Course Syllabus

Secondary Educational Psychology

Empowering the student through knowledge, preparation, and ethics

REQUIRED TEXT and MATERIALS:

Bohlin, L., Durwin, C. C., & Reese-Weber, M. (2008). EdPsych: Modules. ISBN: 007337850X

Access to a computer and the Internet including an active email address (preferably Gmail)

Optional materials: laptop, cell phone, iPod or other mp3 device with microphone, headphones.

(Other materials as assigned by the instructor)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Educational Psychology is a professional level course for Elementary and Secondary Education majors.  This course stresses research-based teaching and learning principles used in a classroom setting to enhance learning.  Emphasis is placed on the application of theory to practice.  The course is designed to help students understand how children and adolescents learn and how that knowledge should impact classroom teaching.

The purpose of this course is to help you, as a teacher candidate, understand the principles and theories of human development and learning.  This course will focus primarily on learning as it relates to K-12 school-aged children and classroom practices. You will have the opportunity to examine your own beliefs and construct more accurate and useful understanding of the principles of educational psychology and their application to your future as a teacher.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Teacher candidates completing this course should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills related to the INTASC Standards  for new teachers.

Course objectives	INTASC Standards
1.  Explain how humans learn and respond to experiences and activities.	2, 3, 5
2.  Evaluate lesson activities in relation to learning principles.	2, 3, 4, 5, 7
3. Demonstrate how, when, and why to apply basic learning principles and strategies.	2, 3, 4, 5, 7
4.  Discover the commonality of human cognition, personal, social and physical development and how teachers support appropriate development with classroom structure, tasks, and management.	2, 3, 4, 5
5.  Determine how effective teachers organize instruction and manage the classroom.	4, 5, 7
6.  Design and evaluate appropriate and effective assessments	8
7.  Develop critical reflection skills	9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Each requirement of this course is directly related to your learning of the course material and the INTASC Standards as indicated below.

Course requirements	INTASC Standards
Attendance and Participation	9
Bell Ringer, In-class, and Exit Activities	2, 3, 4, 5, 9
Study Guides	2, 3, 4, 5, 9
Exams	2, 3, 4, 5
Miscellaneous Assignments	2, 3, 4, 5
Presentations	2, 3, 4, 5
Field Response Journal	2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9
Assessment Inventory	8

 

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE POLICIES:

Classroom Decorum:

I invite you to view this course as a training ground for your future career. Please treat your professor and peers as you hope to be treated as a teacher. Be respectful and attentive during class lectures and discussions. Offer comments and ask questions. Since collaborative grouping will be used frequently, you will often be asked to teach and/or discuss textbook material. Reading the assigned chapters prior to class sessions, as well as reviewing materials and reading from previous classes, is essential to help prepare you to be an active participant.

Please turn cell phones to vibrate during class. Technology should be used for participation in the course (e.g., note-taking, research etc.) and as directed by the instructor only. Please refrain from side talking with neighbors, working on assignments from other classes, or participating in other distracting activities during class.  Remember that it is against college policy for students to bring children to class. I am not opposed to the use of technology or socializing with peers, but you will be held responsible for all material presented in class so it is important that you not miss anything!

Changes in Course Requirements:

The instructor reserves the right to alter this syllabus according to the needs and abilities of the students.  Assignments may be added or deleted as deemed necessary.  Should such changes occur, every attempt will be made to provide timely, advance notice.

Instructor Communication:

I have provided you with numerous ways to contact me both in the syllabus and in our class website. Please feel free to utilize those methods when you need to. My goal is to return all communications within 24 hours of receiving them, however that time may vary on weekends, holidays, or during particularly busy periods during the semester.

When you contact me via email/text/skype/etc., please include your name and section number so that I can accurately respond to your question. When using Facebook, be sure to use the Inbox for personal questions or comments (grades, complaints, etc.) rather than the Wall or Group, which others can view.

Personal Responsibility:

One of the main purposes of this course is to help you realize your motivations for learning and the power of those motivations. Additionally, the instructor embraces a learner-centered teaching paradigm.

You must take responsibility for your own learning in this course and make a sincere effort to understand the material in order to better help your future students. This means that you should sincerely attempt to complete all of the reading for the course, complete all assignments on time, and put forth your best effort at all times. Attendance is required, and students are expected to participate in each class session. Points will be deducted for late work. In some cases as noted by the instructor, late work will not be accepted. If you need individual assistance in preparing assignments or studying for an exam, please contact the instructor for an appointment well in advance of the due date of the assignment/exam.

Workload:  The workload is moderately heavy and is consistent with an advanced undergraduate level course.  Because weekly class meetings are equivalent to 3 class periods, reading assignments are usually long.  It is estimated that 2-3 hours of homework for each hour spent in class will be required for "success" in this course.

Be Aware ~ Be Accountable: There is not sufficient time in class to cover every topic that you will need to be familiar with for the Praxis exam or in your future career as a teacher. Therefore, you are responsible for knowing and understanding the content in the assigned chapters and will be tested on that content whether it is discussed in class or not.

Key Assignments:

All key assignments must be completed in order to pass this course. You can learn more about these assignments on the Course Requirements page.

Attention Students with Disabilities:

If you have any disability that may affect your success in this course, please contact the Accessibility Services Department (room BU 146).  Academic accommodations are granted for all students who have qualified, documented disabilities.  Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the Accessibility Services Department.

