Mercer County Community College Liberal Arts Division

ED109 - Introduction to Education                                                         Professor: Dr. Marianne C. Reynolds
Required Text:                                                                                                        office: LA125
Teachers, Schools, and Society, A Brief Introduction                                    phone: 570-3854
Sadker & Zittleman (McGraw-Hill), 2007                                                e-mail: reynoldm@mccc.edu.
            Hours: Tues & Thurs. 7:30-9:00

                    Wed. 10:00-12:00

              
Course Description: An introductory course to American education and the teaching/learning process which provides an exploration of formal and informal educational strategies for future early childhood, elementary, secondary, adult, corrections, and special needs educators. The course is also designed for students who are interested in understanding the educational process and current issues in education.

Course Schedule and Calendar:

                                Topic                                                                                         Assigned Reading

Week 1                     Introduction
(Jan. 22)                   Overview of Schooling                                                         quiz 1 due 2/5 on
                                 What Are Schools For?                                                         Chapter 9

Week 2                     Library Orientation                                                               quiz 2 due 2/12 on
(Jan. 29)                   Video-Lesson Plans                                                              Chapter 4
                                 History of American Education

Week 3                     Education Greats                                                                  quiz 3 due 2/19 on
(Feb. 5)                     Philosophy of Education                                              Chapter 6                                                                Service Learning Commitment due 1/29

Week 4                     Student Life                                                                                  quiz 4 due 2/26 on 

(Feb. 12)                                                                                                                         Chapter 3

 

Week 5                       Pre-Schools                                                                             handout                                                                                                                                                                         (Feb. 19)                   Video- The Promise of Pre-School                                                                                                                                    

Observation Report I or Service Learning Report I due 2/12                

Week 6                    Curriculum: Reading                                                                     handout
(Feb. 26)                  Video- A Family of Readers

Journal Article Review due 2/21
Research Paper Topic 2/21

Week 7                     Curriculum                                                                               quiz 5 due 3/25
(Mar. 4)                     Video-Curriculum Design                                                        Chapter 10
                                    Review

                                                          Mid-term exam   Feb. 25-March 1

Week 8                     Effective Teaching                                                                 quiz 6 due 4/1
(Mar. 11)                                                                                                           Chapter 11

                                                Spring Break  March 17-22

Week 9                      School Law                                                                            quiz 7 due 4/8
(Mar. 25)                                                                                                         Chapter 8
                                            Observation Report II or Service Learning Report II due 3/25
                                               Resource File due 3/25

Week 10                     Diverse Learners                                                                   quiz 8 due 4/15
(Apr. 1)                                                                                                             Chapter 2

Week 11                      Equal Educational Opportunity                                       quiz 9 due 4/22
(Apr. 8)                                                                                                            Chapter 5
                                                    Service Learning Report III due 4/8

Week 12                      Teaching as a Career                                                   quiz 10 due 4/29
(Apr. 15)                                                                                                           Chapter 1

Week 13                       School Finance and Governance                                     quiz 11 due 5/6
(Apr. 22)                                                                                                            Chapter 7
                                                    Service Learning Report IV due 4/22

Week 14                       Division of Schools: Pre/Elementary/Middle/ High School
(Apr. 29)                       and Certification                                                                                                          
                                                   Service Learning Report V due 4/29

                                                   Research Paper due 4/29

Week 15                        Final Exam
(May.6)                 
                                               
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 


 

Course Requirements: (Failure to complete course requirements will result in a grade of Incomplete)

1. Each student is responsible for the integrity of his or her own work. Turn off cell phones when you come to class.  Students who use cell phones in class will be asked to leave.

2. Attendance at class meetings is essential to success in the course.  Perfect attendance will earn 2 bonus points to the final course grade.  Students who miss 4 class meetings will be withdrawn.   Each late arrival will be recorded, and 4 will be the equivalent of an absence.

3. Students will complete 11 quizzes based on the readings in the assigned textbook according to the attached schedule. Quizzes can always be taken early. If they are taken late, 10 points will be deducted for each week after the due date. Late quiz grades must be shown to the instructor for credit. If a student does not make up a missed quiz, the score of zero (0) will be recorded for that quiz and will count in the final average.

4. Students will read two articles in two different education journals (peer-reviewed, scholarly, with a bibliography)on the same topic, (Newspaper and magazine articles are unacceptable)  By week 6, submit a four-page typed report summarizing the content of the articles and offering an original conclusion. Make sure you paraphrase (use your own words); plagiarism is an academic integrity violation and will be reported.  Attach a Xeroxed copy of the articles. The article citation should be in correct APA style. Articles in Education Digest are only summaries of the originals. Do not use them.

5. Students will complete a mid-term and final exam.

6. Students will submit a lesson plan and present a 10-15 minute demonstration lesson to the class. A schedule will be distributed.   The lesson plan’s objective must relate to a cited NJ Core Curriculum Content Standard appropriate for the grade level and subject area.

Students may choose to complete requirements 7-9 OR 10-15, the service learning option.

7. Submit a "teacher's resource file" by week 9 that includes at least 5 articles from different educational journals about contemporary education in your particular area of educational interest. The file will include the original article or a Xeroxed copy of it, an annotation, including the source, author, date, pages, etc., and a brief review.

8. Students will observe 2 instructional activities of their choice. Options include pre-school, elementary, secondary, vocational. special education, public or private schools. Reports (using the supplied format) will be submitted by week 3 and week 9.

9. Students will submit a brief (5-page) research paper on a topic approved by the instructor. It should include 5 references to educational journals or reports. The topic should be approved by week 7, and the paper is due week 14.

