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Study Guide

Field 123: Greek CST
Pedagogical Content Knowledge

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Review the IME tutorial video opens in a new window and the IME instructions for Greek PDF. The IME instruction document will be available to you during the actual test.

Directions for Pedagogical Content Knowledge Assignment

For the Pedagogical Content Knowledge section of the test, you will write a response of approximately 400  to 600 words start bold in English end bold to an assignment.

Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment. Your final response must be typed in the on-screen response box presented with the assignment.

Please note that, if needed, you will be able to type words in the target language in your response using Input Method Editor (IME) technology. You may access specific instructions for IME use by selecting the IME Help button above the response box.

Your response will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Your response will be evaluated on the criteria above, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of your knowledge and skills. Your response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.

Be sure to write about the assigned topic. Remember to review what you have written to ensure that you address all aspects of the assignment and make any changes you think will improve your response.

Select the start bold Next end bold button to continue.

Sample Pedagogical Content Knowledge Assignment

Competency 0005 
Pedagogical Content Knowledge

start bold Use the information below and the exhibit provided to complete the assignment that follows. end bold

You are planning instruction for a Greek language class. Your instruction includes a specific learning goal aligned to the following New York State Learning Standard for Languages Other Than English.

Standard 1: Students will be able to use a language other than English for communication.

You will use the exhibit provided as part of your instruction. To view the exhibit, click the "Exhibit" button on the right above the response box.

Using your knowledge of Greek and your pedagogical knowledge related to teaching modern languages, write a response in English of approximately 400 to 600 words in which you:

start italics [The examinee will see the Exhibit button on screen: exhibit button] end italics

To view the exhibit, the examinee will click the Exhibit button. The pop-up window can then be resized and/or repositioned on the screen so that the examinee can access the information while completing their response.

Exhibit

Greek Email. The heading of the email says Theodoru, Philip ‹ptheodoru@thessamail.gr› Δευτέρα, 16 Φεβρουαρίου, 12:36 μ.μ.To: "Williams, Angela" ‹awilliams@mail.summers.edu› the greeting of the email says Αγαπητή Άντζελα, then the body of the email says Γεια σου! Ονομάζομαι Φίλιππος Θεοδώρου και είμαι 15 ετών. Μένω με τους γονείς μου, τη γιαγιά μου και τον αδερφό μου στο Χωρτιάτη, στην περιοχή της Θεσσαλονίκης, στην Ελλάδα. Χαίρομαι πολύ που έγραψες και θέλεις να είμαστε φίλοι δια αλληλογραφίας. Παρακάτω, σου απαντάω σε μερικές από τις ερωτήσεις που μου έκανες. Φοιτώ σε ένα πειραματικό γυμνάσιο και, για να μπω σε αυτό, έπρεπε να περάσω εξετάσεις στα μαθηματικά, φυσική, κατανόηση κειμένου, και έκθεση. Μαθαίνω ιστορία, νέα Ελληνικά, αρχαία Ελληνικά, μαθηματικά, βιολογία, Αγγλικά, Γερμανικά, Θρησκευτικά και Καλλιτεχνικά. Η εκπαίδευση είναι πολύ σημαντική για μένα γιατί θέλω στο μέλλον να σπουδάσω στο εξωτερικό. Δεν φοράω στολή στο σχολείο. Συνήθως φοράω φαρδιά παντελόνια και χρωματιστά μπλουζάκια. Μετά το σχολείο, παρακολουθώ μαθήματα παραδοσιακών χορών μία φορά την εβδομάδα. Οι γονείς μου πιστεύουν ότι αυτά τα μαθήματα συμπληρώνουν την εκπαίδευσή μου συνολικά. Άλλα απογεύματα πηγαίνω για προπόνηση ποδοσφαίρου ή στο γυμναστήριο. Για πρωϊνό συνήθως τρώω δημητριακά με γάλα ή γιαούρτι. Για μεσημεριανό μου αρέσει να τρώω κεφτέδες, σάντουιτς ή σούπες. Το βράδυ συνήθως τρώω ένα ελαφρύ γεύμα με ψωμί και σαλάτα με τυρί φέτα. Στο επόμενό σου γράμμα, πες μου σε παρακαλώ για την αγαπημένη σου μουσική και τις εξωσχολικές σου δραστηριότητες. Ελπίζω να σου αρέσουν οι φωτογραφίες που επισυνάπτω. Μπορείς να μου στείλεις κι εσύ μερικές φωτογραφίες;the closing and signature are Ο φίλος σου, Φίλιππος at the bottom of the email there are three images one of a boy in uniform kicking a soccer ball, the next is of a stone tower with trees surrounding it and the third is chopped vegetables tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, cheese and herbs.


