Education 4425 Winter 2015
Introduction
Welcome
to Education 4425: Introduction to Educational Administration. This
course consists of three sections. The units in each section have been compiled
using the Chapter titles from the primary textbook, Young, Levin & Wallin
(2007). Each unit will contain:
·
Objectives
·
Key Terms
·
Topics of Study (where applicable)
·
Required Readings
The
Objectives and Key Terms will serve to guide your study of the Required
Readings listed for each of the unit topics.
Unit Descriptions
Section One (Weeks 1 to 5)
Unit 1: Making Sense of Public Schooling
in Canada
Unit 2: The Structure of Canadian
Schooling with a focus on Newfoundland and Labrador
Unit 3: Policy and Politics in Education
Unit 4:
Law in Education
Section Two (Weeks 6 to 9)
Unit 5: Resources for Education
Unit 6: Teachers, Administrators, and the
School System in Canada
Unit 7: Teachers, Students, and Teaching
in Canada
Section Three (Weeks 10 to 12)
Unit 8: Parents and
Families, Communities and Schools
Unit 9: Teachers and
the Teaching Profession
Unit 10: Prospects
for Education
Evaluation
Students
will complete one written assignment for each unit. Students will choose an
assignment topic for each unit from the list of topics provided.
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Section 1
Assignment
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20%
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Due Date:
February 2, 2015
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Section 2
Assignment
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15%
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Due Date: March 2, 2015
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Section 3
Assignment
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15%
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Due Date: March 30, 2015
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Final
Examination (Multiple Choice)
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50%
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Date: To
Be Decided
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All
assignments must be evidence-based and must include text citations and a
Reference List written in APA Format.
Students
will be required to complete a final invigilated examination during the Final
Examination. The specific time will be announced as soon as it is made available.
The examination will be composed of 55 multiple choice items and will be based
on all Required Readings.
Section
1 AssignmentDue Date: February 2, 2015
Choose one of the following and develop a written response (Maximum 500 words) [Please note that your paper must be based on research, and written academically. ]
- In light of the fact that K-12 Public education
is a provincial responsibility in Canada, it might be reasonable to expect
that the articulated mission and goals for k-12 education vary considerably
across provinces. Choose at least five provinces and compare and
contrast their stated mission and goals of education as displayed on the
Ministry or Department of Education website. (Unit 1)
- Conduct a web search of the debates (over the previous
year or two) regarding the consolidation of schools (school
closures) in rural Newfoundland and Labrador (or another selected
province).
- Make note of the factors that appear to have
influenced these debates.
- Identify with a detailed rationale whether the
influencers are political, economic, ideological, or pragmatic.
- Discuss the lessons that can be learnt in the
context of each of the objectives listed for Unit 3.
- If you plan to teach in a public school system,
you will be an employee of a school board. Discuss your
understanding of this relationship, and how the school board affects you
as an employee.
Section 2 Assignment
Due Date: March 2, 2015
Choose one of the following and develop a written
response (Maximum 500 words) [Please note that
your paper must be based on research, and written academically.
- Develop a paper that looks at the professional
development and training opportunities for practicing teachers. Consider
how different approaches address teachers’ professional needs. Suggest what changes may need to happen to
make professional development more effective. (Unit 6)
- Develop a paper that looks at the ‘hidden
curriculum’ in schools. Research how the ‘hidden curriculum’
affects how teachers teach and student learn, and present your findings.
(Unit 7)
- Select a collective agreement article from a
current Teachers’ Collective Agreement (e.g. Article 6, NLTA; Article 20, NSTU, etc.) and discuss its relevance for teachers. (Unit 7)
Due Date: March 30, 2015
Choose one of the following and develop a written
response (Maximum 500 words). [Please note that
your paper must be based on research, and written academically. Please
see the scoring rubric on this course page to better understand
expectations.
- Discuss the relevance of a Professional
Code of Ethics for teachers and how it might provide guidance for you if
several parents or students began to engage you in conversation in which
they suggest that a colleague of yours may be incompetent. (Unit 9)
- Present a paper on the emerging computer
technologies (e.g., interactive white boards) in classrooms in your school.
