Course Syllabus

EDG 2940.0M02: Experiential Learning in Education  

School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education

3 Credit Hours

Click Here to Download Syllabus

---

Table of Contents

• General Course Information
• Course Description
• Course Materials and Resources
• Student Learning Outcomes
• Course Activities
• Grading Information
• Course Schedule
• Policy Statements

---

Instructor Information 

• Instructor: Dr. Angela Slaughter 
• Office Location: 115F, Education Complex
• Office Hours: Please make an appointment through Email 
• Digital Contact: Angela.Slaughter@ucf.edu or Webcourses@UCF messaging

Course Information

• Term: Spring 2022
• Course Number & Section: EDG 2940.0M02
• Course Name: Experiential Learning in Education  
• Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours
• Class Meeting Days: Wednesdays
• Class Meeting Time: 1:30pm to 4:20pm (See Class Schedule for specific meeting times)
• Class Location: TA 110
• Course Modality:  Mixed Mode (See Class Schedule for each week's meeting mode)

Welcome!

This course is designed to prepare you to participate in schools and other educational settings as a professional. In order for this course to be useful to you and for you to be successful in it, you should carefully read this syllabus and adhere to the policies and procedures outlined. If we all practice the core values of the UCF Creed (integrity, scholarship, community, creativity, and excellence), this course should be a productive and positive experience for everyone!

Course Description

Students will learn about the field of education through a variety of field experiences. Course experiences will rely heavily on students’ engagement in these targeted field experience placements and their structured reflections. **Due to social distance requirements, the course will have the option to participate in virtual observations and experiences in lieu of visiting school sites. The variety of field experiences will remain, along with opportunities for learning your role as a professional educator.

Purpose of Course

Participating in educational experiences as a learner and as a teacher, counselor, or leader are very different roles.  The purpose of this course is to begin your transition from participating as a learner to taking the role of a professional educator.

Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAP) – Adopted 2011

Each effective educator applies the foundational principles through six (6) Educator Accomplished Practices. Each of the practices is clearly defined to promote a common language and statewide understanding of the expectations for the quality of instruction and professional responsibility.

The following FEAPs are addressed by the objectives of EDG 2940

• Continuous Improvement, Responsibility and Ethics
  1. Continuous Professional Improvement
     • Engages in targeted professional growth opportunities and reflective practices. [FEAP 2.b.1.e]
  2. Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct
     • Adheres to the Code of Ethics and the principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession of Florida and fulfills the expected obligations to students, the public and the education profession. [FEAP 2.b.2]

KEY:  FEAP/PEC = Florida Educator Accomplished Practices/ Professional Education Competencies  ESOL = English for Speakers of Other Languages NGSSS = Next Generation Sunshine State Standards FS= Florida Standards CEC = Council for Exceptional Children

Course Materials and Resources

Required Text

• Articles and Book Chapters provided via PDF in the Webcourse and/or through UCF Libraries

Required Course Materials

• 1-Subject Notebook or Journal (to be described during the first class)

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will participate in experiential exercises that will familiarize them with appropriate professional behaviors for interacting with students, teachers, staff and leaders in school and informal education settings.
• Know and use a variety of group management techniques. [FEAP 2.a.2.b/PEC 2.2]
• Establish a set of group and classroom routines and procedures for utilization of materials and movement of students. [FEAP 2.a.2.b/PEC 2.2]
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for establishing a safe group and classroom community and preventing problem behavior, in keeping with the state code of ethics and the principles of professional conduct [FEAP 2.a.2.f/PEC 2.6; CEC 2.1]
• Participate in field experiences appropriate for major area of specialization and reflect on the teaching strategies, classroom climate, and behavior management plans in operation in these field experiences. [FEAP 2.a.2.e,2.a.2.f,2.a.3.a,/PEC 3.1; applicable NGSSS and FS]

Course Activities & Assignments

1) Attendance & Participation: (Reflections, Exit Slips) Due to the interactive and experiential nature of the course and in-class activities, discussions, readings, and lectures, students are required to attend all distance learning Zoom class meetings.  Students will only receive credit for being present if they are present for the entire class (i.e. you cannot leave early and earn full credit for attendance). Participation will be documented through in-class reflections and exit slips, as outlined in the Course Schedule.

2) Required “Field” Experiences and Documentation: Please NOTE – in response to the COVID-19 Outbreak and distance learning approach to teaching and learning alternative assignments are available for those unable to observe in person. Students will be offered a menu of activities that mimic the classroom and require you to be a reflective practitioner. These will vary in their approach (i.e., reading, video, interview, etc.) however you will be required to complete 6 assignments to complete this course.

