
Ø Every student is capable of achieving
Therefore, these principles are always operating when I teach in a classroom.
I believe that online teaching should embody all of the elements of strong face to face education. As an instructor I should be able to model the skills, competencies, and knowledge presented in the curriculum using a variety of strategies such as forming collaborative groups, creating assignments in a multiple intelligence format, using media, and providing experiences to ensure rapport with learners. Continual informal assessment through discussion and observation allows me to adjust the content as well as my approach as needed prior to more formal assessments. I match the objectives, outcomes, and assessment methods in a course perhaps by using backward design, or Grant Wiggins Understanding By Design approach.
Self-Assessment of Facilitation Skills
Strengths
Areas to Work On
Where to Go
From Here
(Goals)
Resources
(include URL)
Content area knowledge related to middle school English, social studies, and math
Flexibility in approach
Positive class environment/rapport with students
Comfort with a variety of technologies-print, computer, e-mail, chat ,IM
Experience in mediating instruction through modified materials and presentation formats
Practical experience in collaborative groups both as an instructor using them in class and as a student participating in professional collaborative communities
Achieving a balance between supporting collaboration and directing discussions
Posting assignments and directions in multiple formats for ease of access
Providing timely feedback that critiques performance yet encourages the student
Breaking class materials into appropriate chunks for manageable learning
Continue to get practical experience in online facilitation through formal class structures and through informal interest groups i.e. Yahoo groups I belong to
Continue to take sequence of course for online instructors
Research different delivery systems for courses and their current applications
Ultimately work as an online instructor
Dan and Joe, the two tech people in my school
Publishers’ sites for curriculum information :
www.hrw.com
www.phschool.com
Education andtechnology support sites:
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scicom.html
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mlhall/teach_tech.html
http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/ets/Tech.htm
Tutorials for technologies:
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line2.htm
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/
UWStout library resources and a variety of appropriate databases available through online libraries such as:
http://www.libraryspot.com/
http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/
Beginning action plan
Goal- Determine what materials and tools will foster communication among students and with the instructor
Strategies for enhancing communication-
1. Use course management software that provides:
Ø E-mail
Ø Discussion boards
Ø Chat
Ø IM
Ø Wikis
Ø Class web page
Ø Surveys
Ø
2. Use collaborative assignments including:
Ø Pair and share
Ø Small group discussion
Ø Jigsaw technique
Ø Simulations
Ø Large group discussion
Materials to prepare
Background mini-lessons
Open-ended questions relating to text to prompt discussions
Rubrics for rating participation in each type of collaborative assignment
Resources on hand
Appropriate texts either assigned by school or chosen as the situation might require
Resources still needed
Current articles from academic literature, published on the Internet, or presented at scholarly or scientific meetings
Timeline
Create calendar with schedule of necessary activities and their due dates two weeks prior to start of class.
Welcome/Icebreaker/Syllabus
Dear Students of Class 001,
Welcome to the spring section of our course, class 001. I have been selected as your instructor for this term. Our class will begin in just over a week. The time has gone quickly and I hope everyone is as eager and excited about this new undertaking as I am. Please check that your computer meets the requirements for our class and that you have ordered the required text, if you have not already done so. Also please complete the pre-class questionnaire as this will help me tailor our class to best meet your needs.
During this week before the official start of class you may log into our class using the following link.
(insert link here)
From the start page you will find a column of links on the left hand side. You will use these to access course materials, post responses, submit assignments, and ask questions. For this week the link labeled Lounge will be open. This is a virtual student lounge where you can stop and chat with classmates. In addition I will have virtual office hours Monday and Wednesday from 3-6 PM EST for this week only. You can reach me at these times by clicking the link labeled Office. Feel free to ask questions, clarify information, or just say hello.
Looking forward to working with all of you,
Pat Hutton
Icebreaker
Please log in to our class web page and click on the Discussion Board link before Friday. Next click on Week One Intro and post a response by introducing yourself. Please address the following in your introduction :
Ø What is your teaching background?
Ø What do you expect from this course?
Ø What experience do you have with online courses?
Ø What book has had the most impact in your life? Why?
Ø What books do you remember reading in middle and high school? Were these books that you would now teach in your own classroom? Why or why not?
Then during the week make sure you comment on at least two posts submitted by your classmates.
Course Syllabus
LIT 001 The Young Adult Novel
Instructor: Patricia Hutton
Contact Information:
Phone (908) 555-0001
Email: ph@yourcollege.edu
ph@yourschool.com
Online office hours: Wednesday 1-3 PM, Thursday 5-7PM (insert link)
Course Description:
Teachers taking this course have the opportunity to learn about the literary form of the young adult novel, how to include young adult novels in their classrooms, criteria for selecting appropriate, high-quality novels relating to specific themes, and techniques for making reading young adult novels relevant and stimulating for students. You will examine the best ways to use novels in your class as well as the rationale for their usage. You will learn practical ways to integrate young adult novels into your curriculum so your students will find their reading not only relevant but also enjoyable.
This course is designed for teachers of grades 5-12. The participants will be required to read sections of text, reflect on the concepts presented in the text by posting them to the class discussion board, to use resources to create lessons based on young adult novels first in small groups working collaboratively in the wiki area and then individually posting work to the assignment section, and to provide feedback through the discussion boards to classmates on their ideas and their original lessons.
Goals and Objectives:
Class participants will:
Ø Recognize the literary elements that are found in young adult novels
Ø Examine the rationale for using young adult novels in a literature curriculum
Ø Connect the teaching of young adult novels to national and state standards
Ø Create lessons that use young adult novels to address contemporary issues
Ø Integrate young adult novels into existing curriculum
Ø Analyze censorship issues and techniques to reduce controversy surrounding certain novels
Course Materials:
Texts
Monseau, Virginia R., and Gary M. Salvner, eds. Reading Their World: The Young Adult Novel in the Classroom. 2nd ed. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 2000.
