SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014

Teaching Social Studies

in the Elementary Classroom
Meeting Times/Places
For our “Jump Start” classes, we will meet at Mount Nittany Elementary School
Auditorium (MNES) on Monday the 11th of August from 1-4pm and Tuesday the 12th of
August from 1-4pm.

Gray (section 7): From September through December of 2014, regular class sessions for the
Gray cohort will meet each Tuesday from 11:30-2:30pm at Gray’s Woods Elementary (GW)
room 90.

Maroon (section 8): From September through December of 2014, regular class sessions for
the Maroon cohort will meet each Wednesday from 11:30-2:30pm at Gray’s Woods
Elementary (GW) room 90.

Catalogue Course Description: SSED 430W

This course offers a comprehensive introduction and exploration of the themes,
principles, and pedagogies of facilitating dynamic social studies instruction in the PK-4
classroom or school; practical demonstration of desirable methods and resources will be
a point of focus throughout the course.
Concurrent Courses: CI 495 B, MTHED 420, and SCIED 458

Instructors:
Stephanie Serriere (Gray)
Office: 165 Chambers Bldg.
Office Phone: (814) 863-2937
Email: scs22@psu.edu
Christine McDonald (Gray)
Office: TBA
Cell phone: (814) 777- 7764
Email: crm20@psu.edu

Bill Benson (Maroon) Marion Wheland (Maroon)

Office: TBA Office: TBA
Home Phone: (814) 355-0233 Home Phone: (814) 692-5053
Work Phone: (814) 222-1013 Email: mhw4@psu.edu
Email: wlb6@psu.edu

office hours by appointment

Course Development
The PDS sections of SSED 430W are developed collaboratively by a planning team of
mentor teachers, curriculum support teachers, administrators, university faculty, and
doctoral candidates – all of them experienced K-6 educators. Great care is taken to
ensure each revision of the course reflects the best of what we know about how to
support your preparation and growth as teachers.

Overview of the Course

Social studies transforms the social sciences into appropriate curriculum for the schools.
Social studies, while in a constant state of flux for over 100 years, withstands the test of

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
time in our schools. As a study of how people live and contribute to their communities,
social studies provides a lens of engaging with and living in the world.

Opinions abound as to what should constitute a good social studies program, and
experts continue to argue about the content, goals, and ways to teach social studies.
This lack of uniformity provides an opening for each social studies teacher to define
what social studies will mean in his/her classroom. As your instructors, we encourage
you throughout this class to create a developing image of how social studies will be
taught in your classroom.

It is your responsibility as a student to be willing to be changed by each course you

take. Begin your understanding paying particular attention to the social studies
program in your mentor’s classroom (or mentors’ classrooms) and throughout the
school where you intern. Raise questions about what you are observing in this methods
class. Compare your learning here to what is happening in your math and science
methods courses as well as CLE. Your openness to the ideas expressed by your
instructors, your fellow students, and throughout your readings can lead you to become
a teacher who makes the lives of your students and your own life better. You have
chosen a critically important profession. With the right frame of mind, it promises to be
an intellectually and personally exciting one.

Essential Questions that Drive SSED430W

Throughout this semester, interns should be developing a clearer sense of how they will
teach social studies. The following questions and prompts may help you as you go
through the application and interviewing process.

1. Think about your growth this semester in terms of your relationship with social studies
- sharing your past experiences as a social studies learner and providing logical goals
you have set for yourself in the future as a student of social studies.

2. What is social studies? Why is it important? How does it relate to other subjects in
school?

3. If an interested principal, parent, or fellow teacher wanted to observe your social studies
classroom, what would be seen? In other words, what resources and activities represent
your philosophy of education with regard to SSED? [This is NOT asking you how your
mentor(s) would answer this or how each mentor runs his/her classroom. Paint the picture
without assuming that it would need to be SCASD.]

4. Consider the following three prompts as you go through the course:

a. Consider your growth as a creator and manager of content-rich resources.
b. Consider your growth this semester in terms of taking into account multiple
perspectives.
c. Consider your growth when in both challenging and assessing your social
studies students – distinguishing between what others do and do not fully
know/understand.

5. Think about your growth as a teacher in terms of planning and facilitating dynamic
discussions, lessons, activities, and experiences around social studies.