• • Students will volunteer for a minimum of 30 hours over the course of at least 10 weeks in at least two educational settings [FEAP 2.a.2.e, 2.a.2.f, 2.a.3.a/PEC 3.1; applicable NGSSS and FS]:
    1. Traditional Public School (including Charter Schools) - Must include at least 15 hours in a Title I School
    2. Private School, Alternative School, or Other Educational Setting

At least 15 hours should be spent in each of the settings above, but students can customize their preferences for splitting time across each setting. For example, students may choose to spend 15 hours in each setting or 20 hours in one and 10 hours in the other (with the requirement that at least 15 hours be spent in a Title I School). No student will be expected to work on a project to which she or he has significant religious, political, or moral objections.  It is the student’s responsibility to let the instructor know about such objections. 

This activity will address a need in the community, support the course objectives, involve a connection between the campus and the community, challenge students to be civically engaged, and involve structured student reflection. Students with criminal arrest records must see the Instructor immediately to discuss how their history may impact their ability to complete this course and to eventually become a teacher.  Students enrolled in other education courses requiring a field experience may not use the same hours for both experiences. 

Students will spend time reflecting on their field experiences through ongoing structured course discussions related to each course topic and a meta-reflective poster project.  The service-learning efforts will be the core of much of the learning in the course.  The "grade" for the service-learning requirement will come from the tangible class-related project and discussions, rather than simply from completion of the 30-hour minimum requirement.

To meet the objectives of the course, our activities will address the following needs of our educational communities: 

• Shortage of teachers
• Need for special assistance for students in schools, especially high-risk students
• Need for special assistance for special events in schools and informal settings.
• Additional student assistance in preparation for high-stakes tests
• Classroom management/proximity control by adults
• Role models/mentors from diverse ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, students are not required to observe in person. Students can optionally complete six (6), five-hour learning activities. See course modules for more information. 

3) Reflective Educator Notebook- Students will maintain a “Reflective Educator Notebook” throughout their experiences where they take the stance of “Teacher as Researcher” and identify wondering questions or thoughtful reflections about their work. Students are encouraged to personalize their notebooks and organize them in a way that proves to be useful for them; however, snapshots of the notebook and included wonderings will be submitted throughout the semester.

Students will earn points for the timely submission of the documentation listed above, as indicated in the Course Schedule. Each of the required documentation forms must be submitted in order for the student to earn a grade in the course.   

4) Structured Written Reflection Papers:

Students will write a total of four structured reflections based on their previous and current experiences with learning, teaching, and schools. Topics for the reflection papers include:

• Reflection #1: Myself as an Educator 
• Reflection #2: Classroom/School Culture and My Role
• Reflection #3: Culture of Students

Detailed assignment directions and a rubric will be provided in the Webcourse.

4) Final Reflection & Share Fair Presentation

Students will reflect on their field experience placements and their personal reflections and growth as they complete both parts of this culminating assignment:

• Part 1: Reflection - Students will synthesize their reflections over the course of the semester as they write a reflective paper to demonstrate their growth as pre-service educators over the course of their field experiences this semester. Detailed paper requirements and a rubric will be provided in the Webcourse.
• Part 2: Share Fair Presentation - Students will depict their reflections and learning from Part 1 of this assignment through a visual presentation format of their choice. Presentation options include, but are not limited to: posters, electronic presentations (displayed via laptop or tablet), infographics, concept maps, etc. Presentations will be shared among students in class on a designated day in class.

Activity Submissions

Unless stated in specific assignment directions, all submission must be submitted via Webcourses assignment submission portal. 

Late Work Policy:

There are no make-ups for in-class assignments or quizzes. Assignments turned in late (will be assessed a penalty: late assignments will be accepted with a 50% grading penalty).

Attendance/Participation

Students are expected to attend all classes.  If a student cannot attend a class, they should let the instructor know ahead of time.

Make-up Exams and Assignments

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.

Evaluation and Grading Scale

The table shows the weight distribution for each assignment group.

Assignment Group Name	Percentage of Grade
Required “Experience” documentation & timely Submission of Reflective Educator Notebook	25%
Structured Written Reflection Papers (3 total)	25%
Attendance & Class Participation	30%
Final Paper & Presentation	20%
Total	100%

Note: You must complete 30 observational hours or six (6) classroom “experience” activities for this course in order to earn a final grade, regardless of your completion of course assignments.

The final grade for the course is based on the following scale:

Letter Grade	Points
A	90-100
B	80-89
C	70-79
D	60-69
F	59 or below

Consult the latest Undergraduate or Graduate catalog for regulations and procedures regarding grading such as Incomplete grades, grade changes, and grade forgiveness.

Course Schedule - Section 0M02

University Services and Resources

Academic Services and Resources

A list of available academic support and learning services is available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Academic Support and Learning Services" on the right-hand side to filter.  

Non-Academic Services and Resources

A list of non-academic support and services is also available at UCF Student Services. Click on "Support" on the right-hand side to filter.  

If you are a UCF Online student, please consult the UCF Online Student Guidelines for more information about your access to non-academic services.

Policy Statements