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CTL 7015: From Student to Professional Master of Teaching Program, 231 P/J
Fall/Winter 2016/2017 1AM – 4PM on Wednesday; 2-279
Instructor: Dr. Victorina Baxan
Office: 11-280| [email protected] Office hours by appointment: Monday-Wednesday 4:30-6:30pm
Effort will be made to respond to your emails within 2-3 business days
Teaching Assistants: Amir Kalan: [email protected]
Jason Brennan: [email protected] Meeting hours by appointment only
COURSE DESCRIPTION This course connects academic course work, researching and writing the Master of Teaching Research Paper, and the development of students' professional identities as teachers. This course attends to the intersections of research, theory, and practice. Course goals include deepening student understanding of the complexities of teaching and learning, refining a vision of teaching, and preparing students for their professional work as educators and/or for further academic study. This course takes up these aims alongside a focus on completing the Master of Teaching Research Paper. In addition to supporting students' own research, this course develops students' capacity to collaborate with colleagues, as well as make use of research, theory and other bodies of knowledge to inform personalized pedagogical decisions and determine next academic and professional steps. The goal of the course is that students come to see themselves as active, inquiring professionals continually refining planning, instruction and assessment based on data in pursuit of greater precision and personalization for learners. The cycle of reflective inquiry includes questioning, observing, consulting other data sources, collecting data, reflecting, interpreting, intervening instructionally or in assessment. In other words, your MTRP work, and the research process in which you are engaged, should clearly inform your teaching practice, while your teaching should inform your work as a researcher. This work comes as part of a larger commitment to students and student learning based on research-informed and -infused best practices. COURSE EXPECTATIONS This course is designed to help you:
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1. Continue developing first-hand experience of being a teacher-researcher, with a focus on
qualitative interview methodology. 2. Successfully complete your Master of Teaching Research Project by analyzing your interview
data and writing up your findings in a way that demonstrates scholarly rigour and relevance to the lives and practices of teachers.
3. Critically examine your personal beliefs about education, equity and the processes by which
knowledge is created, legitimized, shared and used in education. 4. Refine your professional practice through ongoing inquiry, dialogue and reflection.
A NOTE ON COURSE STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT Our twelve class meetings will each focus on the development of your research abilities and your MTRP. Classes are conducted using a gradual release model in which particular techniques are introduced, demonstrated, practiced and then applied to your own interview data. Each class begins with lecture and guided practice, and concludes with in-class time to work on your MTRP with support. There will be homework assignments (related to your own MTRP) that serve as check-ins on your data analysis progress and tickets-in to class. In addition to attending our class meetings, you are required to attend at least one meeting with the Teaching Assistant in the fall semester. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure that you have completed your assigned Chapter 1-3 revisions, that these chapters are clean (no tracked changes or comments remain), and that they are appropriately formatted for final deposit in April. At least 72 hours prior to your TA meeting, email them your revised Chapters 1-3 in a single Word document. In addition to Ch. 1-3 revisions, primary writing support for Ch. 4 and 5 will be offered by the TA. COURSE RESOURCES
1. Required readings are available as PDFs on Pepper. 2. Master of Teaching Research Paper Guidelines (see Pepper) 3. Any Ontario Ministry of Education documents which relate to your MTRP.
EVALUATION Evaluation is directly tied to the completion of your MTRP, with non-weighted and weighted tasks.
