SE 511 Human Development and Learning in Instructional Contexts

Teaching Journal Installment 3

The Teaching Journal in LSE 511 is intended to allow you to pause, reflect, and integrate your developing

knowledge of the research on student learning and the implications for teaching practices.

Teaching

Journal

Topics Modules

Reviewed

Installment 3 Synthesize concepts and principles: Teacher

decision-making; formative and summative

assessments; standardized assessment; teacher-

directed learning; student-directed learning;

proactive classroom management; developmental

considerations.

Modules 7-10

Instructions for Teaching Journal

1. Please use APA format. For questions regarding APA formatting, see “Course Overview – Start

Here.” Scroll down to APA Style Assistance.

2. Review readings and materials addressed in the three modules pertaining to the installment. Be

sure to review developmental trends highlighted in each chapter.

3. Review discussion postings in the same modules

4. Select key big ideas and principles addressed in the module materials and discussions

5. Use the prompts provided for each Teaching Journal installment to aid your selection concepts

and to focus and organize your reflections.

6. Explain the significance of the big idea and principles you selected and their implication for

teaching practice

o In this explanation, make connections among the big ideas, principles, and teaching

practices across the three modules addressed

o Make personal connections to draw original implications for teaching practice

7. Complete a double-spaced, 3-page (approximately) Teaching Journal Installment by the due

date provided in the syllabus and course schedule.

TJ-Installment 3

Teachers make hundreds of small and not-so-small decisions every day in a complex, multi-layered

learning environment. How can they best organize and focus their attention to ensure students are

learning and they are continually improving? Review the big ideas and principles in Chapters 8, 9, and 10

and the associated module materials. Use the research reported and your own background experience

to address the following prompts:

• How do you distinguish teacher-directed and learner-directed activities in the classroom? Under

what circumstances are each most effective?

• What are the varieties of assessments that teachers can use to judge student learning? What do

you think will be most compelling and beneficial to inform your decision-making as a teacher?

• Consider the development trends in the module chapters for this teaching journal installment.

In what ways do you want to be sure to engage students in making decisions in the classroom?

What will benefit their learning in the grade range you expect to teach?• What challenging decisions will you make as a beginning teacher? What tools or resources will

help you decide what to do?

Grading Rubric for Teaching Journal Installments

Grading Rubric for Teaching Journal Installments

20 points – This is well written. You fully addressed the questions and provided accurate and substantive

reflections on the big ideas covered in modules. You drew connections among big ideas in module

materials and made personal connections to derive original implications for teaching.

18 points – Follows directions; addresses most prompts accurately to focus on big ideas covered in the

modules for the current journal installment; draws connections among big ideas in module materials to

derive implications; teaching writing is mainly organized and clear, concise, and easy to read.

16 points – Follows assignment directions; addresses most prompts accurately and substantively; may

include partial responses; may omit some critical concepts or implications for teaching in reflections.

Writing is somewhat organized, clear, concise, and easy to read.

14 points – Does not follow the assignment directions; does not address all prompts; misses critical

concepts and implications for teaching covered in modules related to current journal installment Writing

needs to be organized, clear, concise, and easy to read.

0 points Fail to complete an assignment or vague reflections providing no clear evidence of having read

module materials related to the current journal installment.

Ormrod, J. E., & Jones, B. D. (2012). Essentials of educational psychology: Big ideas to guide effective teaching. Pearson. 

use other references