Special Course Notice - For your benefit, this website and resources were compiled by two teachers, researchers, and teacher preparation professionals, Dr. Michael Cawdery & Dr. Brina Domingo. We have worked together for several years. We bring you relevant and valuable knowledge and information through our combined efforts, knowledge of local schools, the broader national educational landscape, and classroom experiences. 

We are excited to share with you what we see as the Foundations of Education in American Society, with an unapologetic Hawaii-centric viewpoint. We know it best having lived and worked in Hawaiʻi, and we deeply respect the land and people. Any information shared in this course can be used to draw connections to other places and social structures. And we very much hope you do so if that is your worldview and reality. 

Module 1 - Respecting Students' Lives & Community (Focus on Students) 

CLO 1 - Describe the diversity of students and its impacts on schools.

Module 2 - Purpose of Education & the Learning Environment (Focus on School Environments)

CLO 2 - Examine various educational models and the role of schools in communities and with government. 

Module 3 - Pedagogical Aims & Classroom Decisions (Focus on Curriculum & Instruction)

CLO 3 - Analyze teacher practice and decision-making.

Module 4 - Professionalism, Ethics, & Reflection (Focus on Evaluation & Learning)

CLO 4 - Explore the professional and ethical complexities of teaching. 

Module 5 - Expressing An Educational Philosophy (Focus on Theory into Practice)

CLO 5 - Synthesize foundational elements of education into a personal philosophy of education and teaching. 

Module 6 - Final Learning & Evaluations (Focus on Continuous Improvement & Metacognition)

CLO 6 - Evaluate professional learning of pre-service and in-service teachers and educators. 

The following calendar shares essential information about each week for this semester. Additional information can be found on the course website. 

Module 1 - Respecting Students Lives & Community 

Module 1, Week 1 - The History of Education 

• Framing Question - How has the history of education impacted schools today?

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 1.1 - Me & My History of Education - Due 8/31

Module 1, Week 2 - The Sociology of Education 

• Framing Question - What do we know about students' sociodemographics, socioeconomics, and school inequality? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 1.2 - School Case Study Part I - Community Profile - Due 9/7

Module 1, Week 3 - The Modern and Contextually Bound Student 

• Framing Question - What contextual aspects of society influence students and their learning?

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 1.3 - School Case Study Part II - Student Profile - Due 9/14

Module 2 - Purpose of Education & the Learning Environment 

Module 2, Week 4 - School Values - The Purpose of School

• Framing Question - How are schools developed, for whom, for what purpose, and leading to what outcomes? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

  • Weekly Assessment 2.1 - School Values - Due 9/21
    
    

Module 2, Week 5 - School Values - Nā Hopena A'o & General Learner Outcomes 

• Framing Question - What values are most important to public schools in Hawaiʻi? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

  • Weekly Assessment 2.2 - Hā & GLOs - Due 9/28

Module 2, Week 6 - School Values - Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

• Framing Question - In what ways does students' SEL contribute to academic learning? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 2.3 - School Case Study Part III - School Profile - Due 10/5

Module 3 - Classroom Aims & Pedagogical Decisions

Module 3, Week 7 - Standards & Curriculum

• Framing Question - How and why do standards inform the curriculum in our classrooms? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 3.1 - Classroom Decisions - Part I - The Purpose of Instruction (Academics & Standards) - Due 10/13

• Extra Credit - Mid-Semester Evaluation - Due 10/12

Module 3, Week 8 - Instruction

• Framing Question - Why do we use diverse instructional strategies in the classroom? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 3.2 - Classroom Decisions - Part II - Diverse Instruction - Due 10/19

Module 3, Week 9 - Student Behavior 

• Framing Question - What are some classroom management strategies, why do we choose them, and how do they support learning? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 3.3 - Classroom Decisions - Part III - Managing Behavior - Due 10/26

Module 4 - Professionalism, Ethics, Reflection & Evaluation 

Module 4, Week 10 - Ethics of Student Support 

• Framing Question - What do we do, as teachers, when we find a student struggling with learning? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 4.1 - Professional Learning - Part I - Supporting All Students - Due 11/2

Module 4, Week 11 - Professional Expectations & Reflection

• Framing Question - What am I responsible for doing and demonstrating as a teacher and professional, and to whom? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 4.2 - Professional Learning - Part II - Professional Expectations - Due 11/9

Module 4, Week 12 - Teacher Growth and Professional Learning

• Framing Question - How and why should I consider improving my systems and practices? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 4.3 - Professional Learning - Part III - Instructional Observation - Due 11/16

Module 5 - Expressing A Working Educational Philosophy 

Module 5, Week 13 - Developing A Sense of Purpose

• Framing Question - What foundations of education influence my practice? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 5.1 - Your Educational Philosophy - Part I - Purposeful Service - Due 11/23

Module 5, Week 14 - Developing Intentional Instructional Practice

• Framing Question - What instructional strategies do I use, and why? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 5.2 - Your Educational Philosophy - Part II - Effective Instruction - Due 11/30

Module 5, Week 15 - Committing to Professional Learning

• Framing Question - How do I plan to learn professionally? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Weekly Assessment 5.3 - Your Educational Philosophy - Part III - Becoming a Professional - Due 12/6

Module 6 - Final Evaluations 

Finals, Week 16 - Peer, Course, & Self Evaluations

• Framing Question - How did I perform, and what can I learn from my experiences? 