Task Weight Due
Consent Forms September 26th
Transcripts September 26th
Becoming a Professional Teacher-Researcher 20% ongoing/April 6th
Chapter 4: Research Findings 50% December 9th
Chapter 5: Conclusion 30% February 6th
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Final MTRP Deposit early April
Research Celebration Presentation mid-April
Non-Weighted Tasks () By the end of September, you are required to show all of your signed interview consent forms and at least two complete and anonymized interview transcripts to the instructor for their review. If you require further support for transcription, consult the Interview Transcription Cheat Sheet on Pepper. Completion of this course is connected to completion of the MT program, in that you must submit your final MTRP (which must be properly formatted and free of all errors, comments and tracked changes) to your instructor for review. Pending their approval, you must then deposit the approved final version online in mid-April with the School of Graduate Studies. In mid-April, all members of the MT community come together to celebrate the research accomplishments of MT students. At the Research Celebration, students completing their second year will present their MTRP research in a 10 to 12-minute presentation for peers and faculty (either in a morning OR afternoon session). Presentations will be clustered so that students are presenting in a session together with 5-6 of their Year 2 peers, on a related topic area. As you did last year, Year 1 students register for sessions and are expected to attend 1 morning session and 1 afternoon session. They will be audience members for Year 2 students, and will have the opportunity to ask questions of Year 2 students about their research findings and the research process. MTRP Chapter 4: Research Findings (50%) DUE: December 9th (on Pepper) Chapter 4 is your first opportunity to tell the reader what your own study has uncovered. As you write the chapter, be guided by the following question: what matters about what I found and why? A successful Chapter 4 will be correctly formatted (see MTRP Guidelines), use correct APA citation, and address/include the following in 10-15 (absolute maximum is 20) double-spaced pages:
1. An introduction wherein you preview your themes and how you organized your chapter
2. A thorough findings section where you describe your findings by theme and accompanying sub-themes, where appropriate. For each theme, include:
a. A description of your related findings: i. what you learned
ii. what you did not learn but had hoped to iii. what surprised you iv. what suspicions were confirmed through your interviews
b. References to participants’ practical and instructional strategies (as appropriate) c. Relevant verbatim quotations from participants to illustrate your results
i. Remember, your participants’ voices do not tell the story of your MTRP, but instead help you to tell it. Do not overly rely on quotations.
d. OPTIONAL: Tables and/or figures to describe some of your data.
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i. Do not rely on these as a primary means for reporting what you found.
3. A detailed discussion of your findings including connections to the literature, as appropriate (both convergences and divergences).
a. Discuss the significance of what you found given what existing research has learned to date. In other words, read your data alongside the findings shared by scholars whose work you reviewed in Chapter 2. If you find an article that you would like to discuss a source that was not included in Chapter 2, go back and add it in.
b. Ask yourself: given what research has already learned, what is significant about what YOU found from interviewing Ontario educators (if applicable)?
4. A conclusion where you summarize key findings (approximately one short paragraph per
major section above) and connections to the literature. Set the stage for your Chapter Five. Chapter 4 should use headings and sub-headings in proper APA format (see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/16/). The chapter’s sections should be organized and numbered as follows:
4.0 Introduction 4.1 Findings 4.1.1 Theme 1: Description (4-5 words) 4.1.1.1 Sub-theme 1: Description (4-5 words) *If applicable. 4.1.2 Theme 2 4.1.3 Theme 3 4.1.4 Theme 4* 4.2 Discussion 4.3 Conclusion
*There is no required number of themes. The number of themes you have should roughly match your subsidiary research questions (objects), and there should be no/minimal overlap. MTRP Chapter 5: Conclusion (30%) DUE: February 6th (on Pepper) Chapter 5 is your final opportunity to communicate with readers. A successful Chapter 5 will be correctly formatted (see MTRP Guidelines), use correct APA citation, and address/include the following in 6-8 (absolute maximum is 10) double-spaced pages:
1. An introduction wherein you preview how you organized the chapter
2. A very brief overview of your key research findings and discussion points (from Chapter 4)
3. Implications for the educational community. For example, what are some implications for pre-service or in-service teacher education? What about everyday school practices (i.e., curriculum, pedagogy, classroom community building, equity, collaboration, parent or community relationships, facilities, policies and procedures, communication, etc.)?
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4. Implications of this study for you as a researcher and as a teacher. For example, what have
you learned about your topic that has influenced your thinking? This can be very practical, e.g., describe how your practice will be different because of this research.
5. Recommendations based on your findings, whether for teachers, administrators, school
boards, ministries of education, professional associations, teacher education programs, etc. These should not ‘come out of left field’ but should connect to #2, 3 and 4 above.
