University of Phoenix Online College of Education

Index

General Course Information | Course Description | Class Procedures & Policies | Grading | APA and Writing Standards | Assignments | Logical Fallacies | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX ONLINE

Course Syllabus

Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference

Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this syllabus is considered to be the ruling document.

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

COURSE START DATE: 3/10/09

COURSE END DATE: 3/30/09

Facilitator Availability

• CTE Tech can be reached at 877.867.8168 and emailed at cte-tech@email.uophx.edu. CTE Tech Support will take more time to answer all types of questions that you may have, regarding this course. They can assist you with software issues, OE issues, working with OWA, using forums and basically anything that has to do with technology. Lastly, they can best assist you in becoming acquainted with online learning.
• Otherwise the Tech Support Student Hot line is 1-877-832-4867
• If you need assistance in using the UOPHx Library Resources, you should: Go to http://ecampus.phoenix.edu and log in. Then click on 'Library' and finally, click on 'Getting Started

See Course Description in the rEsource materials or module for this course.

Course Objectives

See Course Objectives in the rEsource materials or module for this course.

The Online Weekly Schedule

Electronic weeks begin on Tuesday and end on Monday.

Day 1 – Tuesday
Day 2 – Wednesday
Day 3 – Thursday
Day 4 – Friday
Day 5 – Saturday
Day 6 – Sunday
Day 7 – Monday

Where to Go to Class: Your Course Forums

Main: This is the main forum for the class and is where discussion is conducted. It has read-and-write access for everyone.

Chat-Room: This is a read-and-write access forum. It is designed as a place to discuss issues not related to the course content. This is the forum to which we will send our bios.

Course-Materials: This is a read-only forum, which means you can read messages here but cannot send any. This is where I will post the course syllabus and materials.

Learning-Teams- There are no learning teams in this course.

Individual Forum: You will see one forum with your name on it. This is a private forum, shared only by you and me, the facilitator. Your classmates won't have access to this forum. This is where you will post some of your individual assignments, and where I will post your feedback. You can also ask questions here. However, if you have general questions about instructions of assignments, please post those in the Main forum, since other students may benefit by that exchange as well.

CLASS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

For class policies, please see the “Policies” link on the left side of the classroom. Faculty and student/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within that link. University policies are subject to change so please be sure to read them at the beginning of each class as it may have changed since your last class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities it is important you read the policies governing your current class modality.

Participation

Participation is very important online. You will be expected to participate 4 days a week in several different discussions and to contribute at least two substantive discussion messages on each of those 4 days. This is a required part of your grade. Participation consists of notes you send above and beyond graded assignments. This generally means the messages you send as replies to messages from your classmates and me.

Please note that both quantity and quality are important considerations when it comes to participation. For example, a message which says simply, "I agree," does not constitute participation, because it does not add anything of substance to the discussion.

In order to earn full participation points, you must add something of substance to the discussion 4 out of 7 days per week—this would consist of new ideas, your perspectives, pointed follow-up questions, etc. You will find it is much easier to keep up with an Online class when you are logging in and participating regularly.

Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.

Participation and Discussion Question Grading

Discussion question responses will not count towards the class participation requirement and will be evaluated separately.

Weekly Summaries

Weekly summaries will be required in this course but not counted as class participation. Weekly summaries will be graded separately. Summaries are to be posted in both the main and individual forums!

Final Week Requirements

Discussion question responses will not be required during the final week of the course. The final week will be dedicated to completing the final assignments listed below.

Expectations for Discussion Question Responses

Discussion question responses should be at least 200-300 words for each question. For discussion question responses in the Main forum, please post responses to the threads provided. To respond, highlight the appropriate thread, click on Reply, type your response, and send. Please do not start a new thread for the weekly discussion questions in the Main forum.

Unlike your formal written assignments, I do not require that your discussion question responses adhere to specific formatting requirements. However, please make sure to proofread carefully. Grammar and spelling errors may impact the grading.

I expect your discussion question responses to reflect critical thought. Whenever possible, please try to relate the course content to real-world applications from your work experience.

Replying to Threads

When replying to posts, please click on the "Quote original" button first and then click on "Post Message" button when sending your post. I read posts by date and not by thread and this saves me time of reorganizing posts just so I can see what you are replying to. (see image below)

* Note- If you make a mistake, you can delete your post if no one has responded to it. Click on the "Remove" link on the right side of your post. See the image at left for those who are visually oriented.

Please do not use attachments in the Main forum. Post DQ responses and weekly summaries (if required) in the body of OLS messages. Please post formal assignments in your Individual forum as attachments–Microsoft^® Word documents or PowerPoint^® slides.

