Lake-Sumter State College Course Syllabus
Course / Prefix Number / EPI 0020 / Course Title: / Professional FoundationsCRN: / 20140 / Credit: / 2 / Term: / Spring 2013
Course Catalog Description: / This course teaches the foundation for becoming a productive member of the teaching profession. Topics will include history and philosophy of education, school governance, school finance, school law, ethics, purpose of schools, and continuing professional development.
Instructor: / Kelly Graham / Contact Information: / Email:
Phone: 407-719-3366
Office Location: / EPI room 129 Lake Hall LSCC Leesburg / Office Hours: / Email or phone
All students are required to use LakerMail for official college e-mail communications.
See the college webpage for instructions on activating LakerMail.
Prerequisites: / Statement of status of eligibility and clear background
screening per state requirements. College credit not awardeD
toward degree.
Technology and Online Computer Access Requirements: / · Internet, Microsoft Suite, BlackBoard, printer, travel drive
· Access to a computer with a high-speed connection and video and sound capabilities
Important: If your home/personal computer is not able to perform the tasks for the course (such as viewing videos), you should consider using the computers on campus at LSSC. There are no exceptions on assignments for lack of appropriate computer access.
Firefox is the preferred browser when using Blackboard. Should you have problems with any Blackboard functions please try using Firefox http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ . If you still need assistance please contact .
Help can also be found at http://help.blackboard.com/.
Course Objectives: / At the end of this component, the student will be able to:
· describe the organization and administration of the public school
· identify the laws governing teachers
· explain how the professional code of ethics applies to the role of
the teacher
· describe the purpose of the public school
· identify the need for continuing professional development
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Assessed in this Course: / Quantitative Reasoning: Apply quantitative and symbolic reasoning to obtain objective solutions to problems and equations
Writing and Reading: Write coherently and effectively, adjusting to a variety of audiences and purposes, while taking into account others' writings and ideas
Creative/Analytic Thinking: Use appropriate creative and analytic methods to interpret ideas, solve problems, and present conclusions
Oral and Listening Skills: Communicate effectively for a given purpose within the specific context of a communication event
Information Literacy: Locate, evaluate and use information from a variety of sources to take action or make a decision
Academic Integrity: / The successful functioning of the academic community demands honesty, which is the basis of respect for both ideas and persons. In the academic community, there is an ongoing assumption of academic integrity at all levels. There is the expectation that work will be independently thoughtful and responsible as to its sources of information and inspiration. Honesty is an appropriate consideration in other ways as well, including but not limited to the responsible use of library resources, responsible conduct in examinations, and the responsible use of the Internet. (See college catalog for complete statement.)
Important Information for Students with Disabilities: / Any student with a documented disability who requires assistance or academic accommodations should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities immediately to discuss eligibility. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is located on the Leesburg Campus, but arrangements can be made to meet with a student on any campus. An appointment can be made by calling 352-365-3574 and specific information about the OSD and potential services can be found at www.lscc.edu, then go to “Quick Links” and click on Disability Services.
Privacy Policy (FERPA): / The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of a student’s education records. In order for your information to be released, a form must be signed and in your records located in the Admissions/Registrar’s Office.
Attendance / Withdrawal Policies: / If you wish to withdraw from this course, it is your responsibility to go to the Admissions Office and withdraw officially from the course. Failure to follow this procedure will result in a grade of “F” for the course. The instructor will not complete procedures for you.
Withdrawal Deadline: / The withdrawal deadline for this course is 04/15/13.
Methods of Evaluation: / Rubric matrix per each assignment. Assignments are listed on Pages 3-5.
Grading Scale: / Total of 350 possible points:
A=315-350
B=280-314
C=245-279
D=210-244
F= 209 or below
If you earn an F, you will need to retake the class the next time it is offered
Course Calendar: / This course begins on 3/25/13. All sessions are on-line. The course ends on 3/27/13. Blackboard will remain active for one week thereafter.
Classroom Rules and Policies: / · Students will be held to the standards of student conduct as outlined on page 24 of the Lake-Sumter State College Catalogue. Any violation of the code of conduct will be promptly reported for immediate administrative action which may result in sanctions leading to possible expulsion from the college.