What is the extent of use? To what extent have these technologies
transformed classroom teaching and learning practices? What do they
see as the potential and the challenges relating to these technologies?
(Unit 10)
SECTION ONE
This section will introduce you to a contextual
knowledge base that is required of all professional teachers. You will learn
about the purposes and goals of education in Canada while exploring
several tensions and dilemmas that surround these purposes and goals. You
will learn about the organizational frameworks and the laws that set the
parameters of a teacher's work life. You will learn how educational
policy decisions are made, the role of politics in policy making, and how
teachers and other educational stakeholders can meaningfully participate in
policy making. Finally, you will learn why the law is important to
educators and will be introduced to several legal aspects that you must know as
practicing teachers.
SECTION OVERVIEW
Timeframe: Jan.5-Feb. 2
Units
Unit 1:
Making Sense
of Public Schooling in Canada
Unit 2:
The Structure of Canadian Schooling with a focus on Newfoundland and Labrador
Unit
3: Policy and Politics in Education
Unit
4: Law
and Education (PLEASE NOTE: Required readings in this unit will require
more time than other units in this section. Students are advised to plan
their study schedule accordingly)
Unit
ONE: Making Sense of Public Schooling in
Canada
Overview
In
Unit One, students are introduced to the purposes and goals of education in
Canada. There is also an introduction to several tensions and dilemmas that
exist in Canadian Education.
Objectives
At
the end of this unit students will be able to
- describe
the formal structures of public education in Canada
- appraise
the current issues facing education in Canada in general and in at least
one province (e.g. Newfoundland and Labrador).
- contrast
stated purposes and goals of education in at least one Canadian province
with those in action.
- dialogue
about tensions and dilemmas in Canadian education and be able to relate
them to education in at least one province (e.g. Newfoundland and
Labrador).
Key
Terms
Education
Schooling
Purposes
and Goals of Public Education
Moral
Nature of Schooling
Mandate,
Vision and Mission of Public Education in Canadian Provinces
Required
Readings
Young,
Levin & Wallin, Chapter One. Read carefully, paying careful
attention to the Prologue (pp. 1-3). This provides a context for the
remainder of the chapter.
Articulated Mission and vision of
at least three Provincial Departments (Ministries) of Education (This
can be located by a search of provincial departments of education online)
Unit
TWO: The Structure of Canadian Public School Systems
Overview
In Unit Two, students are introduced to the
structure of education in Canada that recognizes that the provinces have
jurisdiction over k-12 schooling. Students will review sample provincial
legislation that determines the structures and processes of education in each
province, and explore, as well, how the provincial education system is
nationally interconnected.
Objectives
At the end
of this unit students will:
- demonstrate a general
awareness of school systems throughout Canada.
- comprehend the role of
various levels of governance in k-12 education in Canada.
- know key structures of at
least one provincial public school system.
- have a basic awareness of
the contents of a current provincial Schools (Education) Act.
- apply information in the
Schools Act to their teaching practice.
- discuss with teachers
issues that arise within public schools relating to the absence of
religious affiliation or denominationalism within schools.
- Be able to apply
knowledge of the structures of at least one provincial school system in
Canada in order to contribute as a professional in school and school
district strategic planning processes and multiyear planning.
Key Terms
Public
Schools
Separate Schools
Department
of
Education
Minister of Education
First
Nations
Schools
Denominational Schools
Deputy
Minister of
Education CMEC
School
Boards
CEA
CSBA
Director (superintendent) of Education
CTF
Strategic Planning
Home
Schooling
School Councils
Topics
1.
Required Readings:
Young, Levin & Wallin, Chapter 2 (Please note error in the text on p. 35-36. The Newfoundland and
Labrador school system is non-denominational and school board elections are
open)
Newfoundland and
Labrador Schools Act, 1997 (Students completing
internships or who may be working in other provinces or countries may choose
the Schools (Education) Act for that province or country, but must match the
section titles as outlined below)
Role of Minister of Education (Section 40, 50, 51, 117)
Role of School Boards (Part IV)
Role of Principals (Section 24, 37)
Role of Teachers (Section 31,32, 33,34,
36)
Role of School Councils (Section 25, 26)
Right of Access and Home Schooling (Section 3, 4,5,6,7,15)
Unit THREE: Policy
and Politics in Education
Overview
In Unit Three, students will explore the
influence of politics and policy in educational decision-making. Also,
they will learn processes and procedures that will facilitate their taking an
active role in the critique of policy and practice of policy development.