Submitting Your Papers to the Plagiarism Checker

Plagiarism has become a problem in schools across the country. UOPX has a Plagiarism Checker that you are all required to use. To access the checker, go to the Center for Writing Excellence and click on the "Submit a Paper" link. At the bottom of that page, check the "Plagiarism Checker" box and then click the "Browse" button. You can then upload your file. When the report is ready, save the "Turnitin" file and submit it to me along with your assignment. The report will let you know how much of your assignment was found online or from other author's work. Make sure all your quotes are cited and they should not take up more than 10% of your paper in most cases.

If you have any questions about any of the information contained in this syllabus, or about any other aspect of this class, please do not hesitate to ask!

GRADING

Feedback

Each week, I will provide grades or scores and comments on assignments within 6 days of when they were submitted. I will send feedback to your Individual forum. After I send feedback each week, I will post a notification in the Main forum.

Grading Formula

Partial points will be rounded to the nearest full point; for example, 83.4=83 leads to a grade of B-; and 83.5=84 leads to a grade of B.

Point Values for Course Assignments

The University of Phoenix uses the Gregg Reference Manual as the criteria for grammar usage for all their courses. The UOP Gregg Reference website is located here:

• UOP Gregg website

You will all need to buy a copy of the Gregg Reference Manual for all your future courses with UOP. Many professors will give you page numbers from this book when grading your papers. It is impossible to remember everything, so you will refer to it frequently. I refer to it when doing my grading.

You can buy a copy of Gregg's Reference Manual here:

• Gregg Reference Manual
• Gregg Reference Worksheets

You can also purchase it as an eBook by clicking on the Student Edition link.

APA Requirements

You will need to buy an APA manual for your courses at UOP. UOP recommends the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition. However, my favorite is the Prentice Hall Reference Guide (7th Edition) (Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar & Usage). I use this guide when grading papers. It is easier to find what you need and refer back to it as you write. If this is one of your first courses with UOP, you will probably want to review APA standards because it is easy to get rusty on the standards.

Some of you may need to refresh on APA quickly in order to do your assignments correctly. You can go to this website to get the basics of APA standards:

• APA Website

Johnson, Andrew P. (2000). Up and out: Using creative and critical thinking skills to enhance learning. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. The eBook is available for free from rEsource and listed on the EDD 503 course map located there.

You can get a little help creating your bibliography by visiting the free website, BibMe.

EDD 503: Teaching Critical Thinking in the Classroom Selected Readings Page at http://www.apollolibrary.com/ERR/ElectronicReserveReadings.aspx

Because this is a CTE course, it is a 5 week course compressed into 3 weeks. Please disable all macros when creating your documents. Macros are one way that viruses are spread. There is no benefit to them in this course anyway.

Week One

Recognizing Critical Thinking

• Define critical thinking.
• Analyze the value of critical thinking.
• Describe logical fallacies and how to recognize them.
• Identify the various approaches to thinking skills instruction.
• Analyze ways to enhance classroom instruction by using thinking skills.
• Compare and contrast lesson plans used in the classroom.
  

Creativity, Intelligence, and Thinking Skills

• Identify how creativity happens in the classroom.
• Describe different "Thinking Frames" that increase creative thinking.
• Analyze the critical thinking process from a multicultural perspective.
• Summarize Howard Gardner's nine intelligences.

1. Read Chapters 1-3 in Up and Out: Using Creative and Critical Thinking Skills to Enhance Learning. If you have trouble accessing it in eResource, you can download the entire textbook here.

2. Read the University of Phoenix Materials "Outside Project" and "Master List of Logical Fallacies."

ONLINE

Due this week:

1. Conduct a literature/Internet search for two articles dealing with critical thinking in the classroom. Write a 350-700-word paper that includes 1-2 paragraphs briefly summarizing the articles. The remainder of the paper should focus on your reflection on the articles' content. Attach copies of the articles to your paper or provide an Internet link to the articles. The Literature/Internet Search on Critical Thinking in the Classroom is due this Saturday by midnight Phoenix time. This is to be submitted as an attachment using Microsoft Word in your individual forum. This paper must follow APA guidelines. (See the course calendar for the exact due date)

Review of two articles Rubric (See Standards for Written Work Rubric in the grades section for detailed criteria)

2 . Write a lesson plan that incorporates at least one of Howard Gardner's nine intelligences using the Johnson Lesson Plan Format (see image below) found in Up and Out: Using Creative and Critical Thinking Skills to Enhance Learning. The Intelligences Lesson Plan is due this Monday. This is to be submitted as an attachment using Microsoft Word in your individual forum. Make sure you label the intelligence in the lesson. (See the course calendar for the exact due date) APA does not need to be followed, but please have a title page so I can readily see who it is by and the assignment. If you cite references, include a references page.