· Students are require to spend a minimum of 1 hour in the classroom for fieldwork
· Students are expected to exhibit professional conduct at all times during fieldwork
· Written work is expected to be professional and free of spelling and grammar errors FEAPs/ E-Portfolio assignments are defined and the need for excellence is to be reflected in the artifacts for final State uploading project.
· 2 artifacts from this course are required for the portfolio.
Violence Statement: / Lake-Sumter State College has a policy of zero tolerance for violence as stated in College Board Rule 2.17. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with Board Rule 2.17.
Syllabus Disclaimer: / Information contained in this syllabus is, to the best knowledge of this instructor, considered correct and complete when distributed to the student. The instructor reserves the right, acting within policies and procedures of Lake-Sumter State College, to make necessary changes in course content or instructional techniques without prior notice or obligation to the student.
Assignments Policies: / · All assignments must be posted on Blackboard by the due dates
· Late work can receive a maximum of 50%
· No work will be accepted or scored if received after 11:59 pm on 4/27/13
Assignments: / PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT (60 points) Due by 11:59 p.m. on 3/31/2013
A Philosophy Statement reflects a teacher’s understanding, beliefs, and goals-
his/her “philosophy” of teaching and education. Throughout your EPI coursework,
you have been exposed to different approaches to and aspects of teaching;
everyone interprets this information differently. When principals are hiring
teachers, they recognize that a strong candidate is one with a clearly-defined
philosophy of education that is based on best practices.
Write a 1 page (single-1 1/2 spacing) personal philosophy statement that addresses
a minimum of 3 FEAPs that would be appropriate to submit with your application
to a school. The rubric for this assignment is attached.
SCENARIOS #1 & #2 (50 points each)
· As an educator, you will encounter delicate situations on a regular basis. Your role
· as a liaison for your school is to handle all communications with students, parents,
· and community members with the utmost professionalism. Frequent
· communication with parents is essential for positive, productive experiences
· throughout the school year. Sometimes, however, parents will respond badly to
· difficult situations. It will be your responsibility to maintain professional conduct
· regardless of the behavior of others. For this assignment, you will be presented
· with a scenario you may encounter as a teacher that requires a planned,
· professional response. The scenarios and the grading rubrics are attached. Your
· response should be approximately 2 double-spaced pages. Suggestions for
· information on these topics include class discussions, the internet, educators,
· personal experiences and your own common sense.
Scenario #1 due by 11:59 pm on 4/7/13
Scenario #2 due by 11:59 pm on 4/14/13
STANDARDIZED TESTING (100 points) Due by 11:59 pm on 4/27/13
· In this era of accountability, teachers, students, administrators, and parents feel immense pressure for students to succeed on the FCAT. Whether you teach primary, middle, or secondary, FCAT-tested content or not, your school will expect you to take part in FCAT student preparation. For this assignment, visit this link http://www.pearsonaccess.com/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Florida/flPALPLayout&cid=1205461226846&pagename=flPALPWrapper and install the ePAT (Electronic Practice Assessment) on your computer. This is the official FCAT 2.0 practice test for the fldoe. The FCAT 2.0 is the new, electronic FCAT. The installation process is very quick and easy. The program doesn't restart your computer, modify your settings, utilize other programs, etc. When you are finished installing the program, you will see a blue mailbox-looking icon on your desktop. Click on the icon, enter any name you wish, and take a sample test (choose the sample test most closely related to the grade level or content area you plan to teach). Nothing you type will be saved on ePAT or your computer- once you exit out of the test, everything you entered will disappear. The sample text contains only six questions. Reflect on your experience with the sample test and respond to the following:
a) identify which sample test you took (include content, grade level) and the number of correct out of total responses you received (answer key available on website- ePAT does not calculate your score for you)
b) identify and explain concerns/difficulties students might experience while taking the FCAT (instructions/format, difficulty-level of content, interest level and clarity of content, students’ ability to relate to content, etc).
c) K-12 FL public school students are currently taking the FCAT 2.0 on the computer for the first time. On the FCAT, there are tools to help students (highlighter, strike-out function, etc). These are located on the upper-left and bottom center of the test. Be sure to utilize all of the tools available and reflect on their helpfulness.
c) identify ways in which you, as a classroom teacher, can help students prepare for the FCAT without “teaching to the test”
Your response should be 2-3 double-spaced pages in length.
