Endicott CollegeBeverly, Massachusetts

School and Department NameCourse Syllabus

Course No: EDPX 540Course Title: Create a Common Core-based, Cross-Curricular, Differentiated Unit that

will provide Rigor and Career Ready SkillsCredits: 3Class Type: Lecture and LabSemester and Year: Fall 2015Dates of Course: Oct 10-Dec 14

Faculty: Kathy O’DonoghueOffice Location: Chelmsford Telephone: (617) 797-5633E-mail: Kathiware@yahoo.com Office Hours: TBA

Catalog Description

This course will support you with the resources and best practices to plan and implement Common Core-based units and lessons to build K-12 subject courses that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects and Mathematics. This course begins by gaining an overview of what the set of Common Core State Standards is, facts vs. myths, how to access the standards utilizing technology, and create lessons that will ensure your curriculum is compliant with the Common Core State Standards. We will look at the Common Core State Standards in detail and identify key takeaways from them that will explore how to develop content that meets the Common Core State Standards and how to integrate the standards through the development of learning assignments based on specific texts and activities, while using Common Core recommended text and strategies. Students will be shown how to assess the literature they use for Lexile Levels and ability to provide rigor to your curriculum. Instruction will be provided on how to take a look at the different assessment strategies often used for Common Core and create differentiated activities and practical rubrics to ensure student success for all levels at a college or career ready level. Ultimately, you will create a practical, rigorous, Common Core- aligned, differentiated, technology based, cross-curricular unit that will provide a format for all other units and provide you with a unit that will make it easy to cooperate with teachers from other disciplines.

Learning Outcomes:

At the completion of this course students will be able to:Become familiar with using text exemplars to select appropriate texts for Common Core-compliant courses.

Become familiar with the three measures of text complexity: quantitative, qualitative and the reader and task consideration.Become familiar with College readiness vs. career readiness readings. Become familiar with using Internet databases for quantitative measures like the Lexile Levels.Become familiar with the Flesch-Kincaid option in Microsoft Word. Become familiar with creating text dependent questions as a strategy in your discipline.Become familiar with creating activities and question-and-answer assignments based on sample performance tasks.Become familiar with integrating the Common Core literacy initiative into technical subjects by examining the Common Core State Standards for reading and writing in technical subjects.Become familiar with accessing the Common Core on the web and using other applications.

Become familiar with useful applications for your discipline and students learning needs.

Become familiar with effective co-teaching methods and the Common Core.

Become familiar with differentiation of projects to addressing the needs of all students.

Become familiar with SCANS and implementing career readiness skills into your curriculum.

Become familiar with creating rubrics and assessing student performance and college and career readiness skills.

Teaching/Learning Strategies:

This information will be presented in lecture format, videos, Microsoft PowerPoints, individual and group activities.

Required Readings:

Ten Differentiation Strategies for Building Common Core LiteracyAuthor: Jill SpencerItem # 1408Publisher: AMLEPage Count: 240ISBN: 978-1-56090-253-9Published On: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM

http://www.nea.org/commoncore

http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/

http://achievethecore.org/content/upload/CommonCore101.pdf

http://neatoday.org/2013/10/16/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-common-core/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwWoQju88tw&index=11&list=PLTuqmiQ9ssqvx_Yjra4nBfqQPwc4auUBu

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf

http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes

http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PowerPoint7.pdf

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/5-mobile-apps-to-help-teachers-and-students-adapt-to-the-common-core-standards/

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757834

http://www.academicinnovations.com/report.html

http://www.kinestheticlearningstrategies.com/

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/jvt002/Docs/ASEE-2008b.pdf

Evaluation MethodsAs this is only a week long class, attendance is highly recommended and will be weighted by 10% of your grade. Students will be evaluated on their class participation in both lecture and partner/group activities. In addition, students will be evaluated on the final project being worth 50% as it will be an accumulation of your readings, research, lectures, activities, and presentation of your created new unit addressing the new Common Core standards and applicable rubric to assess your students.

List evaluation methods and give weight for each method.

Final Project 50%This course will require you to research, create, and discuss a unit that you have created identifying at least two Common Core standards in your discipline with a corresponding rubric. You and your partner will be asked to present your unit.

