TED5301:LearningContextandCurriculum This document was posted at Hogwarts by Dr. Awalt for her class. Please print a copy and keep it in your study notebook for reference. I n s t r u c t o r C o n t a c t I n f o r m a t i o n Instructor: Carolyn Awalt, Ph.D. Phone: 915.747.7674 Email: Carolyn Awalt, Ph.D. E m a i l P o l i c y : The instructor will answer emails Monday through Friday within 48 hours of receiving them. C a t a l o g D e s c r i p t i o n TED 5301 course description from the UTEP Graduate Catalog: Examination of the theoretical frameworks and broad definitions of curricula, processes of curriculum alignment, pedagogy and assessment, Texas State standards, curricular resources, curriculum integration, learning theory and lesson planning O b j e c t i v e s identify the major curriculum theories recognize when a particular theory is used in teaching employ appropriate curriculum theories in your own teaching prepare you to take the Teacher Education Department's qualifying exam for the Master's degree. T e x t b o o k The textbook for this course is Contemporary Theories and Practice in Education (2003, 2nd Edition) by Yves Bertrand. You may buy the book at the UTEP bookstore if you live nearby or online from Atwood Publishing. SBN# 1-891859-46-3 ($24.95) A s s e s s m e n t In the first week, you are asked to take a syllabus quiz worth 5 points. The Syllabus quiz is one you can take as many times as needed to answer all the questions correctly. The reason for this is to call your attention to important facts and dates that will aid you in succeeding in this course. Individually (as highlighted in green below and the Course Calendar), there is a single Syllabus quiz worth 5 points, and 14 weekly quizzes, each worth 5 points each for a total 70 points. You will be required to take the weekly quizzes during the week assigned. No extra time will be given for you to make up a quiz, unless prior approval has been given by the instructor. There are three (3) short assignments and eight (8) long assignments for a total of 95 points. The total amount of points for your individual work will be worth 170 points. Copyright 2008 Carolyn Awalt Ph.D. & The University of Texas at El Paso.
TED5301:LearningContextandCurriculum Almost every week, you will study a different curriculum theory and complete an activity that will help you understand that theory better. Sometimes you will do the assignment alone and sometimes you will work in a group to produce a final product. During the course, you will be required to submit five(5) group reports and five(5) peer reviews (as highlighted in Blue below and in the Course Calendar). The peer reviews are used to gauge your participation and group work. See the chart below for a breakdown for both the individual and group assignments. Activities Assignments with Points Total Individual Total Group Total Points Individual Syllabus Quiz 5 pts. 5 5 Weekly Quizzes 14 Quizzes at 5 pts. 70 70 Short Assignments 3 Assignments at 5 pts. 15 15 Long Assignments 8 Assignments at 10 pts. 80 80 Group Reports 5 Reports at 10 pts. 50 50 Peer Reviews 5 Peer Reviews at 5 pts. 25 25 Total Scores 170 75 245 Grading Scale 205-245 = A 165-204 = B 125-164 = C 100-124 = D Below 100 = F We all work in groups either at work or socially. Most of us are rated for promotion by our peers every year. Sometimes we rate ourselves as doing better than those we work with us would rate us. At other times we underrate ourselves, and it is good to know that others value our work better than we do ourselves. Sometimes the results of a peer review rubric can come as a shock, either positive or negative. Take a look at the rubric and let it be a guide to you as you interact with your group members. Part of the point of this exercise is for you to get an idea of what the dimensions of good teamwork are, and how a good working relationship is valued. It also gives me an insight into who is working, and who is not working. In the group exercises, you will be called upon to assess yourself as well as your teammates. Copyright 2008 Carolyn Awalt Ph.D. & The University of Texas at El Paso.