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014

Required Readings

Readings will be made available to you electronically during our first class.

You are to purchase a membership affiliation to the National Council for the Social Studies at
socialstudies.org. We recommend choosing Social Studies and the Young Learner or Middle Level
Learning as your publication that comes with your membership. This membership will grant
you access to all past issues of NCSS publications in their on-line archive.

SSED430W Assignments At A Glance

Required Due Group or Assignment Format/Turn-in method
Assignments dates individual
(chronological) assignmen
t.?
Methods Block Friday, Individual Google.doc shared via email to your
Integrated Aug.15th grader
Assignment: Marion: mhw4@psu.edu
My Story as a 5pm Bill: wlb6@psu.edu
Learner Stephanie: scs22@psu.edu
Christine: : crm20@psu.edu

Googledocs-share with your content

area grader (For math, share with all
instructors) and classroom PDA.

School & Community Sunday, Oct. Group iMovie /GarageBand vodcast/video

Inquiry 5th format to Taskstream
Social Studies in My Sunday, Oct. Individual Word doc with photos
Classroom 19th ANGEL
Read: Aloud: Sunday, Nov. Individual CI 495B Lesson Plan format (long) on
Powerful Social 16th Taskstream: make a PDF or a link and
Studies Integration hand-in via ANGEL
through Children’s
Literature Plan to teach this lesson in October
My Future as a Social Sunday, Dec. Individual ANGEL
Studies Teacher 7th
Reading Responses Sundays by Individual ANGEL
5pm

Citizenship On-going Individual Your engaged, well-rested, prepared and

and professional self
collaborativ **
e Reading Responses, brought to class,
ready to discuss
Optional Sign-up to Individual
Assignments: present or usually but
hand in at dependent In-class presentation and/or word doc
Professional various times on chosen on ANGEL
Learning Activities in semester no project
(PLAs) later than Dec.
3rd

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
*All Sunday due dates should be posted before 5pm (ET) or be subject to late deductions of 10% every 48hrs
past due date. Talk to your instructor/grader about any extenuating circumstances before the due dates to
avoid deductions.

Assignments/Grading:
Further assignment descriptions will be discussed in class and available via ANGEL.

I. Being Ready for Class

Citizenship: As a class, we will co-construct what it means to be a good citizen in our class.
Contributing to and respecting these ideals are important to being a member of our learning
community. Each class, you are to demonstrate that you have read and processed the assigned
readings. Thoughtful responses, intriguing questions, and comments that build upon the
existing discussion are all traits of good dialogue. It is important that you seek to make quality
contributions to our classroom dialogue and demonstrate a willingness to engage in social
studies activities. You will get the most out of this class if you approach it with enthusiasm and
inquisitiveness in your role as a future educator.

Reading Responses: This assignment requires you to reflect, in a written form, your
understanding and reactions to the assigned readings. You are to summarize and analyze the
week’s reading by completing 10 reading responses during the semester. You will be assessed
on thoroughness and the extent to which you briefly summarize the readings; analyze them,
and make connections between the reading and your growing experiences in education and as
an educator. Your instructor may give you specific reflection prompts or questions. This
summary-analysis-connections reflection is to be approximately 2-3 paragraphs in length
posted on Angel, each Sunday by 5pm.

II. Written Self-Reflections

Methods Block Integrated Assignment: What I Bring to the Methods Block: My Story as
a Learner. DUE: 8/15 [A7,D3]: Carl Jung tells us that, “The most personal is the most
universal.” As a teacher education candidate you bring a unique set of experiences, values, and
understandings to the profession. Although your own experiences should serve as the
foundation for your decision-making, you may move beyond these in some ways to consider
powerful ways of teaching and learning. A good place to begin on the path to understanding
how to teach social studies is to reflect on your own experiences as a learner of all subject areas.
This assignment encourages you to consider your personal experiences. This assignment
urges you to analyze the impact of individuals and learning environments on your own
learning. See assignment description for details.

My Future As a Social Studies Teacher. DUE 12/7:At the start of the semester, you wrote
your “story as a learner.” Now, we look to your future as teacher. Imagine yourself five years
from now—and, you are about to become a mentor teacher for the first time. Write a letter to
that future version of yourself. In your letter, remind yourself of the ideas that you want to
take from the experiences of this semester, particularly in social studies. What you say might
remind, inspire, encourage or challenge that future version of you. Cite course discussions and
course readings (at least three) that inspired you to ground your vision and beliefs about social
studies teaching and learning. Your letter should be one page to three pages and single-spaced,
a model of professional writing.