 

 

 

 

OR

* Service Learning Option

Students who volunteer in their chosen fields provide beneficial services and enrich their own learning experiences. The activities listed below may be completed instead of requirements 7-9 listed above. Students are required to make their own arrangements with educational institutions of their choice with advice from  your instructor.  As a service learner, your obligation is to offer your services in whatever capacity will best serve the needs of the students or teachers with whom you will be working . Your pre-conceived notion of your activity may not be appropriate, so be prepared to be flexible. As part of the course outline, you will find a letter of introduction. A commitment and description of your plan is due week 5.

** Complete the following activities and write up your experience on the form provided. Reports are due weeks 3, 9, 11, 13, and 15. A minimum of 10 hours spread over the semester is required. A minimum of five reports must be submitted. If you spend additional time, you are welcome to turn in more reports.

10. Visit a pre-school and offer your services to read or tell the children a story, bring in an animal to introduce to the children and plan a related activity, or plan an exercise that helps children develop counting skills.

11. Visit an elementary school classroom and assist students working on a small-group project, or deliver a book talk in which you introduce three age-appropriate books.

12. Volunteer to help in a middle school or high school. You may offer your services to help out in an art, music, or shop class, lunchroom, or study hall. You may also volunteer to tutor in an area of your competence.

13. Offer your services in an after-school, recreational, sports, or special project activity. Examples include programs offered by the Y, athletic practices, student performances, etc.

(Note that only one visit can be of a non-instructional or non/academic nature.)

14. Volunteer to help a group that works with adult learners such as the Literacy Volunteers of America, English as a Second Language courses, or as a tutor in a learning center at a community college.

15. Participate in Super Science Weekend at the State Museum in Trenton by demonstrating chemistry experiments.

* *As an alternative to activities 10-14, you may choose to complete your service learning at the same site for a 10-hour commitment during the course of the semester. The instructor must approve this option by week 5 and reports submitted according to the schedule above.

 

 

 

 

 

Determining Your Grade:

A student may earn a total of 100 points during the semester according to the following schedule:

20 pts. 1. Quiz average (highest 10 grades)
10 pts. 2. Journal article review (a + = 10, a = 8, a -= 6)
20 pts. 3. Mid-term exam
20 pts. 4. Final exam
10 pts. 5. Lesson Plan /Demonstration Lesson (A, A-, B+= 10; B,B-,C+=8; C or lower= 6) 
5 pts. 6. Resource File                                                                  
5 pts. 7. Observations                                                                         OR
10 pts. 8. Research Paper (A +=10; A =8; A -=6)                                20 pts. Service Learning Option
100 pts.

 

 

 

 

Points will be converted to a letter grade in the following way:

TOTAL POINTS                     FINAL GRADE

93-100                                               A

90-92                                                     A-

87-89                                                     B+

83-86                                                     B

80-82                                                     B-

77-79                                                     C+

70-76                                                     C

60-69                                                     D

Below 60                                              
 
 
   

 

 

 Service Learning or Observation Report Course/Section

Student's Name:                                                                                  Number of Report:

Supervising Teacher's Name:                                                                                            Date Submitted:

On _________________, ___________________________ spent ___________________

(Date)                                     (Student’s name) (Time period-each report should cover app. 2 hours)

working with my students.

____________________________________.

(Signature of supervising teacher)
 
  Name of School:                                               District:

Type of Class/Lesson:                                        # of students:                                      # of teachers:
 
 

There are 3 sections to this report. Be sure to complete all of them.

Description of Activity: (Be as specific as you can in describing the content of the lesson, what the teacher did and said, and what the students did and said. Picture for your reader what you observed.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
   

Evaluation or Reaction: (In this section, you should try to relate what you observed to what you have  learned in class. For example, did you see effective teaching techniques, evidence of student involvement and learning, classroom management strategies, feedback?)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What did you learn as a result of this activity? (Did you observe teaching techniques you would or would not use? Did you learn anything about the content of the subject lesson you saw? Did you learn anything about teaching a particular subject, particular age group, or classroom management?)
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

ED109-Introduction to Education                                                  Quiz Schedule-Spring 2008

Teachers, Schools, and Society, A Brief Intro.                                              Professor Marianne Reynolds

All quizzes will be available in the testing center all semester. To receive full credit for your score, you must take the quiz on or before the specified date. You may take any quiz late, but you will lose 10 points for each week beyond the due date. You may take each quiz only once. There are no second chances.

Quiz                                                             Chapter                                                         Due Date (all Tues.)

1                                                                     9                                                                    Feb. 5

2                                                                     4                                                                    Feb. 12

3                                                                     6                                                                    Feb. 19

4                                                                     3                                                                    Feb. 26

5                                                                    10                                                                   Mar. 25

6                                                                    11                                                                   Apr. 1

7                                                                     8                                                                    Apr. 8

8                                                                     2                                                                    Apr. 15

9                                                                     5                                                                    Apr. 22

10                                                                   1                                                                    Apr. 29

11                                                                   7                                                                    May 6


 

Additional Key Dates

Service Learning Commitment             Jan. 29            OR                     Resource File Mar. 25
S.L. Report 1                                         Feb. 12                                           Obs. Report 1 Feb. 12
S.L. Report 2                                         Mar. 25                                           Obs. Report 2 Mar. 25
S.L. Report 3                                         Apr. 8                                         Paper: Topic Feb. 21
S.L. Report 4                                         Apr. 22                                                    Completed Apr. 29
S.L. Report 5  (optional)                        Apr. 29

Journal Article Review                         Feb. 21
Midterm Exam                                        Feb. 25-March 1 in ATC
Final Exam                                              May 6