Preparing for the National Board and Beyond

Course Description
Reflective Teaching: Preparing for the National Board and Beyond is a course designed to prepare teachers to achieve National Board Certification by introducing teachers to the standards and core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Course participants are asked to develop reflective practices by writing about their classrooms, their lessons, and their involvement in the community and profession. Participants will gain knowledge of The National Board process as they read and reflect on standards, and elements of the national board portfolio.

Objectives

• Read and review "What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do."
• Understand the National Board's five core propositions.
• Review and discuss recent research on standards based teaching.
• Understand the importance of data driven curriculum (assess, monitor, reflect).
• Develop skills for creating two-way communications between students, parents,
  community members, and teachers.
• Evaluate a class lesson in terms of its relationship to NBPTS content standards.
• Understand how the five core propositions look in action in a classroom.
• Learn skills for evaluating students' strengths and weaknesses.
• Learn how to develop assignments to improve student learning.
• Understand the difference between assessment and evaluation.
• Understand the elements of the National Board Portfolio and write a timeline for
  completing each entry.
• Practice writing descriptively, analytically, and reflectively about your classroom.
• Plan ways to structure learning activities that align with National Board Standards.
• Develop Portfolio Entry #4.
• Learn how to video tape classroom lessons and write about them.

Curriculum Design & Time Requirements
Preparing for the National Board and Beyond is a 13 week 3 credit graduate level or sixty hour professional development course taught online. The following methodologies will be used during the course: readings, group and individual electronic discussions, applied practice assignments, reflections and papers.

This course will be offered over a period of 13 weeks. Modules 1 through 8 will be completed one per week. Modules 9 and 10 will be completed over a five-week period so students will have time to revise and complete the final integration project.

Hardware & Computer Skills Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 95 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access with an
active e-mail account. Students should possess basic file sharing skills such as downloading and accessing Adobe Acrobat documents (pdf files). To download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit Adobe.com. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer or America Online's (AOL) browser. To download a browser at no cost, visit one of the following web sites: Netscape.com; Microsoft.com and AOL.com.

Course Materials
The required textbooks are The Teacher's Guide to National Board Certification: Unpacking the Standards and The National Board Certification Workbook: How to Prepare Your Portfolio by Adrienne Mack-Kirschner, Heinemann Publishing, 2001. Further required reading includes documents from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) web site.

Session Outline

Module 1: Introduction and Overview

Objective:

• To build a learning community focused on supporting each other as reflective
  practitioners
• To learn about The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
• To understand the course requirements

Contents:

1. Introduction: Welcome and Course Orientation
2. The purpose of The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
3. A Nation at Risk: research calls for professionalized teaching force
4. The mission of the National Board
5. The elements of National Board Certification defined
6. Writing about your teaching: issues, concerns, and journals
7. Connect for success: building pre-candidate communities

Module 2: What Should Teachers Know and Be Able to Do… The Five Core Propositions

Objective:

• Recognize the five core propositions.
• Discuss the three modes of writing required by the National Board portfolio.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:

1. Review Module One
2. Tips for understanding the NBPTS materials: active reading, think pair share
3. The five core propositions
4. Teacher beliefs about students
5. Teacher beliefs about content
6. Teacher beliefs about learning: practice, pedagogy, and community
7. Writing for National Boards: description, analysis, and reflection

Module 3: Assessment or Evaluation: What's the Difference?

Objective:

• Define assessment and evaluation.
• Understand the difference between assessment and evaluation.
• Understand how assessment of students' strengths and weaknesses can help teachers
  design effective lessons to maximize student learning.
• Understand the importance of assessment to the National Board certification process.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:

1. Brief review
2. Brainstorm issues relating to assessment and evaluation
3. Examine the benefits of assessment
4. Understand the difference between assessment and evaluation
5. Connect theory to practice: Using the teaching journal to assess your practice
6. Analyzing student work: strengths, weaknesses and their impact on instruction
7. Sharing Teaching Journal entries

Module 4: The Standards: 1-6 Where to Begin?

Objective:

• Download and print the standards for the certificate your want to pursue.
• Read and understand the standards that describe what your students should learn about
  your content area.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:

1. Overview of the NBPTS Certificates
2. Examining the Standards of the National Board
3. State Standards
4. National Professional Standards (NCTM, NCTE, etc.)
5. Epiphanies of the Ordinary: Analyzing the Standards in Everyday Practice
6. Reflecting on your teaching
7. Sharing Teaching Journal Entries

Module 5: The Standards: 7-12+ Journeys and Destinations

Objective:

• Discuss the difference between content and process.
• Read and understand the standards that describe what and how you can effectively teach
  students your content.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:   

