Case Study Essay

Course syllabus subject to change at instructor's discretion

ETAP 201 Fall 2014 Exploring Teaching as a Profession

Instructor: Christina M. Nash [email protected]

ETAP Office: 442-5024 (office hours Thursdays by appointment)

Course Description: This course serves as an orientation to careers in elementary and secondary education. Students will examine their motivation to teach and their current and emerging understanding of teaching throughout the semester. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to make an informed decision regarding teaching as a career with a proper understanding of the nature of formalized education and the history that informs its current practice. This is not a class that provides instruction in how to teach. This course will serve as the foundation to aid students in the following course objectives:

 Understand the role of schools in society  Explore philosophies and contemporary issues in education  Assess the role of teachers in schools  Understand and appreciate the student as an individual  Understand factors that affect student achievement  Understand critical issues in curriculum and instruction  Understand the incorporation of special education in the general education process  Understand the laws that influence teaching responsibilities

My Expectations Let’s  face  it,  online  courses  are  not  the  “easy,  do  as  little  work  as  possible  and  slide  by”   courses that some people may believe, and many have come to the conclusion that online courses may be more difficult because of the increased expectations of autonomy, vigilance, and diligence. As  this  class  is  half  the  length  of  a  typical  fall/spring  course,  I  expect  that  you’ll  be   actively involved roughly every other day. In terms of time, I expect that you will devote three to six hours per week for the course readings, assignments, discussions, etc. Online courses require regular, consistent visitation and work, as well as the ability to stay focused and organized. You are responsible for keeping track of discussion dates and due dates for assignments. Please stay  on  top  of  things  and  don’t  fall  behind.   I have four suggestions that should help you well in this course:

1. Make sure you read and highlight discussion and assignment due dates. More importantly, read the Discussion Guidelines. The guidelines specifically address issues of both quality and quantity of discussion posts and responses. It is your responsibility to understand and follow these guidelines.

2. Read critically. PLEASE  keep  up  with  the  readings,  but  don’t  read  just to memorize. Read  to  reflect,  look  for  strengths  and  weaknesses  in  the  authors’  ideas.

3. Learn actively. There are lots of opportunities for action in the course: highlight your

Course syllabus subject to change at instructor's discretion

readings, making your own notes, discussions, a case study and self-evaluation. Action is the best way to learn.

4. Don’t  disappear. Whatever  you  do,  don’t  disappear.  I  can’t  find  you  if  you  don’t  come   online.  I’m  not  sympathetic  when  someone  disappears,  misses  several  deadlines,  then   tries to catch up. It never works.

Contact If  you  have  general  questions  about  course  logistics,  please  use  the  “Ask  a  Question”   discussion in Blackboard as your question may be one that other students have as well or one that they can answer. For personal correspondence, please contact me via email through my UAlbany email ([email protected]). I will respond to emails until 8 p.m. Any emails sent after 8 p.m. will be replied to the next day.

Please note the dubious nature of email. Studies have shown that we write email as though we are speaking and read it as though it is formal text. Things such as tone, emotion, and connotations are interpreted at the whim of the reader without any input from the writer. Complicating this further, we bring our previous educational experiences into our current ones, so please try to be patient with an impatient and imperfect communication medium. I am also happily available for Skype or Google Hangouts if you prefer F2F contact. I can also make arrangements to speak by phone as well. You can email me with a request and we can determine a mutually agreeable day and time. Readings A. Any readings, websites, videos, included in a discussion. B. Two required texts that will serve as the basis for discussion. Required books (These are available at the SUNY Albany bookstore.) Friedman, A. A., & Reynolds, L. (Eds.). (2011). Burned in: Fueling the fire to teach. New York:

Teachers College Press. Palmer, P. (1998). The  courage  to  teach:  Exploring  the  inner  landscape  of  a  teacher’s  life. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass. * For discussions you will be in smaller groups, which I will assign. You will find your discussion group assignment on the left-hand side of Blackboard, below the course buttons. Course Learning Activities The course has several activities including discussions, a case-study paper, which will be revised, and an annotated bibliography. All written assignments must be submitted as attachments in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format only, unless otherwise noted. Please label all files with your name and assignment: Cari_Smith_Assignment_Name.doc. Please double-space,  use  12  pt  New  Times  Roman  font  and  1”  margins. Online Discussions During  the  semester,  you  are  expected  to  respond  to  that  week’s  assigned  readings.  Each  

Course syllabus subject to change at instructor's discretion

discussion week is noted in the syllabus calendar. It is imperative that you understand my expectations for these discussions. Please refer to the Discussion Guidelines, which are located in the Course Documents portion of BlackBoard. These guidelines specify what is required and how posts are graded. Please note the Discussion Dates carefully. These can be found on the far left-hand-side of the syllabus. The first discussion week starts on 8/25 and ends on 9/1. The second discussion week starts on 9/2 and ends on 9/7, etc.  First week of class: Meet-and-greet discussion.  Second week of class: We will begin the discussion of a variety of articles about

education. These articles will be provided for you in Module 1. For these discussions, you will be in one of two smaller groups, which I will assign.

