EDU 540 Current Barriers to Learning Improvement

EDU 540 – Current Barriers to Learning Improvement

Fall 2009

Becoming a Teacher Leader: Taking Responsibility for Learning

Dr. Debby BogleOffice: Murphy Hall 111 L

Office Hours: By AppointmentOffice Phone: 816 - 271-4304
e-mail:

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

Examines significant barriers to learning improvement such as poverty, drug abuse, absenteeism, reading below grade level, exceptionalities, and violence. This course also looks at both the culture and politics of schools which include the impact of the No Child Left Behind mandate. Strategies and plans to address these barriers will be designed.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course will aid in preparing you for your career in teaching by providing you with opportunities to:

1. To develop an understanding of the major current barriers to learning improvement

2. To design teaching strategies and plans to accommodate for various barriers

3. To understand state and federal mandates related to student learning and accountability that impact schools.

COURSE METHODOLOGY: This course will combine lecture, small and whole class discussion, use of technology, case studies and other current reading, and applied practice. Students will be expected to participate and to contribute meaningfully in all instructional forums. Attendance for each class is essential.

MEETING TIMES: Tuesdays 4:30-7:20 PM

TEXTS and READINGS

Berliner, D. C. (August 02, 2005). Our impoverished view of educational reform.

Teachers College Record

Goodman, K. (2004) Saving our schools

Payne, Ruby K. (1996). A framework for understanding poverty

Meier, D., Kohn, A., Darling-Hammond, L., Sizer, T., & Wood, G. (2004). Many children left

behind: How the No Child Left Behind Act is damaging our children and our schools

Smith, J. L. M., Fien, H. & Paine, S. P. (April 2008). When mobility disrupts learning.

Educational leadership: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Suggested Reading list at end of syllabus

GENERAL INFORMATION:

A Caution: Please read and listen to the particulars of each assignment very carefully. Ask questions if you are unsure of what is required. Note that when an assignment outlines points that must be included you will lose credit if ANY of the required parts of the assignment are missing or have not been given appropriate attention.Web Page: All items in this syllabus are also available linked off my web site:

Participation: Active participation in class discussions is an essential requirement. As in any masters level seminar, students are expected to share ownership of the class with the instructor, and assume part of the responsibility for the quality and scope of the learning process. There is a significant amount of reading assigned. It is important that all students complete the readings to the best of their ability and be ready to critically discuss relevant ideas, insights and questions with their colleagues.

Attendance: Pleases notify me by email immediately if you are unable to attend any of the classes. Your grade will be impacted by your level of classroom participation. This will involve attendance, punctuality, thoughtful contributions to class discussions, and participation in group activities.Points are not given for classroom participation, however, no grades will be rounded up for students with a deficit in this area.

Grammar and Spelling: Spelling and/or grammatical errors in writing assignments will result in lowered grades.

Center for Academic Support: Located in the Northeast corner of the library building (LRC 213), the Center for Academic Support is a free service of the college. The Center offers help primarily for writing and math. Should you need help, you may wish to call the Center for an appointment at 271-4524 or drop by to make an appointment.

Special Needs: If you have a special need, e.g. hearing loss, learning disability, etc. that requires special arrangements, please inform the instructor after the first class meeting so that proper arrangements can be made.

Appeals: If at any time you feel that I have treated you or your work unfairly, first make an appointment with me to discuss the issue or provide me with a written description of your perceptions and position. If discussions with me fail to resolve the matter, please make an appointment with the chairperson of the Education Department.

Academic Honesty: Cheating of any sort is not tolerated, and if caught will result in a zero being given on a test or assignment. Check your student handbook for your rights regarding any disciplinary procedures.

DIVERSITY: Social, cognitive, and political barriers to learning improvement affect many students, but particularly impact children of color, children living in poverty, and children with special needs. These will be discussed and analyzed in this class.

