Syllabus (Tentative)

ELED 2100

Middle School Experientail Learning

Spring 2014

COE 304 (Friday: 1:50-2:45)

Instructor Information:

Dr. J. Jeremy Winters

Associate ProfessorOffice:COE 341

Box 69Office Phone:494-7729

Middle Tennessee State UniversityE-mail:

Murfreesboro TN 37132

Website:

Spring Schedule and Office Hours:

Class Meeting TimesOffice Hours

MondayN/Aby appointment

Tuesday8:00-11:0511:15-1:45

WednesdayN/A10:00-2:00

Thursday8:00-11:05, 4:30-7:301:00-4:15

FridayN/Aby appointment

Course Description

ELED 2100 ais a field experience course designed to have students work in the middle school setting in order to gather insights into the middle school learner and middle school teaching techniques.

Course Goals Aligned to College of Education Conceptual Framework

Problem Identification and Needs Assessment

  1. To become familiar with the characteristics of adolescent learners.
  2. To become familiar with the structure and facilities of a middle school.
  3. To become familiar with teaching strategies appropriate for the adolescent learner.

Class Meeting Dates (Location: COE 304)

Friday Aug 30 from 1:50 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Friday Oct 18 from 1:50 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Friday Nov 22 from 1:50 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Expectations from Students

Students are expected to attend class on time. Students should come prepared for each class having completed all assignments prior to the beginning of class. Please TURN CELL PHONES to vibrate before entering the classroom. Make sure your class conduct is courteous to those around you. Professional dress and conduct are expected when you are in the field. Reports of inappropriate dress or conduct from the local schools will result in the lowering of one’s grade or a grade of F for the course.

Course Assignments

The following are to be placed into one document (Electronic Portfolio) and submitted onto TK20.

Volunteer Hours

You will log at total of 10 hours of volunteering at a middle school. This work may take a variety of forms.

Observations

In your area of concentration, you are to do 3 observations (one per grade). Then, do one from the other areas listed.

English/Language Arts

Mathematics

Science

Social Studies

Special Area

Extra-Curricular Events

Attend 3 different events at the middle school.

Meetings

Attend 1 content specific or grade level PLC meetings.

Article Reflection

Instructor will assign 2 articles to be read. You are to write a reflection over each article.

Middle School Environment

Look for and document the following.

  1. Access to technology and use of technology
  2. Programs available to the middle school students
  3. Demographics
  4. Scheduling
  5. Building Set-Up (blueprint)
  6. Meet with the guidance counselor to discuss issues teachers need to consider regarding middle school students
  7. Anything else that might give you insight into the middle school environment

Breakdown of Evaluations

AssignmentPoints

Electronic Portfolio

Volunteer Hours20

Observations35

Extra-Curricular Events15

Meetings10

Article Reflection20

Middle School Environment50

Total150

*** All assignments must be completed. If a student has a 0 for any assignment, the student’s grade will be lowered one letter grade.

Evaluation & Grading

A89.95-100

B79.95-89.94

C69-95-79.94

D59.95-69.94

Fbelow 59.94

All grades will be rounded to the hundredths place. A plus-minus system will be used when calculating grades with absences and tardies taken into account.

MTSU Statement on Lottery Scholarships

Do you have a lottery scholarship? To retain Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship eligibility, you must earn a cumulative TELS GPA of 2.75 after 24 and 48 attempted hours and a cumulative TELS GPA of 3.0 thereafter. You may qualify with a 2.75 cumulative GPA after 72 attempted hours (and subsequent semesters), if you are enrolled full-time and maintain a semester GPA of at least 3.0. A grade of C, D, F, or I in this class may negatively impact TELS eligibility. Dropping a class after 14 days may also impact eligibility; if you withdraw from this class and it results in an enrollment status of less than full time, you may lose eligibility for your lottery scholarship. Lottery recipients are eligible to receive the scholarship for a maximum of five years from the date of initial enrollment, or until a bachelor degree is earned. For additional Lottery rules, please refer to your Lottery Statement of Understanding form, review lottery requirements on the web at or contact the Financial Aid Office at 898-2830.

MTSU Statement on Students with Disabilities (Standard)

Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: ADA accommodation requests (temporary or permanent) are determined only by Disabled Students Services. Students are responsible for contacting the Disabled Students Services Office at 615-898-2783 to obtain ADA accommodations and for providing the instructor with the accommodation letter from Disabled Student Services.

Diversity Statement

As identified and described in the College of Education's conceptual framework Educator as Reflective Decision-maker, ELED 3150 is constructed with an understanding of diversity. Mathematical Methodology ensures candidates a variety of appropriate assessment alternatives and uses technology as instruction and as a median of instruction. Using the TK20 software, the Comprehensive Assessment System (CAS) clearly aligns content and pedagogical knowledge with programmatic objectives, professional goals, and accreditation standards. Faculty draw upon multiple data sources on which to analyze, interpret, and improve their teaching practice on behalf of candidates' knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Academic Integrity:

According to the Rights and Responsibility section of the Students Handbook, cheating is defined as intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or hours. If a student is believed to be in violation of MTSU’s policy on academic misconduct, procedures will be following as outlined in the Students Handbook.

Academic Misconduct:

The instructor has the primary responsibility for control over the classroom behavior and can direct the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive conduct or conduct which otherwise violates the general rules and regulations of the institution. The instructor may report such misconduct to the assistant dean for Judicial Affairs for implementation of such disciplinary sanctions as may be appropriate, including extended or permanent exclusion from the classroom.

The MTSU Student Disciplinary Code defines academic misconduct as:

Plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, or facilitating any such act. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Plagiarism. The adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images or works of another person as one's own without proper attribution.

(2) Cheating. Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or aids in any academic exercise or test/examination. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or hours.

(3) Fabrication. Unauthorized falsification or invention ofany information or citation in an academic exercise.