Class Attendance
Class attendance and participation are required for this course. The Bucknell Catalog states that (https://www.bucknell.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/course-catalog/academic-regulations.html):
I. Responsibilities about class attendance:
A. Students are expected to attend the regularly scheduled meetings of the courses for which they are enrolled.
B. Classes scheduled during class hours should be given priority over other activities. “No student who participates in an extracurricular event, team, or program can be penalized solely for missing such extracurricular activities when they are scheduled in conflict with regularly scheduled meeting times of the student’s courses.” (Action of the faculty, September 1993)
C. Faculty should provide, on the first day of classes, a clear statement of:
- The consequences of any absences.
- Scheduled time commitments outside of class.
D. Students should not be required to attend extra or rescheduled academic events that conflict with other classes or other important commitments.
For this class there are no schedule time commitments outside of the class. With respect to consequences for absences, my policy focuses on class participation and in class activities. I will often assign points for participation in class activities and class discussions. Only students present during these activities and discussions can earn these points. There is no way to make up points that are missed. Thus, if you are absent from class on a day that I have an in class activity, you will be unable to earn those points. Your class participation grade is based on the percentage of in class activity/class discussion points you earned out of the total number possible.
I will often assign points for participation in class activities and class discussions. Only students present during these activities and discussions can earn these points. There is no way to make up points that are missed.
Professionalism/Class Participation
This class is one of your first professional commitments, so we will define and practice quality professional behavior. Behaviors that are problematic, such as arriving late, being unprepared, missing class, texting, not participating in group work, turning in work late, not doing your own work etc., will not be helpful in your learning or your grade. My intent is to help you lay the groundwork for excellence, and so your involvement in and professional demeanor towards the class counts heavily. Please feel free to discuss these matters with me or the class. In cases of serious infractions, I will follow University policies for academic honesty & plagiarism, which can be found at http://www.bucknell.edu/x1324.xml.
Student Needs Statement
If you have anything you would like to talk to me about that would help me work with you, please contact me. Students with University-recognized disabilities who may need classroom accommodations should contact me as soon as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. See http://www.bucknell.edu/x7752.xml for more information.
Bucknell University Honor Code
As a student and citizen of the Bucknell University community:
- I will not lie, cheat or steal in my academic endeavors.
- I will forthrightly oppose each and every instance of academic dishonesty.
- I will let my conscience guide my decision to communicate directly with any person or persons I believe to have been dishonest in academic work.
- I will let my conscience guide my decision on reporting breaches of academic integrity to the appropriate faculty or deans.
Bucknell University expectations for academic engagement
Courses at Bucknell that receive one unit of academic credit have a minimum expectation of 12 hours per week of student academic engagement. Student academic engagement includes both the hours of direct faculty instruction (or its equivalent) and the hours spent on out of class student work. Half and quarter unit courses at Bucknell should have proportionate expectations for student engagement.
Grading System
Grades in this course will be based upon the following percentages. Grades in each area will be determined by calculating the number of points earned out of the number of possible points:
- Class Attendance/Participation (percentage of course grade 10%). The class attendance grade is based on number of in class activities completed. On various days, when we have had small group discussions, I’ve taken attendance and awarded 2pts to those in class. Total points possible will be calculated at the end of the semester based on number of points earned out of the total number of possible points.
- Blog Assignment (percentage of course grade 10%). Similar to the class attendance/participation, your grade in this area is based on number of points earned out of the total number of possible points. I’ve been keeping track of primary and secondary posts since the beginning of the semester. To make this a bit more forgiving, I intend to curve this score up using the third highest score in the class as the reference point.
- Movie Response Papers (percentage of course grade 30%). The movie response paper grade will be based on the average score of your three best papers.
- Book Club Presentation (percentage of course grade 20%), Your book club presentation will be graded using the attached rubric. Note that the rubric has a group portion and an individual portion. The individual portion will be based on your responses to an online survey designed to gauge the level of participation of each member of the group. I have removed the paper expectation from this assignment. If you have already written one, I will accept it as extra credit.
- Radio Segment (percentage of course grade 30%), Your podcast will be graded using the attached rubric (90% of assignment grade). Note that the rubric has a group portion and an individual portion. The individual portion will be based on your responses to an online survey designed to gauge the level of participation of each member of the group. In addition to the podcast you have a two page reflection paper on the podcast that will be worth (10% of assignment grade) of the podcast grade.
The scale below is a general scale for assigning grades:
A 93-100 % of points C+ 77-79 %
A- 90-92 % C 73-76 %
B+ 87-89 % C- 70-72 %
B 83-86 % D 63-69 %
B- 80-82 % F 62 % or less
A Note about Late Work
Assignments are due on the dates listed on the course syllabus or those announced in class. For each day that an assignment is late, the grade will drop by 1/3 of a grade. For example, if you fail to turn in an A paper that is due on a Tuesday and turn it in on Thursday it will become a B+.
Education Departmental Goals
This course is designed to address the following goals for the BA in Education:
- Describe the process and structure of educational organizations (1,2,3,4,6,7,8)
- Understand the central concepts and tools of inquiry central to evaluating and producing educational research (6,7)
- Demonstrate their capacity for self-reflection and ethical reasoning (5,9)
The numbers in parenthesis refer to Bucknell’s Educational Goals which are included here:
- Learn, integrate and apply knowledge and methodological approaches through in-depth study of an academic discipline.
- Integrate and synthesize a range of knowledge, perspectives and creative methods acquired through study and practice across multiple academic disciplines and diverse educational experiences.
- Develop knowledge and skills for interpreting the commonalities and differences among human societies, including diverse cultural perspectives and traditions within the United States and internationally, to enable living and working effectively in a global context.
- Develop knowledge and skills to identify and respond creatively and effectively to local and global challenges to humans and the natural world.
- Understand the importance of and develop the capacities for self-assessment, ethical reasoning and effective interaction with others so as to act responsibly and to promote justice in professional and communal life.
- Develop critical thinking skills to evaluate arguments and address complex issues using techniques including quantitative and qualitative analysis and scientific reasoning.
- Develop skills in oral and written communication to articulate ideas and arguments clearly and effectively.
- Develop information literacy and technological competency across disciplines.
- Develop the desire and intellectual skills for lifelong learning.
Social Science Goals
In addition, this course addresses the following Social Science Divisional Goals:
- Students will understand and examine the ways in which individuals interact with, and are shaped by, social groups, institutions, and social structures and how these social constructions shape history, space, values, culture, and behavior.
- Students will use tools of social and/or behavioral analysis drawn from various analytical frameworks to analyze behavior and/or critically interpret social issues.
- Students will be able to apply the principles of social and/or behavioral analysis in various contexts and at various levels to effect improvements in human society.