Syllabus

The mission of the Center for Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University is to prepare education professionals to create the schools of tomorrow.

Catalog Description: Philosophy and psychology of teaching exceptional children with an overview of educational practices

Course Structure: The format for this course is web based with textual readings, individual activities, on-line readings, group activities, and practical applications.

Course Description: This course prepares special educators to manage and assist change so that children are supported in the quest to gain control of self and to acquire learning behaviors. The course content covers conceptual views of the nature of human behavior, including the five predominant philosophical constructs. There is an initial focus on behavioral theory including an overview and practice developing behavioral objects for achieving target behaviors, collecting, charting and analyzing data about student behavior, overview of methods for increasing desired behaviors, methods for decreasing targeted actions, and the development of a functional analysis for a youth.

On this foundation, the course advances to classroom management and explores teacher self understanding and self control, balancing teaching and student roles, the value of structure, proactive approaches like community building and cognitive approaches to classroom management. A final piece explores ways a teacher can move to the facilitator role and assist students to gain control of self and become self directed in the classroom. Legal/ethical considerations will be explored. In addition, a broad overview of interventions and procedures for utilization with youngsters will be available.

A. To recognize, honor and build on a personal and appropriate discipline process for self and students that includes supportive, preventive and corrective components.

B. To familiarize class members with philosophies about discipline including behavioral, medical, social, cognitive, ecological and humanistic aspects of self and students in order to better facilitate learning and teaching.

C. To assist class members in acquiring understanding of self and students with respect to actions, needs, motivations, and then find pro-active ways to utilize a wide range of tools to balance roles so they are consistent, addresses content, honor multiple student and teacher roles and thus enhance learning and teaching.

D. To acquire a large range of management techniques and understand the structural differences among leadership options, including compliance, creative management, facilitation, motivation, reward, punishment, recognizing and honoring consequences. Servant Leadership, mentoring, and student leadership.

E. To be conversant with the theories and tools of the dominant paradigm (currently behaviorism).

G . To increase clarity about the value of honoring the individual ability to control self and develop a repertoire of tools and skills to facilitate student as responsible self manager.

H. To broaden personal experiences with current literature and research on management through web based instruction, including readings, essays, group interactions and class projects.

I. To provide an opportunity for open discussion and exchange of ideas through web based media, successfully navigating the net, and gaining course based and extraneous information through competent net conferencing, chatting and net surfing.

Course Prerequisites: Admitted to Education Program or special override from instructor.

ESE425 Classroom Management of Exceptional Children

Course Objectives	AZ Standards
1. Compare and contrast differing views concerning the nature of human behavior.
2. Compare and contrast the intervention strategies inherent in five distinctive perspectives of human nature.
3. Describe the philosophical basis for and fundamental concepts of the dominant paradigm (behaviorism).
4. Choose an appropriate measurement strategy for gathering data on student performance and apply it, using a behavior change model.
5. Analyze data on student performance and recommend an intervention.	Standard 9.4
6. Describe a method for selecting appropriate reinforcers for self and then for students.
7. Choose an appropriate intervention strategy to increase/decrease self and then student behavior based on observation and behavior assessment information.	Standard 9.4
8. Design and carry out a self change project using behavior modification techniques.
9. Develop a functional analysis and behavior change contract for one student.	Standard 9.5
10. Describe a personalized process for initiating and facilitating student self management in the classroom.	Standard 9.5
11. Share current research and ideas for classroom and behavior management.	Standard 9.6
12. Utilize the internet to enhance course materials and explore current teaching perspectives	Standard 9.3
13. Analyze management programs to determine if legal and ethical concerns regarding the responsible use of behavioral interventions have been addressed.	Standard 9.2
14. Demonstrate respect and sensitivity toward all individuals.

COURSE STRUCTURE: The format of the course will be web based. Students may choose to be a part of a group through the university conference center (WebCT), by initiating and participating in a chat room, or dialogue with other class members with the Buddy or ICQ process.. Members may also meet in real time to develop strategies and competencies.

Students may work together to learn and perform activities and are expected to communicate and network at least once each week. In addition, students will converse with the instructor through web based communication. Tests and assignments will be conducted on-line.

COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Success in a web course depends, in part, on the hard ware and software that is available to the participant. To make the process pleasurable, it is critical to take the course on a system that is reliable -- that has sufficient speed to load materials quickly, that does not "crash" or freeze intermittently, and through a net provider that is consistently accessible. Optimizing your system is crucial to a feeling of success.

The computer system will enhance the web course experience if it includes multimedia capability, a 28.8 baud modem, 16 megs of RAM (minimum), Netscape 3 or above or Internet Explorer 4+.

Required Textbooks: You should be able to purchase this book at the NAU bookstore. To order this book on the web, you can click on amazon.com , Barnes and Noble or varsitybooks.com . All necessary reading material is available on the web or in the text.

Hyman, I. A. (1997). School discipline and school violence: The teacher variance approach. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0-205-15612-9

EVALUATION AND GRADING: Exams will be available on the web from the beginning of the course and will be open note and open book. There are various projects assigned, based on the individual modules. Each module will provide a list of competencies, assignments, readings and evaluations. These exercises will provide practice in target skills for this class. The material offers participants the opportunity to sculpt the class to individual needs and taste. A personalized syllabus can be developed that tailors the class to personal learning style, age and grade interest and perceived areas that need to be augmented. All assignments will be graded on a mastery basis.

