COURSE TITLE: Teaching on an Integrated Team
COURSE PREFIX AND NUMBER: MGED 4110
HOURS: 3sh
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will participate in a simulation as an interdisciplinary team to engage in conceptualizing, planning and working together as a team engaging in a thematic approach to integrated studies in the middle grades. Team members will come together to form teams based on their areas of concentration and expertise. They will develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become an effective member of a teaching team. They will identify commonalities across content areas to enable them to develop a unit of instruction as a team reflecting student needs, middle school philosophy, and best practices in the middle grades.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK PRINCIPLES ADDRESSED:
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
1. understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) and be able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for learners.
2. understand how students learn and develop and be able to provide developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.
3. understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and be able to create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
5. use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
9. be a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and actively seeks the opportunity to grow professionally.
10.foster relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support the learning and well being of all students.

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Throughout the course students will demonstrate an ability to:
1. examine and utilize strategies to effectively collaborate as a member of an interdisciplinary teaching team.(NCATE/NMSA 3.2, 4.1, 5.3, 6.1, 7; PSC I; NB II, VI, VII; CF 1, 9, 10)
2. examine the stages and processes involved in co-planning and integrated unit.(NCATE/NMSA 3.2, 3.3, 4, 5, 6, 7; PSC I, II, IV, IX; NB II, VI, IV, VII, VIII; CF 1, 9, 10)
3. develop an integrated unit of study as an interdisciplinary team.(NCATE/NMSA 3.2, 3.3, 4, 5, 7, 6; PSC I, II, IV, IX; NB II, IV, VI, VII, VIII; CF 1, 9, 10)
4. incorporate learnings related to adolescent and individual learner needs, including special needs students (Special Education Module), middle school philosophy and organization and best practices in the middle grades into the lessons in this unit.(NCATE/NMSA 3.3, 4.2, 5.1; PSC II, IV; NB IV, VII; CF 2, 3)
5. develop skills, knowledge and ability in each content area through an integrated approach. (NCTAE/NMSA 4.1, 5, 5.3, 7; PSC I, IX; NB VI, VII; CF 1)
6. plan lessons which reflect proactive approaches to management( Management Module).(NCATE/NMSA 3.3, 4.2, 5.1; PSC II, IV; NB IV, VII; CF 5)

COURSE OUTLINE
The Middle Grades Program is founded on the premise that instructors model the practices they espouse that students employ in an effective classroom. The course outline is designed to provide topics essential for students to attain the intended course outcomes and objectives. Specific time lines, reading assignments, and assessment dates are not included so that the instructor can model how these are determined along with students to assure that their learning needs are met and questions are addressed from a student centered/student driven perspective.

TOPICS
1. Interdisciplinary Teaming:
a. effective communication
b. problem solving strategies
c. co-planning
d. roles: commonalities, differentiation and expertise
e. common concepts, strategies and tenets across subject areas

2. Effective Planning:
a. student needs as adolescents
b. individual needs, diversity and special needs students (special education module)
c. best practices and methods
d. meaningful content and thinking skills

3. Stages of planning development:
a. working toward goals for learning
b. conceptualizing integration
c. meeting mandates and guidelines for content
d. meeting student needs/student centered methods(management module)
e. real world oriented
f. authentic assessment
g. reflection

ASSESSMENT
Performance based standards for each assignment/activity will be determined and explained prior to each assignment. Students will work toward successful attainment of all standards. Assignments which do not meet all standards will be graded returned with specific improvements to be made, as built in intervention. The assessment is designed to require use of higher level thinking skills and to provide authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate learning, as inherent to sound middle grades practice. Assessment of the course objectives may include but is not limited to methods such as: simulation, debate, research, micro-teaching, reflective teaching, lesson/unit development, analysis of interviews and observations, self and peer evaluation.
 

The course assessment must include evidence of student learning, reflection and self assessment in relation to the following for inclusion in a comprehensive portfolio:

• developing and implementing strategies for effective communication and collaboration with members of a teaching team (CF 9,10)
• development of an interdisciplinary or integrated unit of instruction, which addresses specific content areas' objectives and makes connections across content areas(CF 1)
• identification of how the unit addresses diversity, adolescent needs and how individual and special needs are addressed (CF 2,3,5)

• Pairs of students will be assigned to an interdisciplinary team in the field, and will remain with that for apprenticeship
• Students will become familiar with professional expectations/rules of the school
• Students will examine and engage in an early field experience to start school year and to plan for the upcoming unit with the team
• Students will work on campus developing team skills through simulation for application in the field
• Students will engage in a "mini-apprenticeship" where students work with a team in field to implement a unit
• Students will return to campus to process field experience/set goals for improvement
• Students return to schools at the end of the semester to plan for transition into apprenticeship

Presentation of a "mini-professional development session" of new ideas for the team they are working with and set goals to implement such strategies in the apprenticeship

Evidence of involvement in SSTs and other conferences

Compilation of a list of/plan for utilizing resources including technology with the team during apprenticeship

Development with lab partner/field teachers/ of a management plan/strategy/questions/reflections

Examination of middle grades student folders/works samples/report cards to become familiar with assessment used and develop an assessment plan to use in apprenticeship with lab partner and filed teachers

Development of a case study of a student, pulling together all of previous learnings

Completion of a needs assessment/goal setting/ rubric completed by pre-service student and field teacher for the upcoming apprenticeship

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beane, J. (1993). A middle school curriculum: From rhetoric to reality. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Carr, S. (1993). Integrated studies in the middle grades: Dancing through walls. New York: Teachers College Press.

Goodlad, J. (1966). School, the curriculum and the individual. Waltham, MA: Blaisdell Publishing.

Irvin, J. (1992). Transforming middle level education. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Lustig, K. (1996). Portfolio assessment: A handbook for middle level teachers. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Marzano, R. (1993). Assessing student outcomes. ASCD.

Merenbloom, E. (1991). The team process. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Vars, G. (1993). Interdisciplinary teaching: How and why. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Wang, M. (1989). Teaching students to assume an active role in their learning. In Maynard Reynolds (Ed), Knowledge base for the beginning teacher. New York: Pergamon Press

Watson, Charles.(1997). Middle school case studies. New York: Merill Publishing Co.