Required Texts: Woolfolk, A. (2010). Educational Psychology (11th Edition)
  Bruner, J. (1960). The Process of Education. Harvard University Press.

Course Description:
This 4 credit course consists of a series of class discussions, presentations, readings, demonstrations, videotapes, small-group work, as well as computer and Internet-based work examining educational psychology and human development. Teaching begins with the learner. To ensure that each student learns new knowledge and skills, teachers must understand that learning and developmental patterns vary among individuals, that learners bring unique individual differences to the learning process, and that learners need supportive and safe learning environments to thrive. The course is designed to acquaint students with the terminology, concepts, and issues central to development and educational psychology. Major theories and contemporary research will be surveyed and related to human development and the psychology of education as they are applied in classrooms.

Course Goals:
1. Foster the recognition and analysis of questions and issues fundamental to the fields of human development and educational     psychology as applied to learning and teaching.
2. Develop an understanding of the role of educational theory and research in informing pedagogical practice.
3. Understand the theories and principles of child development, human learning, and educational psychology including the areas of     cognition and motivation, instruction, individual differences, universal design for learning, social processes, and assessments that     form the foundation upon which effective classroom practice is built.
4. Synthesize the principles of development and educational psychology and apply this knowledge, along with an understanding of     individual differences, including special needs and the impact of different backgrounds, to the analysis of the dynamics of a     classroom, the planning of appropriate and effective instruction, and the determination of the progress of students.
5. Analyze specific educational practices with respect to the your own philosophy of education.
6. Develop a personal sense of professional competence.
7. Become a more reflective, insightful, and sensitive educator.
8. Appreciate who students are as learners, and what they can bring to the classroom as teachers.

Educational Philosophy:
I cannot simply teach you what you need to know about child development and educational psychology. In order for you to effectively learn about the psychology of educating children, you must be willing to be an active and engaged participant in the learning process. Therefore I see my role more as that of a facilitator than as a lecturer. What I will do is provide you with a variety of resources that can assist you in learning. Your job will be to utilize these resources, ask questions, discuss your ideas, and help me to know what you do and do not understand. I have set aside time after class for office hours so that I can assist you. I have created web-based resources to provide accessible course materials and expand the virtual classroom. I have also included my email address in order to encourage your questions and comments, and my office and home phone numbers in case you encounter pressing questions or problems. How much you learn in this course will be directly proportional to your level of commitment and involvement.

Top 10 Questions to Ponder During the Course

Course Objectives:
As a result of participating in this course, prospective teachers will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of and appreciation for the role of theory and research in informing pedagogical practice.
2. Recognize and analyze questions and issues fundamental to the fields of child development and educational psychology.
3. Describe the social, physical, emotional and cognitive development of students.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the theories and principles of child development, human learning, and educational psychology with a focus on cognition and motivation, instructional techniques, individual differences, social processes, and assessment.
5. Analyze and deconstruct dominant paradigms of development and teaching from a postmodern perspective.
6. Synthesize the principles of development & educational psychology and be prepared to apply this knowledge to the analysis of the dynamics of a classroom, the planning of appropriate and effective learning experiences, and the evaluation of student progress.
7. Analyze specific educational practices with respect to own philosophy of education

Course Requirements:
Meeting the above objectives can be demonstrated through the following assignments:
Attendance: You are expected to attend each class. Because some of the material that will be presented is not contained in the text, because we will cover a new topic each day for three short weeks, and because student discussions and contributions are important components of the course, it is critical that you attend every class. If it becomes necessary to miss a class due to extenuating circumstances, you are asked to contact me before doing so. As a member of our learning community it is critical that you come to class ready and willing to contribute to the learning process.

Reading Assignments: You are expected to read the assigned chapters in the textbooks and all supplemental readings before each class period. This will give you time to formulate questions that you may have about the readings and allow you to ask these questions and engage in discussions during that class period. There is important material found in the readings that may not be covered during class so you are advised to read carefully and thoroughly. All of the readings are available electronically or on the Web.
Reflections and Concept Maps: After completing each day’s readings you are expected to write a very short personal reflection (less than one page) to be used at the beginning of the next day’s class. This reflection should be based on issues and questions that were raised in class or in the readings. It will not be graded but will serve as a starting point for that day’s discussion in your small groups. You may be asked to submit some of these reflections to the Google doc site so that you can share your ideas with your peers. Throughout the course you will be asked to design, construct and update a concept map that encompasses the conceptual elements of the content we are covering. A final copy of your map will be brought to class on the 17th. While it will not be graded, it is designed to foster thought and discussion concerning the integration and synthesis of theories and theorists. The format you use for this concept map is flexible. I recommend Inspiration, however there are some online programs that can work as well.

