Decision Point 2 Requirements

Teacher Education Decision Point 2

(Needed for Admission into SS350 --you must pass DP2 requirements in all 3 of your chosen areas)

(A) Completion of required Education classes (EDMUL 205 and EDPSY 251) with minimum grade of C.

(B) Completion of COMM 210 minimum grade of C.

(D) Overall University GPA of at least 2.5 (in at least 45 hours).

Requirements in Specific Areas of Concentration

Economics

1. Completion of Econ 201 and Econ 202 with at least a B- in each course.

2. Meet with Economics content area advisor to review progress.

Geography

1. Completion of Geography 150 and at least 1 other Geography course with at least a 2.5 GPA.

2. Meet with Geography content area advisor for a review of Geography artifacts from these 2 courses.

History

1. Completion of History 151, 152, 201, and/or 202 (minimum of 3) with at least a 2.5 GPA. Three of these courses are required; we strongly recommend completion of the 4th before taking the Decision Point 2 exam.

2. Completion of DP2 Exam. This multiple choice exam consists of questions prepared by departmental instructors of History 151, 152, 201, 202 based on content taught in those courses correlated with testing students' knowledge of content referenced in the Indiana Department of Education's standards for the teaching of US and world history in the state's schools (see, for example, http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/Docs-2004/English/Word/HS-SStudies/USHistory.doc and http://www.doe.state.in.us/standards/Docs-2004/English/Word/HS-SStudies/WorldHistory.doc). Students will be tested on what they have learned at Ball State University AND what they will need to know to be effective teachers. This exam will be diagnostic; e.g. it will point out the strengths and omissions in students' preparation to that point.

3. Satisfactory progress with the Fluency in Technology (FIT) Statement. Link to FIT Review Rubric. This is assessed as part of the portfolio review--see next point.

4. Satisfactory review of a student's electronic portfolio by faculty members in the Department of History, using the University rubric, which can be found at: http://www.bsu.edu/teachers/media/pdf/dp1dp2portrubric2002.pdf The University rubric requires that artifacts are "included". Please see guidance in next section in selecting and preparing artifacts to meet that criterion. Satisfactory portfolio reviews will have earned a 2 on a 1-4 point scale. Note: At Decision Point 2, The Department of History reviews reflective statements, rationales, and performance based artifacts that are tied to INTASC Principle #1—"The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students."

Review Procedures

Choose a minimum of one Artifact from a history course which you have completed. Submission of additional artifacts is strongly encouraged. Provide artifact(s) that demonstrate that you have synthesized knowledge, not that you are able to simply repeat it in a rote form—essays, papers, etc. The artifacts

A. should reflect your knowledge and understanding of history;

B. should have been completed in a history course taken at Ball State (at least one must have been: this allows for transfer students to include previous work but does require some BSU work to be included)

C. must include the specific course name, instructor, and date of completion, as should also include any feedback you received from your professor (i.e., rubric, comments); and

D. must be digitized and accessible online at the link you have provided.

Digitize (as a doc, html, pdf, or ppt file) the artifact(s) and publish online.

Complete the Reflective Statement for INTASC Principle #1. Retain your initial reflective statement from Decision Point 1, but build upon it. You must go beyond defining Principle 1 or outlining a meaningless, one-size-fits-all statement that lacks any mention of history. You absolutely must explicitly discuss your approach to teaching Historical Perspectives. You do not have to be profound. But you should go beyond generalized clichés about the "usefulness" of history, Santayana's misused dictum, or the application of the past to the present day. One sentence referring to taking a specific class is not sufficient to merit a passing score. You should ask yourselves what, beyond making the teaching of History "fun" and "interesting," do you hope to convey to their students about the past? Do you intend to emphasize change or continuity; conflict or consensus; the role played by race, gender, class, and ethnicity; the expansion of the state; international relations, etc.? This reflective statement will answer the following questions:

A. What does this standard mean to you and why is it important?

B. How does mastering/exhibiting this standard make someone a skilled teacher?

C. Most especially, what experiences have you had, especially in Ball State classrooms that have influenced your interpretation of the principle? Be specific.

D. See especially page 9 and following for help in thinking about the complexities of the processes of the discipline of history: http://www.nche.net/docs/NCHE_BAHC.pdf

Provide a separate Rationale for each artifact demonstrating competency in INTASC Principle #1. Describe the artifact & justify its inclusion in your portfolio by showing how it demonstrates your increasing grasp of historical content and how historians "do" history. Explain what the artifact demonstrates about your growing competence and what your strengths and weaknesses are in relation to this standard. The rationale is your "bridge" between the artifact that demonstrates your competence and your reflective statement that demonstrates your increasing grasp of the discipline of history. As such, it should provide a narrative link between the two.

Include Course Data (e.g., course number and title, date/semester completed, instructor name) and Instructor Feedback (e.g., scoring rubric, comments sheet, grading summary page)--when available--for each artifact. If at all possible, provide at least one artifact which has instructor feedback.

Provide a Link to all of the above items on the INTASC Principle #1 page of the electronic portfolio index created in EDSEC 150.

Notify via email the Director of Social Studies Education listed below when you are ready for the review to be conducted, including the URL: Dr. Sarah Drake Brown, Director of Social Studies Education, Department of History sedrakebrown@bsu.edu

Please note that individual portfolio reviews must be requested by the designated deadline for each fall and spring semester, which is posted on the SSTM bulletin board outside of BB 221, on the front page of this Web site, and/or in email correspondence sent to teaching majors regarding the historical perspectives DP2 exam.
Fall semester deadline: November 10th, 2009.

Political Science

1. Completion of POLS 130 and at least 1 other Political Science course with at least a 2.5 GPA.

2. Meet with Department Chair or representative to review progress.

Psychology

1. Completion of PSYCH 100 and at least 1 other Psychology course with at least a 2.5 GPA.

2. Meet with the Psychology content area advisor for a review of Psychology artifacts from these 2 courses.

Sociology

1. Completion of SOC 100 and at least 1 other Sociology course with at least a 2.5 GPA.

2. Meet with the Sociology content area advisor for a review of Sociology artifacts from these 2 courses.