Professional Education Unit
Department of Foundational and Graduate Studies in Education
INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION (Face to Face)
EDF 100
Rowan County Senior High School
2013
st
1 Trimester
Mrs. Carla Dehart (carla.dehart@rowan.kyschools.us)
Room 107 Phone: 606-784-8956 ext 2630
Class: 5th Period
Course Description: An introduction to American schooling for students considering a career in
teaching. Prerequisites: None
Required Field Experience Hours: 6
Student Outcomes:
1. Students will understand the unique characteristics of education as a profession
2. Students will understand the professional code of conduct that governs teachers nationally and in
Kentucky
3. Students will understand how school systems are organized and operate.
4. Students will understand school policies and procedures.
5. Students will understand legal issues in education.
6. Students will understand the importance of active participation and leadership in professional
education organizations.
7. Students will understand the rights of students with exceptionalities.
8. Students will understand how students’ learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents,
and prior learning as well as language, family, and culture
9. Students will understand how cultural and gender differences can affect learning in the classroom.
10. Students will understand schools as organizations within the larger community context.
11. Students will understand various levels of American schooling and different kinds of teaching
certifications, and be aware of high need areas in the teaching profession.
12. Students will understand the role of reflection in the improvement of instruction and in
professional growth.
13. Students will understand methods of inquiry that provide for a variety of self assessment and
problem-solving strategies for reflecting on practice.
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14. Students will able to make an informed decision about whether or not to pursue a career in public
education.
15.
Resources:
Textbook: Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional Don P. Kauchak, Merrill, 2011
(Required)
Assignment Descriptions:
Assessment (point value)
Participation (30)
Description
The student will attend class, take careful notes on lectures, and
participate in class discussions. The amount and quality of a student's
participation in discussion may affect his/her grade in the course. 30
possible attendance points count toward the course grade. Each
absence (for any reason) results in a deduction of 10 points. Students
may make up the absence and get the 10 points back by writing an
acceptable essay on a topic approved by the instructor. Essay should
be typed, double-spaced and at least 500 words long and is due one
week from the day the student returns to class. (It is the student’s
responsibility to seek out the instructor and get his/her essay topic
after being ill.) A student who misses more than three times and does
not write the make-up essays may have negative points in this
category, which will be deducted from the total score for other
assignments. A student who misses more than five class meetings
should drop the class. (Student Outcomes 1 – 13)
Field Experience (60 total)
The student will complete at least six hours of observation/
participation in a public school setting, and keep a log of observations
and reflections on what is observed. If possible, students should
observe in all levels of schooling: preschool, elementary, middle and
secondary. (Student Outcomes 1 – 13) Observations should not
interfere with students regular class schedule.
Teachers should be widely read citizens, informed about a wide range
of topics and literature in the culture. To address this issue the student
will read a book on the supplemental reading list and write a 1000 1500 word review. The review should identify the central thesis of the
book and show the structure of the author’s arguments: evaluate the
author’s arguments; explain how they might be significant for
education today; and explain how they are relevant to you personally.
This is a formal writing assignment that should reflect not only the
student’s own thinking but his/her very best writing and editing skills
as well. No more than two students may select the same book.
(Student Outcome 13 +)
Each student will watch a movie on the movie list below and write a
500 - 1000 word essay analyzing it with regard to the following
issues: 1) Is the teaching professional depicted in a positive or
Book Review (100 total)
Movie Essay
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negative light? 2) What does it assume about the purposes of
education? 3) What does it assume about the nature and motivation of
students? 4) How does it reflect on the larger culture of the school and
the society outside the school? 5) How relevant is this movie’s
depiction of schooling to the realities of teaching today?
Four Exams (400 total)
Quizzes (10 points each)
Best Teacher Essay (50)
Self-Evaluation Essay (50)
This is a formal writing assignment that should reflect not only the
student’s own thinking but his/her very best writing and editing skills
as well. No more than three students may select the same movie.
