Calendar

WEEK # TOPICS ASSIGNMENTS
1

Introduction

Course overview and rationale

Observations

Moodle site (assignments, blogs, portfolios)

Assignments and Grading

 

Section I: Schools and Classrooms

  • Images of schools
  • Classroom environments
  • School issues
  • Education reform
2

What are schools like?

What do we think schools are like?

 
3

Education reform: Waiting for Superman wrap up

Brainstorm: What are the major problems in education? See the class'

list of problems

Definitions of education reform

Waiting for Superman response

 

Section II: Math and Science Education

  • Collaboration and competition
  • Constructivist theory of learning
  • Long-term retention
  • Transfer
4

Schooling America presentation

Straw Towers Activity

Writing Activity

Current Events

Due before the next class: Straw Towers, Classroom Environments, and Personal Experiences
5

Math education

Theory and practice teaching and learning math handout Tinkering

Toward Utopia presentation

Current events

Due: First blog entry—first observations
6

Physics-pulleys

Schooling America

Current Events

Due: Straw Towers final version
7

Math Education II

Math games

Design a math game

Tinkering Toward Utopia

Current Events

 

Section III: Technology in the Classroom

  • Constructivist/Constructionist technologies
  • The state of technologies for learning
8

Schooling America

Current Events

Technology centered environments activity

Due: Lego Pulley Activity
9

Introduction to modes of teaching

Technology posters presentations

Town Hall Debate Preparation

Town Hall Debate

Due: Blog focus (student observations)

Due: Technology in Education poster

Due: Technology Centered Environments

Paper draft

10

Math Games presentations

Schooling America

Current Events

Due: Test run of math game

Section IV: Modes of Teaching

  • Practice teaching
  • Compare and contrast modes of teaching a topic: lecture, demo, hands-on
11

Modes of teaching:

Probability demo

Probability lecture I

Probability hands-on

Probability lecture II

Due: Math game in Moodle
12

Modes of teaching:

Punnett square demo
Punnett square lecture

Due: Technology Centered Environments

Paper final version

13

Tinkering Toward Utopia/Schooling America presentation
Current events

Modes of teaching:

Punnett square hands-on

Projectile motion hands-on

 
14

Modes of teaching:

Projectile motion lecture

Projectile motion demo

Differentiation hands-on

Differentiation demo

 
15

Modes of teaching:

Differentiation lecture

Wrap up

Due: Portfolio and Final Paper