GRADES: 100-92 = A, 91-84 = B, 83-76 = C, 75-68 = D, 67 or below = F

Grades can alert you to areas of strength and areas of weakness and can indicate the degree of professional effort you are investing into the development of teacher skills, knowledge, and strategies. This is a professional course and professional performance is expected. Keep in mind that prospective employers will look at grades in order to forecast future success. The following descriptors are examples of performance indicators commensurate with each assignment grade and with the overall course grade:

Exemplary Performance (Advanced): When there exist a numbers of correct "facts", "propositions", "steps" or "points" that could be included in an answer, the pre-service teacher mentions more than one, and in addition each is presented in correct relationship or connection with the others, and in addition the student demonstrates their grasp of some larger model, or body of theory, or perspective from which the whole can be viewed, or correctly extends the central principle of the answer into additional areas of relevant application not explicitly stipulated in the question. In breadth, depth, and connectedness, the responses are cover from 92% to 100% of the total possible points. [The SOLO Extended Abstract performance level]

Superior Performance (Proficient): When there exist a numbers of correct "facts", "propositions", "steps" or "points" that could be included in an answer, the pre-service teacher mentions more than one, and in addition each is presented in correct relationship or connection with the others, in explaining, justifying, or establishing the outcome. In breadth, depth, and connectedness, the responses are cover from 84% to 91% of the total possible points. [The SOLO Relational performance level]

Acceptable Performance (Basic): When there exist a numbers of correct "facts", "propositions", "steps" or "points" that could be included in an answer, the pre-service teacher mentions more than one, but each is presented in isolation from the others, as though they were all unrelated or unconnected in explaining, proving, or establishing the outcome. In breadth, depth, and connectedness, the responses are cover from 76% to 83% of the total possible points. [The SOLO Multistructural performance level]

Sub-standard Performance (Below Basic): When there exist a numbers of correct "facts", "propositions", "steps" or "points" that could be included in an answer, the pre-service teacher mentions only one, as though it were all that was necessary to explain, prove, or establish the outcome. In breadth, depth, and connectedness, the responses are cover from 68% to 75% of the total possible points. [The SOLO Unistructural performance level]

Unacceptable Performance: When there exist a numbers of correct "facts", "propositions", "steps" or "points" that could be included in an answer, the pre-service teacher fails to address any and misses the main idea(s) of the assignment/course. In breadth, depth, and connectedness, the responses cover below 68% of the total possible points. [The SOLO Prestructural performance level](End of Example)

Summary of Course Assignments

1. Session Presentations 50 pts. Once during the semester, you will work in a group of two or three to prepare and lead the class discussion on the assigned reading. Integrate your personal reflections in this process. Aim for about an hour of presentation and discussion time. Present basic material from the assigned readings and lead the discussion.

2. Abstract/news article Presentation 25 pts eachYou will use technology to locate an abstract or news article (2) about a particular barrier to learning improvement and to prepare a brief powerpoint presentation. Copy the article and make copies for the class. This presentation and discussion should last for about twenty minutes. The point is to interpret the material you find in relation to the assigned readings. You need to explain the relationship of your abstract/article to the assigned readings.

3. Mid-Term Exam 100 pts

4. Disposition Paper 50 pts. This paper will discuss how an educator’s development of teaching strategies and education plans to address barriers to learning improvement also addresses the MWSU Dispositions. Choose several of the following dispositionsto discuss in your paper: Empathy, Emotional Self-Awareness, Achievement, Initiative, Organizational Awareness, Teamwork and Collaboration. Use Times New Roman 12 pt font and set margins to 1 inch. Double spaced. Approximately three pages. Due the class period after Mid Term exam.

5. Locate five current news articles or article from an educational journal concerning a variety of barriers to learning 5 pts. each You will be copying these and bringing them to class. Be prepared to briefly discuss each of these with the class.

6. Culminating Project 100 pts. You may do this individually or with a partner. This will be the signature piece for the course. You will develop a plausible learning plan that addresses a specific barrier to learning improvement. It will also include a review of literature about other plans that have attempted to accommodate for a specific barrier. Use Times New Roman 12 font and set margins to 1 inch. Double-spaced. Approximately 8 pages excluding title page, appendices and references.