You may notify the instructor of your choice by email as soon as you
make your selection. It is suggested that you email the instructor your
top three choices, in order, in case your first choice isn't available.
(Student Outcome 13 +)
The student will take four exams covering important terms, topics,
and people from education in America. **Will be in-class. (Student
Outcomes 1 – 12)
The student will take unannounced quizzes over chapter readings and
class discussions. Students should always stay caught up with
assigned readings and regularly review class notes. (Student
Outcomes 1 – 12)
Each student will write a formal essay describing the work of the
teacher he/she deems the best from his/her experience as a student.
The student will describe what about that teacher was exemplary and
how it influenced his/her own decision to consider teaching as a
professoin. This is a formal writing assignment which should reflect
not only the student’s best thinking skills, but his/her best writing and
editing skills as well. Suggested length: 300 - 500 words. A rubric will
be provided. (Student Outcome 13 +)
Each student will write a personal, self-reflective essay describing
his/her own talents, skills, dispositions, and interests as they relate to a
career in teaching. Which ones might be most important to successful
teaching? Which ones might inhibit the students ability to be an
outstanding teacher. This is a formal writing assignment which should
reflect not only the student’s best thinking skills, but his/her best
writing and editing skills as well. Suggested length: 300 - 500 words.
A rubric will be provided. (Student Outcome 13 +)
Grading Scale:
Format for Completing Assignments:
90% - 100 %
80% - 89%
70% - 79%
60% - 69%
0% - 59%
1. Put name, course # and Section #, date and
assignment title in upper right hand corner.
2. Use Times New Roman, 12 – font only
3. Double – space all assignments
4. Use 1” margins all the way around.
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B
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LATE WORK:
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Work not turned in at the beginning of the class period at which it is due will be accepted, but with a
penalty. Work turned in late but before the next class period will be penalized one letter grade. Work
received after that, but less than a week late will be penalized with a 50% reduction in the score. Work
will not be accepted which is more than one week late.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
As a prospective teacher, the student is expected to exhibit professional behavior in his/her class
attendance and participation. The instructor considers three absences in one semester to be tolerable. A
student who misses more than that can expect his/her final grade to be lowered. A student who misses on
the day an assignment is due should provide the instructor with a written request for an excused absence.
Examples of reasons that might be excused by the instructor are illness, accident, personal emergency,
death in the immediate family, special academic programs, or an authorized university function for which
the student's presence is required. If a student misses for any reason, he/she should call the instructor
before class if at all possible and let the instructor know that the student won’t be there. A student who
misses more than five class meetings should drop the class.
Legitimate absences do not excuse the student from class responsibilities. Should a student miss class, it
is his/her responsibility to make up for everything missed. Should a student miss class on the day an
assignment is due he/she should send the assignment to class with a classmate or call the instructor before
class and ask permission to turn it in late.
If a student has an excused absence on the day of an exam, he/she may be allowed to take the repeat exam
without penalty.
See section above on “PARTICIPATION” to see how absences affect grades.
WEATHER CONTINGENCY PLAN:
For classes at MSU: Any time class is cancelled, notices and supplemental work will be posted to
Blackboard. Any missed exams will be rescheduled upon return, unless class is cancelled at the end of
the semester, in which case exams will be given on Blackboard. Classes in public schools will follow the
weather plans of those schools.
Campus Safety Statement: Emergency response information will be discussed in class. Students should
familiarize themselves with the nearest exit routes in the event evacuation becomes necessary. You should notify
your instructor at the beginning of the semester if you have special needs or will require assistance during an
emergency evacuation. Students should familiarize themselves with emergency response protocols at
www.moreheadstate.edu/emergency.
Academic honesty: Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism or helping others to commit these acts will not be tolerated.
Academic dishonesty will result in severe disciplinary action including, but not limited to, failure of the student
assessment item or course, and/or dismissal from MSU. If you are not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty,
read The Eagle: Student Handbook or ask your instructor. The policy is located at
http://www.moreheadstate.edu/files/units/dsl/eaglehandbook/studenthandbook2008-09.pdf [pgs.11 & 39]. For
example: Copying information from the Internet is plagiarism if appropriate credit is not given.