TED5301:LearningContextandCurriculum There will be a peer review survey available for you to do your ratings several times during the course. Your teamwork activity score will be an average of those given by your teammates. Teamwork scores will be assessed as class participation for a total score of 25 points. Here is the rubric that we will use for group activities. peer_review_survey Grading Rubric for Individual Discussion Postings and Group Reports Since writing is the primary way we will be communicating in this online course, we need to do it well in order to have our ideas appreciated. Grading is based on the quality and the structure of your writing. Always do a spelling and grammar check before posting. It is recommended that you send your assignments to SmartThinking for review before posting. Citations are to be made according to the American Psychological Association rules. If you are uncertain about the APA style, consult APA Style.org http://apastyle.apa.org/ or the resources at the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Quality of Posting Response to assignment questions Focus on Topic Relates text and articles to the assignment Accuracy of Facts Sources 6 Points 4 Points 2 Points 0 Points Responds completely to all questions. There is one clear, wellfocused topic. Main idea stands out and is supported by detailed information. Cites the text and all articles in relation to the assignment. All supportive facts are reported accurately. All sources used for quotes and facts are credible. Responds to most questions. The main idea is clear but the supporting information is too general. Cites the text and almost all articles in relation to the assignment. Almost all supportive facts are reported accurately. Most sources used for quotes and facts are credible. Responds to a few of the questions. The main idea is somewhat clear but there is a need for more supporting information. Makes few citations from text and articles in relation to the assignment. Most supportive facts are reported accurately. Few sources used for quotes and facts are credible. Responds to one question or less. The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly random collection of information. Makes very few or no citations from text and articles in relation to the assignment. NO facts are reported OR most are inaccurately reported. Sources used for quotes and facts are less than credible (suspect). Structure of the Posting Grammar and Spelling Capitalization and Punctuation Citations 4 Points 3 Points 2 Points 0 Points Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Writer makes no errors in capitalization or punctuation, so the paper is exceptionally easy to read. Sources are cited correctly in APA format. Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Writer makes 1 or 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation, but the paper is still easy to read. Most sources are cited correctly in APA format. Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Writer makes a few errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and interrupt the flow. Few sources are cited correctly in APA format. Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Writer makes several errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and greatly interrupt the flow. No sources are cited correctly in APA format N a v i g a t i n g t h e C o u r s e Use the links on the left side of this page to locate course content and tools such as the Copyright 2008 Carolyn Awalt Ph.D. & The University of Texas at El Paso.
TED5301:LearningContextandCurriculum Announcements - updated information from the instructor Introduction - information about your instructor Syllabus - information about how the course will operate Course Content - weekly lessons and other readings Schedule - a week-by-week schedule of assignments, quizzes, and assessments Discussion - an area for communication, posting of some assignments, and discussion of assignments Quizzes - location of quizzes and peer review surveys Gradebook - all your grades for quizzes and assignments will be posted here in a timely manner Group Work Area - the area in which you will do your group assignments Course Email - allows you to email anyone in the course Homepage - during the first week in this course, you will create your homepage here Roster - where the you can find the homepages of your fellow students S o f t w a r e R e q u i r e m e n t s Adobe Reader is free software that allows everyone from business professionals to home users to easily and reliably view, print, and search PDF files using a variety of platforms and devices. Microsoft Office - This product is available at the UTEP Bookstore for about $15.00 or use an alternate substitute (29 Meg download). Email tool with file attachment capability. Please use your UTEP email account. C o u r s e S c h e d u l e o f A s s i g n m e n t s Please look at the course schedule of assignments by clicking on the Schedule link on the leftside navigation bar. C o u r s e S c h e d u l e C h a n g e s As course instructor, I reserve the right to adjust the course syllabus or change assignments as needed. I will be sure to give you plenty of notice prior to any changes. Remember that our course syllabus and class schedule are living documents and can changed C l a s s P a r t i c i p a t i o n I strongly recommend that you check your Blackboard course at least three times a week at minimum to keep up. Email messages are sent to your UTEP email address, so you will want to check your UTEP email several times a week. There will be no incompletes offered in this course. Past experience has shown that if you cannot complete the course during the time allotted, you probably never will. A c a d e m i c D i s h o n e s t y S t a t e m e n t Academic dishonesty is prohibited and is considered a violation of the UTEP Handbook of Operating Procedures. It includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating may involve copying from or providing information to another student, possessing unauthorized materials during a test, or falsifying research data on laboratory reports. Copyright 2008 Carolyn Awalt Ph.D. & The University of Texas at El Paso.
