Welcome Students!

Dr. Stephen Levy

 
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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
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Also see Useful Info & Links for My College Students


How to do a RESEARCH PAPER using the Touro Library On-line
 

 

 

Touro College Student Teaching
Course Descriptions-Requirements

 

 

Field Experience and Practicum Course Guides
These guides include general course descriptions, course requirements. 

 

In each Field Experience/Practicum course, observations and teaching are done at different grade levels.

Practicum students.(683,695,677)......TWO OBSERVATIONS in Special Education are required  Observations must be at each of the required grade levels.

Fulltime teachers are observed at work in their own classrooms (providing it is at an appropriate grade level) and in a second classroom at another grade level.

 

Field Experience & Practicum I (EdSE 682) in the Early Childhood Program requires  ONE visit and ONE Observation. 

 

Field Experience in Gen.& Spec. Ed (EdSE 694) Grades 1-6 requires only ONE visit & NO Observation.

Field Experience in Gen. & Spec.Ed (EdSE 676) Grades 5-9 requires only ONE visit & NO

Observation.

Early Childhood-Birth - Grade 2
EdSE 682, Field Experience and Practicum I in Early Childhood General and Special Education, Birth-Grade 2 

 *  Course Description & Requirements  *  Activity Checklist  *  Anecdotal Log  *  Lesson Analysis Form  *
 *  Questions Pertaining to Developmental Level of Children  *  Student Course Evaluation Form  *
- approximately 50 hours in general education at either the birth-preK, K, or grade 1 or 2 level. "
- approximately 100 hours in special education at a grade level not covered in the 50 hour general education experience.
- for working teachers, the hours may be divided so that they use their teaching hours for 75-100 hours of their required field experience hours, and in addition, do 50-75 periods of field experience during preparation periods, lunch periods, or in after-school programs at the grade level at which they do not teach.
- one 20-day, or 100-hour practicum experience in general education at any of the three age/grade levels, during which students are formally observed and evaluated on their work with children

SpEd 683, Practicum II in Early Childhood Special Education, Birth-Grade 2

 *  Course Description & Requirements  *  Activity Checklist  *  Anecdotal Log  *  Lesson Analysis Form  *
 *  Questions Pertaining to Developmental Level of Children  *  Student Course Evaluation Form  *
- two 20-day or l00-hour practicum experiences in special education at two of the three required age/grade levels (including the grade level not covered during Field Experience and Practicum I), during which students are formally observed and, evaluated on their work with children on two occasions.
- for working teachers, the hours may be divided so that they use their teaching hours for 100-150 hours, of their required practicum hours and, in addition, do 50-100 periods of Practicum during preparation periods, lunch periods, or in after-school programs at a grade level at which they do not teach and at which they had no experience during Field Experience and Practicum I

Elementary School- Childhood Education
EdSE 694, Field Experience in General Education and Special Education, Grades 1-6

 *  Course Description & Requirements  *  Activity Checklist  *  Anecdotal Log  *  Lesson Analysis Form  *
 *  Questions Pertaining to Developmental Level of Children  *  Student Course Evaluation Form  *
- approximately 50 hours in general education at either the grade 1, 2, or 3 level or the grade 4,5, or 6 grade level.
- approximately 100 hours in special education at the grade level not covered in the 50 hour general education experience.
- for working teachers, the hours may be divided so that they use their teaching hours for 75-100 hours of their required field experience hours and, in addition, do 50-75 periods of field experience during preparation periods, lunch periods, or in after-school programs at the grade level at which they do not teach.

SpEd 695, Practicum in Special Education, Grades 1-6

 *  Course Description & Requirements  *  Activity Checklist  *  Anecdotal Log  *  Lesson Analysis Form  *
 *  Questions Pertaining to Developmental Level of Children  *  Student Course Evaluation Form  *
- two 20-day experiences or two 100 hour experiences in special education (integrated or inclusive classes are acceptable), one at each of the two required, grade levels.
- for working teachers, the hours may be divided so that they use their teaching hours for 100-150 hours of their required practicum hours and, in addition, do 50-100 periods of practicum during preparation periods, lunch periods, or in after-school programs at the grade level at which they do not teach.

Grades 5 - 9 Middle Childhood Education

EdSE 676, Field Experience in General and Special Education, Grades 5-9

 *  Course Description & Requirements  *  Activity Checklist  *  Anecdotal Log  *  Lesson Analysis Form  *
 *  Questions Pertaining to Developmental Level of Children  *  Student Course Evaluation Form  *
- approximately 50 hours in general education at either the grade 5 or 6 level or the grade 7, 8, or 9 grade level.
- approximately 100 hours in special education at the grade level not covered in the 50 hour general education experience.
- for working teachers, the hours may be divided so that they use their teaching hours for 75-100 hours of their required field experience hours and, in addition, do 50-75 periods of field experience during preparation periods, lunch periods, or in after-school programs at the grade level at which they do not teach.

SpEd 677, Practicum in Special Education, Grades 5-9

 *  Course Description & Requirements  *  Activity Checklist  *  Anecdotal Log  *  Lesson Analysis Form  *
 *  Questions Pertaining to Developmental Level of Children  *  Student Course Evaluation Form  *
- two 20-day experiences or two 100-hour experiences in special education (integrated or inclusive classes acceptable), one at each of the two required grade levels.
- for working teachers, the hours may be divided so that they use their teaching hours for 100-150 hours of their required practicum hours and, in addition, do 50-100 periods of practicum during preparation periods, lunch periods, or in after-school programs at the grade level at which they do not teach.