III. Teaching and Learning in the Social Studies

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
a. Learning in the Social Studies

In order to facilitate learning within the social sciences, the course will conduct discipline
specific research and utilize the tools/modes of inquiry that are fundamental to social
scientists. You will become familiar with both the state and national standards and learn
how to teach these standards in ways that reinforce a working knowledge of the disciplines.

School & Community Inquiry. DUE 10/5 [A3, A6]: We begin the semester with an inquiry
into the context of your students’ lives and the curriculum that they are taught. As a class, we
will gather data about SCASD’s (economic, cultural, testing, curricular) context. In groups
based on the school you are placed, you are to consider the district level data and how it relates
to your context. Some analysis questions include: How are my students reflected in these data or
not? What does that mean for my teaching? You are to take a community walk around the area of
your school, interview people, take photos and any other data collection technique that will
enhance your analysis. The final product may be completed in any sort of digital technology.
An emphasis is placed on your professionalism in the final produce, your analysis (rather than
just presenting facts). See assignment description for details.

b. Teaching in the Social Studies

Read: Aloud: Powerful Social Studies Integration through Children’s Literature. DUE
11/16: Social studies is often integrated into other subjects, especially reading and writing but
often in a “stealthy” not healthy way. It is important to learn and practice how to integrate in
healthy ways that put social studies concepts at the forefront, rather than an add-on. You will
have an opportunity through this assignment to plan, assess, and teach quality social studies.
You will choose an exemplary tradebook as a read-aloud and social studies concepts that you
will teach through and during this read aloud. You will conduct a pre-, formative and
summative assessment on a small group of students and write a complete lesson plan in CI 495
B long format that you teach to your entire class. You are highly encouraged to video record
yourself teaching the lesson to facilitate the written reflection that accompanies this lesson plan
format.

Social Studies in My Classroom. DUE 10/19: Observe and reflect upon social studies
teaching and learning in your classroom. Consider curricular materials, student work, and
pedagogy in action to describe social studies in your placement classroom. See assignment
description for details.

Optional:

Professional Learning Activities. DUE 12/3 [PLAs] are activities that will allow you to
further your own professional development as a teacher of elementary school social studies.
These are optional activities that are designed to allow you to pursue topics that are most
interesting and relevant to you. To earn an A in this course, you will complete two PLAs. See
assignment description for details.

........................................
GRADING

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
When you submit an assignment, your instructor will review your work and provide you with
written feedback and indicate if your work is satisfactory. If it is not satisfactory, you will be
asked to revise and resubmit your work. You will have one week to resubmit an assignment.

A "C" or better in SSED430W is required in the CEAED program. The following chart outlines
how final course grades will be determined:

Grade To receive this grade, you must …

A* . . . satisfactorily complete all required course components and two Professional
Learning Activities (see above and assignment description)

B* . . . satisfactorily complete all required course components

C* . . . complete all required course components

* Based on your instructor’s assessment of citizenship, + and – grades will be applied. For
example, even if you satisfactorily complete all required course components and two PLAs,
your grade for the course may be an A- based on the quality of your class contributions.

Projected Calendar of Topics, Assignment Deadlines, and Readings

(subject to change)

Week 1 (First Week Jumpstart, MNES)- Aug 11th 1-4pm:

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question(s)
What is Social ü Rationale for Browse: Begin draft of
Studies and teaching social o National Council for the Social Studies “Methods
Why? studies website; find curriculum standards Block
ü Six social framework: http://www.socialstudies.org Integrated
What do we sciences o Pennsylvania Department of Education Assignment”
want to know ü Your memories standards on Social Studies disciplines:
about social of social studies http://www.pdesas.org/standard/views
studies? learning o Common Core State Standards:
ü “Methods Block http://www.pdesas.org/standard/common
Integrated core
Assignment”
introduced

Week 1 (Class 2) (First Week Jumpstart, MNES)- Aug 12th 1-4pm

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question(s)
What is Social ü “School  &   Parker, W. (2011). Social Studies DUE: Friday
Studies and Community   Education: What and Why?. In W. Parker, Aug. 15th
Why? Inquiry”  introduced   Social Studies in Elementary Education (5pm):
ü understanding (14th ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Methods Block
and utilizing a Integrated
school context   In class: Strickland, J. The Public Purpose of Assignment …
Schools. League of Democratic Schools.