Participation 25%Completion of assignments and engagement in the activities of the class—demonstrated through verbal and written means—is required in this course.

Attendance 10% As this is only a week long class it is imperative that you make your best attempt to attend every day.

ADA Policy

If you as a student qualify as a person with a disability as defined in Chapter 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), you are strongly encouraged to register with the Center for Teaching and Learning. The Center for Teaching and Learning is located in the Diane M. Halle Library room 201 and online at http://www.endicott.edu/academicresources.

As a student registered with the Center for Teaching and Learning, it is your responsibility to present your accommodation letter to your instructor at the beginning of each semester.

Academic Integrity StatementStudents are required to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy of Endicott College.

Course ExpectationsThis course is a 3-credit course, which means that students are expected to do at least 9 hours of course-related work or activities each week during the semester. This includes scheduled class meeting times, as well as time spent completing assigned readings, studying for tests and examinations, preparing written assignments, and other course-related tasks.

Students must review the Academic Calendar published by the Registrar’s Office online at:

http://www.endicott.edu/Academics/AcademicCalendar.aspx

Class attendance is expected of all students up to and including the last day of scheduled classes in the semester. Students must plan accordingly.

Modify the last sentence as needed regarding credit and work expectations. Additional course expectations may be added to this section.

Subject to Change StatementIt is suggested that faculty include a statement regarding potential changes of the syllabus during the semester. For example, “Syllabus is subject to change.”

Topical Outline and Timeline:

Identifying what the Common Core actually is and what you need to address in your classroom. Explain the focus of the Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy and Mathematics. Exploring fact vs. fiction with the new Common Core- bringing out the old and meeting the new. Exploring Appendixes A, B, and C and how can we use them in the classroom. Examine these exemplars and their practicality in the classroom. We will access these Appendixes and discuss their usefulness to us in the classroom for applying the Common Core standards. Discuss the final project unit and the expectations and process.

Select teaching materials and methods that meet the Common Core State Standards. Locate and use text exemplars to select appropriate texts for Common Core-compliant courses. Review text samples that primarily serve to exemplify the level of complexity and quality that the Common Core. Discuss the breadth of the text that students should encounter in the text types required by the Standards and how choices should serve as useful guideposts in helping educators select texts of similar complexity, quality, and range for their own classrooms. Locate text that will work with your discipline and final project. Time will then be allotted to allow you and your partner to work on your Final Project with personal assistance from the instructor.

We will explore the various useful websites, and applications that are available on the web to assist in accessing and addressing the Common Core. These websites and applications will assist you in identifying the standards, and how to assess your students’ performance. I will show you how to access the Common Core with technology in your lesson planning and classroom. Suggested websites and applications that will be helpful and beneficial in addressing the standards you need. Create activities and question-and-answer assignments based on sample performance tasks. Review various Common Core based units that may act as a guide in creating one for Final Project. Work on your Final Project with personal assistance from the instructor.

We will learn how to create a differentiated project that accessing multiple Common Core standards. In addition, create lesson plans that identify and address the standards, useful and practical activities, and applicable rubrics to better access student performance. Time will then be allotted to allow you and your partner to work on your Final Project with personal assistance from the instructor.

Students will present their Final Projects to the class and share how they may be used by other disciplines within their classrooms. Distribute copies of lesson plans projects, and rubrics that must be provided by all students so we may amass many cross-curricular Common Core units to be implemented in your own classroom throughout the year.

* NOTE* The completed log is a course requirement. Anyone who does not submit their completed log at the end of class will receive an incomplete grade

Week or Class

Topic Reading Assignment

Week 1 HW before class meets

Read assigned reading and record any questions you have regarding material.

Answer the question, “What facts did you learn from this reading?”

http://www.nea.org/commoncore

http://corestandrads.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts http://neatoday.org/2013/10/16/10-things -you-should-know-

Read assigned reading prior to class and take notes.

Three page essay on what you thought the Common Core was, have you been using this mind set already, and how you plan to change your

about-the-common-core/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmyTgJS8Y88&index=12&list=PLTuqmiQ9ssqvx_Yjra4nBfqQPwc4auUBu

curriculum to reflect this new initiative.