Contained in the text is a CD-ROM with reviews for nearly 2000 young adult novels that is searchable by title, author, theme, genre, keyword, and grade.
Donelson, Kenneth L. & Aileen P. Nilsen. Literature for Today’s Young Adults. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Publishers, 2004.
Layout of Course Homepage:
You will find the following links on the left side of the home page. Their descriptions are below.
Student Lounge- Clicking on this link will take you to a virtual student lounge where you can chat informally with fellow classmates.
Q & A- Use this area to ask questions or give answers to classmates regarding course content, technical problems or hints, and even off topic subjects that should not be posted in the discussion board area.
Office- Click this link when I am in my office and we can use IM to have a more immediate real-time discussion.
Portfolio- After you have submitted your assignments you can find your grades in this area.
Weekly Units- Clicking on this link will take you to the background information, reading selections, and assignments for each week of the class.
Discussion Board- This link is where you will post your initial responses to the prompts based on the readings. You will also respond to at least two postings from classmates offering thoughtful comments or questions to further discussion.
Wiki- This link takes you to the wiki area. During week 3 and 5 you will be working with a small group in this area to create a lesson based on a young adult novel.
Assignments- In the assignment page is a short form to be completed for submission along with your assignment for the week. The assignment should be submitted as a word file or a rich text file.
Final Project- Use this link to submit your final individual lesson created in week 8.
Course Requirements:
Assignments
Each week on Saturday the new lesson for the week along with its corresponding activities and assignments will be posted in the Weekly Units section of the course page. Participants are expected to read text materials and respond to prompts in the class discussion area (click on the link for discussion on the home page). Each student should provide feedback that is timely and meaningful, dealing with the subject matter and clarifying or asking questions that evidence thought, to at least two other students’ posts during the week.
Each student is also responsible for either working in the wiki area or posting an individual assignment depending on the directions given for each weekly assignment.
Assessment:
The following percentages will be used to calculate your final grade:
Initial responses to weekly prompts: 20%
Responses to posts of other students: 20%
Collaborative lesson in wiki format: 20%
Final reflection 10%
Individual lessons submitted to assignment folder: 30%
Please read the rubrics for all assessments prior to submitting any work. The descriptors explain each possible score point with specific details. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me for clarification.
The final grade is determined as follows:
90-100= A
80-89= B
70-79=C
65-69=D
64 or below = no credit
Policies:
Attendance
Attendance is required. Because this is an online course attendance will be graded by meeting the minimum number of postings per week.
Late work
According to university policy late work is not accepted. Because this is an asynchronous online course it is particularly important to your classmates as well as to you that work be submitted in a timely manner. Please contact the instructor if you have any problems or concerns.
Plagiarism
Note the university policy on plagiarism or cheating:
(insert link)
Copyright 2006 by Patricia Hutton
Tip Sheet
Tip Sheet for Using Wikis in the Moodle Laboratory
by Patricia Hutton
Start by opening the class home page. Click on the link for the Moodle Lab.
The Moodle log in page will open in a new window. Use your university user name and password to log in to Moodle.
You are now on the Welcome page for Moodle. Go to the upper right hand corner and click on Turn Editing On. This will allow you to edit and make changes in documents. Be very careful because you can change someone else’s work and lose information.
Next, on the Welcome page look for the links on the left hand side under Activities. Click on the link for Wikis. This will take you to a list of wikis where you will click on the wiki for your group.
A new page will open with a list of wikis for your team. To add to an existing wiki, click on its name. To start a new wiki click on the link that reads “Add a new discussion topic”.
When you work on the wiki you do not have to work synchronously. You should use different colors so that it is very clear what changes or contributions each person is making. This makes it much easier to track the work in progress. Be very careful when saving changes because as the current editor you are changing someone else’s work as well as your own.
When all group members have completed collaboration and the group is satisfied with the final product, please select one member of your group to submit the assignment by linking it to our class discussion forum. You may cut and paste the URL into our class discussion page or you may use any other method that you are comfortable using for the submission.
Prompts and Responses
Prompt 1-
If you were given the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world (or out of it) without worrying about the expense, where would you go? Why? If someone doesn’t know you but know about this trip, what conclusions do you think the person would draw about you? Finally, extrapolate the conclusions the person would draw about you into your professional life. Is there a correlation? If so, what is it? If not, why do you feel there is no correlation?
Prompt 2-
Describe yourself as an animal. What animal would you associate with yourself? What characteristics do you share with the animal? How do these characteristics impact your functioning as an educator?
Prompt 3-
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences keeps expanding the ways in which we can measure intelligence. What intelligence or combination of intelligences is your preferred way of learning? What intelligences are struggles for you? How do you work in a classroom with students who prefer the styles that are difficult for you? How do you teach the students who do not function in the modes where you are comfortable?
Response 1
Most of us are going to agree on this point. But for each of us the concept will be slightly different because we are all unique so that even the same experience will not be understood in exactly the same way. What is your understanding of _________? In what ways can you put this concept into action? I’d really like to hear your ideas and share in the knowledge you bring to our class.
Response 2
Do you have any additional thoughts or questions regarding __________? After some time to process, I am reminded of a time when ________________. Have you had a similar experience? What could you do to generate a variety of responses from your students?
Response 3
You have made important contributions to our class in this and other modules. I’d like you to expound on your thoughts about _______________. What strategies could our students use to solve this problem? Are there any questions that you think might generate additional discussion in our forum?
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