EDSC 50: Exploring Education

Spring 2004

 

Meeting Place:           427 Waterman Building

 

Course Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM

 

ÒA teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.Ó  Adams

 

Welcome to EDSC 50. This course is designed to introduce you to the options a profession in public education can offer. On a more personal level, this course strives to help you clarify your thinking about a possible career in public education.  It is also designed to help you acclimate to the world of UVM and the Secondary Education Department.  Together we will commit to working to achieve the goals of this course.  To help us succeed in this effort you will need to attend all scheduled classes, be willing and ready to share your ideas, and prepared to study.  The goal of EDSC 50 is to provide all students with the opportunity to access ideas and experiences that support the clarification of future career goals.

 

UVM Course Instructor:

Jennifer Prue

Phone: 656-1404

e-mail:  jfprue@uvm.edu

Office: 409a Waterman Building

 

EDSC 50 Teaching Assistants:

John Craig: John.Craig@uvm.edu

 

Stephanie Edelman: Stephanie.Edelman@uvm.edu

 

Office hours by appointment only: You can call or reach us by e-mail.

 

Texts:

Albom, M. (1997). Tuesdays with Morrie: An old man, a young man, and lifeÕs greatest lesson. Doubleday: New York, NY.

 

Codell, E. R. (1999). Educating Esme. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill, NC.

 

Hersch, P. (1998). A tribe apart: A journey into the heart of American adolescence, Ballantine Books, New York, NY.

 

A fourth book-choice text will be required, see page 7 in syllabus

 

Course Schedule:

January

1/20 Introduction to course

 

1/22 MAPS #1

 

1/27 MAPS #2

 

1/29 Book #1; Tuesdays with Morrie Due

 

February

2/3 PLP Prep

     Writing Assignment #1 Due

 

2/5 Panel Presentation: EE Ed, Spec Ed, Middle and Secondary Ed

        

2/10 Library Tour

 

2/12 PLP Draft 1 Due

 

2/19 Book #2: A Tribe Apart: Preface/Prologue/Intro and Part 1 Due

 

2/24 Topic TBA

 

2/26 Topic TBA

 

March

3/2 Town Meeting Day-No Class

 

3/4 Service Learning Update and Preliminary Report Due

 

3/9 Book #2: A Tribe Apart: Part 2 Due

 

3/11 Panel Presentation: Art Ed, Music ED and Phys Ed

 

3/16 Vacation

 

3/18 Vacation

 

3/23 Book #2: A Tribe Apart: Part 3 Due

 

3/25 Panel Presentation: Social Work, Counseling and School Psyc

       PLP Draft 2 Due

 

3/30 Reflective Activity: PADA Entry

 

April

4/1 Book #3; Educating Esme Due

 

4/6 Writing Assignment #2 Due

 

4/8 PLP Check-in

 

4/13 Service Learning Presentations

 

4/15 Topic TBA

 

4/20 Small Group Presentations: Book Choice Project

 

4/22 ÒStand and DeliverÓ Movie Due

 

4/27 Writing Assignment #3 Due

 

4/29 MAPS #3

 

May

5/4 PLP Presentations Due

 

5/6 PLP Presentations Due

 

5/11 Final PortfolioÕs Due by 4:00

 

 

Course Overview:

 

EDSC 50 provides students with the opportunity to engage with professionals in the field of education and human services, to observe and reflect about a future career in the helping professions, and to participate with others to create a variety of standards based projects to achieve the following results:

 

1.         Strategies and Skills in Communication
Students will read, think critically, write and have practice in public speaking: Students will have opportunities to facilitate learning in small groups and present information on chosen topics.  Students will read articles and learn about public schools

 

           Students will find out about our College, about whoÕs who in CESS. (Ex. Advising, student services, registrar, peer supports, mentorsÉ)

 

2.                  Reasoning and Problem Solving
Research-Utilizing the UVM System in Bailey Howe, exploring technology, exploring how issues today touch peopleÕs lives, telling othersÕ stories, read research.

 

3.         Personal Development
Mapping Your Way to a Personal Learning Plan.  Students will identify artifacts from their life that showcase their skills.

