PROF 190: Theory and Professional Practice for Primary-Junior Candidates

Course Coordinator

Ellie Deir, B183
deire@queensu.ca
533-6000, extension 77673

Please do not hesitate to contact your instructor or the course coordinator, if you have any questions, concerns, or simply want to talk about your teaching experiences.

  

Calendar Description

PROF 190 focuses on connecting practicum experiences with on-campus learning and introduces the process of constructing and documenting professional knowledge. This course emphasizes understanding and improving learning and teaching and associated classroom practices.  

 

Purposes of Course

The aim of this course is to enable teacher candidates to reflect on and improve their educational practices. The course is guided by the Foundations of Practice for the Teaching Profession, which includes the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, published by the Ontario College of Teachers (2008). These standards address:

• Commitment to Students and Student Learning: Members are dedicated in their care and commitment to students. They treat students equitably and with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual student learning. Members facilitate the development of students as contributing members of Canadian society.
• Professional Knowledge: Members strive to be current in their professional knowledge and recognize its relationship to practice. They understand and reflect on student development, learning theory, pedagogy, curriculum, ethics, educational research and related policies and legislation to inform professional judgement in practice.
• Professional Practice: Members apply professional knowledge and experience to promote student learning. They use appropriate pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, resources and technology in planning for and responding to the needs of individual students and learning communities. Members refine their professional practice through ongoing inquiry, dialogue and reflection.
• Leadership in Learning Communities:Members promote and participate in the creation of collaborative, safe and supportive learning communities. They recognize their shared responsibilities and their leadership roles in order to facilitate student success. Members maintain and uphold the principles of the ethical standards in these learning communities.
• Ongoing Professional Learning: Members recognize that a commitment to ongoing professional learning is integral to effective practice and to student learning. Professional practice and self-directed learning are informed by experience, research, collaboration and knowledge.

 

PROF 190, Theory and Professional Practice, blends on-campus and Practicum-based learning activities. The on-campus classes consist of discussions, readings, presentations, and assignments that reflect a combination of Theory and school-based Practice. In your PROF 190 classes, you will work with peers and your instructors to learn from your Practicum. You will begin by increasing your understanding of typical issues and concerns of classroom teachers and addressing details of how you will work in your Practicum setting. You will develop a plan for your own professional learning during your B. Ed year, prepare a Statement of Beliefs and a professional portfolio, and use these to show your learning during a student-led Exit Conference with your peers at the end of April. During your Practicum, you will conduct a professional inquiry into a topic of interest to you, derived from an experience in your school placement. You will also participate, with your school group, in meetings held each week of the Practicum. The focus of each meeting will be concerns that typically arise, such as observing in classrooms, classroom management, assessment, instruction. Meeting procedures may vary slightly among each group. A list of weekly discussion topics for PROF 190 is on our website and in our course pack. A representative from each school group emails meeting notes to their instructors each week during the Practicum.

 

•   Detailed descriptions of requirements are in the Course Pack and on the course web site. Your instructors will provide further information. Brief descriptions are given below:

Assignments
The assignments will enhance your Professional Orientation, provide Self-directed Professional Learning, and encourage Professional Inquiry/Action Research.

Professional Reading Paper: 10 marks
See assignment sheet for details. Typically, the reading will have been completed before your arrival in September. Assessment: complete/incomplete. Submitted by due date: 15 marks; submitted after due date: 10 marks; not submitted: 0. Due Friday September 21, 2012.

Statement of Beliefs: 10 marks
Develop a statement of your teaching philosophy that will guide you throughout your year. It will evolve as the year unfolds, and will become part of your portfolio and job application materials. Assessment: 10 marks. Draft 1 is due Wednesday November 28, 2012. Final Draft is due Friday April 26, 2013, in your Professional Portfolio, at your Exit Conference.

Self-Directed Professional Learning Activities: 25 marks
Queen's B.Ed./Dip.Ed. program requires each candidate to create and enact a  Professional Learning Plan, develop a Professional Portfolio and conduct an Exit Conference at the end of April. These activities span the academic year, beginning shortly after your arrival in September. You will begin to articulate and refine your Statement of Beliefs beginning in the fall, with Draft 1 due on Wednesday November 28. Final Statement of Beliefs is due April 26 in your Professional Portfolio.Your Professional Learning Plan, Draft 1, is due by Wednesday November 28. Final draft of your Professional Learning Plan is due Friday April 26, in your Professional Portfolio. You will develop a Reflective Practice statement based around an event during your practicum. This Reflective Practice statement is due Monday January 21, for 5 marks. Your professional learning will include the development of your professional portfolio, which you will present as part of the Exit Conference. Exit Conference participation: 15 marks. Due April 26, 2013.