Policy for Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Professional staff from MSU Academic Services Center
(ASC) coordinates efforts to address accessibility needs and class accommodations with instructors of students who
have learning or physical disabilities. Faculty will cooperate with the ASC staff to accommodate the needs of
students taking departmental courses.
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***Please SILENCE your cell phones during class.
***Please DO NOT USE COMPUTERS / Laptops during class (unless otherwise instructed by your
instructor) ---- Absolutely NO Emailing, Texting, instant messaging, net – surfing, etc during class!
Supplemental Reading List for Book Reviews
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Apple, Michael. Official Knowledge: Democratic Education in a Conservative Age
Armstrong, Karen. Islam: A Short History
Bellah, Robert. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life
Bennett, William J. The De-valuing of America : The Fight for Our Culture and Our Children
Berry, Wendell. Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition
Berry, Wendell. What Are People For?
Biggers, Jeff. The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence,
Culture, and Enlightenment to America
Bloom, Allen. The Closing of the American Mind
Bly, Robert. Iron John: A Book About Men
Brameld, Theodore. Education as Power
Caudill, Harry. Night Comes to the Cumberlands
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Colby, Anne & William Damon. Some Do Care: Contemporary Lives of Moral Commitment
Dalai Lama & Howard C. Cutler. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
Dewey, John. Experience and Education
Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam
Frankl, Victor. Man's Search for Meaning
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Friedman, Thomas. From Beirut to Jerusalem
Friedman, Thomas. Longitudes and Attitudes
Friedman, Thomas. The World Is Flat
Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think And How Schools Should Teach
Gardner, Howard. Frames Of Mind: The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences
Gleick, James. Chaos
Gould, Stephen Jay. Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History
Gould, Stephen Jay. The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History
Green, Garrett. Imagining God
Greene, Brian. The Elegant Universe
Greene, Maxine. Releasing the Imagination
Greene, Maxine. Teaching as a Performing Art
Hooks, Bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
Hirsch, Jr. E. D. Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know
Hutchins, Robert. The Higher Learning in America
Illich, Ivan. Deschooling Society
Jourdain, Robert. Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination
Keen, Sam. Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man
Kohn, Alfie. The Schools Our Children Deserve : Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and
"Tougher Standards"
Kozol, Jonathan. Letters to a Young Teacher
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40. Kushner, Harold. Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and
Success
41. Kushner, Harold. When Bad Things Happen to Good People
42. Lewis, C. S. The Abolition of Man
43. Lukes, Steven. The Curious Enlightenment of Professor Caritat: A Novel of Ideas
44. Maeroff, Gene I. Imaging Education: The Media and Schools in America
45. Noddings, Nel. The Challenge to Care in Schools
46. Noddings, Nel. Educating Moral People: A Caring Alternative to Character Education
47. Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach : Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
48. Palmer, Parker J. A Hidden Wholeness : The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
49. Paulos, John Allen. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences
50. Peck, M. Scott. The Road Less Traveled: The New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and
Spiritual Growth
51. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death
52. Postman, Neil. The Disappearance of Childhood
53. Postman, Neil. The End of Education
54. Postman, Neil. Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology
55. Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
56. Ratey, John J. and Erick Hagerman. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the
Brain
57. Ravitch, Diane. Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform
58. Roshi, Philip Kapleau. The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment
59. Ryan, Alan. John Dewey: And the High Tide of American Liberalism
60. Sacks, Oliver. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
61. Steinberg, Laurence. Beyond the Classroom: Why School Reform Has Failed and What Parents Need
to Do
62. Tyack, David and Larry Cuban. Tinkering toward Utopia: A Century of Public School Reform
63. Vanier, Jean. Happiness: A Guide to a Good Life, Aristotle for the New Century
64. Watts, Alan W. The Way of Zen
65. Wilson, E. O. Consilience: the Unity of Knowledge
66. Wilson, E. O. On Human Nature
Movie List for Essays:
Blackboard Jungle
Conrack
Dangerous Minds
Dead Poets Society
Educating Rita
Finding Forrester
Freedom Writers
Good Morning, Miss Dove
Good Will Hunting
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Lean on Me
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Music of the Heart
Precious
Remember the Titans
Renaissance Man
School of Rock
Stand and Deliver
Teachers
The Breakfast Club
The Emporer’s Club
The Great Debaters
The Miracle Worker
The Paper Chase
The Ron Clark Story
To Sir with Love
Up the Down Staircase
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Guidelines for Field Experiences
What to wear:
Students are to wear name tags during all observations. The university is a wonderful place for students to
express their individuality through fashion. Unfortunately, your self-expression can be a distraction in the
public school classrooms where you observe. Dress conservatively and professionally. Your appearance
and presence should not call attention to yourself or distract the students in the classroom.
