LAMBUTH UNIVERSITY
Education Department
EDU 25232W
Foundations of Education
Instructor:
Dr. Jean McDonald, Associate Professor
Office: CU222
Office
Telephone: 731-425-3265
E-Mail: mcdonald@lambuth.edu
Office Hours:
Posted by office door
Course Prerequisite: Sophomore class standing
Required Textbooks:
Ryan,
K., & Cooper, J. M. (2007). Those who
can, teach (11th ed.).
Houghton Mifflin.
Ryan,
K., & Cooper, J. M. (2007). Kaleidoscope:
Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001).
Wyrick,
J. (2008). Steps to writing well.
Materials: Students are responsible
for furnishing any materials used in course assignments and presentations.
Desktop Dayrunner academic calendar
Flash drive (at least 1 gigabyte)
“If you are
thinking a year ahead, sow a seed. If
you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree.
If you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate the people.”
Chinese
Poet, 500 B.C.
Course Description:
This course provides an overview of the field of education and contemporary issues that are shaping the course the profession will follow in the 21st century. Topics covered range from the reasons educators have for having chosen a teaching career to the diverse student populations that make up the American preK-12 school environment and the social issues that exist as a result of this multiethnicity. Other content addresses the integration of technology into the curricula and legal, as well, as ethical elements inherent in education systems. Because the climate in the schools is derivative from the history of education, the examination of historical influences on today’s classrooms is studied. The course concludes with an enumeration and explication of the advantages and rewards, both extrinsic and intrinsic, of teaching as a professional career choice.
The format for this course is a blended
one, meaning that it is both face-to-face and online. Students will be able to
download lectures and interact with fellow students through blogs, email, and
peer reviews of writing assignments. Four inquiry-based papers are required:
development by example, comparison and contrast, and causal analysis. The final
paper will be argumentation. Common logical fallacies will be studied. Two
presentations are required and will be made in the face-to-face meetings. They
will be filmed using the camcorder and emailed for self-evaluation and peer
evaluation.
§ Knowledge is created actively by the learner.
§ Knowledge is “constructed” or made meaningful when learners relate new information to prior knowledge or existing structures of knowledge.
§ Knowledge “constructs” are shaped by experience and social interaction.
§ Members of a culture collaboratively establish knowledge.
Three types of learning as set forth by Dunlap with citations from others (2004) serve as the basis for the conceptual framework for this course: generative, intentional, and situated.
§
Generative: Students will take responsibility for ascertaining the content they
need to know for their chosen teaching fields. The learning activities and lesson
plans they design will reflect the research they have conducted and the cognitive level, synthesis, they have addressed. Their end products will
be presented for evaluation by the professor and reflection by the presenter
(Bloom, 1956; Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1992).
§
Intentional: Students will be actively involved in creating the activities required
in the curriculum. They will work collaboratively with their classmates in
small groups and with partners. The learning activities will result from
research and creative application of the research to form innovative learning
experiences for the students to use in their teaching careers (Palinscar, A.,
& Klenk, L., 1992).
§
Situated: By demonstrating in the pre-service classroom, the observational
classroom, and the student-teaching classroom the lessons and activities they
have designed, the students will integrate theory into practice; that is, they
will show the implementation of research-based, creatively adapted
instructional methods. This approach is problem-based learning carried out
according to the philosophy of constructivism with a mandate for the inclusion
of multiple-intelligences theory (Smith, 2003).
Additionally, throughout this
course, the Lambuth University Education Department’s L.E.A.D. conceptual
framework is incorporated as a basis for the instructional design and the
outcomes derived from the implementation of the instruction by means of
preparation for the LITERACY, an emphasis
on EXPERIENCE, a concentration on ACCOUNTABILITY, and interaction built on
DIVERSITY as defined in the Teacher Education Handbook (2008).
Discipline Taught. Candidates know, understand, and use the central concepts, tools of inquiry and structures of the discipline(s) they teach and can create learning experiences that develop student competence in the subject matter.
Student Learning and Development. Candidates understand how students learn and develop and provide learning opportunities that support student intellectual, social, and personal development.
Diverse Learners. Candidates understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Teaching Strategies. Candidates understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage development of critical thinking, problem solving and performance skills in students.
Learning Environment. Candidates use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
Communication. Candidates use knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the learning environment.
Planning. Candidates plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, community, and curriculum goals.
Assessment and Evaluation. Candidates know, understand, and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuing intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
Reflective Practitioner. Candidates are reflective practitioners who continually evaluate the effects of their choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
Colleagues, Families, and Community. Candidates foster relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well being.
Technology.
11.a Candidates use technology and technology-based resources to facilitate developmentally appropriate student learning.
11. b Candidates use technology to enhance their professional growth and productivity.
11. c Candidates effectively use and manage all technology available to them and explore uses of emerging resources.
Attendance
and Tardy Policies: You are expected to be present for each of the three face-to-face
class meetings.. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to contact your
professor. In registering for classes in the Education Department, you accept
the responsibility for attending required classes, completing assignments on
time, and contributing to class discussions both online and in face-to-face
class meetings. You will be excused from
class for the following reasons ONLY:
(A) Medical emergencies with
appropriate documentation.
(B) Family emergencies with
appropriate documentation.
(C) University-sponsored
activities with appropriate documentation
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE STUDENT TO FURNISH DOCUMENTATION WITHIN TWO (2) CLASS PERIODS FOLLOWING THE
ABSENCE.
A copy of the documentation must be given to the instructor, and it will not be returned.
American
Disabilities Act:
>Please mute all cell phones and beepers during class.
Grading
Policy:
Please see the Mastery Learning supplement following this syllabus.
§
All written work will be
graded on the basis of content, format, and standard written English.
·
In citing sources in written work, all attributions will be in APA
style.
§
Obvious typographical errors
reflect carelessness and a lack of seriousness in fulfilling assignments and as
such will result in the assignment of additional work.
§
All assignments are to be
saved on flash drives.
Participation: You will be expected to participate actively in online class discussions and hands-on projects carried out during class time. Discussions will cover teaching methodology and theory applicable to the K-12 student. Constructivist teaching and learning will constitute the foundation for all teaching plans and strategies. You will be expected to be ready for, and to participate in, all online group discussions and activities.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes cheating on an assignment by plagiarizing, unapproved submission of work prepared for another course, and providing assistance to another student in preparing assignments – unless designated as a collaborative project – or in taking tests.
Because major assignments are replicated yearly, all previous student assignments and tests from this course are retained by the department. If the work of another student in a previous semester of this course is submitted by a student presently enrolled, the student will receive an F in the course, along with possible dismissal from the Teacher Education Program and from the university.
The penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is an immediate grade of F in the course, possible dismissal from the Teacher Education Program, and possible dismissal from the university. All academic dishonesty, regardless of the penalty imposed, is documented in the student’s permanent file.
§ Professionalism: Teaching is a demanding but highly rewarding career. Teaching requires a serious commitment to a work ethic that demands professionalism in appearance and attitude at all times. It involves initiating tasks and completing them in a timely manner.
Dunlap, J. C. (2004). The
41-42.
Please note: This course is designed for students registered through the university. Children are not, therefore, permitted to be present in scheduled classes. Additionally, children cannot be left unattended on department premises.