Professional Inquiry Assignment: 40 marks
Your Inquiry will take the form of Action Research related to a question or issue arising out of your Practicum. You will get further details from your course instructor. To complete your Action Research inquiry, aimed at improving your understanding of your own teaching practice, you will:

    * identify a concern in your Practicum;
    * submit a project plan using the Proposal and Consent Form;
    * conduct an inquiry drawing upon your experience, professional dialogue with peers and Associate Teachers, and analysis of professional literature;
    * report on your learning in a paper and in class, using the Reporting template on our website.
      Assessment: see Assessment Rubric. Due Date: Friday January 25, 2102, for projects completed during the Fall Practicum, or Friday April 5, 2013 for projects completed during the Winter Practicum.

Attendance and participation in Classes and Weekly Meetings: 10 marks. Teacher candidates are expected to attend all Weekly Meetings during the Practicum. As well, candidates are expected to complete a makeup activity for all missed classes.

Extenuating Circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are dealt with by the Associate Dean, B. Ed. It is the responsibility of teacher candidates to inform the instructor and the Associate Dean of extenuating circumstances.

Topics connected to Preparing for the Practicum:

• working with your Associate Teacher, negotiating your Practicum
• planning the details of your Practicum experience
• professional conduct

Required Reading Materials

All candidates are required to purchase the PROF 190 Course Pack.

You may purchase the Course Pack at Queen's University Campus Book Store: 613-533-2955; frontdesk@campusbookstore.com or find copies on Reserve in the Education Library.

Candidates requiring accommodation:

Queen's University is committed to facilitating the integration of students with disabilities into the University community. While all students must satisfy the essential requirements for courses and programs, the administration, faculty, staff and students at Queen's are expected to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation may require members of the University community to exercise creativity and flexibility in responding to the needs of students with disabilities while maintaining academic standards.

This policy acknowledges that fundamental to academic and personal success of students is their responsibility to demonstrate self-reliance and to identify needs requiring accommodation. For further information on academic accommodation, contact Health, Counselling and Disability Services, http://www.queensu.ca/hcds/ds. For information on accommodation for religious observance, contact the Queen's Human Rights Office at http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/.

Making education in all its forms accessible to all students is a mutual responsibility. Students requiring accommodation should make their needs known to the instructor as soon as possible so that they can work together to find strategies that will help remove barriers to student success. Students who experience challenges due to physical or mental health conditions may benefit from problem solving with instructors; however, they should also be proactive in seeking support from health care professionals including services available through the University. Contact the Counselling Service at Health, Counselling and Disablity Services http://www.queensu.ca/hcds/cs at 613-533-6000 X 78264 to make an appointment with an experienced professional counsellor for confidential crisis support or 1:1 counselling. Contact the University Chaplain, Brian Yealland at 613-533-2186 for non-denominational services and support of any kind.

After hours, contact Campus Security at 613-533-6080 to access support.

Teacher Candidates’ Roles/Responsibilities:

Professionalism

The education provided by teachers is the foundation for the advancement of knowledge, democratic principles, ethical behaviour, and personal fulfillment. Teachers’ professional responsibilities require that they are expert in the disciplines in which they teach and accomplished in the field of pedagogy. They are answerable for their competencies in the discharge of these dual responsibilities which, in turn, carry the imperative to ensure the academic achievement, emotional well-being, and personal safety of the pupils in their care.  The importance of these responsibilities requires that teachers maintain the highest levels of academic knowledge, teaching skills, and ethical conduct.

Teachers are expected to lead by example by promoting scholarship, maintaining the integrity of the profession, and contributing to the public good.  In furtherance of these expectations society has granted teachers the right to professional organization through the Teaching Profession Act and professional self-regulation through the Ontario College of Teachers Act.  

As associate members of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, all teacher candidates are bound by the ethical and professional standards of the Teaching Profession Act.  Teacher candidates and all practicing professional teachers in Ontario are bound by the Ontario College of Teachers Foundations of Professional Practice.

Professional Conduct

All teacher candidates in the Bachelor of Education and Diploma in Education programs are expected to develop and demonstrate the attributes and behaviours of a professional teacher. These attributes and behaviours are expressed in the following documents: 

• Foundations of Professional Practice Member’s Handbook (Ontario College of Teachers, 2010);
• Education Act (Revised Statutes of Ontario, as amended);
• Regulation 298, Operation of Schools-General (Revised Regulations of Ontario, as amended);
• Regulation Under the Teaching Profession Act, Sections 13 through 18.

Attendance, Course Work and Conduct

 (http://www.queensu.ca/calendars/education/Attendance__Course_Work_and_Conduct.html)

Students must be registered in a course(s) to be eligible to attend or otherwise participate in lectures, tutorials, assignments, tests, and examinations associated with the course(s). Students are expected to be and, at the discretion of the instructor, may be required to be present at all lectures, tutorials, tests, and examinations in their courses and to submit assignments at the prescribed times. Student conduct in lectures, laboratories, tutorials, tests and examinations must conform to the University’s Code of Conduct. 
 A student who claims illness or compassionate grounds as reason for missing lectures, tutorials, assignments, tests, or examinations is responsible for making alternative arrangements with the instructors concerned. In most cases, this should not require medical or other documentation.  If there is a significant effect on attendance or academic performance the student must provide documentation with any request for accommodation and appeal directly to the instructor in a timely manner.