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014

Week 3- Sept. 2nd & 3rd

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question(s)
What is healthy ü Healthy o Parker, W. (2011). The Literacy- Reading
integration? integration Social Studies Connection. In W. Response #1
Parker, Social Studies in Elementary
Education (pp. 361-392, 14th ed.). Due: Sept. 7th
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
o Skim NCSS Notable Children
Tradebooks:
http://www.socialstudies.org/resourc
es/notable
o Familiarize yourself with chart on pg.
125 of: Hinde, E. (2009). Fractured
social studies or inte-grated thinkers:
The end results of curriculum integ-
ration. Social Science Research and
Practice, 4(3), 118-127. Retrieved
from
http://www.socstrp.org/issues/PDF
o In class: Demonstration of powerful
social studies read-aloud.

Week 4- Sept. 9th & 10th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question(s)
Democracy in ü Democratic o Alleman, J. & Brophy, J. (2006). Reading
an elementary schools and Introducing children to democratic Response #2
classroom? democratic government. Studies and the Young
classrooms Learner, 19(1), 17-19. Due: Sept. 14th
ü Guests: Delta o Serriere, S., Mitra, D., & Cody, J.
Program (Nov/Dec 2010). Young citizens
taking action: For a better school Research PDE
lunch and beyond. Social Studies Civics
and the Young Learner, 23(2), 4-8. standards for
your grade.

Week 5- Sept. 16th & 17th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question(s)
What’s Service- ü Service- o Wade, R. (2011). Service for Reading
Learning and Learning as Learning. Educational Leadership, Response #3
why teach it? an action- 28-31.

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
oriented o Kids Consortium (2011). Kids as Due: Sept. 21th
How can I civics Planners: A Guide to Strengthening
inspire my pedagogy Students, Schools & Communities
students to make ü Guests: Through Service-Learning. Ch. 1,
a difference Donnan pp-1-16.
with a call to Stoicovy and o Serriere, S., McGarry, Fuentes, D. &
action? Park Forest Mitra, D. (2012). How service-
Elementary learning can ignite thinking. Social
teachers Studies and the Young Learner,
24(4), 6-10.

Week 6- Sept. 23th & 24th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question(s)
How do I assess ü Assessment ü Parker, W. (2009). Assessing
social studies? in social Student Learning. In W. Parker, Reading
studies Social Studies in Elementary Response #4
ü Guest Education (pp. 218-249, 13th ed.)
presenter: Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Due: Sept. 28th
Bill
DUE Sunday,
Sept. 28th:
Social Studies
in My
Classroom

Week 7- Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st

Essential Topics Readings Due

Question(s)
How do I make ü Geography o Segall, A. (2003). Maps as stories of Install Google
the world come the world. Social Studies and the Earth
alive with Young Learner, 16(1), 12-25.
Geography? Choose 1 of the 3: Research PDE
o Ekiss, G.O., Trapido-Lurie, B., Geography
Phillips, J., & Hinde, E. (2007) The standards for
World in Spatial Terms: Mapmaking your grade.
and map reading. Social Studies and
the Young Learner, 20(2), 7-9. Reading
o Todd, R.H. & Delahunty, T. (2007). Response #5
“A” is for Aerial Maps and Art.
Social Studies and the Young Due: Oct. 5th
Learner, 20(2), 10-13.
o Fertig, G. & Silverman, R. (2007).
Walking and Talking Geography: A

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
small-world approach. Social
Studies and the Young Learner,
20(2), 15-18.

