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Visions and Practices in Middle School Education

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Class Information:
Meeting Days: Wednesdays  
Dates: September 3rd - December 10th 
Time: 4:30-6:20pm 
Room: Blodgett Hall / Room 209 
Instructor: Dr. Whittney Smith 
Website: www.whittneysmith.com 
Phone: (516) 237-2650; email: wsmith@mineola.k12.ny.us;  wsmithatc@gmail.com 
Office Hours: By appointment; 516-237-2650


Objective:
This course provides candidates with a deeper understanding of the nature and instructional needs of the pre-adolescent and adolescent child, the regulations that drive Middle Level education and best practices for teaching and learning. Topics include home/school communication, middle school structures including scheduling, teaming, technology integration, data and classroom management.
Syllabus:
visions_and_practices_in_middle_school_education_syllabus.docx
File Size: 48 kb
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Course Outline: Please note that the agenda for each class session and the specific assignments are subject to change

Date / Topic:

September 3: Introduction






September 17: Technology









October 8: Mindset & Grit 







October 22: Project / Problem Based Learning & Differentiated Instruction 





November 19: "Classroom Management" 



December 10: Conclusion 

In-Class Focus:

  1. Course Introduction
  2. Middle School Structures (teaming; looping; scheduling; advisory; instructional strategies; etc.)
  3. What makes middle schools different?

  1. Social Media
  2. Web 2.0, The 4 Cs & SAMR
  3. 1:1 Initiatives; Flipped Classroom & BYOD
  4. Nouns and Verbs
technology.doc
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Discussion: This We Believe... and how it relates to the work of Carol Dweck and Lisa Blackwell as well as the work of Angela Lee Duckworth 




  1. Review Learning How to Kiss a Frog
  2. What is PBL?
  3. The who, what, when, where, why and how of Differentiation?


"Relevant vs. Real" 
"Carrots and Sticks"
"Punished by Rewards"

Presentations 

Online Focus:

Read Learning How to Kiss a Frog (see file below).  Post your comments on the class blog.  You should be finished with this book by class on October 22 and provide me a "creative" one page summary of key points.  

Choose one or more weekly Twitter Chat to follow and participate in.  Comment about the chat and on your own learning as a result. on the class blog.

Begin Reading This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents  (Due Nov.19)




Begin to think about a current middle school structure / strategy / model to research and a group of 4 to work with. (The assignment is detailed below).  

Finish Learning How to Kiss a Frog and remember to blog...

  1. Work on your culminating projects with your group.
  2. Continue to follow Twitter & Blog
  3. Finish Reading This we Believe.. and blog

Presentations due next week!  



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Good Luck!
Have a nice Winter Break!


Culminating Project Description:
You will work in groups of four to research a current middle school structure/strategy/model that you would like to learn more about and determine how you would implement it in your class/school.   You will then present your group’s research as well as the implementation plan (what it will look like in you class/school)  You can choose from the following: homework, scheduling, teaming, student-led conferences, flipped classroom, PBL, Engagement (Student-centered instruction), etc.  Please review your topic with me prior to beginning this project. Your final multimedia presentation should include a works cited.

Grading:
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Learning How to Kiss a Frog (Blog Posts and Summary of Key Points) - 20%

This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents (Blog Posts) - 15%

Weekly Twitter Chat Posts -15%

Culminating Project - 40%

Class Performance & Preparedness - 10%

Required Reading: 
Learning How to Kiss a Frog: Advice for those who work with pre- and early adolescents by James P. Garvin 
This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents by Association for Middle Level Education 
learning_how_to_kiss_a_frog.pdf
File Size: 1280 kb
File Type: pdf
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learning_how_to_kiss_a_frog_chapter_3.pdf
File Size: 230 kb
File Type: pdf
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Additional Resources: 
  1. Association for Middle Level Education 
  2. Edutopia 
  3. Study Guide for This We Believe: Keys to Educating Young Adolescents
  4. The Status of Programs and Practices in America’s Middle Schools: Results From Two National Studies
  5. Good to Great and the Social Sectors
  6. A few of my favorite books 
Presentations:
visions_and_practices_intro_and_structures.pptx
File Size: 1740 kb
File Type: pptx
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mindset__grit.pptx
File Size: 3727 kb
File Type: pptx
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differentiated_instruction.ppt
File Size: 992 kb
File Type: ppt
Download File

differentiated_instruction.pptx
File Size: 10195 kb
File Type: pptx
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classroom_community.pptx
File Size: 1786 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

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