An alternate learning activity is expected to be completed.

It is a matter of your professional responsibility to be prepared for class and be on time.

Academic Integrity

All breaches of academic integrity are considered serious offences within the University community and a student who commits such an offence runs the risk of a range of sanctions including a failure in the course or a requirement to withdraw from the University. Departure from academic integrity includes plagiarism which means presenting work done (in whole or in part) by someone else as if it were one's own. For complete details, please see http://www.queensu.ca/calendars/education/Academic_Dishonesty.html

Grading

The grades for all courses or components of the BEd and DipEd programs are:

 

Faculty of Education Calendar (Regulations and Policies, Grading System)

 

Supplementary Reading Material (not required):

Teacher candidates are expected to consult relevant literature to extend their professional learning, beginning in their B. Ed year, and continuing throughout their teaching careers. The following list provides a beginning to your professional reading. These materials are available in the Education Library or the Campus Bookstore.

Ayers, W. (2001). To teach: the journey of a teacher (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Bennett, Barrie, & Carol Rolheiser. (2001). Beyond Monet: the artful science of instructional integration. Toronto: Bookation.

Beynon, Carol. (2001). Learning-to-teach. Toronto: Prentice Hall.

Bloom, Lisa. (2009). Classroom management, creating positive outcomes for all students. Pearson.

Borich, Gary. (1999). Observation skills for effective teaching. 3rd edition. Prentice Hall.

Bullock, Ann Adams, & Parmalee Hawk. (2005). Developing a teaching portfolio. 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

Curwin, R., & Mendler, A. (1988). Discipline with dignity. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Drummond, M. J. (1994). Learning to see: Assessment through observation. Markham, ON: Pembroke.

ETFO. (2000). Classroom beginnings: teachers's guidebook. Toronto: ETFO.

Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Worsham, M. E. (2000). Classroom management for elementary teachers (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Faber, Adele, & Mazlish, Elaine. (1995). How to talk so kids can learn. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Fennimore, B. S. (1995). Student-centered classroom management. Toronto, ON: Delmar.

Fostaty-Young, Sue, & Wilson, Robert. (2002). Assessment and learning: the ICE approach. How to maximize student learning with qualitative assessment. Winnipeg, MB: Portage & Main Press.

Foster, Bill, Walker, M., & Song, K. H. (2007). A beginning teacher portfolio handbook. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, Merrill.

Gibbs, Jeanne. (2001). Tribes: A new way of learning and being together. Toronto, ON: Irwin.

Holborn, P. (Ed.) (1990). Becoming a teacher. Toronto, ON: Kagan & Woo.

Jones, Vernon & Jones, Louise. (2004).Comprehensive classroom management: creating communities of support and solving problems. (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Jordan, Anne. (2007). Introduction to inclusive education. Toronto: Wiley. This is all Canadian.

Kauchak, Donald.  3rd edition. (2008). Introduction to teaching, becoming a professional. Pearson.

Kohn, Alfie. (1996). Beyond discipline: From compliance to community.Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Langford, Helen. (2006). Education methods: a case study approach to professional development. Mississauga: Wiley.

Leithwood, Kenneth. (2004). Teaching for deep understanding: towards the Ontario curriculum that we need. Toronto: OISEUT.

Levin, James, & James Nolan. (2005). Principles of classroom management. Canadian edition. Toronto: Pearson.

McEwan, Barbara (2000). The art of classroom management: effective practices for building equitable learning communities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

McIntyre, D.John, & O'Hair, M. J. (1996). The reflective roles of the classroom teacher. Belmont CA: Wadsworth.

McNiff, J., Lomax, P., & Whitehead, J. (1996). You and your action research project. London: Routledge.

Naested, Irene, Potvin, B. & Waldron, B. (2004). Understanding the landscape of teaching. Toronto: Prentice-Hall. This is all-Canadian.

Noddings, Ne. (1992). The challenge to care in schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

Parkay, Forrest, & Beverly Hardcastle Stanford. (2012). Becoming a teacher. 4th Canadian edition. Toronto: Pearson.

Powell, Richard. (2001). Classroom management: perspectives on the social curriculum. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Pratt, D. (1994). Curriculum planning: A handbook for professionals. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Schwartz, S. & Pollishuke, M. (2002). Creating the dynamic classroom. Toronto, ON: Irwin Publishing.

Scott, Fentey. (2001). Teaching in a multicultural setting: a Canadian perspective. Toronto: Pearson.

Szatanski, B., & Taaffe, C. (1999). Classroom of choice: A teacher's guide to creating a dynamic classroom. Ottawa, ON: Cebra Publishing.

Taylor, Gerald, & Runte, R. (1995). Thinking about teaching. Toronto: Harcourt.

Watkins, Chris. (2005). Classrooms as learning communities. London: Routledge.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1998). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher. Mountainview, CA: Henry K. Wong Publications.

York-Barr, Jennifer, & Sommers, W, Ghere, G, Montie, J. (2001). Reflective practice to improve schools. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.