Case Study: You will be presented with several case studies based on real educational situations. You will choose one and write a response. This response will be peer reviewed as well as reviewed by me. You will then revise and resubmit this paper at the end of the semester. Annotated Bibliography: You will create an annotated bibliography for this course, based on a topic of interest in the field of education and a related problem statement and research question. Details for this assignment can be found in the Course Documents. How You Will Be Evaluated ETAP 201 is designated as an A-E graded course. Grades are determined by performance in the course and by class involvement. Non-participation will lower your grade for the course. Late work will be penalized unless you have a compelling reason for the lateness and you have made arrangements in advance. I require official documentation of extenuating circumstances that require extended absences from the course, or a request for the extention of a deadline that has already passed. This includes death, illness, travel, etc. I believe that every teacher is responsible for helping their students become better writers, regardless of content area or grade level (K-12 and higher education). Proficiency in writing is a skill that takes decades in which to become proficient and being comfortable with providing writing instruction is also a skill that I hope you will choose to embrace if you decide to pursue a career in teaching. Therefore, you will receive writing feedback from me as needed. Your overall grade for the course will be based on the following percentages: Discussions 30% Case Study Paper 20% Revised Case Study Paper 25% Annotated Bibliography 25% All work for the course must be original. Assignments done for other courses may not be used for credit in this course. Turning in work that has been used in another course may result in failure of the course and dismissal from your undergraduate program. Plagiarism (using work

Course syllabus subject to change at instructor's discretion

that is not your own and not citing it) from Internet sites or from other sources may also result in dismissal from the course and from the program. I require the use of APA citation format. If you are not familiar with APA, there is a website listed in the Webliography section of BlackBoard. There is also an APA manual available at any local bookstore. I do not offer extra credit of any kind. Accommodations for Disabilities Reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with documented physical, sensory, systemic, cognitive, learning and psychiatric disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation in this class, please notify the Director of Disabled Student Services (Campus Center 137, 442-5490). That office will provide the course instructor with verification of your disability, and will recommend appropriate accommodations.

Discussion Week Dates

Topics Assignments Due

Notes

8/25-8/31 Introduction to the course, review course documents, participate in the Meet Your Classmates Discussion. Meet your Classmates Discussion

Due 8/31

Please carefully read all course documents, especially the syllabus and Discussion Guidelines. Introduce yourself to the class and respond to at least three other classmates. Be sure to include a picture.

Date Module 1: Current Challenges in the Teaching Profession

Due Notes

9/2-7 (9/1 is Labor Day)

The Debate over School Choice Go to Module 1 for the readings and to participate in this discussion.

9/8-14 Teaching in Urban Schools Problem Statement and Research Questions

Due 9/14

Go to Module 1 for the readings and to participate in this discussion. Please submit this in Assignments in accordance with the written assignment instructions in the syllabus.

Course syllabus subject to change at instructor's discretion

9/15-9/28* The Rising Tide of Testing Go to Module 1 for the readings and to participate in this discussion.

9/29-10/5 Challenges of 21st Century Teaching and Learning

Go to Module 1 for the readings and to participate in this discussion.

10/6-12 Teacher Evaluation Case Study Paper

Due 10/12

Go to Module 1 for the readings and to participate in this discussion. Please submit this in Assignments in accordance with the written assignment instructions in the syllabus.

Date Module 2: Teachers Narratives Due Notes

10/13-19 Discussion Reading: Burned in, chapters 1-4

Go to Module 2 Discussions area to participate in this discussion.

10/20-26 Discussion Reading: Burned in, chapters 5-9 First Four Annotations

Due 10/26

Go to Module 2 Discussions area to participate in this discussion. Please submit this in Assignments in accordance with the written assignment instructions in the syllabus.

10/27-11/2 Discussion Reading: Burned in, chapters 10-13

Go to Module 2 Discussions area to participate in this discussion.

11/3-9 Discussion Reading: Burned in, chapters 14-end

Go to Module 2 Discussions area to participate in this discussion.

Date Module 3: Teacher Reflectivity Due Notes 11/10-16 Discussion Reading: Courage to teach,

chapters I, II, & III Go to Module 3 Discussions area to

participate in this discussion.

11/17-23 Discussion Reading: Courage to teach, chapters IV & V

Go to Module 3 Discussions area to participate in this discussion.

Course syllabus subject to change at instructor's discretion

11/24-11/30 THANKSGIVING BREAK

12/1-7 Discussion Reading: Courage to teach, chapters VI & VII Revised Case Study Paper

Due 12/7

This will be submitted to a discussion. Go to Module 3 Discussions area to participate in this discussion. View and comment at least three other projects. Please submit this in Assignments in accordance with the written assignment instructions in the syllabus.

12/12/14 Annotated Bibliography Due 12/12 Late Annotated Bibliographies will not be accepted

* Please note that this discussion week is extended due to the holiday.