The Promising Syllabus

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The Promising Syllabus

• Creating a Learning Environment

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Warm Up

• Why
• Syllabi?

Brainstorm a List?
Journal?
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Invitation
Promise
SuccessGuide
Syllabus
Structure
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An Invitation

• to share in the excitement of my discipline

to an intellectual adventure or journey framed by
a guiding question or inquiry
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Sample first page of syllabus
Students invited to join an intellectual quest
Guiding Question(s) Presented
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Promise

• What will students be able to do by the end of
  the course?
• Outcomes
• Objectives

How will you measure progress toward those
objectives?
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Invitation leads to Promises
What will students be able to do at the end of
this class?
Knowledge, yes, but also outcomes or skills
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Assessment

• How do your assignments advance learning
  (outcomes) ?

• How effectively can students monitor their
  progress?

• How can students grow and improve within the
  semester?

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Assessment emerges from Promises
Clear and simple methodology
Emphasis on growth and cumulative learning /
knowledge.
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A Success Guide
Mapping out study skills and success strategies
for students
Cool text book open regularly
Cool Beach Avoid During Exam Week
Cool Library Hang Out Here With People Who Want
to Help You
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A Learner-Centered Syllabus Might

• Provide a sense of the class structure.

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A Learner Centered Syllabus Might

• Connect students to other campus resources

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A Learner Centered Syllabus Might

• Connect students to field trips, service learning
  activities, and other outside the classroom
  learning experiences.

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Structure

• Classroom Guidelines
• Attendance Policies
• Academic Honesty
• Calendar

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Structures That Promote Learning
Visible
LearningContext
Constructive
Classroom Guidelines
Collaborative
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An Invitation to Collaborate
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Structures That Promote Learning
Visible
LearningContext
Constructive
AttendancePolicies
Collaborative
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Attendance Learning
Why do students attend class?
Why do students miss class?
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Structures That Promote Learning
Visible
LearningContext
Constructive
AcademicHonesty
Collaborative
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Fairness and Scholarly Standards
A Teaching Learning Issue
The Rhetoric of Criminality?
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Structures That Promote Learning
Visible
LearningContext
Constructive
Course Calendar
Collaborative
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Calendars and Context