Writing Assignments: You will be expected to engage in three different writing assignments during this course.
1. I would like you to come to class each day with two papers ready to share.
A. A page containing various questions, comments, and ideas that have been stimulated by the day’s reading and studying.
B. An ongoing and cumulative concept map of the relation between the concepts we have engaged so far in this course.
As you develop these documents, please do not address them to me, rather consider them as a self-reflective record of your thinking and learning. We will use these to spark individual and class conversations. While your submissions will not be evaluated per se, completion of this writing is a course requirement.

2. You will need to submit a short thought paper due on Aug. 14th. This paper should be approximately 4-5 pages long and should be entitled “My Philosophy of Education”. This paper should be conceived of as a working draft of a document that you will be working on throughout the year. Consider this as the emerging description of your professional beliefs. Please write this as a narrative document and avoid bullets, jargon, and quotes or citations from others. This should be a statement of your thinking and ideals. More information about this assignment will be discussed in class, and the assignment and scoring rubric can be found here. Please bring a well formulated draft of your paper on Aug. 8th for peer editing. No paper will be accepted until it has been edited by at least one peer.

This paper should be considered a work in progress. After I have graded it you have the option of making whatever changes you would like and resubmitting your paper for more feedback. Throughout the year, whenever you resubmit an assignment to me you MUST submit all original submissions along with the new version. Resubmissions of papers will be accepted through Aug.18th. The emphasis of your philosophy should be on a personal narrative describing your values and beliefs (not bullets and graphics, no quotes). This should be a professional document that you would eventually be proud to post on your Webpage.

3. It is strongly recommended that you keep a journal throughout the course (and throughout the year). The purpose of the journal will be to stimulate reflection on the course material as well as on your experiences as a student and future educator. This journal may be composed (in part) of the questions and ideas noted in number 1A above. It is suggested that you keep the journal with you whenever you are reading, studying or taking notes. This journal can be kept in a traditional notebook or on your laptop.

Portfolio: You will be expected to begin an electronic portfolio of your work in this teacher education program. At the end of this course your portfolio should contain your educational philosophy and any other work you would like to include. I recommend that you continue to insert examples of your best work into this virtual portfolio throughout the next 11 months. It could serve as a nice collection of information about yourself to take to job interview or a website to which you will direct potential employers. There is a folder with your name on it in the “student folder” in the computer lab that can serve as an initial repository.

Heart of a Teacher Assignment: Your first assignment will be due on Monday July 31st. For this assignment you are required to develop a response to the readings "The Tao of Teaching" and the pages from Parker Palmer’s book, “the Courage to Teach”. The only requirements are that you may not submit a paper and you must have meaningful fun with the assignment. I would like you to submit any form of response that does not rely on the traditional printed word. It may be graphical, musical, physical or anything other than a written paper. This assignment will be presented during class on Monday. It will not be formally assessed and it will not constitute part of your grade.

Examinations: There will be two topical exams during this course as well as a comprehensive final exam. Each two hour-long exam will be cumulative and will consist of a mix of short answer and essay questions from the chapters and readings. No make-up exams will be given, if there is a scheduling conflict, you must speak with me before the class. Anyone who does not demonstrate an adequate mastery of the material contained on the exam may be asked to retake an alternative version. If you feel that your performance on any of these exams does not provide an accurate reflection of your understanding of the material, I would be happy to provide an oral reassessment.
The final exam will be a comprehensive essay exam requiring you to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply material presented throughout the course. Prior to the final exam I will provide you with the question pool from which the comprehensive questions used on the final will be selected.


Evaluation of the exams and the final examination will be based on the following five-point rubric. A basic guideline for evaluation is as follows.

