Syllabus
Master of Science in Education
EDU 600 Teacher as Leader – Fall A 2015
Credits - 3
Description
This online course respects your significant professional knowledge based upon your classroom experiences. Often though, teachers are unable to share that knowledge with others and collaborate to address significant concerns as well as connect educational research to their practice thereby providing leadership for improvement in their school. This course’s goals are to facilitate your doing just that. This course will enhance your classroom-based experiences by linking those experiences with professional research skills. Designed to foster best practices, the course structure supports acquiring knowledge, skills and cohort experiences that will continue to be threaded through several MSEd courses. Teachers will learn how to locate and critically review a wide range of professional resources. Teachers will take significant steps toward becoming teacher leaders by combining their classroom based knowledge, articulating that knowledge from a research-based framework, successfully navigating school cultures, and learning from their seasoned peers. Exposure to this information will instill in teachers an understanding of their leadership potential and responsibilities in the school setting.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
The mission of the Department of Education is to develop–through research, service, and innovative teaching–reflective teachers and school leaders who are competent and caring lifelong learners committed to innovative and effective practices. In addition, four guiding principles are used in development and delivery of all programs and courses (see Student Handbook for more details):
- Rigorous mind
- Compassionate heart
- Reflective stance
- Competent demonstration
We have also aligned our courses with the Maine Teacher Certification Standards (MITSC) and the ISLLC Standards for School Leaders (Interstate Standards for School Leaders). Given this backdrop, the following objectives have been identified for EDU 600 and matched to the Department’s guiding principles and the MITSC and ISLLC standards.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Search and locate professional education resources [competent demonstration; [Maine Standard 1; ISLLC Standard 1]
- Articulate key research results and instructional implications regarding: cognitive processes, non-linguistic representations, summarizing and note taking, motivation to learn, and homework [rigorous of mind, competent demonstration; [Maine Standard 4;ISLLC Standard 2]
- Relate and apply research results to their own classroom, building or district [rigorous of mind, reflective stance, competent demonstration; [Maine Standard 1; ISLLC Standard 2]
- Describe idealized Professional Learning Community (PLC) models [rigorous of mind, compassionate of heart; [Maine Standard 1; ISLLC Standard 1]
- Articulate and analyze PLC models to their own school building or district. [rigorous of mind, reflective stance; [Maine Standard 1; ISLLC Standards 1,2]
- Model and apply the National Educational Technology Standards for Students; [Maine Standard 11]
The MSEd program enacts the mission listed above by recognizing that experienced teachers and administrators provide rich resources for professional development. Online learning provides a unique opportunity for the development of a community of learners. Faculty and students alike are devoted to learning through collaboration in research and service within the degree program and their professional environment.
Assignments
Required Readings:
Dufour, R., Dufour, R., Eaker, R., (2008) Revisiting Professional Communities at Work; New Insights for Improving Schools, Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. Kindle
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition, (2010). Publication date: July 2009 Kindle
Dean, C. B., Hubbell, E. R., Pitler, H., Stone, B. (2012). Classroom instruction that works; Research based strategies for increasing student achievement. (2nd Edition) ASCD, Alexandria, Virginia, USA. Kindle
Additional readings will be required as part of the course. However, these readings will either be provided within the course or students will gain access through internet or libraries.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Point Value | Percentage of Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Written Assignments | 4X10 points each | 40% |
| 6 Threaded Discussions:n3 Class; 3 Group | 6X5 points each | 30% |
| Week Three Threaded Group Discussion | 2 points | 2% |
| Self-Evaluation | 3 points | 3% |
| Part I Independent Research Project (Research Summary) | 10 points | 10% |
| Part II Independent Research Project (Literature Review) | 10 points | 10% |
| Quiz on APA Style/Format | 5 points | 5% |
| Total: | 100 points | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Schedule: Fall A, 2015
Course Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Written Assignments: Due by 11:59 PM EST on Sundays (except Module 8)
Group Discussions: Part I ends at 11:59 PM EST on Tuesdays; Part II ends at 11:59 PM EST on Saturdays (*)
Class Discussions: End at 11:59 PM EST on dates listed below
|
Modules |
Activities |
Due Dates for Written Assignments; End Dates for Each Part of Group Discussions |
|
Module 1 Introductions; Websites |
Class Discussion |
Sept. 6 |
|
Module 2 Teaching Strategies |
Group Discussion Written Assignment APA Quiz Collaborate Session |
Part I: Sept. 8; Part II: Sept 12 Sept. 13 Sept. 13 Sept. 10 @ 7 PM |
|
Module 3 Cooperative Learning Self Assessment |
Group Discussion Written Assignment |
Part I: Sept. 15; Part II: Sept 19 Sept. 20 |
|
Module 4 Summarizing and Homework |
Group Discussion Written Assignment |
Part I: Sept 22; Part II: Sept. 26 Sept. 27 |
|
Module 5 IRP, Part I |
Class Discussion Written Assignment |
Sept. 30 Oct. 4 |
|
Module 6 PLCs, Part I |
Group Discussion Written Assignment Collaborate Session (Literature Review) |
Part I: Oct. 6; Part II: Oct. 10 Oct. 11 Oct. 6 @ 7 PM |
|
Module 7 PLCs Part II |
Written Assignment |
Oct. 18 |
|
Module 8 IRP, Part II |
Class Discussion Literature Review |
Oct. 21 (a Wednesday) Oct. 21 (a Wednesday) |
(*) End date only, for each part of group discussions.
Group discussion expectations for early, ongoing and quality participation (EOQ) will be made available by each instructor.
Student Resources
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Policies
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.