TITLE EDRS PRICE ABSTRACT Heitzmann, William Ray Minicourses
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 133 821 EA 009 058 AUTHOR Heitzmann, William Ray TITLE Minicourses: Developments in Classroom Instruction. INSTITUTION National Education Association, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 77 NOTE 116p- AVAILABLE FROM National Education Association, 1201 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (Stock No. 1805-2-00, $3.75 paper; Stock No. 1806-0-00, $6.15 cloth) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 Plus Postage. HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Bibliographies; Course Content; *Course Descriptions; *Courses; *Curriculum Development; Curriculum Planning; *Guidelines; *Models; Secondary Education ABSTRACT This monograph offers a realistic discussion of the minicourse movement, as well as practical step-by-step guidancefor teachers in the planning and implementation of minicourse curricula. Two minicourse models are presented (America's Maritime Heritage and Sports Literature), which include complete teacherresource lists and detailed instructions for setting up the minicourses. The author shows teachers how to develop course objectives, organize students in various groupings, allocate time and space, balance observation and study activities, and evaluate the effectiveness of thecourse. He also shows how minicourses can be developed for interdisciplinary studies, discusses the use of print and nonprint media, providesa selected bibliography of readings on minicourses, and presents lists of minicourses offered by schools in various parts of the United States. (Author/JG) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makesevery effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. *********************************************************************** In the pastlesssearstto THUM otirse leas eiller.Zed a.. a sk of presentitil: mihjeCt C.Oitent that appeals to NtOdents, teaChers and administra- trs alikeFor stlitlefit, the inniscourse (an hi a eilefolfagint: in-dept learn:rig in content areas the% ...stolid .thermise be able Idst..stirs en. TeaChemstiltdpart 1(111.1( rest aril in present 'sic detailed content on sithiects Ile%.% hit h the% has,- partiCtilal interest and espertbelit additOin the% hod that tester learP. int: and discipline problems are present when students are ins.rbeti in thrte course. Idinintstra toestoo respond affirmatnrrN, tie the ideal corn- lnatnen of tlexibihts and stmensre nmucourses pros ide ire t heir schools This report in the Der dopments in :-.1assrwan lash-Tie:3w] series offers a realistic dIS(11,1011 tit the nunrcourse mosement as %sell as practical step- lo -step guidance for teachers in the planning and implementation of min:course our:std.' Two MinscIirNe models - -.,nee on %Merle:a\ \lanoline llentagir and one on sports tateraturegise teachers complete resource lists.as Urn as detailed instnictions for setting rip inuncoursesIll their classroomsIn discussing the planning and structuring of nunicourses. Dr Wm Ras Heitz- mann. as member of the education facilityof %illanosaT. msersits. shoss teachers hos% to des flop course objectors, orgamre students in tar grolipinits, allocate time and space. balance eibsers ation and studs Jenson's, and evaluate. the effectiseness of the course Ile also shows hens mmicourses can be developd for in terdisciplmars studiesHe discusses the use of print and non-print media and pros ides a selected bibliography of readings on the min:course, as %sell as lists of timucour.es offered In schools m %anon% parts of the I sited States Dr Hilt/mann is the author of numerous arti- cles on social studies. teaching and other areas of educationElks publications include Educatunial Games and Surndatunt, E What Research say, so the Teacher series 3 CHART 1 I \ PL T DETERM NTION OF STRATEGY STL DENTS SPECIFIC ATIO \ ORG ANIZATION OF OF CONTENT GROL PS F AC1 1.71 PR E.ASSF-SSNI ENT ALLOC ATION EV ALL` ATION 40- OF OF OF OBJECTIVES TIME PERFORMANCE ADM IN ISTR ATIO 1. 