Final grades will be assigned based on completed assignments. Letter grades will be assigned, however, ALL course competencies must be addressed successfully to receive a passing grade. In addition students who receive an A must accomplish some extra credit project (of their choice). This is one way the student shows s/he has accepted personal responsibility for the course.

Course Policy This class will underscore personal responsibility for education. It will also work on Bloom's Mastery Learning model, by which it will be expected that all students will provide evidence of sufficient mastery of the material. If it were not important for students to thoroughly understand the information it would not be a required course. Students who do poorly on assignments will be expected to redo assignments and relearn materials until a satisfactory grasp of the materials exists. Thus, it follows, that a student with the capability to become or continue as an educator will finish the course with at least a B.

Typically, each credit hour is worth 1000 points, so an A in the course would mean completing 3000 points worth of assignments and showing competency level in the 14 objectives for the course. In addition, the student will fulfill a contract to accomplish a personal project or service activity. Only one extra assignment is needed per class, not per module. This project is negotiable, but might be something like:

Help with service organizations, such as Special Olympics, Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts

Write and publish insights from the class - for example an "in house" news letter

Attend educational forums or programs View media specials on discipline and management Read and report on management in education issues, discipline plans, etc.

Please remember: In order to receive an A, students must contract to become personally involved in the educational process, "going the second mile" so to speak, in showing motivation and interest in being a self-sustained learner. Only one extra assignment is needed, regardless of the credit hours taken.

Attendance: Continuity is important in a web course. Therefore, all students will be expected to maintain at least weekly web contact. The course is meant to be asynchronous, so in the event of a protracted absence, please contact the instructor Janne.Ellsworth@nau.edu to keep her informed. After all, this material suggests that teacher student relationships are invaluable, and the instructor wishes to extend that community building, even in an external learning environment. Under ordinary circumstances, three hour courses can be completed within a fifteen week period, although faster or slower progress is expected and welcomed.

Additional Information: Plagiarism or any other form of cheating cannot be tolerated. Any student participating in such activities may expect to receive an F. Assignments submitted to fulfill requirements in another class may not be submitted to fulfill the requirements of this class without prior instructor approval.

Group participation is also required since collaboration and community building are an integral part of success classroom management. Plan to visit WebCT early in the class Working together is encouraged. Working together on assignments is seen as collaboration and networking and is quite acceptable. If you are about to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or that sets up some feeling of discomfort - be safe and discuss it with the instructor. This is a course where "YES" is taught and modeled, so there is a good chance that the things you want to do will be valued.

Assignment failure = Class Failure Reward yourself for hard work and find ways to be excited about learning.

Week	Activities
One	Buy Book Read Syllabus Read FAQs --Please, please read them. Browse through the entire course and print out helpful material
Two	Begin Module One and review carefully Get Dana account set up. Be tough and just do it! Read one to two chapters in the book or browse thoroughly. Recommended - at least pp. 1-40. Enter WebCT and introduce self
Three	Self pacing suggests that you complete a module every two weeks. You may begin at any door. I recommend Behavioral - Chapter Three pp. 41-84.
Four	Continue to work on Behavioral. Set up self change project. Observe student in a school setting and do Behavior Change, Task analysis and backward chaining activities.
Five	Hate web courses and not able to learn using the computer? Contact the teacher by phone or email and let's set up a contingency rather than losing the course or credit - failing or losing face!!! Still time to withdraw -----. Cognitive is calling you. Enjoy yourself as you read the on-line material and note that Hyman sees this as an extension of Behaviorism so there is no additional text reading. This is a great time to take the midterm. It is primarily material from the Behaviorist perspective. Click here to go to exams.
Six	Psychodynamic may be a big change for you. We do not learn much about this set of ideas in education classes. Savor the material in Chapter Four, pp. 85- 136. If you want to know more about Child Development, you may want to surf through ESE504 Complete self change project and turn in findings and charts.
Seven	Spend time in WebCT, read the on-line materials and give yourself time to zip around on the web. This is an excellent time to catch up if you have let the course slip a little.
Eight	Humanistic has a very short text presence,so read Chapter Five, pp. 137-171. Then tackle some of the on-line readings. You will want to print out some of the longer readings so you can read them in a more leisurely fashion than scrolling down the page.
Nine	Humanistic may still be your door of choice for this week.
Ten	The Biophysical is presented in Chapter Six, pp. 173- 203. You will be working on the PEPSI model. Observe a student and do your PEPSI observations and reflections. It may take more than one time to do them, so you can spread them over a few days or weeks if necessary.
Eleven	Biophysical is still appropriate. There are a number of good online readings to do. Remember to keep going to WebCT to chat with others in the class.
Twelve	Ecological covers several chapters,so read or skim as you wish. This is the author's perspective of choice.
Thirteen	Ecological, still - which includes Chapters 7 - 9 pp. 205 - 306.
Fourteen	Review checklist of course objectives - completing any unmet objectives This is the time to email or call the instructor if there are problems that will justify asking for "in progress" rather than a low grade.
Fifteen	Prepare for and take final exam - different options available. Send final report on acquisition of course objectives. Set up network with other students to stay in touch. Evaluate teacher and course using the on-line evaluation tool.

Syllabus

ESE 425 Classroom Management of Exceptional Children