6. A list of questions you which were raised in the course of carrying out the study and which
remain for you after analyzing your data, and a suggestion of research studies which could be undertaken to address these questions.
7. A comprehensive conclusion summarizing your findings and discussion, implications and
recommendations (approximately one paragraph per major section).You may choose to close your MTRP with a final statement regarding the significance of the topic/findings.
Chapter 5 should use headings and sub-headings in proper APA format (see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/16/). The chapter’s sections should be organized and numbered as follows:
5.0 Introduction 5.1 Overview of Key Findings and their Significance 5.2 Implications
5.2.1 The Educational Community 5.2.2 My Professional Identity and Practice
5.3 Recommendations 5.4 Areas for Further Research 5.5 Concluding Comments
Becoming a Professional Teacher-Researcher (BPTR) (20%) Ongoing / Final Report DUE: April 6th (on Pepper) Throughout this course you are expected to demonstrate initiative in the development of your own identity and skills as a teacher-researcher: a teacher who creates, shares, and uses knowledge from research in order to further develop your own and others’ teaching toward educational equity. From September to April, you will gather artifacts that, in your view, serve as evidence of your learning and self-reflection in relation to this development inside and outside of class. We will develop success criteria related to two learning goals: “I am an engaged and professional teacher-researcher when I _______ in class” and “I am an engaged and professional teacher-researcher when I _______ outside of class.” The instructor will then develop and distribute a rubric. Your BPTR Final Report will be 1-2 single-spaced pages and justify your self-assigned mark on the rubric, with reference to at least two artifacts for the inside section and two artifacts for the outside section. In our last class together, you will also be asked to reflect on your teacher-researcher journey throughout the program since September 2015 when you began your study, and to share your
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reflection in the Final Report. A template for the Final Report will be available on Pepper. The definition of an ‘artifact’ is open and does not have to be something made/gathered during class time. However, each artifact must from this academic year (September 2016 to April 2017). A folder in Pepper was created to store you artifacts, if you wished to do so. Artifacts can be attached to your Final Report in any electronic format including PDFs, screenshots, images, links, or Word documents. Some possible artifacts include:
Conference proposal (to an actual conference, whether submitted or not)
Notes or materials from an in-class activity
A chapter draft, with annotation or tracked changes
Feedback given to a peer
Written reflection on feedback received from a peer
Emails (only sent by you, not by another person) about publication, presentation, further study, or research funding opportunities
Written reflection on a conversation about your research
Resources received from or shared with others CLASS SCHEDULE Please bring your research materials (transcripts, notes, etc.) to every class, as well as a pen, paper and your device (preferably with typing capability) for in-class work.
Date Topic > Bring | ® Read | HW
Session 1 Sept. 14
Introduction and Overview
> Signed consent forms and transcripts. ® Review the Interview Transcription Tip Sheet (*Pepper under Course Materials and Resources). ® Kerwin-Boudreau, S. (2010). The master teacher program: A case for the evolving practitioner. Pédagogie Colégiale, 23(3), pp. 1-7. *Pepper ®Krishnamurti, J. (1956). Education and the Significance of Life. Chapter 1 of Education and the Significance of Life. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. (*Pepper under Course Materials and Resources). ® (optional) Parker, P. (2009). The Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in Teaching. Center for Courage and Renewal. *Pepper
