LAMBUTH UNIVERSITY
Education Department

EDU 4112 Classroom Management

Instructor: Dr. Jean McDonald       Office: CU222

Office Telephone: 731-425-3265

E-Mail: mcdonald@lambuth.edu

Office Hours: Posted by office door                             12/3/2007 6:08:59 PM

 

Materials: Students are responsible for furnishing any materials (e.g., transparencies, handouts, CD-Rs, etc.) used in classroom assignments and presentations.

            Flash drive (at least 1 gb)

 

Required Textbooks:

Kyle, P. B., & Rogien, L. R. (2004). Opportunities and options in classroom   

                management. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

 

American Psychological Association. ((2001). Publication manual of the American

            Psychological Association. (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

 

Snell, T. (2004). Easy: Microsoft FrontPage 2003. Indianapolis: Que.

 

            Course Description: Classroom management techniques, including problems and solutions within traditional classroom settings, will be critically examined to determine efficacy of outcomes resulting from the implementation of the techniques.  Special attention is given to positive classroom techniques and management strategies.  The techniques will cover student behavior and the maintenance of the teaching and learning atmosphere of the classroom. Age-typical behaviors will be covered along with suggested strategies for prevention and correction measures to form productive relationships between students and the teacher and among students in the classroom. The establishment of a supportive climate within the classroom to accommodate student diversity will be undertaken.

 

Conceptual Framework: The constructivist model asserts

  • 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 LITERACY, an emphasis on EXPERIENCE, concentration on ACCOUNTABILITY, and interaction built on DIVERSITY, as defined in the Teacher Education Handbook (2008).

 

Goals: Realization that effective discipline and effective instruction are possible and necessary and are achieved through pedagogically bound implementation of discipline-related decisions by the teacher.

 

Attendance and Tardy Policies: You are expected to be present for every class. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out missed work from a classmate.  Do not call, e-mail, or by other means contact instructor.

In registering for classes in the Education Department, you accept the responsibility for attending class, completing assignments on time, and contributing to class discussions.  You will be excused from class and allowed to make up assigned work 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.  It will not be returned.

 

American Disabilities Act: Lambuth University is committed to making every reasonable accommodation to assist any student with a documented disability meet the requirements expected of all students enrolled in this course.  Students who have special needs or disabilities that may affect their ability to access information and/or material presented in this course should contact the instructor.

 

>Please mute all cell phones and beepers during class.

 

Grading: See Mastery Learning supplement.

  • All written work will be graded on the basis of content, format, and standard written English.

 

WHAT IS STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH?

 

“The dialect of English used and expected by educated writers and readers in colleges and universities, businesses, and professions.” Fowler, H. R., & Aaron, J. E. (2004). The Little, Brown handbook. New York: Pearson Longman.

 

  • Obvious typographical errors reflect carelessness and a lack of seriousness in fulfilling assignments and as such will result in the assignment of additional work.
  • No more than two revisions of original work will be permitted. If the second revision is unsatisfactory, the grade is an F. It is in your best interests to consult with your professor before submitting the second revision.

 

Assignment Requirements:

        • All assignments must be word processed, double spaced, 12-point font, and in Verdana font.
        • All copy must include in this order and format:

Your name

Course title and number

Chapter, page number, and question number

Date and time submitted (See Insert on the Menu bar.)

·        Unless assignments are error-free for content, format, and surface errors, revisions are required. Revised copy must be submitted on the due dates, along with the original marked copy for credit to be given for the assignments.

           

E-Portfolios:

            Your portfolio demonstrates mastery of all course assignments. It exhibits your effort, progress, and accomplishments.

  • You will be given an evaluation rubric to help you meet the criteria for successful completion of your portfolio. The rubric will help you understand how you will be graded and allows you to self-assess your work before turning it in. Please examine the rubric carefully.
  • The portfolio will serve as a resource file for you to reference for classroom management strategies when you are an in-service teacher. It will also form a section of the student-teaching portfolio.
  • Organize your portfolio by chapter.
  • The cover sheet of the e-portfolio will correspond to the home page of a web site. A sample cover sheet will be provided to you.
  • All artifacts too large or three-dimensional must be photographed for inclusion in the portfolio.
  • A reflective conclusion will be written that indicates classroom management techniques you will incorporate into your teaching.
  • A preliminary portfolio check will be made prior to the due date for the final submission of the portfolio. THE PRELIMINARY PORTFOLIO CHECK IS REQUIRED. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE. You will have a preliminary portfolio checklist. All sections of the portfolio should be included except for any remaining assignments not yet covered in class. 

 

  • In citing sources in written work, all attributions will be in APA style.

 

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.

 

> This course is designed for students registered through the university. Children, therefore, are not permitted to be present in scheduled classes. Additionally, children cannot be left unattended on department premises. Adults not registered at the university or not registered in this class may visit the class only at the discretion of the professor.

 

>All cell phones, pagers, and other sound-activated technology must be muted during class. Text-messaging is not allowed during class.

 

N.B. Teaching is a demanding but highly rewarding career. Teaching requires a serious commitment to a WORK ETHIC which involves professionalism in appearance and attitude at all times. It involves initiating tasks and completing them in a timely manner. To foster professionalism in our pre-service teachers, we expect you to

·        Attend every class.

·        Be on time.

·        Participate, show initiative, and be attentive.

·        Accept praise, feedback, and criticism impersonally.

·        Dress professionally, meaning no tank tops, sweatshirts and sweatpants, or shorts          in class. T-shirts are acceptable if they do not display tasteless or offensive messages.

·        Do not wait until a few days before an assignment is due to work on it. If the technology needed to complete the assignment is not available or operative, you will have no option but to receive a failing grade on the     assignment and, as a result, a failing grade for the course. As future  teachers, it is imperative that you learn to meet deadlines if you are to have a career in teaching.

 

It is expected of you to conduct yourself with a consistently professional work ethic. Failure to do so will result in a written feedback report which will be a consideration in the pre-student teaching review.

 

 

Dunlap, J. C. (2004). The Web Resource Collaboration Center. Tech Trends, 48 (2),

41-42.