EDNL 200: Field Studies Spring 2009 Syllabus
http://people.uncw.edu/browna/

Lab Instructors: David Bostian, Erin Bufford, Kevin Cearfoss, Teresa Conoly, Claire King, Deanna Leake, Donna Odum, Christina Vaughan

EDNL 200: Field Studies (1): Co-Requisite EDN 200: Teacher, School and Society. The course is designed to provide for students considering a career in education, opportunities to observe and engage in reflective discussion of curriculum and instructional practices, school governance, and organization. Students will participate in one hour of field study or reflective seminar activities each week.

A. Course Goals

• To encourage students through reflection to make explicit their beliefs about education and the role of a teacher, deepening their understanding of curricular theory and pedagogical approaches.
• To encourage students to observe and participate in a variety of educational activities, enhancing their awareness of the realities of and relationship between the school organizational environment and classroom settings.
• To afford real life opportunities for students to develop their abilities in performing interpretive, normative and critical analysis of educational issues.

B. Course Objectives

• Subsequent to participating in PD 360 observations of classroom, school and district events, students will demonstrate observation and interpretive skills by writing detailed notes.
• Following PD 360 observations, seminar discussions and course readings, students will generate analytic descriptions of typical classroom instructional practices at the PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grade levels by keeping a reflective journal and producing critical reflective analysis reports.
• Following observation of a district board meeting and seminar discussion, students will generate an analytic description of formal processes of district level policy formation and decision-making by writing a critical reflective analysis report.
• Following PD 360 observations and discussions, students will generate analysis of the influence of organizational structure on social relationships and goal accomplishment within school districts and secondary, middle and elementary schools by writing a critical analysis paper and making appropriate entries in their reflective journal.
• Following analyses of the goals of schools, Standard Course of Study, organizational structures of schools, processes of district/school decision-making and reflection upon classroom observations, students will generate a personal philosophy of education by writing a formal statement of their philosophy.

C. Course Requirements and Expectations

Students are required to participate in a variety of activities including: observing Birth-Kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school classrooms, viewing and discussing videotaped exemplary teaching episodes, and actively participating in reflective seminar discussions which relate to educational issues. Students will use structured observation guidelines and generate detailed field notes, prepare critical reflective analysis reports of observations and seminar discussions, and generate a personal reflection of their educational philosophy. The grade for this course will be separate from the EDN 200 course grade.

Everyone is expected to participate in class discussions and to respectfully listen to the instructor and colleagues. In order to establish an atmosphere in which the goals of the course can be accomplished, the following behaviors are expected:

· On-time attendance and active participation in seminars, scheduled PD 360 observations and other assigned events;

· Thorough completion of each assignment;

· Positive communication and regard for others; and strict adherence to the UNCW Honor Code (See Student Handbook and Code of Student Life).

· Adherence to UNCW's Statement on Diversity:  As an institution of higher learning, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington represents a rich diversity of human beings among its faculty, staff and students and is committed to maintaining a campus environment that values that diversity.  Accordingly, the university supports policies, curricula and co-curricular activities that encourage understanding of and appreciation for all members of its community and will not tolerate any harassment of or disrespect for persons because of race, gender, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status or relationship to other university constituents.

D. Course Assignments and Grades

** All papers should be word processed and edited for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Points will be deducted for poor writing and/or the paper will not be accepted. The Writing Center, Westside Hall, is available to help you. http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/writingplace/index.htm.

1. Reflective Journal (10 points each): A reflective journal is required.  The journal entry is to encourage explicit connections between the EDN 200: Teacher, School and Society course and the accompanying field studies. All journals must be word processed. No handwritten journals will be accepted.
2. PD 360 Study Observations: Four class sessions during this semester will be involved in teaching and learning observations from the digital video presentations. 
3. a. PD 360 Observation Notes (5 points each): Guidelines will be provided prior to each observation by the lab facilitator. Observation field notes must be detailed and handed in with full information provided as requested.

b. PD 360 Observation Reports (15 points each): Guidelines will be provided for each of these reports, based on the focus topics and goals of the observation. These should be handed in with the observational field notes attached.

4. Final Reflection (25 points): Students will be expected to write a 3-4 page paper describing their beliefs about education and teaching as a profession. These papers should contain references that indicate learning from the Teacher, School and Society course and accompanying field studies experiences. The papers should be word-processed, double-spaced and edited for grammatical conventions.

E. Attendance and Participation    Each class session will provide a variety of activities, including field experiences as a cohort group, that are not easily reconstructed experiences. Students who are absent for more than two sessions may have their grade lowered by a letter grade for each subsequent absence. Students are required to contact their lab facilitator in advance if they will miss a class session. All class sessions that take place in a public school setting are mandatory. These class sessions may not be made up and since we are guests of the school system and individual schools, it is critical that all students are present and on-time.

Grades will be assigned as follows:
There will be a 20% deduction of your grade for each day your work is late. If you are unable to attend class the date an assignment is due, it is your responsibility to get the assignment to your instructor on the due date.

Reflective Journal		10
PD 360 Notes	4@ 5 points each	20
PD 360 Observation Reports	4@ 15 points each	60
Final Reflection/ Educational Philosophy		25
School Board Reflection		15
TOTAL		130

A  =130-123 points A-  = 122-121 points    B  = 120- 110 points    C  = 109- 101 points D  =100-91 points      F = 90 or below

UNCW practices a zero-tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any kind.  For emergencies contact UNCW CARE at 962-2273, Campus Police at 962-3184, or Wilmington Police at 911.  For University or community resources visit http://uncw.edu/wrc/crisis.htm

The use of cell phones and other electronic devices are prohibited in class unless they are deemed necessary for student learning and approved by the instructor.

Ms. Brown is the faculty member of record for this course. All student issues should first be directed to the actual lab instructor of each EDNL 200 class.

EDNL 200 Wednesday Lab Calendar

WEEK	TOPIC	ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE
Aug.20	Introduction/Educational Experiences Recalling Past Teachers School Etiquette and Safety- Watch Video Outline of Video
Aug.27	PreKindergarten Program	Reflection Journal : School Etiquette, Emergencies, and Safety
Sept. 3	Classroom Visit – B-K	Read Birth-Kindergarten Article EYC Video
Sept. 10	BK School Visit Discussion	B-K Field Notes and Report
Sept.17	Elementary Schools	Elementary School Article Reading First
Sept. 24	Classroom Visit - Elementary
Oct. 1	Elementary School Visit Discussion	Elementary Field Notes & Report
Oct. 8	School Board Video Middle School Case Studies	Middle School Online Article
Oct. 15	Classroom Visit - Middle	School Board Assignment
Oct. 22	Middle School Visit Discussion	Middle Field Notes & Report
Oct. 29	High Schools Today Plagiarism	High School Online Article
Nov. 5
Nov. 12	Classroom Visit - High
Nov. 19	High School Visit Discussion	High School Field Notes & Report
Dec. 3	Final Reflection	Final Reflection

*Maps to New Hanover County Schools