Watch the video on “Establishing Goals” and be prepared to discuss how you communicate the goals of your lesson to your students.

Read Chapters 1-5 in the assigned text and be prepared to discuss.

15 hours

Class 1 Face-to face:

PowerPoint Presentation of Introductory Information on Common Core, note taking, question and answer, and discussion. Examine the Appendixes A, B, and C and discuss how we might use them within our curriculum and as cross-curricular projects.

Unpacking the Standards

http://www.nea.org/commoncore

http://corestandrads.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts, http://corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf http://corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_\B.pdf

http://corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmyTgJS8Y88&index=12&list=PLTuqmiQ9ssqvx_Yjra4nBfqQPwc4auUBu

https://www.youtube.com/

Students will pass in their papers and present their findings to their peers.

With a partner, discuss at least three facts that you learned regarding the implementation of the new Common Core within your curriculum. Review the provided Appendixes and discuss with your peers how you could use them to enrich your curriculum or make it cross-curricular.

Students will be shown a video about establishing their goals before creating a unit for their curriculum. Students will be asked to discuss the goals of their curriculum unit to their students.

watch?v=0W452p7sgQ8

Students will be shown a Microsoft PowerPoint explaining what “Unpacking the Standards” means. Students will be shown examples of a discipline that has been unpacked. Students will “unpack” a unit from their own curriculum.

Break down into teams of two of two different curriculum instructors. Discuss how you can create a cross-curricular unit using an Appendix, implement cross-curricular material, utilize technology, create a differentiated lesson, and a rubric with Common Core related assessment. Project unit and expectations will be discussed.

8 hours

Class 2 HW before class

Quantitative and Qualitative measures of complexity pf reading materials.

Review the provided material on the website. Record notes on presentation.

Essential Questions

http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PowerPoint7.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwWoQju88tw&index=11&list=PLTuqmiQ9ssqvx_Yjra4nBfqQPwc4auUBu

Understanding of the three measures of text complexity: quantitative, qualitative and reader and task consideration and analyzing this material in a three page essay along with a current article about the same n an education publication.

Students will work on their projects by

identifying a piece of literature or text that is recommended by the Common Core, assess it for qualitative and quantitative measures, its Lexile Level, and ability to add rigor to the unit.

Read Chapters 6-9 in the assigned text and be prepared to discuss.

5 hours

Class 2 Why is text complexity important?

Understanding of the three measures of text complexity: quantitative, qualitative and the reader and task consideration.

College readiness vs. career readiness readings and ensuring rigor for both.

Using Internet databases for quantitative measures Lexile Levels.

How to use the Flesch-Kincaid option in Microsoft Word.

On-line resources to assess Lexile Levels.

Closing the gap to ensure gained proficiency for all readers.

Using close reading and text dependent questions as a strategy.

http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PowerPoint7.pdf

http://vimeo.com/42791797

Students will pass in their papers and present their findings to their peers

Identify three pieces of literature or text in your discipline. Research its Lexile Level and the Flesch –Kincaid Grade levels. Review the Qualitative Measures Rubric for each text and be prepared to discuss your findings. Class discussion on your findings and the reader tasks considerations addressed in this presentation and how this will enrich your curriculum.

Class activity: Complete the Recommended Placement Form template provided and to discuss findings with your partner regarding what literature or text you will be using in your project. Create text

dependent questions for your project.

Watch the video and discuss.

8 hours

Class 3 HW before class

Common Core and technology. Useful apps that will help you align to the new standards and enhance your students’ skills?

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/5-mobile-apps-to-help-teachers-and-students-adapt-to-the-common-core-standards/

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757834

Students will pass in their papers and present their findings to their peers.

Research various websites for computer app’s related to the Common Core. In a three page essay, identify the application, where you located it, analyze what you found useful about it, and how you plane to use it to ensure that you are Common Core compliant for your project. Be prepared to share this app with your class mates and show them how to access it.

Students will work on their projects by implanting technology into it. Attempting to enhance instruction by offering applications to the students to embed the skills taught in the classroom.

Read Chapters 9-11 in the assigned text and be prepared to discuss.