Erik Isakson. Mixed race teenager in mid-air kicking soccer ball. Collection: Brand X Pictures. Credit: Blend Images - Erik Isakson. Getty Images.

Greece, Thessaloniki, White Tower of Thessaloniki, former prison now housing museum. Collection: Dorling Kindersley. Credit: Dorling Kindersley. Getty Images.

Portion of Greek salad, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, red onion rings, black olives, oil dressing, sprinkled with herbs, close up. Collection: Dorling Kindersley. Credit: Dorling Kindersley. Getty Images.

Sample Strong Response to Pedagogical Content Knowledge Assignment

This exhibit is a good resource to use in a middle school Greek class at checkpoint A. The specific learning goal will be for students to speak and write about themselves and their day-to-day life and compare their life with the life of a typical adolescent who lives in Greece. The rationale for this learning goal is that it is important for students to be able to communicate in Greek about themselves and their life and to make comparisons between their culture and other cultures.

Since the exhibit invites students to respond to the Greek student's letter, I will have the students work towards writing a response letter. First, I will display the exhibit and as a class, we will try to predict what the letter is about by skimming through and identifying familiar vocabulary. This is a research-based strategy that helps students make predictions that can be verified once we go into a closer reading of the letter. As we identify familiar vocabulary, I will have students copy the vocabulary to a graphic organizer that I will provide, in which words will be divided by categories: greetings (γεια σου); nouns (μαθηματικά, Θεσσαλονίκη, παντελόνι); verbs (ονομάζομαι, μένω); prepositions (για, μετά). Students will be allowed to use this graphic organizer when they compose their letter and they can add words to it as they find them either on the exhibit or through research (on the Internet for example).

Then, we will read the letter one paragraph at a time as a class and I will ask questions to ensure that students understand what they are reading, such as Που πηγαίνει σχολείο ο μαθητής; (Where does the student go to school?), Σε ποιο σχολείο φοιτά; (What type of school does he attend?), Τι πιστεύει για την εκπαίδευση; (What does he think of education?), Το καθημερινό του πρόγραμμα μοιάζει με το δικό σου; (Does the student have a similar routine to yours?), Κατά τι διαφέρει από το δικό σου; (How does his routine differ from yours?). After the reading, I will have students work in pairs and take turns asking each other questions, such as Πού πηγαίνεις σχολείο; (Where do you go to school?) and Ποια μουσική σου αρέσει περισσότερο; (What is your favorite music?) for 10 minutes. During this time, I will walk around the class and also ask questions to ensure that students are able to use the basic phrases and the daily vocabulary to answer questions about themselves and their daily life.

As homework, students will make an outline of their letter using the vocabulary in their graphic organizer and some of the information the Greek student provides in his letter. The next day, I will have students work in pairs again to discuss their outline and ask each other questions that could add to their outline and help them get started with their draft. I will walk around the class and ensure that everyone has a solid outline and is ready for writing the letter.

As an assessment, students will draft their letter using the vocabulary in the graphic organizers and the phrases and sentences that they have practiced together to describe their own daily lives and to highlight similarities and differences between their daily life and Philip's. They will be assessed on a previously used 4 point rubric which will contain the following criteria: a) completion of task; b) accuracy of vocabulary, phrases and sentences and grammatical structure, using the present tense and describing their routine; and c) appropriate use of the graphic organizer.

Performance Characteristics for Pedagogical Content Knowledge Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the Pedagogical Content Knowledge assignment.

COMPLETENESS The degree to which the response addresses all parts of the assignment
ACCURACY The degree to which the response demonstrates the relevant knowledge and skills accurately and effectively
DEPTH OF SUPPORT The degree to which the response provides appropriate examples and details that demonstrate sound reasoning

Score Scale for Pedagogical Content Knowledge Assignment

A score will be assigned to the response to the Pedagogical Content Knowledge assignment according to the following score scale.

Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response reflects a thorough command of the relevant knowledge and skills.
3 The "3" response reflects a general command of the relevant knowledge and skills.
2 The "2" response reflects a partial command of the relevant knowledge and skills.
1 The "1" response reflects little or no command of the relevant knowledge and skills.
U The response is unscorable because it is unrelated to the assigned topic or off-task, unreadable, written in a language other than English or contains an insufficient amount of original work to score.
B No response.