This course examines key concepts and principles of critical theory, critical pedagogy, and social justice education. Different pedagogical models will be studied in order to examine and evaluate socialized ideas of what teachers are and how teaching should be conducted. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Registration Restriction(s): None

None. All readings will be posted on Canvas. 

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Define and apply concepts from the social foundations of education
2. Analyze interpretive, normative, and critical studies for professional educators
3. Identify social foundations of education commitments for P-12 students
4. Identify and apply concepts from the profession of education and Democratic Educational Practice
5. Identify and apply research, policy, and advocacy

Course Assessment Table

You can view a full EDUC 6620 Course Alignment Map if desired.

Assignment Outline

Discussions (25% of total grade)

You will have to participate in the discussion boards each week. You are required to post one initial response to one of the posted questions and formulate two meaningful responses to peers. 

Class discussions count for a substantial portion of your total course grade. The requirements for the discussion board posts are as follows: 

• post one main response to one of the discussion leaders' questions. These posts should be at least 300 words and cite the readings/videos assigned for the week.
• post two responses to your classmates’ initial responses. These responses should be approximately 100 words and aim to contribute to the conversation on the discussion board. 
• check the boards frequently to make sure any classmate/instructor question to your responses does not go unanswered. Many times a great conversation is left hanging because of an unanswered question.
• Use of artificial intelligence in these discussions may be a violation of the SUU academic integrity policy. See note on artificial intelligence below.

Be sure to check the Discussion Board Assignment rubric for more information on how the discussion boards will be graded. Going above and beyond the posting requirements will aid in your participation grade. Make sure to check the board after posting your responses in case your classmates have questions specific to your posts. 

Grading for the discussion board posts will be based on six criteria, which are in the rubric: 

• Responsiveness to the discussion prompt: You address all components of the discussion prompt in your initial posting.
• Application of assigned readings: You discussed the readings and cited them in your posts, especially in your initial posts.
• Responsiveness to group discussion: Build upon the points other participants make on the discussion board. 
• Timeliness of discussion contributions: Posts are distributed throughout the week, and are not all posted in one or two days. Ideally, you should be posting over at least 3 days, preferably more. 
• Quantity of contributions: Exceeded the minimum number of postings, or met the highest criteria.
• Adherence to discussion protocols: Proper grammar, spelling, and APA format.

While I value your contributions to the discussions, I will not take an active part in them. This is a process that is student-driven. You have a great deal to offer and to learn from one another. You may surprise yourself with your insights, creativity, and wisdom about teaching and learning through these discussions.

Discussion questions begin Tuesday morning and conclude Monday night. All responses to Discussion Questions and comments to classmates are to be on the Discussion Board in Canvas.

Analyses (30% of total grade)

Each analysis paper focuses on various course concepts. Each paper is a little different, so please read the instructions on each assignment. 

Final Pedagogy Paper (35% of total grade)

Final Paper (Key Assessment): Students will be expected to write a comprehensive paper that focuses on a specific branch of critical pedagogy. More information on this assignment can be found on the assignment sheet.

Zoom Meeting Dates

These are 10% of your total grade. We will be using Zoom to have live discussions throughout the semester. If you are unable to make the sessions, you will be required to watch the recording of the session and write a response. The dates of each Zoom session are:

Zoom #1-- Wed, Oct. 29 @4pm MDT

Zoom #2-- Tuesday, Nov. 4 @4pm MDT

Zoom #3-- Tuesday, Nov. 18 @4pm MDT

Grade Scheme

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Feedback is an important part of learning please look for feedback on your assignments that I provided in the specified amount of time, to find feedback look at this tutorial How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor.

It is my goal to:

• Respond to student messages within 24 hours unless otherwise stated
• Provide grades and feedback within 1 week from the due date

Late Policy

Late assignments have an automatic 20% deduction after the module has closed up to one week from the close of the module. If you submit an assignment after this one-week deadline, it will not be graded, and you will receive a zero on that assignment. 

Note: Module 7 cannot be submitted late because the semester ends. 

Discussion boards cannot be submitted late and have specific early posting requirements and discussion leader requirements. Please see the discussion assignment and rubrics for more information on this.

Extension requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any requests for an extension should be put into writing for me to consider prior to the due date. If requesting an extension, you must indicate the assignment you are requesting an extension for, the reason for the request, and the date that you will have the assignment completed, which I will need to approve. If an extension request is granted, you will be held to the date agreed upon from the written request and additional extensions WILL NOT be granted.

Artificial Intelligence

Note on artificial intelligence (A.I.):

• Proceed cautiously with the use of artificial intelligence. Please first see SUU Academic Integrity Policy 6.33Links to an external site.. Passing off any writing that is not your own may be considered a violation of this policy.
• For any written assignment, I recommend first completing your work in Google Drive. That way the drafts will be easily identifiable that the original words were yours which will reduce suspicion or concern about the use of artificial intelligence. You want the evolution of your paper to be clear so that it is obvious that the content and thinking are clearly yours. If a paper emerges out of nowhere in final draft form it will be flagged as potential plagiarism or A.I. generated. Your thinking and writing evolution should be clear from beginning to end. Your voice matters.
• Artificial Intelligence (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly) can be a real help. But it should never supplant your own thinking or words. Use it like a consultant or advisor. Pretend you're discussing your concerns or questions with me or the Writing Center. We would give you insight and advice that you then consider and put into your own words in a way that reflects your understanding, thinking and expression. Do not defer to A.I. generated information or text assuming that it is good or better than your own. No one in this program wants to read what the robots wrote. 
• Do not copy/paste anything from A.I. into your document(s). Just like you wouldn't copy/paste notes from the Writing Center or from your instructor into your doc, neither should you do that from any A.I. generated text.
• We regularly screen documents for A.I. generated material. If it appears that your document has been plagiarized from A.I. sources, you may be referred to the Dean of Students for violation of SUU Academic Integrity Policy 6.33.
• When in doubt, ask your instructor.

Attendance

You are expected to put as much time and attention into an online course as they would a seated course. You should be spending a minimum of three hours a week in the Canvas course completing the readings, watching videos, participating on the discussion boards, and completing other coursework.

You can view all of SUU's Program and Course Fees.

School is stressful and graduate school even more so. You likely have multiple roles you serve in, and sometimes it can be too much. I care about your wellbeing. If things are not less than ideal and you find yourself struggling in a way that is concerning to you, please let me know. Maybe I can help.

Also, SUU maintains various mental help resources too. Check them out hereLinks to an external site.. 

What you can expect from me:

• Organized, meaningful coursework
• Engaging and thought-provoking content
• Submitted work returned within 4 working days
• Personal attention and support as you formulate your research ideas

What I expect from you:

• Meaningful Participation—Discussions, collaborative work, Assignments, and EfUs are opportunities to consolidate and apply course topics and principles. Sporadic participation means fewer opportunities to ask questions, check your understanding, and to benefit from each other’s experiences and insights. If you need it, a rubric for “course participation” is attached at the end of this Syllabus.

• Respectful electronic etiquette (see SAFE LEARNING SPACES statement above)
• Collaboration for shared understandings and experiences – Practitioner research by definition is collaborative, but the nature of online learning makes this more challenging. Some of the assignments require one or more classmates to complete. Take advantage of these to develop a professional relationship with your fellow researchers.
• Your success in this course and the graduate program is extremely important to us. If you feel that you are not set up for success. Please let us know. Contact your instructor first, but if that fails, please contact the graduate office, the department chair or even the dean.