Course Description

Educ 362: Secondary Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics and Science

Course Rationale
In this course, we will explore the nature of teaching and learning (mathematics and science) in middle school and secondary classroom environments. We will examine the ways in which curriculum is created and implemented and we will analyze the interpersonal dynamics of teacher-student and student-student relationships. We will emphasize the importance of reflective practice and we will use the extensive field experience pursued in the course as a laboratory for developing the skills necessary for becoming a successful teacher. At Illinois Wesleyan, we expect you to use the skills you have acquired in pursuing your liberal arts education to the curricular and instructional demands of teaching. The most important of these skills include 1) the ability to reflect critically upon the learning and developmental needs of your students, 2) an understanding of the conceptual demands of the subject matter you are teaching, 3) an awareness of the instructional choices you make, and 4) an appreciation of the degree to which those choices prove successful or unsuccessful and why.
There are four general areas of inquiry we will explore in this course. They include:

• an examination of the nature of curriculum and curricular development including the nature of curricular planning and assessment,
• an exploration of the instructional needs of students with special needs,
• reading in the content areas, and
• an examination of hidden curricular issues as they relate to interpersonal relationships within the classroom.

Course Goals

• To identify the social and political influences that characterize curricular development, implementation and evaluation.
• To critically analyze national and state curricular standards in relevant subject areas.
• To evaluate the central concepts that form the foundations for standards in the humanities.
• To evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of curricular materials including textbooks, multimedia, and computer resources.
• To create a resource folder that will include materials for use during student teaching.
• To learn various methods for curriculum assessment.
• To develop thoughtful and comprehensive lesson and unit planning strategies with attention paid to the appropriate pacing and sequencing of information.
• To address the demands of disciplinary content, student developmental needs, community concerns, and larger curricular goals in the process of instructional planning.
• To effectively use small group and cooperative learning techniques to facilitate student motivation and learning.
• To become conversant with and implement elements of a directed teaching lesson.
• To develop authentic responses to problematic student behavior.
• To learn effective communication strategies, including nonverbal and visual cues in responding to students.
• To address the learning needs of students with different abilities within the same classroom.
• To develop a portfolio of your work that speaks to your evolution as a teacher.
• To understand and maintain professional standards at all times with respect to completion of instructional tasks, developing relationships with students, demonstrating reliability and consistency with respect to attendance, punctuality, dress, and the successful completion of all required tasks in the field.