TED5301:LearningContextandCurriculum Plagiarism occurs when someone intentionally or knowingly represents the words or ideas of another person's as ones' own. And, collusion involves collaborating with another person to commit any academically dishonest act. Any act of academic dishonesty attempted by a UTEP student is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Violations will be taken seriously and will be referred to the Dean of Students Office for possible disciplinary action. Students may be suspended or expelled from UTEP for such actions. Academic dishonesty is an assault upon the basic integrity and meaning of a University. Cheating, plagiarism, and collusion in dishonest activities are serious acts which erode the University's educational and research roles and cheapen the learning experience not only for the perpetrators, but also for the entire community. It is expected that UTEP students will understand and subscribe to the ideal of academic integrity and that they will be willing to bear individual responsibility for their work. Materials (written or otherwise) submitted to fulfill academic requirements must represent a student's own efforts. Any act of academic dishonesty attempted by a UTEP student is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Violations will be referred to the Dean of Students Office for possible disciplinary action. Students may be suspended or expelled from UTEP for such actions. D i s a b l e d S t u d e n t S t a t e m e n t In Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if a student needs an accommodation then the Office of Disabled Student Services located at UTEP need to be contacted. If you have a condition, which may affect your ability to perform successfully in this course, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or the director of the Disabled Student Services. You may call 915.747.5148 for general information about the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the rights that you have as a UTEP student with a disability. Individuals with disabilities have the right to equal access and opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor and The Disabled Student Services Office at The University of Texas at El Paso T e c h n i c a l A s s i s t a n c e The University of Texas TeleCampus Help Desk is open 24/7. You may call their toll free number 1.866.321.2988 or fill in the UTTC Support Request form at www.embanet.com/help/uttc.htm. E f f e c t i v e E l e c t r o n i c C o m m u n i c a t i o n G u i d e l i n e s Keep your messages concise and clearly written. Most ideas can be stated in a couple of paragraphs, although sometimes a longer message may be needed to develop your thoughts adequately. Keep in mind that people are more apt to read and digest shorter messages than long ones. 1. Be respectful of other's ideas, opinions, and beliefs. It's fine to disagree with someone, but please respect their right to think differently. 2. Avoid posting simple two or three word statements such as "I agree" or "Good point". If you think someone has made an especially strong point and you want to say so, and Copyright 2008 Carolyn Awalt Ph.D. & The University of Texas at El Paso.
TED5301:LearningContextandCurriculum then explain why by adding a few sentences describing your response or adding to the original point. 3. A message that demonstrates substance contributes to the understanding and application of ideas by doing one or more of the following: a. Reflection about meaning: Describe thoughtfully what something means or new insights it provides, or raise a question as a seed for clarification or further discussion. b. Analysis: Discusses relevant themes, concepts, main ideas, components, or relationships among ideas. Or, identifies hidden assumptions or fallacies in reasoning. c. Elaboration: Builds on ideas of others or ideas found in the readings by adding details, examples, a different viewpoint, or other relevant information. d. Application: Provides examples of how principles or concepts can be applied to actual classroom situations, or discuss the implications of theory for practice. e. Synthesis: Integrate multiple views to provide a summary, a new perspective, or a creative refashioning of ideas. f. Evaluation: Assesses the accuracy, reasonableness, or quality of ideas. E m a i l G u i d e l i n e s At this point in the course, it is also important to share a word of caution, so we can become wiser about interpersonal distance learning communications. When communicating electronically, many of the feelings or impressions that are transmitted via body language in face-to-face communications, are lost. Consequently, interpreting emotions and innuendos is much more difficult. Only what is written, or drawn, carries the message. Often, excitement can be misinterpreted as anger or insult. It is important that we all keep this in mind as we communicate. Words in print may seem harmless, but they could emotionally injure us when working at a distance. Hence, it is vitally important that we develop some ground rules for working at a distance. Avoid the use of caps in your electronic messages, as wording in caps comes across as shouting. More information on NETIQUETTE, the etiquette of Internet communication, can be found at www.albion.com/netiquette Copyright 2008 Carolyn Awalt Ph.D. & The University of Texas at El Paso.