Gardner's Lesson Plan Rubric (See Standards for Written Work Rubric in the grades section for detailed criteria)

4. Submit your Weekly Summary. Your weekly summary is due in the body of your post in the main forum and should be at least 300 words in length.

Due next week:

1 . Write two lesson plans in one paper. One of the lessons incorporates Howard Gardner's "bodily-kinesthetic" and "musical" intelligences. Identify at which level of Bloom's Taxonomy the lesson plan is written. Briefly explain how your lesson will enhance students' ability to think critically. This lesson plan doesn't have to follow Johnson's template (see optional lesson plan formats below) This is to be submitted as an attachment using Microsoft Word in your individual forum. APA does not need to be followed, but please have a title page for both lessons so I can readily see who it is by and the assignment. If you cite references, include a references page.

The second lesson plan uses one of the ideas in the Appendix of Up and Out: Using Creative and Critical Thinking Skills to Enhance Learning. Make sure you label it so I can readily see which idea in the appendix you used. Incorporate one of Howard Gardner's intelligences and identify at which level of Bloom's Taxonomy the lesson is written. Address how you would assess the lesson. Incorporate one of the ideas found in the Appendix. This lesson plan doesn't have to follow Johnson's template. The lesson will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

a. Incorporates one of Gardner's intelligences

b. Incorporates one of the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy

c. Addresses assessment

d. Includes accurate information

Possible lesson plan templates for your assignments for week 2 and 3 can be found at:

• Madeline Hunter's Lesson Plan - (I love this one)
• NCRTEC Lesson Planner
• McREL Lesson Plans

This is to be submitted as an attachment using Microsoft Word in your individual forum. APA does not need to be followed, but please have a title page for both lessons so I can readily see who it is by and the assignment. If you cite references, include a references page.

Discussion Questions

Students should respond to Discussion Questions with 200 - 300 words for each question (600 - 900 words total). Discussion questions are to be submitted all together in one post in the main and individual forums.

1) Which logical fallacy is most interesting to you? Why? (See list on the bottom of this syllabus)

2) Why should educators be aware of how students process information?

3) How would you define critical thinking?

(Also see the Course Calendar)

Enhancing the Learning Experience

• Analyze the cognitive processes of Bloom's Taxonomy and their relationship to critical thinking.
• Analyze the effect of teachers' questions and learning activities on the cognitive behavior of students in relationship to Bloom's Taxonomy.
• Identify how cooperative learning enhances interpersonal intelligence.
• Analyze different programming options for gifted learners.

1. Read Chapters 4-6 in Up and Out: Using Creative and Critical Thinking Skills to Enhance Learning. If you have trouble accessing it in eResource, you can download the entire textbook here.

2. Conduct an Internet search for information on Bloom's Taxonomy. Comment on it as part of your weekly discussion. You can use this information when responding to other posts, or start your own thread. Do not think of this as a separate assignment. Think of it as a means of enhancing the weekly discussions.

ONLINE

Due this week:

1 . Write two lesson plans in one paper. One of the lessons incorporates Howard Gardner's "bodily-kinesthetic" and "musical" intelligences. Identify at which level of Bloom's Taxonomy the lesson plan is written. Briefly explain how your lesson will enhance students' ability to think critically. This lesson plan doesn't have to follow Johnson's template (see optional lesson plan formats below) This is to be submitted using Microsoft Word in your individual forum. APA does not need to be followed, but please have a title page for both lessons so I can readily see who it is by and the assignment. You should double space your explanatory paragraphs. If you cite references, include a references page.(See the course calendar for the exact due date)

The second lesson plan uses one of the ideas in the Appendix on page 139 of Up and Out: Using Creative and Critical Thinking Skills to Enhance Learning. Make sure you label it so I can readily see which idea in the appendix you used. Incorporate one of Howard Gardner's intelligences and identify at which level of Bloom's Taxonomy the lesson is written. Address how you would assess the lesson. Incorporate one of the ideas found in the Appendix. This lesson plan doesn't have to follow Johnson's template. The lesson will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

a. Incorporates one of Gardner's intelligences

b. Incorporates one of the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy

c. Addresses assessment

d. Includes accurate information

2 Lessons Plans Rubric

These lesson plans are due on Saturday by midnight Phoenix time and is to be submitted as an attachment using Microsoft Word in your individual forum. Please have a title page with your name and assignment listed.

Week 3 Assignments

1. Read Chapters 7-9, and 11 in Up and Out: Using Creative and Critical Thinking Skills to Enhance Learning. If you have trouble accessing it in eResource, you can download the entire textbook here.

ONLINE

Develop a unit of study for the content and/or grade level you teach. Include the following components:

A. Title page- The paper should follow APA guidelines. The lessons themselves don't need to be double-spaced.

3. Submit your Weekly Summary for this workshop as instructed in the course syllabus provided by your instructor.

University of Phoenix Material