Professional Education Unit

Department of Foundational and Graduate Studies in Education

INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION (Face to Face)

EDF 100

Rowan County Senior High School

2013

1st Trimester

Mrs. Carla Dehart ()

Room 107 Phone: 606-784-8956 ext 2630

Class: 5th Period

Course Description: An introduction to American schooling for students considering a career in teaching. Prerequisites: None

Required Field Experience Hours: 6

Student Outcomes:

  1. Students will understand the unique characteristics of education as a profession
  2. Students will understand the professional code of conduct that governs teachers nationally and in Kentucky
  3. Students will understand how school systems are organized and operate.
  4. Students will understand school policies and procedures.
  5. Students will understand legal issues in education.
  6. Students will understand the importance of active participation and leadership in professional education organizations.
  7. Students will understand the rights of students with exceptionalities.
  8. Students will understand how students’ learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning as well as language, family, and culture
  9. Students will understand how cultural and gender differences can affect learning in the classroom.
  10. Students will understand schools as organizations within the larger community context.
  11. Students will understand various levels of American schooling and different kinds of teaching certifications, and be aware of high need areas in the teaching profession.
  12. Students will understand the role of reflection in the improvement of instruction and in professional growth.
  13. Students will understand methods of inquiry that provide for a variety of self assessment and problem-solving strategies for reflecting on practice.
  14. Students will able to make an informed decision about whether or not to pursue a career in public education.

Resources:

Textbook: Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional Don P. Kauchak, Merrill, 2011 (Required)

Assignment Descriptions:

Assessment (point value) / Description
Participation (30) / The student will attend class, take careful notes on lectures, and participate in class discussions. The amount and quality of a student's participation in discussion may affect his/her grade in the course. 30 possible attendance points count toward the course grade. Each absence (for any reason) results in a deduction of 10 points. Students may make up the absence and get the 10 points back by writing an acceptable essay on a topic approved by the instructor. Essay should be typed, double-spaced and at least 500 words long and is due one week from the day the student returns to class. (It is the student’s responsibility to seek out the instructor and get his/her essay topic after being ill.) A student who misses more than three times and does not write the make-up essays may have negative points in this category, which will be deducted from the total score for other assignments. A student who misses more than five class meetings should drop the class. (Student Outcomes 1 – 13)
Field Experience (60 total) / The student will complete at least six hours of observation/ participation in a public school setting, and keep a log of observations and reflections on what is observed. If possible, students should observe in all levels of schooling: preschool, elementary, middle and secondary. (Student Outcomes 1 – 13) Observations should not interfere with students regular class schedule.
Book Review (100 total) / Teachers should be widely read citizens, informed about a wide range of topics and literature in the culture. To address this issue the student will read a book on the supplemental reading list and write a 1000 - 1500 word review. The review should identify the central thesis of the book and show the structure of the author’s arguments: evaluate the author’s arguments; explain how they might be significant for education today; and explain how they are relevant to you personally. This is a formal writing assignment that should reflect not only the student’s own thinking but his/her very best writing and editing skills as well. No more than two students may select the same book. (Student Outcome 13 +)
Movie Essay / Each student will watch a movie on the movie list below and write a 500 - 1000 word essay analyzing it with regard to the following issues: 1) Is the teaching professional depicted in a positive or negative light? 2) What does it assume about the purposes of education? 3) What does it assume about the nature and motivation of students? 4) How does it reflect on the larger culture of the school and the society outside the school? 5) How relevant is this movie’s depiction of schooling to the realities of teaching today?
This is a formal writing assignment that should reflect not only the student’s own thinking but his/her very best writing and editing skills as well. No more than three students may select the same movie. You may notify the instructor of your choice by email as soon as you make your selection. It is suggested that you email the instructor your top three choices, in order, in case your first choice isn't available. (Student Outcome 13 +)
Four Exams (400 total) / The student will take four exams covering important terms, topics, and people from education in America. **Will be in-class. (Student Outcomes 1 – 12)
Quizzes (10 points each) / The student will take unannounced quizzes over chapter readings and class discussions. Students should always stay caught up with assigned readings and regularly review class notes. (Student Outcomes 1 – 12)
Best Teacher Essay (50) / Each student will write a formal essay describing the work of the teacher he/she deems the best from his/her experience as a student. The student will describe what about that teacher was exemplary and how it influenced his/her own decision to consider teaching as a professoin. This is a formal writing assignment which should reflect not only the student’s best thinking skills, but his/her best writing and editing skills as well. Suggested length: 300 - 500 words. A rubric will be provided. (Student Outcome 13 +)
Self-Evaluation Essay (50) / Each student will write a personal, self-reflective essay describing his/her own talents, skills, dispositions, and interests as they relate to a career in teaching. Which ones might be most important to successful teaching? Which ones might inhibit the students ability to be an outstanding teacher. This is a formal writing assignment which should reflect not only the student’s best thinking skills, but his/her best writing and editing skills as well. Suggested length: 300 - 500 words. A rubric will be provided. (Student Outcome 13 +)

Grading Scale:Format for Completing Assignments:

90% - 100 % A1. Put name, course # and Section #, date and

80% - 89% B assignment title in upper right hand corner.