• Reading - Online Support Materials

• Final Assessment 6.1 - Peer Analysis - Due 12/14

• Extra Credit - Course Evaluation - Due 12/12

• Final Assessment 6.2 - Self Evaluation - Due 12/14

• Final Assessment 6.3 - Professionalism - Due 12/14

Instructor Statement on AI (in part generated by AI) - I assume you will explore the use of AI tools in this course, as they can be powerful aids for your learning and research. Some assessments will ask you to use generative AI. 

That said, please remember, you are responsible for all information you submit, including AI-generated content, so you must carefully evaluate the output for accuracy and bias.

Just like any other source, you must use AI responsibly and transparently. Any use of AI for an assignment should be appropriately cited. You only need to include one note in an AI-generated assessment (if used entirely) or in proximity to a portion of the evaluation. In addition, for any assignment where you use an AI tool, you must include a detailed appendix titled “AI Support Documentation” that contains the following:

• Name and version of the AI tool used. Example: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar. 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

• The exact prompts you used to generate the content.

• A brief explanation (3-5 sentences) of how you edited and integrated the AI's response into your final work.

*Unauthorized or uncited use of AI will be considered a violation of your and the course's academic integrity.

These limitations highlight why AI should be used as a supportive tool rather than as a replacement for genuine, original academic work.

• • • Lack of Originality: AI-generated content often lacks a unique perspective or personal voice, which can make your paper feel generic and disconnected from your experiences or insights. 

    • Difficulty Incorporating Personal Reflections: AI struggles to accurately integrate personal experiences, emotions, or specific anecdotes, which are often crucial for assignments requiring a reflective or individual component. 

    • Limited Depth of Critical Thinking: While AI can provide summaries or overviews, it struggles to produce nuanced arguments, in-depth analysis, or original critical insights tailored to your thesis. 

    • Reliance on Outdated or Incorrect Information: AI might use outdated or inaccurate information, as it does not verify sources or ensure that data is up-to-date and reliable. 

    • Failure to Meet Specific Assignment Requirements: AI-generated text may overlook or misinterpret specific assignment instructions, such as including peer-reviewed sources, meeting formatting standards, or addressing particular prompts. 

    • Plagiarism Concerns: Even though AI generates text, it can sometimes inadvertently mimic existing content or fail to properly cite ideas, which can raise issues of academic integrity. 

    • Limited Understanding of Complex Concepts: AI may oversimplify or misrepresent complex academic concepts, especially in niche or advanced subject areas.

    • Inability to Engage with Feedback: AI cannot adapt or respond to instructor feedback effectively; revisions and deeper improvements require your critical input. 

    • Overemphasis on Predictable Patterns: AI often relies on predictable patterns and common structures, which can make the writing feel formulaic or repetitive. 

    • Missed Opportunity for Skill Development: Using AI to write your paper for you bypasses the opportunity to improve essential skills like research, critical thinking,  analysis, and academic writing. 

Submission Format - All assignments should be in Google Docs or a .pdf file. Go to "save as," and you should have an option to save as .doc or .pdf (Alternatively, I will accept .doc or .docx, YouTube link, .mp4, or .jpg, but PDF is preferred).

Submission Location - I DO NOT ACCEPT ASSIGNMENTS VIA EMAIL. Please submit all the assignments through Laulima.

Course Commitment - This course requires time, focused attention, discipline, and commitment.  Get organized. We want you to succeed, but you must earn it. 

Read the Directions: - This one's classic, and for good reason.  I make sure that the directions are thorough. This way, you should know what to do when you read them.  

Consult the Rubric (when available) - Rubrics should provide information about what I want or expect you to do.  I usually write mine linked to the actionable items in the assignment description. So you will be able to know exactly what I am assessing you on. You can learn how to read them. You can "grade yourself" before you turn in your work. Finally, the feedback you receive from me on your performance will be directly related to the rubrics, and I will continue to refer you to them.

Use Detail Over Length (when appropriate) - Please try to explain exactly what you mean when you say (or write) something. This is often called being clear and concise or getting to the point. It will usually be more accessible and shorter than being long-winded. Your communication will be more straightforward to your audience when you are clear and specific. There is no need to use too many words, but you want to be sure to be accurate and think about adding some supporting evidence or details as you learn to use the words to explain your perspectives and experiences. 

Vague and unclear 

• Example 1 - I saw a movie with a friend yesterday afternoon at the theater. 

• Example 2 - I will donate money to charity. 

Clear and concise

• Example 1 - Yesterday at 2:00 pm, I saw X-Men: Days of Future Past at Ward Center with my cousin Angela. 

• Example 2 - I would like to donate $2,000,000 to UNICEF so that they can keep the TAP clean water project going and consider encouraging the US NAVY to thoughtfully and effectively address the Red Hill situation.  

Contact Info - Please contact your instructor with the information on their syllabus or the Lamakū site.