Course Syllabus

                     EDUC 300: Foundations of American Education

Online Course

Course Syllabus
Fall 2017

Instructor: Larry Shifflett, Ed.D.
Adjunct Professor, College of Education

COURSE TITLE: Foundations of American Education, Hybrid Course

COURSE NUMBER: EDUC 300

COURSE CREDIT: 3

SECTION:  0019

DATES & TIMES: ONLINE (Does Not Apply)

CLASS LOCATION: ONLINE

OFFICE HOURS: By appointment only

TERM/YEAR: Fall 2017

EMAIL: lfshifflett@rockingham.k12.va.us  or  shiffllf@jmu.edu

TEXTBOOK:  Ryan, Cooper, and Bolick (2013).  Those Who Can, Teach, (14th edition). Cengage Learning (ISBN: 978-1-305-07769-0).

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this fully online course is to provide students opportunities to develop their understanding of American education in a structured and logical manner.  Students should be able to reflect upon and associate recognized philosophical approaches to education, the history of education, and the socio-cultural changes in American society with characteristics of today’s schools and with current educational issues. Students should also develop sufficient understanding and appreciation of the foundations of American education (beliefs, philosophies, theories, history, social and political context, etc.) to begin to form sound personal philosophies and beliefs to help guide their actions in the educational arena.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University.  All students need to be familiar with the JMU Honor Code. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment, no possibility of achieving higher than a “C” for your final grade, a violation reported to the JMU Honor Code Committee, and a violation reported on your Personal and Professional Disposition record for the teacher education program.
Please review the JMU Honor Code (http://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.htm).

 

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR

The best way to contact me is via email at lfshifflett@rockingham.k12.va.us or at shiffllf@jmu.edu.   I check my email many times throughout the day.   If you need to speak with me you may call my cell @ (540) 908 – 9719).

 

DISABILITIES & RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS

If you are a student with a documented disability who will be requesting accommodations in this course, please make sure you are registered with the Office of Disability Services (Wilson Hall, Room 107, (568-6705) and provide the course instructor with an Access Plan letter outlining needed accommodations.

I will try not to schedule exams or make work due during religious holidays.  If you are going to have a conflict please let me know ahead of time.  I am happy to meet with any student to discuss early drafts of assignments.

 

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

DOES NOT APPLY since this course is fully online.  Please see Policy 1309 regarding university closings, class cancellations, and exam postponements due to inclement weather or emergencies at: http://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/1309.shtml. 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Discussion Board Participation: The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to participate in our “virtual classroom” through online discussions.  These discussions will help you stay abreast of the readings so you can better understand the teaching profession.  Your participation will comprise 25% of your final grade, so please take them seriously.

 Weekly Quizzes: There will be quizzes to check for understanding as you complete the readings, discussions, and activities for each topic.  You may use the textbook along with other resources to complete the quizzes.  There will be a total of 14 quizzes and lowest score will be dropped.  The quizzes will comprise 25% of your final grade. 

Philosophy of Education: The purpose of this 7 - 8 page paper is to help you develop and articulate your own personal philosophy of teaching and learning.  You may choose to include this paper in a professional portfolio.  This assignment will comprise 25% of your grade.

Final Exam: This will consist of multiple choice, short answer, short essay questions, and application questions derived primarily from the text, online discussions, and activities.  The final exam will comprise 25% of your overall grade.     

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Written assignments are due on the dates indicated in the course outline.  I will provide a template via Canvas for every written assignment.  Use APA (5th Edition) documentation or go to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ for specific requirements.  Grades are determined by a careful judgment of each assignment against a set of criteria, as indicated by the rubric that I will provide for each assignment.  Note that each written assignment includes evaluation of quality writing.  Make sure you proofread all written assignments prior to submission to ensure a) effective organization, b) correct grammar and spelling, and c) minimal typographical errors. Please do not hand in your first draft! 

 

 COURSE EVALUATION

Grading Procedures

Discussion Board Participation           25%

Weekly Quizzes                                  25%

Philosophy of Education                     25%

Final Exam                                         25%

TOTAL                                             100%

 

GRADING SCALE

100 – 95                      A                                 79 – 77                        C+

94 – 90                        A-                                76 – 73                        C

89 – 87                        B+                               72 – 70                        C-

86 – 83                        B                                 69 – 65                        D

82 – 80                        B-                                     <­                             F

 

GRADE APPEAL PROCEDURE

Maintaining standards of excellence and the integrity of the teaching/learning process are important values to JMU faculty. The university and its faculty members also recognize that grades may sometimes be inappropriately assigned. If such disagreements occur, students have a right to voice their opinion concerning a particular course grade. Evaluation of student work and assignment of grades on the basis of academic criteria are the responsibilities and prerogative exercised by the professor.

 

GRADE CHANGE PROCEDURE

If a student (graduate, undergraduate or post-baccalaureate) believes that a grade was assigned in error, because of a mistake in calculation or an error in recording a grade, the student should consult the professor (or professors, in the case of a jointly taught course) before the Friday of the second full week of classes in the regular semester following the semester of the contested grade to resolve the discrepancy. Requests for review of spring semester or summer session grades must be initiated no later than the Monday of the third full week of classes in the subsequent fall semester. If the professor agrees that a change should be made, the professor should submit a Grade Change Form, available from the Office of the Registrar or on the Web at http://www.jmu.edu/registrar/forms.shtml, and forward it to the relevant department head, school director or cluster coordinator for signature. A copy of the Grade Change Form will be forwarded to the dean. The only basis for this type of change is an error in grade assignment or calculation.

 

 COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course provides undergraduate students with a basic understanding of the complex social institution of American education and gives those students in teacher education a basic introduction to their profession. Upon completing this course, each student should be able to:

Identify the philosophical bases of American education and relate them to present conditions and issues in education;

• Demonstrate knowledge of key events in American educational history and explain how these events have influenced current educational practices;
• Relate the roles of the school and educational practices to the philosophical, historical, social and political contexts at local, state, and national levels;
• Explain the human relationships and interactions which take place in schools in terms of the institutional and cultural determinants of schooling practices, including diversity issues;
• Describe present conditions and issues in American education as they relate to support and control of educational practices and curriculum, teaching opportunities and conditions, assessment and reform in education, future demographic and social changes, and the integration of technology;
• Acquire a basic understanding of the legal status of teachers and students, including federal and state laws and regulations, and school as an organization/culture
• Develop and articulate a personal philosophy of teaching and learning.

  

COURSE POLICIES

• This course is designed for professional preparation. You will be challenged and expected to perform at a level of achievement that demonstrates a commitment to the eventual mastery of professional educational objectives.  You are expected to read the assigned material in order to participate substantially and intelligently to our online discussions. 
• The final grade will be determined based on evidence of proficiency with the assigned tasks. It is expected that all assignments will be undertaken and completed to the best of your ability and with the commitment requisite to college-level work.
• All assignments should be submitted by the due date on the course outline.
• You are expected to be respectful and constructive in your communication with classmates and with me.

 

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

The deadline for dropping this course in MyMadison is Friday, September 15, 2017(dropping this class after this date will result in tuition charges).