How to Act:
Students are to follow the routine established by the classroom teacher for the class. Also, students are
expected to follow procedures established for other students in the school, i.e. fire drills, assemblies, etc.
The teachers' first priority is to their students in their classrooms. While you will find most teachers very
cooperative and willing to help, your presence is not their primary responsibility. Enter your activities as
smoothly and inconspicuously as possible.
Please keep the appointment that has been scheduled. Also, it is very important that you be on time for
your scheduled observation. Be there at the designated time and do not leave before the scheduled time.
Who to Tell:
Any information or impression of the school or teacher you observe is confidential. While we may
discuss your experiences in class and you will be writing about them, please refrain from discussing them
outside class.
What to Remember:
Remember, you are a guest in the school. Our field experience program depends upon your success.
What to Write about Classroom Observations:
1. Each student should buy a composition book from the bookstore (black and white cover) and keep
his/her log in it. Must be handwritten. [If you have a compelling reason why you need to type your log,
please see the instructor.]
2. A heading above each entry in the observation log should include the following information about the
observation itself:
Student's Name EDF 100 Class Section
Name of the School and School District
Teacher Observed Grade/Subject
Date of Observation Time Observation Started & Ended
Total Time of This Observation
3. There should be a separate entry for each change of teacher/class period/subject matter.
4. Observation logs should include at least 300 words of description and analysis per hour observed. They
should reflect the fact that the student has been a careful, thoughtful, analytical observer of the classroom.
5. Classroom Observations: Students should bring a notebook to class, watch for the things identified
below, and jot down enough notes to allow them to write about it when they get home. As soon as you get
home from the observation, sit down with your notes and your observation log book and write about what
you saw. Each entry in the log should include the information listed below. The student need not include
the information in the format or order listed here. The important thing is that the log should show that the
student was watching carefully and reflecting on everything going on in the classroom.
A. From the following list of physical characteristics, identify those that appeared to have a
significant effect on the teaching/learning process and describe the positive or negative influences
of each one that you have identified: (a) seating arrangements, (b) room decorations, (c) room
lighting, (d) room temperature, (e) outside noises, (f) crowded conditions, (g) other (please
describe).
B. From the following list of instructional presentation methods, identify and describe the one
primarily used during this observation: (a) question/answer, (b) lecture, (c) small group
instruction, (d) audio-visual presentation, (e) other. Next describe the students' reactions to the
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presentation, i.e., interested/motivated, passive, inattentive, disruptive, etc. How do you explain
their reactions? What might have been done to improve the learning experience?
C. Pay close attention to and report on the estimated percentage of class time that was actually
used for teaching/learning (academic learning time). Also note and report the number of types of
classroom interruptions that interfered with the teaching/learning process.
D. Note and report on how difficult and demanding were the materials presented and the
assignments made for the next class?
E. Note and report on the types and extent of discipline problems that occurred. How did the
teacher deal with them? Was the teacher's action effective? Why or why not?
F. What impressed you most (both positively and negatively) during the observation? Please add
any comments that you would like to make relative to this observation.
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