Strategic Lesson Planning Online
Course Outline
Course Description
This course is designed to assist teachers in public and private schools in creating more effective lesson plans by aligning their plans with their students' learning styles. Lesson plans are a teacher's self-created guide to content presentations that maximize mastery by the student. This course combines meta-analysis with current action research. By combining these two fields of educational research, you will be able to create lesson plans that are both efficient and effective. Research based lesson plans address both today's high standards and the differentiated learning styles of the student. The identification and approach to each of the learning styles presented in the book, The Strategic Teacher by Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong & Matthew J. Perini, will form the foundation for the course. The course will explore the following:- Direct and indirect instruction
- Reading for meaning
- Concept attainment
- Compare and contrast
- Reciprocal learning
- Decision making
- Task rotation
- Competition and cooperation within game learning
Objectives
- Identify and utilize the correct strategy for each lesson.
- Plan lessons that incorporate direct instruction to create questions designed to take students through the steps that lead to mastery.
- Design indirect instruction to guide students to mastery by exploring the common attributes of concepts, terms, data and events.
- Assist students in creating simple statements and questions that will enable them to preview, predict and identify relevant material while reading for meaning.
- Structure concept attainment by identifying key concepts and their critical attributes.
- Raise achievement through structuring a process that identifies similarities and differences.
- Effectively pair students to form learning partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
- Structure lessons that teach students to make informed decisions that can be applied to other content areas.
- Present students with four different types of tasks which differentiate both teaching and learning styles.
- Optimize content mastery through the use of games, tournaments and teams.
- Combine and shift strategies within a lesson to address the wide variety of learning styles in the classroom.
Curriculum Design & Time Requirements
Students will be required to complete a variety of tasks, readings and reports on readings, reflections and the creation of actual lesson plans. Required periodic forum postings foster collegiality and the active exchange of ideas. The is an online sixty-hour, three credit graduate level course taught over a thirteen-week period.Hardware & Computer Skill Requirements
Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have internet access with an active e-mail account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox etc.Course Materials
The required text for this course is The Strategic Teacher, by Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong, Matthew J. Perini. Published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. A variety of readings, graphs and charts will be referenced throughout the course. In addition, participants will be directed to several web-sites that will provide them with a greater breadth of understanding. Students will also receive a student guide.Session Outline
Session 1: Introduction and Overview, Direct Instruction: Modeling and PracticeContents:
- Master the four phase process for maximizing instruction
- Plan a direct instructional lesson
- Utilize the command strategy
Session 2: Inductive Instruction: Key Concept Identification
Contents:
- Teach identification & categorization
- Determine methods of grouping
- Plan an inductive learning lesson
Session 3: Reading for Meaning: Ten Key Statements
Contents:
- Prepare focused guiding statements
- Support, preview, predict & identify strategies
Session 4: Concept Attainment: Conceptual Clarity
Contents:
- Identify key concepts
- Recognize critical attributes
Session 5: Compare and Contrast: Four Organizers
Contents:
- Identify similarities and differences
- Facilitate the use of Comparison Organizers
Session 6: Reciprocal Learning: Peer Problem Solving
Contents:
- Initiate student pairing
- Enhance learning through peer coaching
Session 7: Decision Making: Questions, Dilemmas, and Situations
Contents:
- Enable informed decision making
- Apply decisions
- Organize ideas and testing conclusions
Session 8: Task Rotation: Differentiated Presentations
Contents:
- Objectives: Identify dominant learning styles
- Differentiate assessment
- Rotate teaching styles
Session 9: Competition and Cooperation: Games, Tournaments, Teams
Contents:
- Foster cooperative learning
- Construct games that address learning styles
- Optimize mastery through games
Session 10: Creating the Lesson Plan: Selecting the Strategy
Contents:
- Engage multiple styles simultaneously
- Build reflective skills through note taking
- Increase meaningful discussions
Grading
| Assignment | Points | Grading Scale | |||||||
| Forum Participation | 15 | 100 – 93 | A | ||||||
| Reflections | 75 | 92 – 85 | B | ||||||
| Final Lesson Plan | 10 | 84 – 77 | C | ||||||
| Total Points | 110 |
Student Requirements
| 1. | Forum Activities - In the course you will be asked to post items in the "Forum." Not all module assignments require a forum posting. For those that do, you must post your reflection or requested response in the forum to share with your classmates. You are asked to post your reflection or requested response to the module assignment. Additionally, send the instructor your reflection and/or requested response. The purpose of the Forum Posting is to share your work with your classmates and to respond to at least two of your classmates Forum Postings. | |
| 2. | Reflections - At the conclusion of each module there are assignments that you are asked to complete. Direct any questions regarding module assignments to your instructor. | |
| 3. | Final Requirement - You will create a lesson plan based on the research and strategies identified in the course content. |
