Here’s what students do and are responsible for

in Touro Course: EdSE 604 Prof. Mark Gura

This presentation is an overview of what students do and are responsible for in 604. Be sure to read the Course Information folders in our class BlackBoard area very carefully! Also, feel free to contact me for clarification of anything whenever you feel the need. You can reach me at: mark.gura@touro.edu

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

1a) Weekly reading assignments: Most weeks, there will be a reading

assignment. The readings will be based on material in our book, “Visual

Arts Units – All Levels.” This book models instructional units, many of

which are Social Studies content, explaining how teachers and students

can easily do them. Also, our weekly readings will be based on materials

to be found on the web. These will include the New York State learning

standards in Social Studies; The New York State Core Curriculum for

Social Studies; and a wide variety of articles on teaching, reviews and

samples of instructional units, instructional resources and how and why to

use them, and more. Links for all of these items will be included in the

assignment description.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

1b) After doing the reading and reflecting, you will write a response to

what you’ve read. The response should address the focus questions

provided in the assignment description. These assignments will be graded

on a 1 – 3 point basis, with 3 being the highest score possible: A 3 will

be given for a response that is highly satisfactory – a 2 will be given for

a response that is incomplete or that does not answer in sufficient depth

– and a 1 will be given for a response that is doesn’t sufficiently address

the focus questions or that is incomplete. You will post your responses in

a Discussion Forum on our class Blackboard area. You’ll receive feedback

from directly under you post and received a grade for each weekly

reading assignment in our Blackboard Grade Center… roughly a week

after turning it in.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

1c) Later in the week, please return to our Discussion Forum and write a

response to another student’s posted assignment. Please do this for a

student who hasn’t already received feedback from someone in the class.

I’ll appreciate it if your feedback offers some solid suggestions and

perhaps, some constructive criticism… something more than ” I like your

work.” At the end of the semester, your feedback responses to other

students’ weekly assignments and their Final Project will be evaluated.

Together, they will be worth 10% of your final grade.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2a) In week #10 you will turn in a Final Project. However, it is expected

that all students will work on this throughout the semester! Your Final

Project will be a written and illustrated (more about that part later)

instructional unit. Presenting well thought out and effectively written unit

plans (extended lesson plans) is a core competency that all teachers

need, and our Final Project is intended to expand and refine your skills in

this area.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2b) Each of our weekly reading assignments is designed to give you

important background and information that you will need to do your Final

Project. Think of these 2 parts of the coursework (the Weekly Reading

Assignments and the Final Projects) as interrelated, each enabling and

enhancing the other.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2b) The Final Project will be done in 5 components. You will turn in each

of the components according to our assignment due date schedule. Each

will receive a grade (10% of the total for the Final Project). I will give

you feedback and suggestions for each, roughly a week after you submit

it.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2b) It is expected that, based on your further learning and reflections

during the semester, you will improve and refine each of these

components before turning them all in again in week ten – At that time,

you will join the 5 final versions of these components together to create

your finished Final Project which will be worth the other 50% of the

Final Project score. You will post your final project online in a Discussion

Forum to share it with the class. I will get your Final Project feedback

and grade to you roughly a week after you turn it in.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2c) – Here is a list of the components of the Final Project:

1 – Unit Overview: Here, you will identify a theme for your project (Social

Studies content taught through an arts-based instructional approach)

2 – Flow Chart: With this, you will plot the flow of activity and learning

that takes place during the unit – what is presented to the students (and

when) - what do they do first, second, third, etc. – what do they need to

know before they participate in the various parts of the unit – what do

they learn first, second, etc. That sort of thing.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2c) – Here is a list of the components of the Final Project:

3 – Mock Student Work Sample: Your unit will be a Social Studies theme

taught through the creation of an Art Project. As part of your

implementation and explanation to the students, you will have to create a

sample of the same work of art that you assign them to work on! You will

create this original work of art using the Digital Collage method, something

for which explanations, instructions, and samples will be provided.

NOTE: Our Digital Collage method requires no talent or difficult learned

skills or techniques. It is calculated to free the untrained artist from the

demands of craft so that he can concentrate on and learn, design,

expression, and artistic communication of ideas and knowledge.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

2c) – Here is a list of the components of the Final Project:

4 – Defend Your Project: Here you will explain in detail how your unit plan

satisfies the requirements of the project. These, along with a check list

and grading rubric, will be detailed in our Course Information folders of

our BlackBoard area.

5 – Session by Session Lesson Plans: You will write up a plan for each of

the multiple sessions of your unit. A template and explanations will be

provided.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

3) GRADING – Your final grade will be calculated based on the following formula: A)The average of the grades you receive for the

weekly reading assignments will be worth 45% of your Final Grade.

B)The Final Project will be worth 45% of your Final Grade.

C)The quality of the feedback you give classmates during the course will be worth up to 10% of your Final Grade.

Here’s what students do and are responsible for in Touro Course: EdSE 604

Again, this presentation is simply an overview of what students do and are responsible for in 604. Be sure to read the Course Information folders in our class BlackBoard area thoroughly and carefully! Also, feel free to contact me for clarification of anything whenever you feel the need. You can reach me at: mark.gura@touro.edu