Week 8- Oct. 7th and 8th

Essential Topics Readings Due

Question(s)
How do I teach ü History o Maguth, B.M., Dustman, J., Kerr, Research PDE
History M. (2013). Reexamining the Statue History
Powerfully? of Liberty: Different perspectives on standards for
*Class will be history and the promise of America. your grade.
held at Centre Social Studies and the Young
Furnace Learner, 25(4), 9-14. Reading
Mansion at o Zaleski, J. & Zinnel, V. Who Writes Response #6
1001 East History? Developing a social
College Ave. imaginitation with third graders. Due: Oct. 12th
from 12-3pm. Social Studies and the Young
Carpool please. Learner, 25(3), 23-26.
o Optional: Parker, W. (2009). History,
Geography, and the Social Sciences. In
W. Parker, Social Studies in Elementary
Education (pp. 106-124, 13th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Week 9- Oct. 14st and 15th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question (s)
How do I make ü Economics Meszaros, B. (2010). It’s never too DUE: Sunday,
the world come early: Why economics education in the Oct. 19th:
alive with elementary classroom. Social Studies School &
Economics? and the Young Learner, 22(3), 5. Community
Inquiry
Bring an example of economics in the
curriculum Review PDE’s
SAS for your
grade’s
economics
standards

Reading
Response #7

Due: Oct. 19th

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014

Week 10- Oct. 21st & 22nd

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question (s)
How can we ü Diversity o Ukpokodu, O. (2006). Essential Reading
show respect for characteristics of a culturally Response #8
diverse students, Guest conscientious classroom. Social
families, presenters on Studies and the Young Learner, Due: Oct. 26th
customs, and cultural 19(2), 4-7.
peoples while understanding- o Cruz, B.C. & Thorton, S.J (2008).
encouraging our “Raffa Raffa” Social studies for all: ESOL
students to do the strategies for the elementary
same? classroom. Social Studies and the
Young Learner, 21(2), 11-16.
o Optional: Parker, W. (2009). Knowing
the Children We Teach. In W. Parker,
Social Studies in Elementary Education
(pp. 26-57, 13th ed.). Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.

Week 11- Oct. 28th and 29th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question (s)
How do I teach ü Integration o Math is More than Numbers. Reading
the DI subjects with Math Rethinking Elementary Education. Response #9
as interrelated and Science o Laboratory for Justice: Science
and integrated? across the curriculum. Rethinking Due: Nov. 2nd
Elementary Education.
o Optional: Parker, W. (2011). Social
Studies as the Integrating Core. In
W. Parker, Social Studies in
Elementary Education (pp. 394-428,
14th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Week 12- Nov. 4th and 5th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question (s)
What pressures ü Current o Parker, W. (2011). Current Events A reading on
face educators events and Public Issues In W. Parker, your
today? ü Inquiry into Social Studies in Elementary educational
various Education (pp. 361-392, 14th ed.). topic
How do you to educational Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
bring current topics Bring “current
events into the (i.e.voucher event teaching”
classroom? s, Common example from
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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
Core, merit your classroom
pay, etc.) or Scholastics,
and teaching etc.
current
events

Week 13- Nov. 11th and 12th

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question (s)
How do I teach ü Teaching o Bigelow, B. (1996). Rediscovering DUE: Sunday,
Thanksgiving Thanks- Columbus: Rereading the past. In B. Nov. 16th:
accurately, giving Bigelow (Ed.) Rethinking Columbus. Read: Aloud:
powerfully and pp. 17-21. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Powerful
critically? Schools. Social Studies
o Heinrich, J.S. (1996) What not to teach Integration
about Native Americans. In B. Bigelow through
(Ed.) Rethinking Columbus. pp. 32-33. Children’s
Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools. Literature
o Christie, E. & Montgomery, S. (2010).
Beyond Pilgrim Hats and Turkey Reading
Hands: Using Thanksgiving to promote Response #10
citizenship and activism. Social Studies
and the Young Learner, 23(1), 27-30. Due: Nov. 16th

Thanksgiving Holiday –PDS classes do not meet Nov. 24th-28th

Week 14- Dec. 2nd and 3rd

Essential Topics Readings Due
Question (s)
How do I make o Brophy, J. Alleman, J. & Knighton, B. Bring to class
the most of the (2003). Co-constructing classroom one web or
resources resources. Social Studies and the Young community
available? Learner, 16(2), 5-8. resource that
could enhance
What resources your social
in the studies
community do I curriculum.
have to enhance
my curriculum? DUE:
Sunday, Dec.
Beyond my 7th, My Future
classroom walls, as a Social
how might I best Studies
make use of Teacher
whatever
resources I have?

