Syllabus
Master of Science in Education
EDU 724 – Collaboration in Inclusion Settings – Summer A 2016
Credits - 3
Description
Students will complete co-teaching experiences in inclusion settings. Activities are tailored to insure field application of concepts, models, practices, and skills as students apply effective co-teaching instructional practices, participate in interdisciplinary planning meetings, and collaborate as team members. These co-teaching experiences reinforce the acquisition of ethics and standards. During the course, participants are expected to spend considerable time in K-12 inclusive classrooms, plan and implement teaching and learning activities, research and reflect on practices, and work collaboratively with educational teams. Some course requirements may be modified during summer sessions for participants without access to students during summer school breaks.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
|
Course Objectives This course will provide information regarding… |
Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students will be able to… |
UNE Guiding Principles |
INTASC |
Evaluation |
|
Research-based practices in Collaboration |
Identify research-based practices related to collaboration and co- teaching between special and general education |
RM RS |
1,2, 4, 7, 8 |
Unit Plan Lesson Plans |
|
– Collaboration with IEP team, co-teachers – Communication with families/ paraprofessionals |
Identify and apply best practices in collaboration and communication |
CD RS |
2, 3, 7, 9, 10 |
Unit Plan Lesson Plans Case Study |
|
– Co-Teaching Instruction – Best practices for teaching students with disabilities |
Identify and apply best practices in co-teaching and teaching students with disabilities |
CD |
1,2,3,4, 5, 7 |
Unit Plan Lesson Plans Case Study |
|
Communication between collaborators |
Problem solve solutions for common problems in collaboration |
RM |
2,3,9, 10 |
Administrative Interview and Proposal |
|
Importance of collaboration as a component of successful inclusion |
Articulate a philosophy of collaboration with members of the IEP team |
RS, CH |
3, 9,10 |
Co-Teaching Reflection Philosophy of Inclusion |
Assignments
All Assignments are due each week by midnight on Sunday, ET. More thorough descriptions of assignments can be found within each module along with a link to upload your assignment.
Please save written assignments as Word documents with your last name and the assignment title. For example, “Smith_lessonplan”.
Discussion Board Posts:
This course has six discussions you are required to participate in. Some are designed to involve the full class, while others are geared to small groups (comprised of teachers of the same grade level). The discussions may ask you to discuss an issue related to the week’s content or post your assignment and comment on others. Initial posts are due by Wednesday each week. Responses to classmates are due by Sunday unless otherwise noted.
Written Assignment: Co-Teaching Reflection
Following the completion of several exercises from the course text, reflect upon the strengths and challenges you bring to a co-teaching relationship.
Written Assignment: Unit Plan Template
Utilizing the Understanding by Design model, create an overview of a teaching unit to be implemented by two teachers in a co-taught setting.
Written Assignment: Three Sequential Daily Lesson Plans
Create a set of lesson plans based upon your UbD teaching unit, and integrating models of co-teaching as well as strategies for differentiation.
Written Assignment: Student Case Study
Following the creation of your unit plans and accompanying lesson plans, develop a plan based upon a newly enrolled student in your classroom. Once provided with a brief sketch of the student, consider best practices in specially designed instruction in the inclusive classroom.
Written Assignment: Administrator Interview and Proposal
Based upon an interview completed with an administrator in your school or district, create a list of proposed recommendations for your school to follow in order to improve co-teaching and collaboration.
Written Assignment: Philosophy of Inclusion
Based upon your new learning in this course, articulate your personal philosophy regarding the inclusive education of students with special needs.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignments | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion Board Posts - 6 @ 3 Points | 18 |
| Co-Teaching Reflection | 10 |
| Unit Plans | 15 |
| Lesson Plans | 22 |
| Case Study | 10 |
| Administrator Interview and Proposal | 15 |
| Philosophy of Inclusion | 10 |
| TOTAL 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
|
Week |
Topic |
Readings |
Discussion Posts |
Assignments |
|
1 5/4-5/8 |
Welcome and Co-Teaching Overview |
Chs 1 and 2 |
Introduction and co-teaching experience |
None Due: May 8 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
2 5/9-5/15 |
Co-Teaching Self Assess & Reflection |
Ch 3 Ed Week article |
Co-teaching: the job of a lifetime |
Co-Teaching Reflection Due: May 15 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
3 5/16-5/22 |
Co-Teaching Approaches & Unit Development |
Ch 4 UbD Resources |
Share excerpt of unit plan for peer feedback |
None Due: May 22 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
4 5/23-5/29 |
Instruction in Co-Taught Classes, pt. I |
Ch 5 DI Resources |
None |
Unit Plan Due: May 29 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
5 5/30-6/5 |
Instruction in Co-Taught Classes, pt. II |
Refer to UbD and DI Resources in Modules 3, 4 |
Share excerpt of lesson plans and co-teaching approach(es) for peer feedback |
Lesson Plans Due: June 5 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
6 6/6-6/12 |
Working with Parapro- fessionals and families |
Ch 6 Readings on paraprofessionals and families |
Collaboration with families and paraprofessionals |
Student Case Study Due: June 12 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
7 6/13-6/19 |
Working with Administrators to Create a Co-Teaching Culture |
Chs 7 and 8 Readings on working with administrators |
None |
Administrator Interview and Proposal Due: June 19 at 11:59 pm. EST |
|
8 6/20-6/26 |
Collaboration |
None |
Collaborative Toolkit |
Philosophy of Inclusion Due: FRIDAY, June 24 at 11:59 pm. EST |
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Education page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Education Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/education/
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
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
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools the University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
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.