 

4.         Civic/Social Responsibility
Students will establish a relationship with a community agency in Burlington and learn the principles of Cooperative Learning to document their involvement.

 

5.         Planning for Academic Success
Making connections to faculty and programs-Students will develop a plan for staying in touch with faculty, especially during their sophomore year.

 

 

As a student in EDSC 5O you will be asked to continually evaluate your own learning and professional growth. The goal of this course is to provide you with new perspectives about the world of school and the many services that exist to support the developmental needs of all students. You will be asked to read, write, conduct research, work cooperatively with classmates, and support the Greater Burlington Community through service to agencies that serve young people and families. 

 

 

Academic Requirements:

Assignments and Performance Assessments

 

1.              Classroom Participation and Attendance

2.             Personal Learning Project

3.             Service Learning Project and Presentation

4.             Small Group Projects

5.             Individual Reflective Assignments

6.             Portfolio Submission

 

 

Service Learning Project

20 Points

 

Your service learning project for this semester is going to be assisting the College Connections (CC) Program at Burlington High School (BHS) with an ambitious evaluation initiative.  The CC Program offers students grades 10-12 options and opportunities to explore post secondary education before they graduate.  CC is open to all students particularly those who do not see college as a post secondary option because of a variety of factors: economics, ESOL, minority status etc. The goal of this evaluation project is to gather data from graduates of BHS and CC regarding their experiences and services provided by CC.  Your primary activities will be as follows:

 

1.     Phone Interviews with graduates

2.    At least one face to face in-depth interview with a graduate

3.    Data collection

4.    Preliminary data analysis

5.    Presentation to class

 

Your data collection work will be supervised by Dhyanna Bradley at BHS and John and Stephanie.  You will work in base teams and organize interview times.  Phone interviews may be done from any phone or location (that includes your dorm room or apartment!).  Face to face interviews can be scheduled and completed according to your time requirements.

You will keep log sheets to document work time.  Each individual is required to complete 10 hours of service time.  Your base team is also required to present 2 xs to our class, on March 4th and April 13th.  We will provide information about how to organize the presentations later in the semester.  This project will give you an opportunity to hear from former high school students about their experiences, things that made a difference in future planning etc.  These issues are at the heart of all secondary education.  You are expected to make connections between the texts read for class, handouts and the information you gather through this assignment in your presentations.

 

 

Personal Project (PLP)

25 Points

Based on who you are; how you like to learn and what really interests you, you will select a topic that relates to education and explore it in-depth.

 

You will determine how you want to demonstrate your new knowledge to us and your peers.  For example: you may chose to write a paper, a poem, a play, radio script, do an interpretive dance, write a newspaper, do an oral presentation etc.!!!! 

 

The final project and presentation are due on 5/4-5/6/04.  You will have opportunities in class to work on the planning of the project.  The project is worth 25 points total.

 

Each project must address at least the following:

 

1.     Demonstration of knowledge of your chosen topic, discuss its connections to education and teaching

 

2.    Demonstration of how your new knowledge can be utilized in a classroom or school system.  In relation to your topic answer the question, so what?  What do we do with this information now?

 

3.    You must integrate information from at least one of the texts we read in class.  Make some connection between your topic and one of the books, articles, or chapters we discuss in class.

 

4.    You are required to use APA style for writing, formatting and citing research sources.  You must include at least 4 research sources, no more than one can be an internet source.

 

 

The first draft of your project is due on 2/12/04 and must include: topic, outline of proposed paper, sculpture, radio show, play etc.., at least 2 resource references.  Draft 1 is worth 5 points.

 

The second draft of your project is due 3/25/04 and must include: at least 4 resource references, at least five typed pages on your topic and a plan for completing the assignment.  Draft 2 is worth 10 points.

 

Your final PLP project is due on 5/4-5/6/04.  You will present your project to the class on one of those days.  Your presentation must be 8-10 minutes long.  Regardless of what form your PLP takes, you are required to hand in a reference page in APA form.  The final PLP and presentation are worth 10 points.  Your final project must include all previous work meaning earlier drafts.

