During September Experience: Goetz, Alexander &;Ash: Understanding and enhancing students' cognitive processes. Also, E. Duckworth: 24, 42, and I Love You: Keeping it Complex Pilot interviews for Student Learning Project. Write-up due during Week 1 section meeting.
9/29 Introduction to course: What is real learning?
10/5 Theories of learning, lenses for understanding learners. B. F. Skinner (1958): The science of learning and the art of teaching; J. Bruner (1977): The process of education, Preface & chapters 1 - 2. See reading notes. Here is the Cobb excerpt.
10/7 Structure and cognition. J. Bruner, The process of education, chapter 3; M. Ashcraft (1989) excerpt from Human memory and cognition. Optional reading on cognition, learning, and the brain: R.Sylvester (1995): How the brain learns, remembers and forgets.
10/12 J. Minstrell: The role of the teacher in making sense of classroom experiences and effecting better learning; H. Gardner (1991): The unschooled mind, selections. See reading notes.Film: Schneps & Sadler (1987): A Private Universe.
10/14 Structure, representations, and
teaching.
10/19 Structure and the disciplines. J. Schwab: Education and the structure of the disciplines; S. Freedman: "A kind of grail," excerpt from Small Victories. Analyze Jessica's lesson: how is she representing the structure of her discipline? For section: read Wolf: The art of questioning (see 11/16) See reading notes.
10/21 Jigsaw: Structure, representations, teaching, and assessment. Select topical readings from the attached list.
10/25 through 11/5: You are in the schools. Collect data for Student Learning Project.
11/9 Classroom discourse, culture, and cognition I. Excerpts from Bialystok & Hakuta: In other words; excerpts from C. Cazden: Classroom discourse; Film: Direct instruction in English. See reading notes.
11/11 Veteran's Day -- no class meeting. Start reading Rose: Lives on the Boundary Chs 1-6
11/16 Discourse, questioning, and discussion. D. P. Wolf: The art of questioning; M. Rose: Lives on the boundary, Chs 1-6. A. Lockwood, Controversial issues: The teacher's crucial role; T. Kelly: Leading class discussions of controversial issues; S. Wineburg: Lost in words.
11/18 Discourse, culture & cognition II. A. Northedge (2004) Organizing excursions into specialist discourse communities; Collins, Brown, & Holum:Cognitive apprenticeship: Making thinking visible. Come with possible examples of cognitive apprenticeship in your field (e.g., from jigsaw readings, observation, experience...).
11/25 Student Learning Projects Due. Informal sharing of SLPs
11/27 Happy Thanksgiving!
11/30 Using classroom discourses to teach
content. C. D. Lee: A culturally-based cognitive apprenticeship: Teaching
African American high school students skills in literary interpretation;
Rose:
12/2 Discourse, critique, &
motivation. H. Kohl: I won't learn from you; J. G. Nicholls: Students
as educational theorists. For additional readings on
motivation, see the Pintrich & Schunk chapters.
12/7 Motivation through evaluation and feedback. N. Sommers: Responding to students' writing; D. Wolf: Assessment as an episode of learning
12/9 Review of the course. Last day to hand in written work.
In the Jigsaw you will be working on the concept ofrepresentation of disciplines. Understanding this concept and how it relates to your subject-matter area is essential for completing the Student Learning Project (SLP). Therefore it is very important to attend during Jigsaw Week. Read the readings that match your current methods class:
World Languages: A. N. Smith: Designing a standards-based thematic unit using the learning scenario as an organizing framework , J. Lalande: Teaching literature and culture in the foreign language class.
Math: Schoenfeld: When good teaching leads to bad results; M. Lampert, When the problem is not the question and the solution is not the answer.
Sciences: di Sessa & Minstrell: Cultivating conceptual change with benchmark lessons; J. Berger: A teacher and his creatures.
English: P. Grossman: excerpts from What are we talking
about anyway?; R. Mitchell: Write
where it belongs; D. P. Wolf: excerpts from
Social Studies: S. Wineburg &
Books: University Bookstore
Books required for all: