EDU 650 Enthusiastic Learning / snaptutorial.com

1. EDU 650 All Journals and Assignments For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com EDU 650 Week 1 Journal No Excuses University Culture of Universal Achievement EDU 650 Week 1 Assignment Education Philosophy EDU 650 Week 2 Assignment Classroom Management Plan EDU 650 Week 3 Journal No Excuses University Standards Alignment EDU 650 Week 3 Assignment Different School Models EDU 650 Week 4 Assignment Effective Lesson Planning and Design EDU 650 Week 5 Assignment Assessment Matters EDU 650 Week 6 Journal No Excuses University Interventions EDU 650 Week 6 Final The Big Interview ******************************************

2. EDU 650 Week 1 Assignment Education Philosophy For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Your philosophy of education will influence all of your activities in the classroom from how you teach, what you teach, how you manage your classroom, how you connect and relate to students, parents and colleagues, to how you engage in your own professional learning. Being able to articulate your beliefs and educational philosophy is a critical aspect of being an effective teacher and learner. In a two- to three-page paper, in addition to a title and reference page, create your philosophy of education. Please cite and reference at least one scholarly source, in addition to the textbook, in this assignment. Make sure your assignment is in APA format. Below are some reflection questions to help you get started. Use these questions to jump-start your thinking and to craft your educational philosophy. 1. What should students expect of you as a teacher? 2. What should parents expect of you as a teacher? 3. What do you expect of yourself as a teacher? 4. What do you believe is the most important responsibility of being a teacher? 5. What values in life are most important to you as a person? As a teacher? As a parent? And as a learner? 6. What method of teaching do you rely on most often?

3. 7. How do you think students learn best? 8. What do you want students to learn? 9. What should your students know or be able to do as a result of being in your class? 10. How can your teaching facilitate student learning? 11. How do you as a teacher create an engaging or enriching learning environment? 12. How do you engage with colleagues? 13. What type of continual learning do you engage in? Think of this assignment as the one chance you have to land an interview at the school where you have always dreamed of working. In essence, your philosophy of education is the why, what, and how of your teaching and thinking, so be clear about your philosophy and provide specifics where applicable to make your points clear and connected to your current and future practice. Because you are being asked to choose only the most salient topics to write about, your paper should not exceed three pages. Your paper should be written in the first person and should be thoroughly edited. This paper should create a vivid portrait of you as a teacher. ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 1 Journal No Excuses University Culture of Universal Achievement For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com

4. No Excuses University—Culture of Universal Achievement. Due by Day 7. ―Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.‖ – Jim Collins Upon reading chapters 1-5 of No Excuses University (Lopez, 2013), reflect on the foundational concepts of No Excuses University addressing each of the listed points. Compose your journal using first-person language. 1. Consider the structure of each chapter. Describe the key elements you observed that make each chapter easy to follow or more readable. 2. Select one ―Key Concept‖ and one ―Theory to Practice‖ statement from any of the first five chapters to reflect upon. Explain why it is personally and/or professionally relevant to you. 3. Chapter five discusses the concept of having ―your moment‖. What was your moment? When did you know that you wanted to be involved in the lives of students or youth? 4. What are the most common reasons why educators become jaded? What actions might ensure that we don’t lose sight of the commitments that we once made as new educators entering the profession? ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 2 Assignment Classroom Management Plan For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com

5. Choose a class you teach or one you hope to teach in the future and describe your classroom management plan. Because a classroom management plan refers to the things that a teacher does to organize students’ time, space, and materials so that instruction and student learning can effectively take place, your plan should discuss these factors and demonstrate your ability to create a climate conducive to learning. Your plan should also establish high expectations for student behavior and learning. At a minimum, your plan should do the following: 1. Explain the goal of the plan, including the grade level(s) it addresses. 2. Generate a set of rules and expectations. 3. Examine and explain the role students have in the classroom. 4. Examine and explain the role you play in the classroom. 5. Create an implementation plan (how this plan will be implemented in the classroom). 6. Construct a visual representation of the physical arrangement of the classroom. Your plan should be between three and five pages, in addition to a title and reference page, and be divided into sections clearly delineating what is being addressed. The items outlined above should serve as a starting point for your sections. Other sections of your choosing may be added. Given that we are teaching and learning in an increasingly connected digital society, you will also need to review the ISTE Standards for Teachers and identify at least two aspects of the standards you will address in creating an effective learning environment. Please use APA format to cite and reference at least three scholarly sources, including the course textbook, in this assignment. Preparation for Week Three Assignment: Remember, your Week Three assignment requires you to visit and/or interview two teachers, principals, or teaching support staff members.

6. By now you should have either conducted your observations and interviews or have plans to do so. ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 3 Assignment Different School Models For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com Part One: There is a range of school models that exist within our school communities, all of which have the goal of helping students achieve their potential. You will need to interview two teachers, principals, or teaching support staff members from two different schools to complete this assignment. Although it is not necessary, you should try to visit each site. Each school must be a different school model as discussed in the readings. Compare and contrast the two schools based on what you learn from your visits and/or interviews. The goal is to analyze the two different school models, compare the type of teaching and learning that occurs within each, understand what each school has identified as a priority, and understand what each school or classroom has determined is the top issue(s). In addition to identifying key statistics, such as the type of school, demographics, and student-to- teacher ratio, use the following questions as a guide for your observation/interview: 1. What are the most important issues you currently face in ensuring all students achieve their potential?

7. 2. How are you addressing these issues? 3. What role does technology play in classrooms to support teaching and learning? 4. If you had to choose one subject area that your students need the most support in mastering, what would it be? 5. What do you see as the most important skills to be taught? 6. How would you identify 21st-century skills? 7. How would you describe the teaching in your classroom? 1. What role do you see students having in the teaching and learning process? Teachers? 2. How has teaching changed over the years? 3. What are the key issues you currently face? Part Two: Place the information you glean from your interviews in a chart similar to the one below. This project is designed to give you insights into the real-life issues, topics, and complexities that practitioners address daily while also providing a forum for you to reflect on your beliefs and practices. Once the chart is complete, you should include a two- to three-page summary, identifying the implications of what you gleaned from your research on your own practice. Questions to consider in your summary are: 1. What did you learn from the visits? 2. What are the implications for your own teaching and learning? Your philosophy of education? 3. What areas of new knowledge do you plan to explore? 4. How was your thinking different or similar? 5. How would you address some of the issues in your classroom? 6. How would you prioritize the work in these classrooms if you were the teacher? 7. What role could technology play in assisting with the work? 8. Reflect on the ISTE Standards for Teachers you reviewed last week and share any insights related to your research. Differences/Similarities identified between schools. Points to consider. School A

8. School B Type of School Total Population/ Demographics Student to Teacher Ratio Key Issues Facing Role of Technology 21st Century Skills ....... Please support your claims and assertions with the literature and information from the interview. For your references, you should use the course textbook, the videos, and resources for this week, as well as at least two peer-reviewed articles from the Ashford University Library. This assignment should be three to five pages in length plus a title page and reference page. Be sure to also save a copy of your assignment for your Final Project and for future professional development ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 3 Journal No Excuses University Standards Alignment For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com ―The rubric is the lens from which the student focuses, to find understanding. The rubric is the lens from which

9. the teacher focuses, to measure that understanding! – Jackie W. Kyger In Chapter 7, Lopez emphasizes the importance that standards have on a school’s accountability to its students and their parents. He also acknowledges that many disagree with the need for standards and/or they have different expectations for standards. Consider what the author shares regarding the importance of aligning standards as well as the common mistakes made when aligning. If you do not have direct classroom experience, you may respond to these questions based on your own understanding of what occurs in your own children’s school, or a professional or volunteer position you’ve held outside of a school setting. Using first-person language, address the following points in your journal; 1. How has your own viewpoint regarding educational standards changed or been validated by what you read? What will you differently and/or add to your current/anticipated professional role to reflect this? 2. What can be done to change the mindset of the naysayers the author addresses in his disclaimer on p. 82? 3. Can you name the standard or sub-standard that is your grade level or department’s greatest area of need? If so, how do you know? 4. What encourages you to make changes? Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your journal entry. ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 4 Assignment Effective Lesson Planning and Design

10. For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com EDU 650 Week 4 Assignment Effective Lesson Planning and Design Chapter 9 of the textbook focuses on the importance of designing effective lessons. For this assignment, you will create a presentation using PowerPoint, Prezi, or another presentation tool of your choice to analyze effective practices in designing effective instruction for students. Scenario: You have been asked by a colleague or administrator to support other educators in designing effective instruction. It has been observed that most of the educators have been planning instruction using a traditional model. The objectives of the presentation are to explain the backwards design model of designing instruction, to provide an overview and rationale of the process, to compare and contrast the two models, and finally to provide an example that other educators could use as a model for their own planning. The presentation will consist of three parts: Part One: Effective Lesson Design and Backwards Design In this a. b. c. d. e. f. section of the presentation, you will need to discuss the following topics: What are the most important elements of effective lesson design? Why are good learning objectives critical to planning effective instruction? Provide an example of a good learning objective aligned with the Common Core State Standards. What makes this a ―good‖ learning objective? What are some common pitfalls in planning effective lessons? How can we avoid these pitfalls? What does backwards design mean?

11. How does the Common Core State Standards Initiative play a role in designing effective instruction? Part Two: Compare and Contrast Backwards Design and the Traditional Model In your presentation, include a visual representation using a chart, diagram, concept map, infographic, or any other visual that compares and contrasts the backwards design model with the traditional model of lesson planning. Part Three: Backwards Design Activity In this section of your presentation, you should demonstrate the process of planning a brief lesson (not an entire unit) for any grade level through a backwards design approach. Your example should be a specific example that starts with planning for stage one (identifying desired results), then stage two (assessment evidence), and lastly, stage three (the learning activities). Your activity must be aligned to a Common Core State Standard. Optional: If you are interested in honing your professionalism and speaking skills, consider delivering your presentation to an audience and videotaping it (you can include a YouTube link in the slides) or creating a screencast of the presentation using Screencast-o-Matic or Jing and recording yourself presenting the information. If you choose to record yourself or do a screencast, be sure to have relevant information on the screen (such as your presentation slides) while you are speaking and include the link in your presentation for your instructor. This could be a great addition to your professional portfolio and to any professional networks in which you are involved (i.e., LinkedIn, Twitter, or any professional organizations). Such a presentation can provide you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and professionalism to others and to gain meaningful feedback. In your presentation, you should cite your sources both in your slides and in your references using APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. You must cite the course textbook as well as at least one other peer- reviewed source. The presentation should be 12 to 20 slides in length, not including title and reference slides. Be sure to also save a

12. copy of your assignment for your Final Project and for future professional development. ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 5 Assignment Assessment Matters For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com As a teacher, you need to have solid knowledge of formative and summative assessment and how each can help you ensure students are mastering key contents and skill. You also need to be able to take the information gleaned from assessments and make decisions that support the learning of all your students. This week, you will build on your previous assignment from last week and integrate the knowledge from your research and the readings. Watch the following videos: • Rick Wormeli: Formative and Summative Assessment • TEDxSoCal – Dr. Brian Stecher – Cultivating Thriving Schools Both videos examine the role of accountability and how they can and do impact our work in schools. Brian Stecher specifically discusses three indicators that drive everything that happens in schools, while Rick Wormeli outlines how different types of knowledge are assessed. In this assignment, please address the following topics and questions: 1. Analyze the roles of assessment and evaluation in school improvement and in measuring educational quality.

