Syllabus
Master of Science in Education
EDU 727 Understanding the Whole Child – Summer A 2022
Credits - 3
Description
This course will deepen the participants’ understanding of the factors that affect a learner’s ability to access their education. Participants will explore the current research in neuroscience and its connection to social and emotional learning. Participants will review and understand practical strategies to address the social and emotional learning needs of all learners and develop a social and emotional learning plan including the development of self-regulation skills in all learners.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Course Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Develop the role of the teacher in an inclusive classroom setting in contributing to the success (or failure) of the whole child by examining their own belief systems around educating the whole child in the inclusive setting.
- Identify and discuss the factors that affect a learner’s ability to access their education through examination and synthesis of relevant research/course materials.
- Demonstrate how these factors contribute to a learner’s ability to access their education through course discussions and assignments.
- Research and examine the role of neuroscience (brain research) including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and its connection to SEL (social and emotional learning) through course materials, discussions, and assignments.
- Identify practical strategies to address the social and emotional learning needs of all learners through course materials, discussions, and assignments.
- Develop a social and emotional learning plan to meet the needs of all learners in an inclusive setting.
Assignments
Week 2: Fostering Positive Relationships
This week you will create an artifact that shows ways to foster positive relationships with all of your learners. You will discuss your own experience in developing positive relationships with your learners, as well as research the importance of fostering relationships with your learners. You may present your work in a format that makes sense for you (essay, infographic, slides, video). Your finished product must include APA citations and formatting. Be creative!
Week 3: Adverse Childhood Experience Investigation
You will be conducting an ACE self-inventory based on the work of Blodgett (2012). In conducting this self-inventory, you’ll be able to make some general assumptions and connections to your learners in recognizing the impact of ACEs on learning.
Week 4: Whole Child Inventory
Using the Whole Child Indicators as a guide, you will conduct an inventory of your school. You may use the template provided, or you may use another method such as a video, interactive presentation, or infographic.
Week 6: Draft SEL Lesson
You will develop a lesson plan that integrates the UDL Engagement Guidelines to an area of your choosing:
- CAESL’s Core SEL Competencies
- ASCD’s Whole Child Indicators
You may choose to use the template provided, or you may choose to use a format of your preference. Your lesson can be an integrated academic lesson or a total lesson that is focused on a social and emotional area. The goal is for you to be creative, inclusive, and support the whole child.
Remember that this lesson plan is a work in progress. This week you are submitting a DRAFT of your lesson plan. You will also continue the work on this lesson plan in Week 7. In Week 7, you will revise and annotate your lesson plan.
Week 7: Annotated SEL Lesson
You will submit your completed annotated lesson plan. Annotations must contain research from course readings as well as at least two outside resources. You may also revise your lesson plan based on instructor and classmates’ feedback from the Week 6 discussion.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Point Value |
|---|---|
| Discussions | 24 pts (3 pts x 8 weeks) |
| Week 2: Fostering Positive Relationships | 10 pts |
| Week 3: Adverse Childhood Experience Investigation | 15 pts |
| Week 4: Whole Child Inventory | 16 pts |
| Week 6: Draft SEL Lesson | 15 pts |
| Week 7: Annotated SEL Lesson | 20 pts |
| Total | 100 pts |
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 |
Activities & Assignments |
Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
It Starts with You |
Assigned Reading & Viewing Class Discussion*
|
Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on FRIDAY. |
|
Week 2 |
The Power of Relationships |
Assigned Reading and Viewing Class Discussion* Written Assignment: Week 2: Fostering Positive Relationships Artifact |
Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
|
Week 3 |
Understanding Trauma, Neurodivergence, and Other Factors |
Assigned Reading and Viewing Class Discussion* Written Assignment: Week 3: Adverse Childhood Experience Investigation |
Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
|
Week 4 |
The Whole Child |
Assigned Reading and Viewing Class Discussion* Written Assignment: Week 4: Whole Child Inventory |
Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
|
Week 5 |
UDL and the Whole Child in the Inclusive Setting |
Assigned Reading & Viewing Class Discussion*
|
Due: Sunday at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
|
Week 6 |
UDL and SEL in the Inclusive Setting |
Assigned Reading and Viewing Class Discussion* Written Assignments: Week 6: Draft SEL Lesson Plan |
Due by Sunday at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
|
Week 7 |
Connecting the Dots: UDL, SEL, and the Whole Child in the Inclusive Setting |
Assigned Reading and ViewingClass Discussion* Written Assignments: Week 7: Annotated Lesson Plan |
Due: Sunday, 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
|
Week 8 |
Wrap-Up |
Class Discussion*
|
Due: FRIDAY at 11:59 PM ET *Post your initial response to the discussion board no later than 11:59 PM ET on WEDNESDAY. |
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.