Educational Issue Assignment
Your issues assignment spans the entire course and is presented on the last 2 days of class (April 10-24). Your topic must be selected by February 6, and approved by the instructor shortly thereafter.
Discuss Issue Presentation assignment. (new assignment for 414 so no examples are available)
Explore possible issues topics in small groups following introduction.
http://cie.asu.edu/index.php
Possible Categories:
Teachers and Students, Assessment, High Stakes Testing/Standards, Curriculum and Instruction, Methodology, Technology, Bilingual/ESL Education, Special Education)
Post your preferred topic on the Discussion Board on BlackBoard by February 6. Put the topic in the title of your response so others will know that topic is already claimed. No duplicate issues will be allowed. You will take responsibility for researching your topic and preparing a presentation for class. Most likely, your presentation will be a PowerPoint, but other alternatives are possible. Check with me if you have questions.
The following information was developed to guide you in the development process...
EED414: Current Issues in Education
Due: April 10 or 24, 2007 Presentation and Hard Copy of Paper
Assignment Guidelines:
1. Identify a major issue in the field of education today. You may identify this issue based on current events in the news, educational journals, and/or your textbook. (Please submit your issue to the instructor by posting it on the BlackBoard Discussion Board for approval prior to moving on to the next step.)
2. Thoroughly summarize the issue in the broad sense. (i.e. What is being said in the media? Is it local, state, national, international? How it is generally affecting teachers, schools, and society?)
3. Research relevant historical events related to this issue. (Is there case law related to this issue? Have similar issues arisen in the past?) Refer to your handout for Feb. 6 Online-Legal Issues in Education for possible websites.
4. Analyze how this issue affects a specific school district in which you are student teaching/interning.
a. Interview staff members
b. Research school district policies that may be affected by the issue
c. Research recent school board decisions that have been related to the issue
d. Identify specific programs or standard practices that may be related to the issue.
5. Analyze how this issue affects a specific school in which you are student teaching/interning.
a. Interview school administration and other staff members.
b. Identify school programs or standard practices that may be related to the issue.
6. Analyze how this issue affects a specific classroom in which you are student teaching/interning.
a. Interview the teacher.
b. Observe the programs/practices within the classroom that may be related to the issue.
c. Identify how students may be affected by the issue.
7. Reflect on your issues topic and the possible implications it has for you as a teaching professional. How does the topic relate to your own teaching philosophy and how might the issue effect you in your classroom? Has this new information influenced the way you think about the topic and its impact on you as the teacher in your classroom? This reflection should refer specifically to reading and/or class experiences and offer analysis. Please go beyond summarizing in order to evaluate the theory, research, and/or implications of the reading.
8. Summarize your information into a visual presentation using technology. (Powerpoint, iMovie, MovieMaker, Inspiration, etc.)
9. Submit the following:
a. Hard copy of your paper by April 10 or 24, 2007.
b. Outline/printout of your presentation by April 10 or 24, 2007 (date of scheduled presentation) Make enough copies to provide a handout to each student in our class and the instructor (20)
c. Word document and PowerPoint attached to the DRF by April 24, 2007.
Evaluation:
Your project will be evaluated using the attached DRF rubric.
*Select an issue related to school/society either from the list provided below or in consultation with the instructor if you have an issue which you are interested in exploring, but does not appear on this list.
*Using your textbook (Teachers, Schools and Society) and at least two other reference materials, identify and describe the issue following the assignment guidelines. Provide a written outline of the key points of your findings including bibliographical citations in APA Style (may be the printed copy of your PowerPoint presentation, 3 slides per page in note-taking form). Make enough copies to hand out to class members and instructor prior to your presentation. Prepare a 10-minute presentation to share what you have learned about your selected issue. Presentations will be made on April 10 or 24.
School/Society Issues:
Alternative Schools
Block Scheduling
Big Schools/Small Schools
Charter Schools
Distance Learning
Home Schooling
Looping
Private Schools
Religion/School Prayer
School-Based Management (Site Based Management)
School Choice/Vouchers/Alternatives
School Violence
Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
Teachers’ Rights and Responsibilities
Fine Arts in Schools
Block Scheduling
Teacher Tenure
Multi-age classrooms
English-immersion vs bilingual education
Should ELL students be taught only in English?
Other Issues related to ELL students:
--grade level promotion/retention and graduation
--participation in high stakes testing in English or Spanish
Use of standardized test scores for making major decisions to ensure high standards for all students
Class size–does it make a difference?
Amount of funding for public schools-does more money =better schools?
Should teachers be allowed to strike for better wages and working conditions?
Schools with zero-tolerance policies on violence and drugs
Remediation or acceleration-is one approach better than another?
Should Kindergarten be half-day or full-day and fully funded by the state/district?
Dress codes/uniforms-do they make a difference with safe school environments and improved academic achievement for students?
Does parent involvement increase student success in school?
Additional websites to explore for possible issues:
NOTE: There are lots of great resources in the online materials for the Sadker book.)
Current Issues in Education:
http://cie.ed.asu.edu/
English Language Learners and High-Stakes Tests: An Overview of the Issues
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0207coltrane.html
English Language Learners-Issues
http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=8
The Effects of Instructional Rubrics on Learning to Write
Heidi Goodrich Andrade, Ohio University [2001]
Arizona Charter Schools: A Case Study of Values and School Policy
Gregg A. Garn, University of Oklahoma [2000]
ERIC Digest:
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=ERIC_Search&Clearme=true
Effectiveness of Small Schools
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed425049.html
Dilemmas of School Size
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed401089.html
Holding Schools Accountable for Achievement
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed401089.html
Full Day or Half Day Kindergarten?
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/full.half.kinder.p.k12.3.html
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed256474.html
All Day Kindergarten Network Resources
http://www.siue.edu/~snall/kdtn/kresources.html
Rubrics:
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BLE/EED414 Issues in Ed. Grading rubric
This is a draft of the rubric that will be used to grade your assignment. You may use it as a guide throughout the assignment to ensure you are meeting all of the requirements for the assignment.
Author:
Peggy George
Last modified:
03/20/2007 6:03 AM (UMST)
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