4SPECIFICATION OF ALLOCATION OBJ ECTIS ES OF SP ACE COSI AIL \ITY SELECTION OF RESOU RCES ANALYSIS OF FEEDBACK apted from Teaching and the fedia A Stpternaiu Approach by lemon S Gerlach and Dona.d P Ely Copyrights 1911 by Prenticc -Hall. Inc ssith permission 18 Acknowledgments The manuscript has been re.iewed b. Helen M Edmonton. retired social studies teacher. Montgomer. Counts iManlandi Public Schools NEA grateful'y acknowledges the permissions gisen to use the following Appendix A. Successful Free Forming Checklist for Schools." Nation', SchooL, Volume 90. Number 1. Jul. 1971 Copyright < 1972 b. McCraw-Hill. Inc. Reprinted with permission. Chart 1 Teaching and Media. A Systematic Approach by Vernon S Cerlach and Donald P ElyCopyrightc 1971 by Prentice-Flall. Inc Adapted bs permission of Prentice-Hall. Inc.. Englewood Cliffs. New Jersey Cop. right 1977 National Education Association of the United States Stock No1s05-2.O0paper) 1806-0-00 (cloth) Librars of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Ilettimann. M,1111am Ras Isrucluirst-. Deselopments iii chssroem instruction Bibbographsp 1 Curriculum planning ITitle IISeries 1.111570 11-1.35 375' tX11 6.399.1,9 NB \ 0-S 106- I S06-11 NB \ 0-S1116- 151115.2 pbk 4 CO \TE \ I'S Intr(Kluctiun I What Are Minicourses? 9 2 Whs Minicourses' 11 :3 S%stematic Des elopment 17 4 Studs ink Others' Minicurses 4:3 5 Minicourse 1 America's Maritime Heritasze 45 6 Mink-muse 2 Sports Literature 69 Summar 97 References 101 Bibliograph 105 kppendices I11 Introduction The minicourse, a relatively recent curriculum development.has receised fav orable reactions from students. teachers, andadminis- tratorsIt has been %%ell receised by students because itansssers the need for relevancy and. consequently.can be a highly interesting and motivational area of the curriculum Teachers likethe mini- course for much the same reasons, seeing it turning studentson and additionally providing an opportunity to teacha course of special interestUnfortunately. in the traditional school settinga teacher can rarely spend much time on a particular area that might be hisor her specialtyBut a social studies teacher can novy offer minicourses in a specific field, such as "The Presidency"or "Social Psychology-. simila-lv. the English teachercan have courses such as "Filmmak- ing" or -Creative WritingThe range of minicourse offeringsseems unlimited. in some cases, co-curricular actisities becomepart of the minicourse curriculum After-school actisities suchas photography. bachelor homemaking, and self-defense have becomepart of the regular program in some schools. School administrators like the flexibility that theminicourse can offer because it provides a progressiveset structured curriculum While there may be concern about theextra paper ssork and the initial adjustment problem. theseare really relatively minor difficul- ties, and the benefits are certainly ssorth the investmentin time It should be pointed out, hovv ever, that not all isrosy with the minicourse movementRecent studies shovv ing high school graduates deficient in basic skillsvv riting. reading, speaking, citizenship. listening, critical thinking and others,as .sell as knovv ledge of our nation's heritagehave providedammunition for 1/1.itlf those nti(al 41t prqtreNw.c t.urrn.ula\ottnial can destros. a Ltood idea tuintker than improper plantain.: prior to implementation Perhaps in no other area of the sc h001 scene is this !flaunt truer than ...nrituluni Obs.nitists.nnin proi:rams could do not hun: inherentl% to4 )1)1)11*. e or disc ouratze the des.ehymnt cot basic process skillsIn tact. minican he offered spe(Ainall for the purpose err skill impro.ement This report offers the classroom teat. her a [no( edure to de% ehy a nunicourse that sill he in...nimble to the administrator and school hoard member as nett as to the cuimmtnt% and that sell, Anne all, become .2 learnim: c\penence for students ti 7 What kre \ inicouNes? \liicourses can general's he characterizedas short-term. academic or nonakademic, highinterest. in-depth instructional coursesThe grass roots nature of themuncourse alinement partial'y accounts for the vaned formmmicourses has e taken Since it is neither the (Interim th of an educational theorsnor the result of a dictate from a state education departmentnor the findings from a federal research grant. the minicourseis uniquels adaptable to the particular needs of a school or student hods The time and timing of miicourseprograms sane. greatls Folio« mg are some of the formatspros ided bs schools tsk I rek end-of-the-sear program organved andconducted fit the senior t 2Four tC11,ArCk units In sshrch the student ssould takeat least one none during eat h segment from a grouping 01courses %, series of forts/rnie.M.eel, courses Instig% and the social silence' for students in grades ten through tel% e xr-, offering of i50 courses for all students presentedduring one ueek %%bile the traditional schoolprogram is suspended 5Courses In English and social studies offered forone or tuo sleeks threeda% mum imrse marathon one.ilas program kk here mumsare offer, ,;for estended class pent uls Some schools offer a minicourseprogram in place of studs halls