Assignments

Introduction:
Answer the following:
1) Name/family name:
2) Interests/hobbies:
3) Education level:
4) Reason for choosing education:
5) Question about life that you are curious about:
6) Best teacher/instructor with reasons:
7) Worst teacher/instructor with reasons:
8) Additional information you would like to add:
9) What you expect to get out of this course:

The main reasons for this assignment are as follows:

a) to get better acquainted with each other
b) to remember what we liked and disliked as students and act accordingly as teachers
c) to monitor our growth throughout the course

Bloom's Taxonomy:
Discuss the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and its importance in preparing curricula, syllabi and lesson plans.

The reason for this assignment is to bring to your awareness the steps required to follow as teachers to
promote learning.

Writing objectives: 1 of each K.A.R.:

Write 1 detailed objective that promotes knowing, 1 detailed objective that promotes applying, and 1 detailed
objective that promotes reasoning.

The reason for this assignment is to learn how to write objectives properly. You will need to write them
once you become educators, whether it is required in your yearly-plan or lesson-plan.

Classifying objectives (Lebanese Curriculum):

Select a math topic in one cycle. Your assignment is to classify these objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
and then conduct a statistical survey to show what percentage of objectives belong to each level. Lastly, you
will need to state your opinion about the percentages, and suggest some changes.

The reason for this assignment is to learn how to read curricula and accordingly plan the activities and
assessment techniques for each lesson.

Lebanese Vs. American Curricula:

By now you have seen the Lebanese curriculum. Your assignment is to do a quick research about the American
curriculum. Then you will discuss your opinion about both in regards to:
1) What did you like about each and what didn’t you like?
2) Would you use any ideas from the American curriculum to improve the Lebanese one? Why? How?
3) What are some testing systems the Americans use instead of Brevet and Bacc.? State your opinion on
this topic.

The reason for this assignment is to see that there is no one perfect curriculum. There is always room for
improvement. However, we can learn from each other to help improve our education system, hopefully
locally, and then on a global scale too.
Assessment Types:
You will briefly discuss the various assessment techniques. I also want to talk about the importance of self-
assessment.

This assignment will introduce to you different methods educators can use to assess what students know
and have learnt. Paper-pencil testing may be important however, a lot of times, it causes anxiety, which
in turn results in imprecise results. Furthermore, you will realize the importance of self-assessment,
which should be done in all domains of your lives, and not just in education. It is through self-
assessment that we as human beings become better and stronger.

Write a detailed lesson plan:

We will discuss how to write lesson plans in class. This assignment should be a direct application of it in the
field of mathematics. By now, you will have formed your groups. Together you need to select a topic from one
cycle, and each of the group members should prepare the lesson plan for one of the grade levels in your chosen
cycle.

The reason for this assignment is to learn how to write well developed lesson plans. You will need to
write them once you become educators. You will also need it for your final project and portfolio.

Test with Rubric:

Based on your math lesson plan, you will prepare a method to assess your students’ learning. It should include
the method, the answer key, and the rubric.

This assignment brings to our awareness that different lessons, and different needs, result in different
types of assessment techniques. Note that it is not about simply setting a bunch of questions. It is a
means to test if the learning objectives have been achieved and to what extent. This is where the rubric
comes to play. Furthermore, it is always important to prepare an answer key to make certain the results
of our questions are reasonable, and can be solved based on the students’ grade level and know how.

Art based on Geometry or Origami:

For this assignment, I want you to find the link between mathematics and the arts. You can either draw a picture
based on geometry and repeating patterns, do origami and explain in mathematical terms how to achieve the
desired result, or write poetry that will help students remember some mathematical properties and so on…

The reason for this assignment is simple. If we can find a link between math and art, then we can find a
link between math and all the other subjects we teach at school.