13. 2. Examine and explain your perspectives on the roles and trends related to assessment in education. 3. Evaluate the value of both types of assessment and, specifically, the role you see assessment playing in your classroom. 4. Evaluate the roles of both formative and summative assessment in the classroom. How does each form of assessment support learning? In what ways can the teacher use the data from assessments to influence learning in the classroom? e. Review your work from your Week Four Assignment and provide specific details of what you see as the next step in developing an assessment for the Common Core State Standard you identified in the activity you presented. Please support your claims and assertions with the literature, using the course textbook, the videos, and resources for this week, as well as at least one other peer-reviewed article from the Ashford University Library. You must have three to five references total and use in-text citations throughout your paper. Please format your assignment, citations, and references in APA style. This assignment should be four to five pages in length, in addition to title and reference pages. Be sure to also save a copy of your assignment for your Final Project and for future professional development. ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 6 Final The Big Interview For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com

14. The Big Interview. Due by Day 7. The Final Project requires you to integrate the work you undertook throughout the course into a multimedia presentation. You can use any of the following multimedia tools; Present.me, Jing, Screenr, or VoiceThread Scenario: The school you researched during this course is being taken over the by the state for poor performance. Based on your educational philosophy, your classroom management plan, lesson plan, and the learning activities and assessment you developed in this course, the new principal has asked you to interview for the lead teacher position. This position would allow you to teach the grade of your choosing and give you the authority to enact significant changes across the school. You are one of only 20 candidates asked to apply for this prestigious position. You have been asked to submit a multimedia interview presentation instead of interviewing in person. The principal has requested that you include the following in your presentation: 1. Create a PowerPoint presentation of eight to ten slides that includes: o A slide that includes a brief self-introduction and summary of the position for which you are applying o A slide on your Philosophy of Education (from Week 1) o A slide on a Classroom management plan (from Week 2) o A slide on Different school models (from Week 3) o A slide on Effective lesson planning and design to include the Student’s Role in the learning process (from Week 4) o A slide on Assessment Matters (from Week 5) o A slide on Professional Learning Communities (PLC) (from Newman (2012) Chapter 14 and in Week Six-Discussion One) o A slide that lists the references in APA style (minimum of three) used in your presentation. Consider using the references from the previous weeks’ assignments. 2. Create a multimedia interview of no more than eight to ten minutes. You can use any of the following

15. multimedia tools; Present.me, Jing, Screenr, or VoiceThread . Present your PowerPoint from Step 1 as if you were interviewing for the position remotely. As you present your slides in the multimedia interview, use the audio or video feature to record yourself discussing the following: o Introduce yourself and the position for which you are applying o Describe your philosophy of education o  Share a personal idea of a successful classroom management plan  Explain and support your chosen school model that you recommend that the school should implement  Identify lesson planning and design, and the role that students play in the learning process  Discuss how assessment matters in relation to the role for which you are interviewing  Share your thoughts on the meaning of building a Professional Learning Community (PLC), and what you would expect to see if you entered a PLC-focused classroom What to submit to Waypoint: In a Microsoft Word document, paste the link to your multimedia presentation. Before you submit your link as your Final Project, send it to yourself in an email, and access the link that you sent yourself to ensure that it opens. If your professor cannot click on the link to view your presentation then it cannot be properly graded. Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment. ****************************************** EDU 650 Week 6 Journal No Excuses University Interventions

16. For more classes visit www.snaptutorial.com ―Those who are in a position of strength have a responsibility to protect the weak.‖ – Thomas Cushman Compose your journal using first-person language. Follow APA formatting including in-text citations and a reference page covering the discussion points below. In Chapter 10 of our text by Lopez, the term intervention is defined as ―taking action so as to improve a situation‖ (2013, p.123). Lopez also discusses the theory of ―fixing‖ versus the provision of ―extra‖ support and proposes that investing and using one’s time ―intentionally‖ is a better investment than money. a. Describe how your understanding and application of the term ―intervention‖ has changed after considering Lopez’s remarks in Chapter 10. b. Make a list of interventions currently taking place both inside and outside of today’s classroom. c. Make a list of interventions that you would like to see take place inside and outside of today’s classroom. d. Which interventions are the result of money, time, or volunteers? e. After you had addressed questions 1 through 4, what gaps do you see in interventions? What advice would you give a school in creating an exceptional intervention model that could fill those gaps? If you do not have direct classroom experience, you may respond to these questions based on your own understanding of what occurs in your own children’s school, or a professional or volunteer position you’ve held outside of a school setting.

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