Additionally, class sessions will be available for review via podcast through our class website.

Academic Dishonesty:

This course upholds the Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Code, Section VII-D, “Academic Responsibilities.”

You are expected to do your own work on assignments and examinations unless they are designed as collaborative efforts. On collaborative projects, you are expected to contribute equally. If you are involved in any form of academic dishonesty, you will receive a grade of “zero” for that assignment or exam. If you are involved in academic dishonesty more than once, you may be dropped from the professional program. Asking/telling other students about the content of examinations, including discussing which topics should be studied most heavily, is considered a form of academic dishonesty. Additionally, plagiarism in any form (using others words or ideas without proper citation and/or in lieu of completing your own work) is a form of academic dishonesty and will result in a zero on the assignment.

Grading Scale

Grades will be awarded according to the scale below. In all cases 90% or above indicates exceptional performance with evidence of additional processing, understanding, creativity, and/or professionalism. Between 80% and 89% are degrees of completion, correctness, and evidence of processing information. Grades less than 80% indicate that there is something missing or lacking or there is incorrect information. Anticipated due dates are listed in your course schedule and will be kept current throughout the semester on our class website. Students are responsible for keeping up-to-date on assignments and due dates. If you have questions, ask. Your instructor is ready and willing to help. Students should retain multiple copies of all assignments to protect against loss.

93% or higher                 A

90-92.9%                        A-

87-89.9%                        B+

83-86.9%                        B

80-82.9%                        B-

Anything lower than a B- is insufficient to progress in the professional program.

Student Senator

If you would like to provide general feedback to the department and/or University, please contact:

Trent Boyer

trentb@uvu.edu

My Goals

I invite each of you to set your own goals for this course. What would YOU like to get out of your experience this semester? My personal goals for the course are as follows:

1. Help you on the road to becoming a great teacher by sharing some of the knowledge that is available about how the brain works, how children learn, and how we can adapt our teaching strategies to meet our students’ needs. Notice that I said that I’ll share some of the knowledge available. I certainly don’t know everything, and I am constantly searching for a better understanding of what I already do know. However, the few weeks we have together are not enough time to share in-depth knowledge of all of the topics in our syllabus. I hope, therefore, that you’ll make the search for better understanding your own goal, as well.

2. Help you to become a self-regulated learner. What that means is that you’ll set your own goals, monitor your own progress, and evaluate yourself continually throughout the course. Thus, you should be very aware of what you do and do not understand. I cannot read your minds; thus I do not always know when you’re struggling. If you do not understand something, search for an answer. If you cannot find an answer, ask a friend. If your friend doesn’t know, come and talk with me. Do not stay confused about anything in this class! 

Notice the progression I just gave you: first, try to solve the problem on your own; second, discuss the problem with a peer; third, come and talk to me. I am NOT saying that I don’t want you to come and see me. On the contrary, I would like each of you to set aside time in your calendar to visit me in my office or talk with me online at least twice during the semester. These do not have to be long visits and they can be about anything – from grade conferences to deeper explanations about course topics to chats about how your semester is going. It is important that you feel comfortable approaching me as your professor.  

Back to self-regulation, though, you’ve got to take charge of your own learning. As a teacher, you will not always have someone to turn to when you need an answer, thus you need to learn to solve problems and do research on your own before seeking help. 

3. Improve my instruction. This is an ongoing goal of mine – to become a great teacher as I encourage you to do. Therefore, I look to you for constructive feedback. Please complete any exit slips or course evaluations with deep consideration of what I could do to better help you learn the material in this course. 

Course Requirements

Attendance (approx. 20 pts): Weekly attendance is required and will be given credit through “bell ringer” activities at the beginning of each class, in-class activities, and/or exit slips at the end of class. This means that you must be on time for class and remain in class for its duration to participate in the activity and receive credit.

Study Guides (80 pts): A study guide should be completed and submitted for each assigned chapter.

Exams (350 pts): Four examinations will be given throughout the semester. These exams will cover information from your study guides, class discussion, and your textbook. Read the textbook carefully as you will be held responsible for all assigned content, not just the concepts discussed in class.

Miscellaneous Assignments: as assigned by the instructor

Field Response Journal (100 pts): This is a key assignment for your senior portfolio. For this assignment, you are required to spend a minimum of 15 hours as an active observer in a 7-12 classroom. During your field experience, you will observe and analyze the use of educational psychology principles and strategies. You will also apply those principles by creating an intervention for a student who is not currently working in his/her zone of proximal development. See the assignment description  for more information. Note: Completion of this assignment is required in order to pass the course.
 

Assessment Inventory (100 pts): This is a key assignment for your senior portfolio. For this assignment, you will create a unit outline with 8 different types of assessments. See the assignment description  for more information. Note: Completion of this assignment is required in order to pass the course.

Dispositions (30 pts): As this is a training ground for your future career as a teacher, you will be evaluated on various dispositions that are expected in a teacher, including professionalism, responsibility, and collegiality. See the attached rubric  for more information. Yes, this is a somewhat subjective evaluation. However, it is a realistic representation of how you will be evaluated by principals and colleagues. Late assignments, tardiness and/or poor attendance, class participation, respect toward the instructor and peers, and your attitude toward the course will all play a role in this evaluation. This is not intended to be a punitive evaluation, rather its purpose is to reward and promote those characteristics that will help you to become a great teacher. You will have the opportunity to evaluate yourself on the dispositions criteria at the end of the semester.