70% - 79% C2. Use Times New Roman, 12 – font only

60% - 69% D3. Double – space all assignments

0% - 59% E 4. Use 1” margins all the way around.

LATE WORK:

Work not turned in at the beginning of the class period at which it is due will be accepted, but with a penalty. Work turned in late but before the next class period will be penalized one letter grade. Work received after that, but less than a week late will be penalized with a 50% reduction in the score. Work will not be accepted which is more than one week late.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

As a prospective teacher, the student is expected to exhibit professional behavior in his/her class attendance and participation. The instructor considers three absences in one semester to be tolerable. A student who misses more than that can expect his/her final grade to be lowered. A student who misses on the day an assignment is due should provide the instructor with a written request for an excused absence. Examples of reasons that might be excused by the instructor are illness, accident, personal emergency, death in the immediate family, special academic programs, or an authorized university function for which the student's presence is required. If a student misses for any reason, he/she should call the instructor before class if at all possible and let the instructor know that the student won’t be there. A student who misses more than five class meetings should drop the class.

Legitimate absences do not excuse the student from class responsibilities. Should a student miss class, it is his/her responsibility to make up for everything missed. Should a student miss class on the day an assignment is due he/she should send the assignment to class with a classmate or call the instructor before class and ask permission to turn it in late.

If a student has an excused absence on the day of an exam, he/she may be allowed to take the repeat exam without penalty.

See section above on “PARTICIPATION” to see how absences affect grades.

WEATHER CONTINGENCY PLAN:

For classes at MSU: Any time class is cancelled, notices and supplemental work will be posted to Blackboard. Any missed exams will be rescheduled upon return, unless class is cancelled at the end of the semester, in which case exams will be given on Blackboard. Classes in public schools will follow the weather plans of those schools.

Campus Safety Statement: Emergency response information will be discussed in class. Students should familiarize themselves with the nearest exit routes in the event evacuation becomes necessary. You should notify your instructor at the beginning of the semester if you have special needs or will require assistance during an emergency evacuation. Students should familiarize themselves with emergency response protocols at www.moreheadstate.edu/emergency.

Academic honesty: Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism or helping others to commit these acts will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty will result in severe disciplinary action including, but not limited to, failure of the student assessment item or course, and/or dismissal from MSU. If you are not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, read The Eagle: Student Handbook or ask your instructor. The policy is located at http://www.moreheadstate.edu/files/units/dsl/eaglehandbook/studenthandbook2008-09.pdf [pgs.11 & 39]. For example: Copying information from the Internet is plagiarism if appropriate credit is not given.

Policy for Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Professional staff from MSU Academic Services Center (ASC) coordinates efforts to address accessibility needs and class accommodations with instructors of students who have learning or physical disabilities. Faculty will cooperate with the ASC staff to accommodate the needs of students taking departmental courses.

***Please SILENCE your cell phones during class.

***Please DO NOT USE COMPUTERS / Laptops during class (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor) ---- Absolutely NO Emailing, Texting, instant messaging, net – surfing, etc during class!