1. Pulling your practice out of the National Board Standards
2. Survey the Portfolio Instructions for your certification area
3. Identify challenges and supports of National Board Certification process
4. Context: The Who, What, Where, When, and How of Teaching in Schools
5. Writing in your Teaching Journal
6. Responding to the writing of others

Module 6: Don't Panic: It's Just a Portfolio

Objective:

• Understand the portfolio entries for your certificate area.
• Create a timeline for completing your portfolio.
• Generate ideas for each portfolio entry.
• Begin Portfolio entry #4.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:

1. Read the National Board Portfolio Instructions for your certification area
2. Examine the elements of the four portfolio entries
3. Brainstorm ideas for each portfolio entry
4. Questioning the Process
5. Review and discuss Student Learning
6. How does professional development impact student learning?
7. Portfolio entry #4: Documented Accomplishments guided practice
8. Share Teaching Journal reflections

Module 7: Whole Class Video Taping

Objective:

• Understand the Whole Class Discussion Portfolio Entry directions.
• Understand the importance of setting instructional goals.
• Understand the importance of lesson planning to the certification process.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.

Contents:

1. Examine issues and concerns about appearing on tape
2. "SOAPS-A Strategy"
3. Goal Setting: Why backwards planning works
4. The importance of lesson planning to the video taped entries
5. Simulate the videotaping experience
6. It's all about the Write Up
7. Effective Classroom Layouts
8. Reflecting in the teaching journal
9. Sharing work in progress

Module 8: Small Group Video Taping

Objective:

• Understand the Small Groups Portfolio Entry directions.
• Understand the definition of collaborative learning.
• Understand the definition of cooperative learning.
• Learn and understand different methods to group students.
• Complete a portion of the Small Group video portfolio entry.
• Write descriptively, analytically, and reflectively.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:

1. Understand the directions for Portfolio Entry #3: Small Groups
2. Identify Quality Verbal Interaction
3. Compare and contrast teaching styles: "Sage on the Stage" vs. "Guide on the Side"
3. Identify grouping methods: collaborative vs. cooperative
4. Understand rationales for group learning
5. Video tape a small group lesson
6. Describe, Analyze, and Reflect: Write about Your Small Groups video
7. Share work in progress
8. Reflect in teaching journal

Module 9: Write Away!

Objective:

• Practice writing descriptively, analytically and reflectively.
• Understand and practice time management.
• Respond thoughtfully and critically to the writing of others.
• Participate in a learning community.
  

Contents:

1. Understand the Scoring Process
2. Writing about Yourself: Documenting Professional Accomplishments
3. Integrating Family and Community Resources into Classroom Practice:
Guest Speakers
4. Select for Success: Making Good Choices for Portfolio Entry #4
5. Write a Portfolio Entry #4
6. Submit your entry to peer(s) for review and response
7. Review and Respond a peer's Portfolio Entry #4
8. Reflect in teaching journal

Module 10: What Have You Learned? Beyond the Board

Objective:

• Practice writing descriptively, analytically and reflectively.
• Understand and practice time management.
• Respond thoughtfully and critically to the writing of others.
• Participate in a learning community.
• Practice professional goal setting.
  
• Reflect on personal teaching practice.

1. Plan for your portfolio entries
2. Timelines: Creating One of Your Own
3. Revisiting, Revising, & Reflecting
4. Complete the Cover Sheets for Portfolio Entry #4: Putting it All Together
5. Pack up your final project
6. Reflect in teaching journal
7. Destination Celebration

Student Requirements

1.Participate in all learning community activities.
2. Complete all reading assignments. Keep a teaching journal, reflecting upon the major ideas in the assigned readings and the application of those ideas in your school and classroom. You will photocopy (or print out) a minimum of five entries 200 - 300 words in length and turn these in with your final reflection.
3. Video Entry Lesson Plan:
You will prepare yourself for one of the video taping portions of the National Board Portfolio (Portfolio Entry #2 or Portfolio Entry #3) by completing a detailed lesson plan. This lesson plan should meet the requirements of the National Board Certificate you intend to pursue.
Your plan will be typed and it will include:

• a description of the lesson
  
• the long term objectives/goals for the class in which this lesson will be taught
• the immediate objectives/goals of the lesson
• the sequence of instructional activities
• a rationale for each instructional activity featured in the lesson
• an assessment

  4. Complete the Project. Your final project for the course will be Portfolio Entry 4: Documented Accomplishments. Your entry will be scored using a scoring guide adapted from the National Board scoring guide. See the scoring guide summary for complete details.
  5. Write and submit a final reflection
  

Grading

* 5 points for introductory email
5 points for learning partner communication
5 points for "assessment and evaluation" posting
5 points for Module 6 posting
5 points for posting questions/responses to forum

Student Academic Integrity
Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.