ASSIGNMENTS
1. There will be one major writing assignment, a paper in which you identify and explain your main assumptions, beliefs and theories regarding learning. It is expected that you will explicate your "philosophy" of education, demonstrating that you have understood and engaged with the course topics and ideas. Included in this philosophical exploration should be a thorough critique of at least one of the theories we have studied, a clear statement of your current positioning with respect to a philosophy of knowing, and a discussion of the implications of this understanding for teaching practice. (Discussion postings for this are optional) Due April 11, 12-20 pages, 40%.
2. Do any two of these three (a, b, c), 25% apiece
  • The first one is due March 6, 1200-1500 words, 25%
  • the second one is due March 20, 1200-1500 words, 25%

  • (Discussion postings for these are optional.)
(a) You will locate and review a WWW web site having to do with learning, and share this with everyone in the class.
(b) You will locate some popular-press treatment of learning, then do a comparison to what the research literature actually shows on the topic, again to be shared with the class. 
(c) You will identify some notion from a learning theory that clearly has been implemented successfully in classroom instruction at some level, and document it in a short paper that can be posted and shared with the class. 
3. Discussion participation, required. This will amount to 10%, marked essentially "pass/fail". There are two parts (5% apiece), so that some discussion is in the Chapters area (not posting for every chapter, but a general presence), and some discussion in the Theories area. (There are multiple sections within chapters, and within Theories, but I am conceptualizing them as two "areas"):
    a- Chapters (1-12). 5% 
    b- Theories of (learning, instruction, education, knowledge), 5%
ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS
This course is a seminar course and as such participants are expected to engage in close readings of the assigned texts, broader reading of their own choosing to help enrich the conversation, and thoughtful and critical written and oral analyses of our discussions, students' own experiences, and the texts (written and otherwise) that we study. This is to be reflected in various ways, including attendance, participation in discussions, and participating in postings.