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014

Expectations of this “W” Course

As a W course, writing (and communication in general, across several mediums) will be a major
focus throughout the semester in SSED 430W. The course instructor and planning team have
designed each of the writing assignments to help students 1) investigate social studies-oriented
subject matter, 2) explore the intersections of their emerging philosophies and pedagogical
stances, and 3) develop and practice the type of reflective thinking and writing associated with
the profession or teaching. Much of the writing may be informal and ungraded, yet meaningful,
so students are encouraged to think and discover through a process in which mistakes are a
natural part of learning. Growth is the goal.

Students will be afforded many opportunities to practice writing throughout the semester, with
emphasis given to writing as a process that develops through several iterations and drafts.
Opportunities for students to receive written feedback from the instructor and to apply the
instructor's feedback to their future writing will be built into the course. Likewise, students will
also frequently take on the role as peer-editors, responsible for giving substantive feedback to
improve upon the clarity and overall quality of one’s work. The instructor will clearly identify
and explain the type of writing required throughout the course and will provide guidance as
needed (e.g. negotiating how best to convey ideas to a given audience) to both authors and peer-
editors.

Your writing will be evaluated by the instructors, and writing quality will be a factor in
determining each student's final grade. Before students begin writing, the instructor will
communicate to students the criteria by which their writing will be evaluated. Sound criteria for
assessing writing quality include, but are not limited to, the writer's (demonstrated) ability to
direct the material to an intended audience, the employment of organizational strategies, the
development of both content and reasoning, adherence to conventions of a particular discipline,
accuracy of the information presented, citation and integration of sources, style, grammar,
syntax, spelling, and voice. The details of this policy are available at
http://www.senate.psu.edu/curriculum_resources/guide/sec1.html#Writing

Important Note on Professionalism

As a teacher candidate at PSU interns must conduct themselves in a professional manner in all
public arenas. These arenas include your classes, your practicum site, and in your contacts and
collaborations with other teaching professionals and teacher candidates. As instructors in this
certification program it is our responsibility to do our utmost to maintain our program's integrity
by evaluating students on whether they meet the demands of the teaching profession. Intellectual
curiosity, courtesy, punctuality/attendance, preparedness, growth, and thoughtful participation in
class activities are a few of the performances used to evaluate professionalism. The PDS is a
difficult, trying year of course- and fieldwork, but the workload in the PDS pales in comparison
to the first year of teaching. The PDS is an excellent opportunity to practice the many facets of
professionalism: diplomacy, tact, patience, problem solving, collegiality, moral reasoning, and
reflection. As Henry Adams reminded us approximately one century ago: "A teacher effects
eternity; he[/she] can never tell where his[/her] influence stops." When you decide to teach, you
are obligated to continually consider the effect you will have on your students, etc.

Statement of Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

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SSED 430W Syllabus Fall 2014
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you
have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments, contact the Office for
Disability Services (ODS) at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS,
please visit the Office for Disability Services website at http://equity.psu.edu/ods/. In order to
receive consideration for course accommodations, you must contact ODS and provide
documentation (see the documentation guidelines at
http://equity.psu.edu/ods/guidelines/documentation-guidelines). If the documentation supports
the need for academic adjustments, ODS will provide a letter identifying appropriate academic
adjustments. Please share this letter and discuss the adjustments with your instructor as early in
the course as possible. You must contact ODS and request academic adjustment letters at the
beginning of each semester.

Academic Integrity
This class, as well as all of your classes in the PDS, operates under the guidelines for academic
integrity defined by the statement at the following WEB site:
http://www.ed.psu.edu/edservices/certification/academic_integ.htm. Please consult this statement
if you have any questions about the definition and ramifications for infraction of PSU's academic
integrity policy. In particular, it is inappropriate to turn work in for one course that also counts as
credit for another course without the express approval of each instructor. It is also inappropriate
to borrow someone else’s ideas or words, and claim credit for them as your own. Be a good
scholar. Give intellectual credit when and where it is due. Cite your sources.

Creating Recourses and Honoring Copyrights

As teachers, we draw upon whatever resources we have available to us; that’s the nature of the
beast. Given that many of the assignments in this course are structured around generating teacher
resources (to use in your classroom as well as to hypothetically share with colleagues), it is
important that students make every effort to honor any related copyright laws in terms of
crediting the work(s) of others. Students who have questions are encouraged to contact the
instructor to ask (first) - no matter how minor a given issue may seem to them.

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