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Session 2 Sept. 21
Getting Started: Coding
> Signed consent forms and transcripts (if not yet submitted). > At least one interview copy, ready for coding ® Saldaña, J. (2009). An introduction to codes and coding. In The coding manual for qualitative researchers (pp. 1-31). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Omit CAQDAS info on pp. 22-26] *Pepper
Session 3 Sept. 28
Keeping Track: Memoing and Organizing
HW: One fully-coded transcript. > Signed consent forms and transcripts (if not yet submitted). ® Saldaña, J. (2009). Writing analytic memos. In The coding manual for qualitative researchers (pp. 32-44). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Omit pp. 41-44].*Pepper
Session 4 Oct. 5
Bringing it Together: Categorizing
HW: Two fully-coded transcripts with three analytic memos. ® Maykut, P., & Morehouse, R. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: Using the constant comparative method. In Beginning qualitative research: A philosophic and practical guide (pp. 121-149). New York, NY: Routledge Falmer. *Pepper
Session 5 Oct. 12
Zooming Out: Theme Development
HW: Complete one Category Sheet (*Pepper) with at least two rules of inclusion (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994) and a selection of codes from two transcripts. ® Attride-Stirling, J. (2001). Thematic networks: An analytic tool for qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 1(3), 385-405. (Please read pp. 387-394.) *Pepper
Session 6 Oct. 19
Writing it Up 1: From Themes to Text
HW: Complete one Theme Sheet (*Pepper). Code your third transcript (if applicable) and add codes to categories. ® We will work with an exemplar in class (TBA)
FALL PRACTICUM (October 31 – November 25)
Session 7 Nov. 30
Writing it Up 2: Fine-Tuning
HW: Locate and bring an MTRP with a strong Ch. 4. Be prepared to justify your selection. ® Evans, M. (2006). Educating for citizenship: What teachers say and what teachers do. Canadian Journal of Education, 29(2), 410-435. [exemplar] *Pepper ® MTRP Guidelines (section on Chapter 4) *Pepper
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Session 8 Dec. 7
Chapter 4 Clinic (Peer Review and in-class support from Victorina + TA.)
Ch. 4 Peer Review. *48 hours before class, submit one complete themed section to your group on Pepper. HW: Feedback for each of your peer review group members.
Ch. 4 DUE on December 9th by 11:59PM (on Pepper)
WINTER BREAK (December 19 – January 2)
Session 9 Jan. 18
Capping it Off: The Art of the Conclusion
> Your revised Ch. 1-3 > Your Ch. 4 as-is ® MTRP Guidelines (section on Chapter 5) ® MTRP Chapter 5 exemplar
Session 10 Jan. 25
Paying it Forward: Implications and Recommendations
HW: Draft at least two implications and two recommendations each for teacher educators, K-12 teachers, and policymakers. > Your revised Ch. 1-3 > Your completed draft of Ch. 5 ® Tracy, S. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight “Big Tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837-851. *Pepper
Session 11 Feb. 1
Chapter 5 Clinic (Peer Review and in-class support from Victorina + TA.)
Ch. 5 Peer Review. *48 hours before class, submit one complete theme section to your group on Pepper. > BPTR self-evaluation rubric > Completed Ch. 5 HW: Feedback for each of your peer review group members. ® SGS Deposit Guidelines
Ch. 5 DUE on February 6th by 11:59PM (on Pepper)
February 7 – 12: Address edits and feedback on Chapter 4.
WINTER PRACTICUM (February 13 – March 10) and SPRING BREAK (March 13 – 17)
March 18 – 26: Finalize all MTRP chapters for deposit.
Session 12 Mar. 22
Capstone and Conference Preparation
> device (for working on your conference presentation) > Chapters 1-5 for in-class updating/formatting. > Questions you still have about your MTRP
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FINAL MTRP DUE ON PEPPER BY March 27.
This deadline is non-negotiable. Afterwards, schedule some flexible blocks of time and check email/Pepper multiple times per day as you may have final revisions before you are able to deposit.
