Teaching Journal Installment 3

The Teaching Journal in EPS511 is intended to provide you with an opportunity to pause, reflect, and integrate your developing knowledge of the research on student learning and the implications for teaching practices.

Teaching Journal

Topics

Modules Reviewed

Installment 3

Synthesize concepts and principles: Teacher decision-making; formative and summative assessments; standardized assessment; teacher-directed learning; student-directed learning; proactive classroom management; developmental considerations 

Modules 7-10

Instructions for Teaching Journal 

Review readings and materials addressed in the three modules pertaining to the installment. Be sure to review developmental trends highlighted in each chapter.

Review discussion postings in the same modules

Select key big ideas and principles addressed in the module materials and discussions

Use the prompts provided for each Teaching Journal installment to aid your selection concepts and to focus and organize your reflections.

Explain the significance of the big idea and principles you selected and their implication for teaching practice

In this explanation, make connections among the big ideas, principles, and teaching practices across the three modules addressed

Make personal connections to draw original implications for teaching practice

Complete a double spaced, 5 page (approximately) Teaching Journal Installment by the due date provided in the syllabus and course schedule.

TJ-Installment 3

Teachers make hundreds of small and not so small decisions every day in a complex multi-layered learning environment. How can they best organize and focus their attention to ensure students are learning and they are continually improving? Review the big ideas and principles in Chapters 8, 9, and 10 and associated module materials. Use the research reported and your own background experience to address the following prompts:

How do you distinguish teacher-directed and learner-directed activities in the classroom? Under what circumstances are each most effective?

What are the varieties of assessment that teachers can use to judge student learning? What do you think will be most compelling and most useful to inform your decision-making as a teacher?

Consider the development trends in the module chapters for this teaching journal installment. In what ways do you want to be sure to engage students in making decisions in the classroom? What will be most beneficial to their learning in the grade range you expect to teach?

What are some of challenging decisions you will make as a beginning teacher? What tools or resources will help you decide what to do?

Grading Rubric for Teaching Journal Installments

Distinguished

Proficient

Basic

Needs 

Does not meet 

Criteria

12 points

9.6 points

8.4 points

improvement

7.2 points

expectations

0

Content – analysis of key principles and concepts

(80 %)

Follows directions; fully addresses all prompts; provides accurate and substantive reflections on the big ideas covered in modules for current journal installment; draws connections among big ideas in module materials; makes personal connections to derive original implications for teaching.

Follows directions; addresses prompts accurately and substantively to focus on big ideas covered in the modules for current journal installment; draws connections among big ideas in module materials to derive implications for teaching

Follows assignment directions; addresses most prompts accurately and substantively; may include partial responses; may omit some critical concepts or implications for teaching in reflections

Does not follow the assignment directions; does not address all prompts; misses critical concepts and implications for teaching covered in modules related to current journal installment

Fails to complete assignment; vague reflections providing no clear evidence of having read module materials related to current journal installment

Criteria

Distinguished

3 points

Proficient

2.4 points

Basic

2.1 points

Needs improvement

1.8 points

Does not meet expectations

0

Clarity organization, grammar, spelling, textual conventions

(20%)

Writing is well organized, clear, and concise; no errors in use of conventions; Include APA format in citing references in text, using quotes, and in reference list. 

Writing is mostly organized and clear, minor errors with conventions of writing; inconsistent use of APA style.

Writing is somewhat organized; flow and clarity could be improved, some grammatical errors; inconsistent use of APA style.

Writing is not organized, clear, concise, or easy to read; no attempt to reference using APA style.

Writing is not organized, clear, concise, or easy to read.