6 SECTION DISCUSSIONS (10 points each)
Write a 200 word Discussion response to the prompt provided in each Learning Module. You can create a new posting or respond to a classmate's. Please post your response in the Discussion section of the DISCUSSIONS TAB.
Section 1 Discussion due by 11:59 pm on 3/28/13
Section 2 Discussion due by 11:59 pm on 4/3/13
Section 3 Discussion due by 11:59 pm on 4/7/13
Section 4 Discussion due by 11:59 pm on 4/11/13
Section 5 Discussion due by 11:59 pm on 4/18/13
Section 6 Discussion due by 11:59 pm on 4/25/13
FIELD EXPERIENCE: STUDENT DATA SPREADSHEET (30 points)
Before beginning your 30-hour field experience, you will need to spend a minimum of 1 hour observing the class/subject you will be teaching. Together you and your host teacher will complete the student data spreadsheet (see page 25). Complete the spreadsheet as completely as possible.
Column A: DO NOT list students’ real names; instead, create code names that you
will use consistently throughout your 30-hour fieldwork (ex: Student #1, Student
A, or get creativeJ).
Column B: student grade level
Column C: M/F
Column D: H=Hispanic; B=Black; C=Caucasian; etc
Column E: place an ‘X’ to indicate ESOL students
Column F: enter the ESE Code for identified students (e.g.GIF=Gifted)
Column G-H: place an ‘X’ for identified students
Column I: place an ‘X’ for students with medical conditions
Column J: AR, Lexile, or Independent Reading Level
Columns K-L: enter 2 most recent standardized test scores/levels, if available
Columns M-P: enter available, current class grades
Column Q: enter your pre-test data, when available
Column R-S: student grades on 2 of your formative assessments, when available
Column T: student grades on 1 of your summative assessments, when available
Column U: enter your posttest data, when available
Columns A-P Due by 11:59 pm on 4/21/13
PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT GRADING SCALE
Description60 Points / The philosophy statement submitted is a comprehensive, detailed, personal philosophy of teaching/education. The philosophy statement shows a deep level of understanding of current pedagogical research and best practices. A minimum of 3 FEAPs are imbedded in the philosophy statement and addressed fully. Multiple aspects of teaching are addressed. The writing and content are reflective of someone who would be a highly-competitive candidate for employment as a teacher. The overall format is appropriate for submission with an application for employment. The philosophy statement does not exceed 1 page in length.
40 Points / The philosophy statement submitted is a comprehensive, detailed, personal philosophy of teaching/education. The philosophy statement shows a proficient level of understanding of current pedagogical research and best practices. A minimum of 3 FEAPs are addressed in the philosophy statement, but more detail would enhance the ideas. The philosophy statement is narrow in scope. The writing and content are reflective of someone who would be a competitive candidate for employment as a teacher. The overall format is appropriate for submission with an application for employment. The philosophy statement does not exceed 1 page in length.
20 Points / The philosophy statement submitted is a basic philosophy of teaching/ education. The philosophy statement shows a basic level of understanding of current pedagogical research and best practices. A minimum of 3 FEAPs are not addressed in the philosophy statement. The writing and content are not reflective of someone who would be a competitive candidate for employment as a teacher. The overall format is not appropriate for submission with an application for employment. The philosophy statement exceeds 1 page in length.
0 Points / Not handed in.
SCORE: ___/60
FEAPs Matrix
MASTERS(analyzes) / APPLIES
(demonstrates) / UNDERSTANDS
(explains) / RECOGNIZES / NOT ABLE TO BE SCORED
6
understanding that educators are held to a higher moral standard in a community, the effective educator adheres to the Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional
Conduct of the Education Profession of Florida, pursuant to State Board of Education
Rules 6B1.006, F.A.C, and fulfills the expected obligations to students, the public, and the education profession. / The teacher is knowledgeable about the Florida Educator Code of Ethics and describes how it impacts teachers both inside and outside the classroom. / The teacher recognizes the importance of the Florida Educator Code of Ethics and the high moral standard to which educators are held. / Not present.
SCENARIO 1