Final Project:
For the final project, you will need to be working in groups of 2 or 3 (preferably 3).
What is required of you is the following:
1) Select a math subject matter and the cycle the group is going to tackle. You will need to base it on the
objectives as stated by the Lebanese curriculum.
2) Each student is responsible for one of the grades in the cycle. They will have to prepare the lesson plan,
activities, assignments, assessments (with rubric and answer key), and learning center. Remember that
the content should be based on the constructivist theories where guided inquiry is promoted.
3) Make sure that all 3 grade levels are in sync and that there are no learning gaps.
4) Be prepared for microteaching.
Note that, while microteaching takes place, both the instructor and students will be grading based on a given
rubric. Students will also be graded for their ability to adhere to the rubric.

The reason for this assignment is to bring to your attention, the amount of work it takes to become a
good educator. Know that having the title “teacher” means nothing if our aim isn’t to promote learning,
 for that is the true job. As teachers, you will need to know what your students already know before
preparing your lessons, and what they will need to know for their smooth transition into the future. It is
your job to build links and bridges to and from the learning objectives you have uncovered in your class.
You will also need to learn how to as objective as possible with your grading. That is why I will grade
your ability to adhere to the rubric. It shows if you have understood what is required, and that you can
stick to it even if the person is a favorite student or the least favorite.

Portfolio:
In the portfolio you will include:
1) Cover page
2) Introduction
3) All corrected assignments printed and in order
4) All quizzes
5) Midterm exam
6) Any additional resources
7) Conclusion

The conclusion should discuss the following points:

i) The most important thing you learnt from this course
ii) Any change in your life question
iii) Your growth prompted by the course (Based on mentality, character, expectations…)
iv) Did you achieve what you had expected to at the beginning of the semester
v) Any additional information

There are so many reasons to have a portfolio. In a portfolio you keep all your work and refer to it in the
future. It also includes all the activities that helped promote effective learning, and notes as to what
wasn’t as effective. It shows your growth as individuals and as thinkers. Just like photo albums that
catalogue our happiest moments, the portfolio catalogues everything we know about the subjects we
teach and helps us improve and be the best educators we can be.

Dates in regards to: quizzes, midterm, and deadlines for assignments, project and portfolio:
Date EDUC 328- Beirut Campus
Feb M 1 Introduction
7
  T 1  
8
  W 1  
9
  T 2  
H 0
  M 2 Bloom's Taxonomy
4
  T 2  
5
  W 2  
6
  T 2  
H 7
Marc M 2  
h
  T 3  
  W 4 Quiz 1- Chp 1 + Notes
  T 5  
H
  M 9  
  T 1  
0
  W 1  
1
  T 1  
H 2
  M 1 Writing objectives: 1 of each K.A.R.
6
  T 1  
7
  W 1 Quiz 2- Chp 2 + Bloom's T + Objectives
8
  T 1  
H 9
  M 2 Classifying objectives(Lebanese
3 Curriculum)
  T 2  
4
  W 2  
5
  T 2  
H 6
  M 3  
0
  T 3  
1
April W 1 Lebanese Vs. American Curricula
  T 2  
H
  M 6  
  T 7  
  W 8 Quiz 3- Chp 3 + Notes
  T 9  
H
  M 1 Midterm + Revision
3
  T 1
4
  W 1
5
  T 1
H 6
  M 2  
0
  T 2  
1
  W 2 Assessment Types
 2
  T 2  
H 3
  M 2  
7
  T 2  
8
  W 2 Write a detailed lesson plan
9
  T 3  
H 0
May M 4  
  T 5  
  W 6 Test with Rubric
  T 7  
H
  M 1 Quiz 4- Chp 4 + Notes
1
  T 1  
2
  W 1 Art based on Geometry or Origami
3
  T 1  
H 4
  M 1 Quiz 5- Chp 5 + Notes
8
  T 1  
9
  W 2 Final Project Presentation
0
  T 2  
H 1
  M 2  
5
  T 2  
6
  W 2 Final Project Presentation + Portfolio
7
  T 2  
H 8