expectations

=Academic Expectations=


 * Students are responsible** for all the information on the course web site and on Blackboard (if used), including due dates, and project requirements and evaluation criteria, even if we "never" go over them in class. (Students in previous semesters report getting better grades on assignments when they read the project description and evaluation rubric early in the assignment and then again prior to completion.)

Students are expected to **come to class prepared**. That includes that they have read any assigned readings and are ready to discuss them in class, are prepared to contribute to individual and group projects, have needed materials, including pen drive, pen, paper, etc.

The University of Maine at Farmington is a community of learners. We come together to learn from and teach each other. Inherent in that relationship is an expectation of academic integrity, an ethic of scholarship. The UMF Code of Academic Integrity is in force in this classroom, as it is throughout campus. Students are expected to educate themselves about these ethical standards and seek advice from professors when they have questions about academic integrity. The **Code of Academic Integrity** is included in the university catalogue.


 * Attendance** and punctuality are professional behaviors expected of all teachers. As future teachers, those same behaviors are expected of you. If you must miss a class or be late, you are expected to contact the professor by email or phone prior to the beginning of the class period. Each student is responsible for all information presented in class, all activities completed in class, and turning in all assignments on time. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to learn the missed material by checking with other students. It is not possible to do well in this class without regular attendance.

Assignments will be **turned in on time** (early is acceptable also). Late assignments receive no credit. The professor might make exceptions and award partial credit for work turned in in a reasonable amount of time, if (a) the student talks with the professor prior to the due date, and (b) the professor finds the excuse acceptable. Note: being absent (by itself) is not an acceptable excuse for turning in a late assignment.

Some projects may have a list of **"Deal Breakers."** These are components or elements of a project that MUST be included before the project will be graded. Completed projects turned in, but missing one or more of the Deal Breakers may receive an automatic zero.

Several of the projects are small **group projects**. Each member is expected to contribute significantly to the project and to attend group planning meetings and work sessions. Although group projects generally receive a group grade, at my discretion, I can assign an elevated grade to a team member who made significantly more contribution than the rest of the group or assign a deflated grade to a team member who made a significantly lesser contribution to the group.

Each course project will take significant **time** to complete. Class time will focus on introducing new information and skills, discussions, and sharing and processing work. Little (but some) class time may be available to work on projects. Students are expected to have access to **technology** outside of class and to put in the time necessary to complete the projects prior to the due date. (Students from previous semesters report that they got better grades on work when they spread the work out over the time available, instead of saving it to do just prior to when it is due.) **Grades** will be assigned based on the key characteristics described in the project rubrics. "Sending a lot of time on the project" or "working hard on the project" will not be sufficient for a good grade, unless that effort is targeted toward doing quality work on those key components.

As a member of a community of learners, you should seek help from, and offer help to other students.The teachers in MLTI have a rule of thumb: **If you want to know, ask. If you know, share.**

It is expected that when in the computer lab, students will follow computer lab policies, including those related to no eating or drinking of any kind (even water in bottles with lids).

Students are expected to observe classroom etiquette and to show common courtesy to the instructor and fellow classmates. Some of the digital etiquette practices to be honored in this class include:
 * Pagers, cell phones, and other electronic devices should be silenced during class. If you receive an emergency communication, please excuse yourself from the room to take care of it.
 * Playing computer games, instant messaging, and checking email during class are considered rude. Refrain from being rude.
 * Surfing the Internet should only happen during class when in-class activities involve the computer.
 * Yes, we really can hear your keyboard and your mouse when you type and click. Please do not distract your fellow classmates from their learning with your noise.

Education courses require the participants to **think about teaching and learning** in ways that they may not have experienced. This kind of thinking requires an open mind, flexibility, a tolerance for ambiguity, patience, and creativity. Participants will have to think as much about what is possible as what exists.

All **formal written work** must be free of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors. This, too, is a professional behavior expected of all educators. Please take advantage of the spell checker and thesaurus in the word processor. Also, it is often a good idea to have a friend proofread your writing for typos, style, and clarity. All first year students are required to use //The Bedford Handbook// for composition classes and it is suggested that they keep those books throughout their UMF career and beyond. Please use this handbook and follow its guidelines for good writing. Additionally, **intellectual property** must be respected at all times. Direct quotes (including text that is copied and pasted from a website) must be quoted and cited; credit must be given to all sources. Resources for doing this correctly are available in //The Bedford Handbook// and on UMF's website about synthesis: http://plagiarism.umf.maine.edu/

//Thank you to Dr. Mike Muir for sharing his syllabus content and format. Much of this is based on his work, with his permission.//