A score of 5 will be given when answers are thorough, insightful, and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the material.
A score of 3 will be given when answers are adequate, accurate, and demonstrate a basic understanding of the material.
A score of 1 will be given when answers are inadequate, inaccurate, and demonstrate misunderstanding of the material.

Assessment: You will be assessed on the quality of work that you submit for this course. Final grades for this course will be based on a range of components: Evaluations of the first two exams, and your philosophy of education will all be weighted somewhat equally. The final examination will receive a heavier weighting. Other class contributions and participation will also be factored into my final assessment. Final letter grades will be assigned based on the following rubric.

Students who have received 5's on most assignments will receive an A
Students who have received 4's on most assignments will receive a B
Students who have received 3's on most assignments will receive a C
Students who have received scores lower than 3's on most assignments will not receive a passing grade.

Throughout this course I encourage you to embrace the power of being a mastery-based learner focused on learning goals rather than performance goals. Work hard to challenge yourself and let go of any ego involvement in grades. What is important is your level of learning and understanding in this course: the more the better. In this framework, grades are not the criteria by which you should evaluate your value as a student (in terms of self concept or self esteem), but simply a metric by which to mark your process in meeting the goals of becoming a professional educator. Disequilibria are the catalyst for new learning, embrace them and challenge yourself to do and learn great things. “Beware the A, it says that you have made it, that you are done...”

I wish to fully include persons with special needs in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to participate fully. I will try to maintain confidentiality of the information you share with me.

Note: The dates for the quizzes, class topics, and readings noted are approximate and it is possible that they may change as the course progresses.

Course Schedule of Topics and Readings.

Special Needs:
It is my intent to fully include persons with special needs in this course. Please let me know if you need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessment to enable you to participate fully. I will make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of any information you share with me.

University and College of Education Policies
Be aware of the Pacific University Code of Academic Conduct and the College of Education policies for professional behavior and the competent and ethical performance of educators. In this course students are expected to demonstrate behavior consistent with the Professional and Academic Standards in the College of Education. Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.

Students With Disabilities
In general, the University will work with students to improve conditions that may hinder their learning. The university requires appropriate documentation of a disability in order to enable students to meet academic standards. It is the responsibility of each student to inform the Director of Learning Support Services of his or her disability. Students are encouraged to work with faculty proactively in developing strategies for accommodation. This policy is described at Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.

Incompletes
Instructors may issue a grade of incomplete only when the major portion of a course has been completed satisfactorily, but health or other emergency reasons prevent the student from finishing all the requirements in the course. The instructor and the student should agree upon a deadline by which all work will be completed, with the following guidelines:
1. Incompletes given for Fall and or Winter III terms must be completed by the following April 15.
2. Incompletes given for Spring semester must be completed by the following November 15.
Instructors will issue the grade the student would have earned by not completing the course, preceded by an "I". This grade is determined by including a failing grade for the missing assignment(s) in the calculation of the final grade. If the agreed upon course work is not completed in the period allotted and an extension has not been granted, the grade issued will be permanent. The contingency grade will be used in the computation of the GPA until such time as a new grade is recorded. See the Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.

Grade Changes
Once a grade is submitted to the Registrar it shall not be changed except in the case of recording errors. Grade changes will be approved by the appropriate Dean. See the Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.

Safe Environment Policy
Pacific University's Rights and Responsibilities policy seeks to maintain conditions favorable to learning. Students have the right to pursue an education free from discrimination based on gender, religion, marital status, age, sexual orientation or handicap. Students have the responsibility to conduct themselves, both individually and in groups, in a manner which promotes an atmosphere conducive to teaching, studying and learning. This policy is described in detail in Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.

Academic Integrity
Honesty and integrity are expected of all students in class preparation, examinations, assignments, practicums and other academic work. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to cheating; plagiarism; forgery; fabrication; theft of instructional materials or tests; unauthorized access or manipulation of laboratory or clinic equipment or computer programs; alteration of grade books, clinical records, files or computer grades; misuse of research data in reporting results; use of personal relationships to gain grades or favors or other attempts to obtain grades or credit through fraudulent means; unprofessional conduct related to student care; threats to University personnel and conduct inconsistent with academic integrity. The complete policy, definitions and appeal procedures are described Pacific University Professional Programs Course Catalog.