Supplemental Reading List for Book Reviews

  1. Apple, Michael. Official Knowledge: Democratic Education in a Conservative Age
  2. Armstrong, Karen. Islam: A Short History
  3. Bellah, Robert. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life
  4. Bennett, William J. The De-valuing of America : The Fight for Our Culture and Our Children
  5. Berry, Wendell. Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition
  6. Berry, Wendell. What Are People For?
  7. Biggers, Jeff. The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture, and Enlightenment to America
  8. Bloom, Allen. The Closing of the American Mind
  9. Bly, Robert. Iron John: A Book About Men
  10. Brameld, Theodore. Education as Power
  11. Caudill, Harry. Night Comes to the Cumberlands
  12. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life
  13. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
  14. Colby, Anne & William Damon. Some Do Care: Contemporary Lives of Moral Commitment
  15. Dalai Lama & Howard C. Cutler. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
  16. Dewey, John. Experience and Education
  17. Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam
  18. Frankl, Victor. Man's Search for Meaning
  19. Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed
  20. Friedman, Thomas. From Beirut to Jerusalem
  21. Friedman, Thomas. Longitudes and Attitudes
  22. Friedman, Thomas. The World Is Flat
  23. Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think And How Schools Should Teach
  24. Gardner, Howard. Frames Of Mind: The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences
  25. Gleick, James. Chaos
  26. Gould, Stephen Jay. Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History
  27. Gould, Stephen Jay. The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History
  28. Green, Garrett. Imagining God
  29. Greene, Brian. The Elegant Universe
  30. Greene, Maxine. Releasing the Imagination
  31. Greene, Maxine. Teaching as a Performing Art
  32. Hooks, Bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
  33. Hirsch, Jr. E. D. Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know
  34. Hutchins, Robert. The Higher Learning in America
  35. Illich, Ivan. Deschooling Society
  36. Jourdain, Robert. Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination
  37. Keen, Sam. Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man
  38. Kohn, Alfie. The Schools Our Children Deserve : Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards"
  39. Kozol, Jonathan. Letters to a Young Teacher
  40. Kushner, Harold. Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and Success
  41. Kushner, Harold. When Bad Things Happen to Good People
  42. Lewis, C. S. The Abolition of Man
  43. Lukes, Steven. The Curious Enlightenment of Professor Caritat: A Novel of Ideas
  44. Maeroff, Gene I. Imaging Education: The Media and Schools in America
  45. Noddings, Nel. The Challenge to Care in Schools
  46. Noddings, Nel. Educating Moral People: A Caring Alternative to Character Education
  47. Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach : Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
  48. Palmer, Parker J. A Hidden Wholeness : The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
  49. Paulos, John Allen. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences
  50. Peck, M. Scott. The Road Less Traveled: The New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth
  51. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death
  52. Postman, Neil. The Disappearance of Childhood
  53. Postman, Neil. The End of Education
  54. Postman, Neil. Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology
  55. Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
  56. Ratey, John J. and Erick Hagerman. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
  57. Ravitch, Diane. Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform
  58. Roshi, Philip Kapleau. The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment
  59. Ryan, Alan. John Dewey: And the High Tide of American Liberalism
  60. Sacks, Oliver. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
  61. Steinberg, Laurence. Beyond the Classroom: Why School Reform Has Failed and What Parents Need to Do
  62. Tyack, David and Larry Cuban. Tinkering toward Utopia: A Century of Public School Reform
  63. Vanier, Jean. Happiness: A Guide to a Good Life, Aristotle for the New Century
  64. Watts, Alan W. The Way of Zen
  65. Wilson, E. O. Consilience: the Unity of Knowledge
  66. Wilson, E. O. On Human Nature

Movie List for Essays:

1

Blackboard Jungle

Conrack

Dangerous Minds

Dead Poets Society

Educating Rita

Finding Forrester

Freedom Writers

Good Morning, Miss Dove

Good Will Hunting

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Lean on Me

Mr. Holland’s Opus

Music of the Heart

Precious

Remember the Titans

Renaissance Man

School of Rock

Stand and Deliver

Teachers

The Breakfast Club

The Emporer’s Club

The Great Debaters

The Miracle Worker

The Paper Chase

The Ron Clark Story

To Sir with Love

Up the Down Staircase

1

Guidelines for Field Experiences

What to wear:

Students are to wear name tags during all observations. The university is a wonderful place for students to express their individuality through fashion. Unfortunately, your self-expression can be a distraction in the public school classrooms where you observe. Dress conservatively and professionally. Your appearance and presence should not call attention to yourself or distract the students in the classroom.

How to Act:

Students are to follow the routine established by the classroom teacher for the class. Also, students are expected to follow procedures established for other students in the school, i.e. fire drills, assemblies, etc.

The teachers' first priority is to their students in their classrooms. While you will find most teachers very cooperative and willing to help, your presence is not their primary responsibility. Enter your activities as smoothly and inconspicuously as possible.

Please keep the appointment that has been scheduled. Also, it is very important that you be on time for your scheduled observation. Be there at the designated time and do not leave before the scheduled time.

Who to Tell:

Any information or impression of the school or teacher you observe is confidential. While we may discuss your experiences in class and you will be writing about them, please refrain from discussing them outside class.

What to Remember:

Remember, you are a guest in the school. Our field experience program depends upon your success.

What to Write about Classroom Observations:

1. Each student should buy a composition book from the bookstore (black and white cover) and keep his/her log in it. Must be handwritten. [If you have a compelling reason why you need to type your log, please see the instructor.]

2. A heading above each entry in the observation log should include the following information about the observation itself:

Student's Name EDF 100 Class Section

Name of the School and School District

Teacher Observed Grade/Subject

Date of Observation Time Observation Started & Ended

Total Time of This Observation

3. There should be a separate entry for each change of teacher/class period/subject matter.

4. Observation logs should include at least 300 words of description and analysis per hour observed. They should reflect the fact that the student has been a careful, thoughtful, analytical observer of the classroom.