BPTR Rubric, Artifacts and Final Report DUE on April 6th by 11:59PM (on Pepper)
Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
COURSE POLICIES Community and Well-Being in our Seminar In this course, we will be encountering difficult questions and challenges together. Conflicts will arise as we go. You are expected to participate as best as you can – this varies from person to person depending on our histories and experiences – with me and each other in the process of working through and learning from conflict. At times this process may involve discussions outside of seminar as well as (very brief) reflective tasks in addition to course assignments. I am available if you want to talk and/or need support or resources as a result of anything that happens during or in relation to the course. If you require access to mental health support for any reason, U of T Counselling and Psychological Services has compiled a list of important phone numbers and many are available 24/7: http://www.caps.utoronto.ca/Services-Offered/Assault-Counselling/important-phone-numbers.htm. Another helpful resource is Good2Talk, a 24/7 support phone line for post-secondary students. Some additional on-campus supports include:
Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office: http://www.antiracism.utoronto.ca/about.html
Family Care Office: http://sgdo.utoronto.ca/
First Nations House: https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/fnh
Multi-Faith Centre for Spiritual Study & Practice: https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/mf
Sexual & Gender Diversity Office: http://sgdo.utoronto.ca/ Accessibility Students seeking academic accommodations related to disabilities or chronic health concerns must be registered with the University of Toronto’s Accessibility Services. For additional information on accommodations, accessibility, equity, or mental health and wellness should contact Jeananne Robertson, Student Success Specialist in OISE’s Student Engagement Office, Office of the Registrar and Student Services (ORSS). Jeananne can be reached by e-mail ([email protected]), phone 416-978-2448, or find her in person at the ORSS Registrar’s Office on the 8th floor. That said, in my view accessibility is about more than following institutional policy and the law; this is something that I hope to model in our course. As the instructor, I am committed to making all aspects of the course accessible to students who require accommodations on the basis of (mental or physical, chronic or temporary) illness, disability or other related need, whether or not students have sought support or institutional recognition from the University and whether or not there is anyone in our class community who has expressed a need for accommodation. If you would like to discuss your
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evolving needs as a student in this course, or have questions, suggestions or concerns please speak with me. Here are some ways in which I hope to increase the accessibility of our course:
using clear, accessible and consistent fonts/formats for all course documents;
using a variety of pedagogical strategies in order to encourage the participation of students with a variety of learning needs and styles;
and banning perfume, cologne and other scented products. Scented products release chemicals which can trigger serious health reactions in people with asthma, migraines, allergies or chemical sensitivities (see http://www.ehs.utoronto.ca/resources/HSGuide/Scent.htm).
For more information on disability rights advocacy at UofT, visit the website of Students for Barrier-Free Access (http://sba.sa.utoronto.ca). For a quick read on the practice of everyday anti-ableism, check out http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/10/avoid-everyday-ableism/. Lateness and Absence Your contributions to and participation in daily activities and collaborative tasks, drawing upon assigned readings and personal experience, are directly related to success in this course. As with all MT classes, punctual and regular attendance is an expectation. In the case of an unavoidable late arrival or absence, candidates should notify me in advance (and other students who might be affected) by email. When in-class assignments are missed during such absences, you may be asked to make them up in an appropriate way that is consistent with the expectations of the assignment. Grading and Late Assignments Assignments are graded in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out by the University – please refer to the University Assessment & Grading Practices Policy. Excerpt: 1.2.2. Graduate Studies uses a truncated refined letter grade scale (as follows): A+, A, A‐ , B+, B, B‐ and FZ.
Letter Grade % Benchmarks
A+ 90 ‐ 100% Ready for academic publication / peer reviewed journal / Ted Talk quality. Highly sophisticated and outstanding
A 85 ‐ 89% Excellent work, meets all criteria for success
A‐ 80 ‐ 84% Strong work, meets almost all criteria for success, with a few areas needing improvement
B+ 77 ‐ 79% Good work, meets many of the success criteria, with some areas needing improvement
B 73 ‐ 76% Work meets some success criteria, and/or requires improvement
B‐ 70 ‐ 72% Work does not meet multiple success criteria, and/or includes other major issues such as style, appropriateness, focus etc.
