EDUC 300: Foundations Of American Education

EDUC 300: Foundations of American EducationCourse SyllabusFall 2011Instructor: Carmen Ruth Bosch, Ph.D.College of EducationLearning, Technology and Leadership EducationCOURSE TITLE:Foundations of American EducationCOURSE NUMBER:EDUC 300COURSE CREDIT3SECTIONS02DATES & TIMES:Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:00AM-12:15PMCLASS LOCATION:3340 Memorial HallOFFICE HOURS:Mon-Wed 2:00PM-3:00PMTERM/YEAR:PHONE:Fall 2011540-568-5813OFFICE:Memorial Hall 3325AEMAIL:boschcr@jmu.eduSadker and Zittleman. (2008). Teachers, Schools, and Society, 2nd edition.McGraw-Hill (ISBN: 0073378550).TEXTBOOKS:Tue-Thu 9:00AM-10:30AMCOURSE DESCRIPTIONThe purpose of this course is to provide students opportunities to develop their understanding of Americaneducation in a structured and logical manner. Students should be able to reflect upon and associaterecognized philosophical approaches to education, the history of education, and the socio-cultural changes inAmerican society with characteristics of today’s schools and with current educational issues. Students shouldalso 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 philosophiesand beliefs to help guide their actions in the educational arena.

COURSE OBJECTIVESThis course provides undergraduate students with a basic understanding of the complex social institution ofAmerican education and gives those students in teacher education a basic introduction to their profession. Uponcompleting this course, each student should be able to: Identify the philosophical bases of American education and relate them to present conditions and issues ineducation; Demonstrate knowledge of key events in American educational history and explain how these events haveinfluenced current educational practices; relate the roles of the school and educational practices to the philosophical, historical, social and politicalcontexts at local, state, and national levels; Explain the human relationships and interactions which take place in schools in terms of the institutionaland cultural determinants of schooling practices, including diversity issues; Describe present conditions and issues in American education as they relate to support and control ofeducational practices and curriculum, teaching opportunities and conditions, assessment and reform ineducation, 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 lawsand 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 alevel of achievement that demonstrates a commitment to the eventual mastery of professional educationalobjectives. You are expected to read the assigned material in order to participate substantially andintelligently in class. The final grade will be determined based on evidence of proficiency with the assigned tasks. It isexpected that all assignments will be undertaken and completed to the best of your ability and with thecommitment requisite to college-level work. All assignments must be submitted by the due date on the course outline. Late work will receive adiminished score. In an effort to maintain a distraction-free learning environment, all cell phones, beepers, pagers, andother electronic communication devices should be restricted to use outside of the classroom and notduring class time. You are expected to be respectful and constructive in your communication with classmates and with me. Your attendance is expected at all class meetings. You have the responsibility to sign the attendancesheet in at each class meeting. Your final grade for this course may drop by one letter grade for eachclass you miss after the first three.WITHDRAWAL POLICYNo WP/WF or an “Incomplete” will be given for this course. Extreme circumstances could arise that couldlead to a discussion these options with a student, but students are advised that they will be best served bytimely and open communication with me related to timely and successful completion of course assignments.

ACADEMIC HONESTYAll students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty bythe course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. All students need to be familiarwith the JMU Honor Code. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment, no possibility of achievinghigher than a “C” for your final grade, a violation reported to the JMU Honor Code Committee, and aviolation 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 INSTRUCTORThe best way to contact me is via email at boschcr@jmu.edu. I check my email many times throughout theday, but I only check my voicemail messages when I am in my office.WEATHER POLICYPlease see Policy 1309 regarding university closings, class cancellations and exam postponements due toinclement weather or emergencies at: http://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/1309.shtml. This class will be insession unless JMU is closed or you receive an email from me via Blackboard letting you knowotherwise.DISABILITIES & RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONSIf 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.Please be aware that an access plan that is generated for on-campus courses may not adequately address fieldexperiences. If you have not yet done so, please meet with Director of Disability Services in order to discussreasonable accommodations and develop an appropriate access plan for this course.I will try not to schedule exams or make work due during religious holidays when students may need to beabsent. If you are going to have a conflict please let me know ahead of time. I am happy to meet with anystudent to discuss early drafts of assignments.COURSE REQUIREMENTSReflections & Class Activities: The purpose of these assignments is to encourage you to come to class prepared.These activities will help you stay abreast of the readings so you can better contribute to class discussions. Youmust be in class to earn full credit. You will have opportunities to make up two missed reflections/activities, butwill only earn half credit. You must complete any missed homework within 1 week of the assignment. There willbe no extra credit opportunities. The short reflections and assignments are weighted to comprise 15% of yourfinal grade, so please take them seriously.Attendance/Participation: Attendance will be taken for each class period. Your final grade may drop by oneletter grade for each class meeting you miss after the first three. Appropriate participation includes activelylistening to lectures/discussions, contributions that add to the discussion, raising thoughtful questions, andcollaborating with classmates in respectful ways. Attendance/ participation are worth 15% of the final grade.

Collaboration Project with Harrisonburg Schools: As a part of your professional preparation at the College ofEducation, you are required to participate in a reading tutor partnership at one of city schools. The schedule ofrequired visits has each student working at the assigned school for one hour every 2 weeks for a total of 6 visits.(Meeting dates & times: TBA)Arriving at your assigned school and serving at your appointed time is essential. The teachers, the students and Iwill be counting on you to be on time and be professional. If you miss your scheduled time and do no rescheduleyour tutoring session, you will be subject to a letter-grade deduction of your final grade for the course. (Moreinformation about dress requirements, travel to the school, and other salient topics will follow.)Reflection Essay: You will write one essay. This essay will explore your tutoring experience at your assignedschool. I will provide the guiding questions for the essay, which you will hand in at the assigned date. Thisessay will comprise 10% of your grade. Please note: When you write about your experience at your assignedschool, you should not use actual names of teachers and students with whom you are working.Group Presentations: As a culminating activity for the semester, you and your learning community will do abrief presentation on your tutoring experience. I will provide information regarding this assignment later in thesemester. This will comprise 5% of your grade.Mid-term Exam: This may consist of multiple choice, short answer and short essay questions, and applicationquestions derived from the text, other required readings, videos, and class discussions and activities.Philosophy of Education: The purpose of this 6-7 page paper is to help you develop and articulate your ownpersonal philosophy of teaching and learning. You may choose to include this paper in a professional portfolio.This assignment will comprise 15% of your grade.Final Exam: This exam will be similar to the midterms but a little longer. It will emphasize thereadings/activities for the final portion of the course.IMPORTANT NOTE: Written assignments are due on the dates indicated in the course outline. I will providea template via Blackboard for every written assignment. Use APA (5th Edition) documentation or go 1/ for specific requirements. Grades are determined by a carefuljudgment of each assignment against a set of criteria, as indicated by the rubric that I will provide for eachassignment. Note that each written assignment includes evaluation of quality writing. Make sure you proofreadall 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 EVALUATIONGRADING PROCEDURESReflections & Class Activities15% of final grade100-95 % A94-90 % A-Attendance & Participation15% of final grade89-87 % B 86-83 % BCollaboration Project15% of final grade82-80 % B-79-77 % C Mid-term Exam20% of final grade76-73 % C72-70 % C-Philosophy of Education15% of final grade69-65 % D 64 % FFinal Exam20% of final gradeTOTAL 100%