Objectives
After completing
this unit students will
·
recognize that policy
questions are important in education.
- illustrate how
political processes operate to establish policies.
- critique
policy and policy development at the classroom, school and district level.
- apply five
general aspects of political analysis to participate in and analyze
political and policy decision-making around educational issues.
- appreciate the complexity of political decision-making.
Key Terms
Educational
Policy
Politics of Education
Centralization
Decentralization
Evidence-based
Decision-making
Stakeholders
Ideology
Restructuring
Topics
1. Overview of
Policy and Politics
Required Reading
Young, Levin & Wallin, Chapter
3
2. Policy Development
Process: A Practical Example
Unit
FOUR: Law and Education
Overview
In Unit Four,
students will learn how the law matter to education and to teachers. As well,
they will learn important legal aspects of schooling that they must apply as
they exercise their role as a teacher in Canadian schools and in local Canadian
communities.
Objectives
Upon completion of
this Unit, students will:
- Understand why law is important to teachers.
- Understand the concept of natural justice and its relevance to
education.
- Understand the nature and impact of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Be able to apply the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms to analyze policies, rules and regulations
and how they are applied at the school and classroom level.
- Be aware of and be able
to apply to their teaching practice important legal aspects of schooling
including:
Charter of
Rights and Freedoms
Teacher Liability
Child Abuse
Student Health Support and Medications
Search and Seizure at School
Student Discipline and the Use of Force
Copyright
Key Terms
Natural
Justice
Copyright
Liability
Vicarious Liability
By-laws
Search and Seizure
Negligence
Natural
Justice
Rights
In loco parentus
Child
Abuse
Corporal Punishment
Suspension
Expulsion
Topics
1.
General Overview
Required Reading
Young, Levin & Wallin, Chapter 4
2.
Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Required Reading
Young, Levin & Wallin, Appendix, p. 350
3.
Teacher Liability
Required Readings
Swim-class injury leads to lawsuit [Plumley v North York Board]
Education
Law Reporter, October 2000
and scroll to specific policy)
4. Child and Youth Protection
Required Reading
Children and Youth Care
and Protection Act, Newfoundland and Labrador (Students
completing internships or may be working in other provinces may choose the
comparable act for that province
5. Student Health
Support and Medications
Required Reading
6. Search and Seizure at School
Required
Readings
Example of
School District Policy: (Click on the links provided and scroll to
specific policy)
Chandler, B. (2004). School drug searches: Charter violations? Education Canada 45(1). p. 45-46.
(Accessible through the Memorial University Library online collection. Click on
the link that follows to access tutorials that will guide you through the
process of locating this reading. How to Find Electronic
Course Readings
Ballosingh, C. & Thorning, P.
(2001) The search of students by
school officials. Orbit 32(2),
p. 37-41. (Accessible through the Memorial University Library online
collection)
7. Discipline
and the Use of Force
Required Readings
Newfoundland and
Labrador Schools Act, 1997, Article 42 (Students completing
internships or hoping to work in other provinces or jurisdictions may choose
the Schools (Education) Act for that province or jurisdiction, but must match
the applicable Article)
8. Student
Suspension and the Teacher
Required Readings
Newfoundland and
Labrador Schools Act, 1997, Article 36 (Students completing
internships or hoping to work in other provinces or jurisdictions may choose
the Schools (Education) Act for that province or jurisdiction, but must match
the applicable Article)
9.
Copyright and the Teacher
Required Reading
Optional Reference Material
Resources
The resources for
this course include a primary textbook Young,
Levin & Wallin (2007) and
specific online readings that are identified in your course
materials as Required Readings for each unit of study.
Textbook
and Other Required Readings are listed in each unit.
Young, J., Levin, B.
& Wallin, D. (2007). Understanding
Canadian schools: An introduction to educational administration. Toronto, Canada:
Nelson.http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~wallind/understandingcanadianschools5.html
Other readings are listed with the unit descriptions.
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