FZ** 0 ‐ 69%
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I expect that all assignments will be submitted by their posted due date or that arrangements for an alternate due date, if required, will be made directly with me no later than 5 business days before the assignment is due. Decisions regarding accepting of late assignments are made at the instructor’s discretion, including the possible reduction of one letter grade per day. Exceptions will be made on the basis of relevant accommodations outlined in a Letter of Accommodation or Consideration generated by the Student Services Office. Pepper My preferred means of communication is email ([email protected]) and not Pepper; an email will receive a quicker response than a Pepper message. We will be using Pepper to continue our learning outside of scheduled classes and to share resources. Please note that participation in online forums is subject to the standards of collegiality and professionalism outlined in Foundations of Professional Practice (2008) authored by the Ontario College of Teachers, and Teacher Candidates & Professionalism (2006) and Professional and Ethical Standards for B.Ed Candidates (2012) authored by OISE. You are particularly reminded of your duty of confidentiality. Whether in person or online, do not refer by name to your practicum students or staff members. If at any time a fellow candidate’s online behaviour gives cause for concern, notify me. Technology Use in Class Our class combines discussion with intensive in-class study and group work that will often involve accessing the internet, using social media or creating an ad hoc presentation. For this reason, tablets and laptops are welcome in our class as long as they are being used for note taking or engaged group work. Audio-recording is not permitted in the interests of student privacy; again, accessibility needs might trump these concerns. Phones and other text-messaging devices should not be used during instructional time and should remain silent. If I see that a student is using personal devices for off-course activities, I will arrange a meeting with you to discuss the issue. In the event that you are waiting for an important phone call or message and it is important to you that you have your phone visible or on vibrate mode, let me know at the beginning of class. Academic Support for Students The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) has a well-developed writing support centre that teacher candidates can access. There are some links to these supports and resources within the Practicum pages of the MT website (http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/mt/Practice_Teaching/Useful_Links.html under the heading School of Graduate Studies Links). The direct link to the writing centre is: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/currentstudents/Pages/English-Language-and-Writing-Support.aspx. You can register online for upcoming workshops and courses at the writing centre. Teacher candidates can also access the OISE Student Success Centre up to twice a week for 35-minute appointments. Read more about how to access this on-site support: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ss/OISE_Student_Success_Centre_(OSSC)/index.html. Academic Integrity
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It is important to familiarize yourself with the University of Toronto’s policies and procedures on academic matters. The Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters pertains to all students and faculty at the University of Toronto. This document states that it is an offence for a student knowingly “to represent as one’s own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e. to commit plagiarism.” The complete document is online (www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm). Acknowledgement of sources is always required, even when submitting non-traditional university assignments. The University of Toronto also has a website dedicated to Academic Integrity and associated UofT resources (www.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity) and includes:
1) Definitions of Academic Offenses at http://www.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity/academicoffenses.html 2) “How Not to Plagiarize” at http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize 3) “Standard Documentation Formats” http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/documentation
Sustainability OISE is committed to supporting the Ministry of Education’s policy on Environmental Education, and creating a culture of sustainability in teaching and learning through paper and waste reduction, energy conservation and other initiatives. Assignments in this course are typically submitted to a drop-box in the course Pepper folder, and feedback is typically provided electronically. All course readings are available as electronic attachments or via web-links. To learn more about sustainability at OISE, please visit http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ese/index.html. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy As of June 10, 2006 all Ontario universities have been covered by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This Act supports access to University records and protection of privacy, including the protection of personal information about individuals that is held by the University and the provision of access for individuals to their personal information. Teacher candidates will be contacted by using only their utoronto email address. Copyright University of Toronto faculty, staff and students are both creators and users of material subject to the protections of the Copyright Act. Accordingly, all have both rights and obligations that arise from copyright law as it has been interpreted and applied by the courts. For guidance on whether or not fair dealing applies to the material you would like to use in your scholarly work, please consult the University of Toronto’s Copyright Fair Dealing Guidelines (http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/Assets/Provost+Digital+Assets/26.pdf ). You are encouraged to contact your Liaison Librarian (http://oise.library.utoronto.ca/aboutus-staff-directory) or UTL’s Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office (mailto:[email protected]) for assistance with any copyright questions or issues.
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Continuity Planning In the event of an interruption of classes or a closure of the OISE site or a closure of the larger university, we will make extensive use of Pepper including online discussions which will take the place of in-class participation. Once you are aware of an interruption or site closure, you are responsible for regularly referring to Pepper for information about all course assignments, evaluation rubrics and additional instructions. Do not assume that course activity is suspended.