 

Small Groups Assignments

16 points

There will at least 2 small group projects assigned during the semester.  You are required to participate in projects as they are assigned.  One example is a Book Choice Assignment which will require your group to: 1) choose a book from the provided reading list 2) read the text and 3) develop and present an organized lesson plan and presentation for the class.  There will be some time provided in class for work on these assignments.  The Book Choice Presentation must include the following:

 

1.     Some use of technology ex: power-point, website locations, web-quest etcÉ

2.    Print material about the book and main highlights for all class members.

3.    All group members must be involved with the planning and presentation of this assignment.

 

 

 

 

Individual Reflective Assignments

24 Points

There will be four individual reflective assignments throughout the semester each worth 6 points.  We will provide you with specific assignment information during the semester at appropriate times.  All assignments are to be 3-5 pages in length, typed and double-spaced, no exceptions.  The assignments are:

 

! A written response to Tuesdays with Morrie. (Writing Assignment 1 Due 2/3/04)

     You must choose three major themes which emerged from the book and discuss each. Your discussion should include quotations from the book which reflect each theme.

 

! A written response to Educating Esme. (Writing Assignment 2 Due 4/6/04)

     After reflecting upon the authorÕs journal entries, you will write her ÒnextÓ entry. Ensure that your entry is consistent with the authorÕs educational philosophy, experiences, and future aspirations with respect to teaching.

 

! A written response to a screening of ÒStand and DeliverÓ. (Writing Assignment 3 Due 4/27/04)

     One of the major themes of this film is the role teacher expectations play in student achievement.  Reflect on this idea in writing and connect to the film by use of examples and your own educational experiences.

 

! You are expected to write a Philosophy of Education statement developed in response to all experiences and activities this semester.  The statement is to be included in your final portfolio.  This personal essay should include references to readings completed this semester. (Writing Assignment 4 Due 5/11/04)

 

These assignments are designed to encourage critical reflection and writing practice.  As assignments are given, you are required to complete them according to specified timelines.

 

 

Classroom Attendance

10 Points

Be on time and ready to participate in class.  We expect to see you for each and every class.  This will be a great semester, so show up ready to learn and enjoy!!  You are responsible for contacting me or one of the TAÕs in the event of an absence.  We expect to hear from you at least two hours prior to the start of class except under crisis conditions.  Failure to do so will result in a loss of attendance points.  After two excused absences you will be required to meet with a course instructor.

 

Portfolio Submission

5 Points

Throughout the semester you will be creating products to be organized in to a work portfolio.  If you choose to pursue a career in education, this will be the first version of a portfolio that will be fine tuned culminating with your student teaching and certification.  If you do not choose to pursue a career in public education, this portfolio will be an organized compilation of significant writing, projects and academic planning that will be a tool during your college career.  Either way we expect the following:

 

1.     A three ring binder (organized)

2.    Writing assignments

3.    PLP in a finished format

4.    Documentation from the Service Learning Project

5.    Documentation from the Book Choice Presentation

6.    Your Philosophy of Education essay that describes your work this semester, goals you have achieved and goals you have set for the coming semesters, years etc.. This essay will be placed at the front of your portfolio and must be included when it is submitted on 5/11/04.

 

 

 

Grading:

 

A+ 99-100                      B- 80-83

A 94-98                         C+ 78-79

                                A- 90-9                            C 74-77

B+ 88-89                       C- 70-73

B 84-87                         D+ 72-70

                                   D 69-65

 

 

*****PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT POLICY*****

 

As the course instructor I can increase or decrease your final grade by one full letter grade based on your level of professional conduct during this course.

 

Fostering a caring, respectful environment where everyone has value and belongs requires maintaining very high standards of professional conduct. This is a course that raises issues that will be explored from many different perspectives.  There will be times when we agree with one another and times when we disagree.  How we conduct ourselves during these times is of the utmost importance. 

 

It is also important to think about your actions in class.  Being on time, participating etcÉthese are ways of conducting yourself professionally.  You may be learning to become an educator, social worker etc.  No matter what you do, you are a role model.  How you conduct yourselves with your peers and faculty will create your learning environment.  Keep this at the forefront of your minds while engaging in this course.

 

1)     Respect:  Yourself, Others & Surroundings

2)    Find the truth in all that you oppose

3)    Work to Create positive relationships

4)    Meet Timelines

5)    Participation

6)    Open Body Language