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Valencia College
Osceola Campus
Course: Introduction to the Teaching Profession– EDF 2005
Credits: 3
Term: Fall 2017 (201810)
CRN: 11526
Campus: Osceola
Meeting: Online
Instructor: Kimberly Foster, Ed.D.
Osceola Campus, 2-255A
407-582-4112 (phone)
kfoster8@valenciacollege.edu
Office
Hours: By appointment only
Textbook: Teachers, Schools, and Society, 4th edition, by David Miller Sadker and Karen R. Zittleman
Course Description:
This course offers students a general overview of teaching developed through study of
processes of teaching and learning, organization and structure of American education and current
issues and problems related to education.
This course also incorporates a required field experience that is generally required as a prerequisite
for state university teacher education programs in Florida. Check with prospective transfer program
on current requirements.
Course Objectives:
! Analyze the educational institution in the U.S. by understanding the different educational theories.
! Demonstrate an understanding of the core values of teaching and learning.
! Observe, analyze, and synthesize effective teaching practices through field observations in three
different levels elementary, middle and high school.
! Reflect on the rewards and challenges of being a teacher in a public school setting in the current times.
Course Topics/Concepts:
! To introduce student to the career of education.
! To inform students about the historical, sociological, and philosophical foundations of schools.
! To explore school governance, school law, diversity, and the controversy over curriculum control.
! To examine contemporary issues impacting education.
! To observe and experience the best teaching practices and to build connections between theory and
practice through field-observation hours.
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Student Core Competencies:
Throughout the class, students are expected to practice and demonstrate proficiency in all of Valencia’s four
core competencies: Think, Value, Communicate, and Act.
Think: Students will demonstrate the ability to problem-solve, analyze, and synthesize information through
successful completion of exams, written assignments, and in-class debates and discussions.
Value: Students will demonstrate value through their actions during the required 15-hour directed field
experience. Students will recognize differences in learning styles, cultures, and values and will show respect
for those differences. Students will also demonstrate value for differences in how they interact with those in the
classroom setting.
Communicate: Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate through different media, on different
levels, during their in-class participation in discussions and presentations, as well as, on written exams and
assignments.
Act: Students will apply their newfound knowledge during the required 15-hour field experience. Students will
also demonstrate knowledge and understanding during classroom discussions and review of classroom
observations.
Make-up Policy
No make up assignments or exams are given.
Withdrawal Policy
Per Valencia Policy 4-07 (Academic Progress, Course Attendance and Grades, and Withdrawals), a student who
withdraws from class before the established deadline for a particular term (November 10, 2017) will receive a
grade of “W.” A student is not permitted to withdraw after the withdrawal deadline. A faculty member MAY
withdraw a student up to the beginning of the final exam period for violation of the class attendance policy. A
student who is withdrawn by faculty for violation of the class attendance policy will receive a grade of “W.”
Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same
course will be assigned a grade of “F.” For a complete policy and procedure overview on Valencia Policy 4-07
please go to: http://valenciacc.edu/generalcounsel/policydetail.cfm?RecordID=75.
No Show Status
Class attendance is required beginning the first week of the term. If you do not complete and earn a perfect
score (3/3) on the syllabus quiz by the due date and time (11:59pm on August 31), you may be withdrawn from
the class as a "no show". In this event, you will be billed for the class and a "W" will appear on your transcript
for the course.
Academic Honesty Policy Number: 6Hx28:10-16
All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia Community College. Academic dishonesty
includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of
documents, misconduct during a testing situation, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive.
All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students' individual thoughts, research, and
self-expression. Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or organization from another source, the source shall
be appropriately acknowledged. Students shall take special notice that the assignment of course grades is the
responsibility of the students' individual professor. When the professor has reason to believe that an act of
academic dishonesty has occurred, and before sanctions are imposed, the student shall be given informal notice
and an opportunity to be heard by the professor. Any student determined by the professor to have been guilty of
engaging in an act of academic dishonesty shall be liable to a range of academic penalties as determined by the
professor that may include, but not be limited to, one or more of the following: loss of credit for an assignment,
examination, or project; a reduction in the course grade; or a grade of "F" in the course. At the option of the
professor, the campus president may be furnished with written notification of the occurrence and the action
taken. If such written notice is given, a copy shall be provided to the student. Students guilty of engaging in a
gross or flagrant act of academic dishonesty or repeated instances of academic dishonesty shall also be subject
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to administrative and /or disciplinary penalties which may include warning, probation, suspension and / or
expulsion from the College. The student may appeal action taken by the professor under the provisions of
either Policy 6Hx28:10-13 or 6Hx28:10-15 as determined by the nature of the action taken.