5 hours

Class 3 Accessing the Common Core on the web.

Exploring useful applications for your discipline and students learning needs.

Determining how you can use these applications to enhance your objectives.

Flipping the classroom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_p63W_2F_4

Students will pass in their papers and present their applications to their peers.

Students will create a running list of these applications for future use in their curriculum.

Students will review the applications sued in the assigned reading text. Class will open these applications up via overhead and review each individually.

Students will watch a video on “Flipping the Classroom” and discuss how they can incorporate this into their project or curriculum in the future.

Class discussion on assigned text readings to see what technology or strategies students felt would be useful and easy to implement into their projects and curriculum. Discussion on how the unit could provide a “flipped classroom” aspect to the project.

Students will work on their projects units to see what strategies are in the assigned reading text that can be used in their projects.

8 hours

Class 4 HW before class

Co-teaching and the Common Core

Effectiveness of co-teaching.

Teaching strategies

Differentiation of projects. Addressing the needs of all students.

Rubrics and assessing student performance and skills.

Co-teaching

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/jvt002/Docs/ASEE-2008b.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn3DtNEh49E&list=PLTuqmiQ9ssqvx_Yjra4nBfqQPwc4auUBu&index=14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NJtwKZ8gZM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS2PqTTxFFc

Locate a scholarly article discussing co-teaching and the Common Core. Analyze what you found informative and useful in this article. Discuss the advantages and concerns you have about this teaching method in your class room.

Students will watch the video on “Seven Skills Students Will Need for the Future”

Students will work on their projects units differentiating them and creating rubrics to assess student success and skills.

5 hours

Class 4 Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)

College or Career Ready Skills

Assessing College or Career Ready Skills

Career Ready Rubrics

Kinesthetic learning activities

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/12/12/common-core-math-nea/

http://www.academicinnovations.com/report.html

http://www.kinestheticlearn

Students will watch the video provided and discuss whether or not they co-teach, the models they use, models that have been successful or failed.

Students will identify what co-teaching strategy they will use in their project and explain why they

ingstrategies.com/

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/jvt002/Docs/ASEE-2008b.pdf

identified this to be the most effective.

Students will work with partner to create a cross-curricular based co-teaching activity.

This will be put into a lesson plan and shared with their peers for input and review.

Students will share their insights and thoughts on how they differentiated a lesson/activity for their project unit. Peers will add input and insight that they may have regarding how this could be differentiated for multiple levels or disciplines.

Students will be shown Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) and caret a way to implement a way of assessing a Work Force ready skill into their project and rubric to be assessed. Attempting to utilize a kinesthetic activity to enhance instruction.

8 hours

Class 5 HW before class

Appendixes A,B, or C

Lexile Levels of readings

Lesson Plan Template Creation

Students will prepare their final projects concepts to show and discuss with the instructor and class and

Differentiated levels in the class

Kinesthetic Activity

SCANS and Career Ready Rubrics

ask how they may be used by other disciplines within their classrooms. Distribute copies of lesson plans projects, and rubrics that must be provided by all students so we may amass many cross-curricular Common Core units.

5 hours

Class 5 Lesson Plan format

College /career readiness objectives

Exemplars

Lexile level and text complexity

Text Dependent strategies

Technology and applications

Differentiated activities

Co-teaching Models

SCANS

Rubrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao-yIMXmt80&index=15&list=PLTuqmiQ9ssqvx_Yjra4nBfqQPwc4auUBu

Students will watch the video on “Evaluating the Unit” to see how effect their current teaching practices are and the project they are creating.

Students will be provided meetings with the instructor and their partners to review their projects: lesson plan format, objectives, readings/texts/exemplars, measures of text complexity: quantitative, qualitative, and text dependent questions and strategies, technology or applications used, differentiated activities, co-teaching models, use of SCANS, and rubric creation.

8 hours

Post Course

Students will do further work upon all aspects

Work on project

of their project including meeting with their partners. Final projects will be emailed to the instructor upon completion.

48 hours

TOTAL 135 hours

Subject to Change StatementIt is suggested that faculty include a statement regarding potential changes of the syllabus during the semester. For example, “Syllabus is subject to change.”