 

 

 

 

Field Experience Requires 2 Term Papers
Instructions for Written Assignments

There are typically two term paper assignments per Field Experience course. 
General Notes about papers.
Papers should be typed, have numbered papers, and title pages with all identifying information.  Papers should follow APA format (APA sheets are distributed with your field experience/student teaching material).  If you have problems with writing, format, references, etc., you should have your paper read by a classmate who can offer constructive criticism and assistance (common writing problems).
Each paper should be approximately 1500 words in length.  Pertinent literature, including literature from course in the program, should be integrated into the papers.

 

Students complete one paper (* see below - example) in which they compare and contrast their prior impressions of teaching as a profession with the reality of their experiences in the classroom and school. 

Students complete a second paper (**see below- example), in which they discuss critical incidents that have occurred between teacher and children or among children.  Students discuss ways, in which things went well or badly, what lessons can be learned, and how these experiences can be used for managing similar situations in the future. 

Some common writing problems:

•    agreement between nouns and pronouns
•    agreement in use of singular and plural forms
•    agreement in tense used
•    sentences inserted that do not follow logically from what preceded them or flow logically into what follows them
•    improper use of the word, “however”
•    passive sentence structure
•    unchecked typos
•    spelling and basic grammar
•    not following instructions for the papers—such as failing to have an appropriate title page or failing to number pages.


             (THESE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF HOW THE PAPERS MIGHT BE WRITTEN)

 

                                    
                                                                                                         EXAMPLE *       


Teaching as a Profession -
 The Realities and My Prior Impressions - A Comparative Analysis
This paper is in partial fulfillment of my field experience in course # ______


 The following paper, of at least 1500 words, compares and contrasts the realities of my experiences in the classroom and within the school setting, with my prior impressions of teaching. Concrete examples are offered, with explanations, to substantiate my views. This paper has been reviewed by several colleagues, for constructive criticism, before submission and follows The APA (American Psychological Association) Style Sheets.

 

 


 

                                                                                                          EXAMPLE**

Critical Incidents in Education -
 A dialogue of occurrences which have shaped my educational perspective.
This paper is in partial fulfillment of my field experience in course # _________

 

  Below with a minimum of at least 1500 words, I have enumerated specific school experiences as the shaping force for my educational perspective. I have conducted research in educational journals and pertinent literature. The articles and papers I have accessed in print and via Internet sites such as ERIC (Educational Resource Information Center) have allowed me to enhance and deepen my espoused views. Reference to these authored works and ideas are included. Critical experiences that went well, or badly, have shaped my views and are discussed in the passages that follow. Alternative educational methods for managing situations and lessons learned are offered to evidence the depth of my understanding. This paper has been reviewed by several colleagues, for constructive criticism, before submission, and follows The APA (American Psychological Association) Style Sheets.

 

 

 

Practicum - Instructions for Culminating Project

Practicum students complete a 25-page culminating project.  Students review their experiences in the graduate program and discuss components of the program that have been of particular value to them and why these program components have been of value.  Students discuss their practicum observation lessons, including strengths and limitations of the lessons, and what was discussed during the practicum conferences with the observing professor, including recommendations for strengthening teaching skills and building positive relationships with children.  Students use at least five articles from scholarly journals as references for a discussion of problems facing new teachers (in both general and special education), and the kinds of documented supports that have been found to help new teachers effectively respond to such problems. 

 

CASE STUDY

 

Students also present a case study of their work with an individual child who has a particular problem involving a reading skill.  (These case studies have been assigned by the professor teaching the second literacy course) Students work with a child who has a particular problem involving reading skills.  Students use an appropriate reading inventory or other assessment device to evaluate the nature of the child’s difficulties.  Students complete a literature review with abstracts of at least ten articles related to the area of the child’s reading difficulty and potential interventions fro remediation of the identified problem or set of problems.  Students describe in detail their goals in intervening and the specific intervention procedures they use, after which they describe the actual application of the intervention procedures and the child’s response to their intervention.  Students do a post-intervention assessment to determine the effectiveness of the intervention and then discuss the implications of their work and results for continued work with the child and for formulating related additional research questions. 

 

Students conclude their projects with a discussion of how their philosophies of education have developed over the course of their graduate studies and the nature of their current ideas on how they might approach selected aspects of their work.  Throughout the culminating project, readings from courses should be integrated into the discussion whenever possible.

Papers should have title pages that include all identifying information.  Where appropriate, subheadings should be used for organizational purposes.  Pages should be numbered.  Papers should follow APA format.  (APA sheets are included in your student practicum guide). 

Culminating projects are submitted with other practicum materials in a professionally appropriate binder. 
(Details may be discussed with our practicum advisors).

 

Reflection Paper 

(for Practicum Students-683,695 and 677 Only) 

 

The following questions should be addressed when writing a reflection paper on your case study. 

Your response to these questions should be included at the end of your case study and included with the submission of your final written work (bound project). 

 

1.      How did studying an individual child help you to better understand the psychology of the struggling reader? How will this understanding impact your future practices as a teacher?

 

2.      Please discuss how your project helped you to find new strategies to implement as a teacher and aided you in finding new resources to use as a teacher of literacy, particularly for students with reading problems.

 

3.      How did studying an individual child in depth better enhance your teaching?

 

4.      How has conducting this case study helped you to avoid grouping all struggling readers in a “one size fits all” box and how has it impacted your thinking on the need for differentiated instruction?

 

5.      How has your course work at Touro College prepared you to conduct this case study in an objective and informed manner?

 

6.      How could you improve your performance in fulfilling the case study assignment?

 

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