Student Code of Conduct
Student Code of Classroom Conduct Policy Number: 6Hx28:10-18
Activities which disrupt classroom setting and which are in violation of this Student Code of Classroom
Conduct are those which, with or without intent to do so, are disruptive of the essence of the educational
process. Faculty members are authorized to define, communicate, and enforce appropriate standards of
decorum in classrooms, offices, and other instructional areas under their supervision. In the case of the violation
of the Student Code of Classroom Conduct, the faculty member may initiate personal conferences, verbal and
written warnings, referral to the director of student services for counseling, and removal from the classroom
pending disciplinary action under policy 6Hx28:10-04. Examples of such disruptive or distracting activities
include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Activities that are inconsistent with commonly acceptable classroom behavior and which are not
conducive to the learning experience, such as: tardiness, leaving and returning during class, and early
departure when not previously authorized;
• Activities which violate previously prescribed classroom guidelines or constitute an unreasonable
interruption of the learning process;
• Side discussions which are irrelevant to the subject matter of the class, that distract from the learning
process, or impede, hinder, or inhibit the ability of other students to obtain the full benefit of the
educational presentation; and,
• Utterances of "fighting words" or epithets directed specifically toward other persons with the purpose or
effect of creating a hostile educational environment or which may reasonably be expected to incite
imminent or immediate violence.
Violation of the Student Code of Classroom Conduct shall constitute grounds for student disciplinary action as
provided in Policy 6Hx28:10-04.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for
Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first two
weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate
documentation of disabilities
Disclaimer:
The syllabus and course schedule may be changed at the discretion of the professor.
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Assignments
Due to differences in learning styles, the course uses several modes of presentation. Students are expected to
participate in discussion board activities. Students are also expected to read/review case studies, visit various
websites, review articles, and view Power Point presentations.
Power Point Presentations
Each chapter includes a Power Point presentation that provides the basic text information and an overall feel for
the chapter.
Case Study
Each week, a case study is assigned for review. Students are required to read the assigned case study and
answer prescribed questions in the discussion board area.
Discussion Board
After reading each case study, students are expected to answer questions pertaining to the study. These
discussion board responses must be in paragraph form, answering the questions entirely and in complete
sentences. Initial discussion posts are due by 11:59pm on the due date. Peer responses are due by 11:59pm on
the due date.
Not only are students required to answer the discussion board questions for each week, they must also provide
one meaningful response to other postings. Meaningful responses are not “good job, I like your post.” A
meaningful response post shows that students have read each other’s postings and have constructive comments
on the material. At no time will malicious comments be accepted in the discussion board area (please refer to
“Netiquette” document). All comments should be constructive and add to the content and learning in the
discussion board area.
! EXAMPLE: MEANINGFUL POST:
Jenny, I like your ideas concerning the relevancy of standardized testing in today’s schools. I
agree that they are helpful in assessing student learning and growth; however, I feel that today’s standardized
tests are a bit too rigid and too much rests on the results. It seems that student success is based on memorization
and test-taking skills, not what they have learned or what kind of individuals they have become. As we have
learned from previous chapters and research, this can be terribly discriminatory toward those who do not test
well and those with different learning challenges. In my opinion, it is unfortunate to base a student’s entire
advancement on the ability to take tests.
Great job, Jenny. Keep up the good work. Kim
! EXAMPLE OF NOT MEANINGFUL POST:
Jenny, good job. Kim
! EXAMPLE OF POST THAT WILL GET YOU REPRIMANDED:
Jenny, did you even read the assignment? Your post is horrible! Kim
Websites and Articles
Websites and articles have been carefully selected to enhance student learning throughout the course. Most, if
not all, learning modules will contain at least one website link or article to review. This material may appear on
weekly assessments, the midterm, or in the final project.
Assessments – Exams
Students are required to demonstrate understanding of course materials, including assigned readings and
presentations, on weekly assessments. Students will only have the “open” time of the test available to take the
assessment. Assessments are due by 11:59pm on the due date.
Directed Field Experience Paper
This course requires a 15-hour guided classroom observation. This observation experience requires students to
submit a paper detailing the events of the observation. Guidelines for the experience paper are included in this
syllabus. The Experience Paper is due by 12:00pm on the due date.
Midterm Research Paper
The midterm research papers requires students to choose one question concerning a topic covered throughout
the course and conduct extensive research on the topic and provide a thorough answer to the question in a
research paper format. The midterm paper is required to be in APA format. Directions and questions are found
on the midterm paper assignment. The Midterm Research Paper is due by 12:00pm on the due date.
Final Project
The final project allows students to exhibit what they have learned from the course, throughout chapters 1-11.
The final project allows students to create an “ideal school,” one that they would like to be a part of in the
future. This final project is due during the last week of classes and requires students to show great
understanding of the topics covered throughout this course. The Final Project is due by 12:00pm on the due
date.
APA Documentation Required for Midterm Research Paper and Directed Field Experience Paper
All materials requiring references must utilize APA format, including: cover page, headers, and references page.
For more information on APA formatting, please visit: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html
and/or the Writing Center on your nearby Valencia College campus.
