Syllabus120
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Class Location and Times Landrum Boling Center 211 8:30am-9:50am (T, TH)
Instructor Jay Roberts Office: LBC 321 (office hours: Wed. 3-4pm, Fri. 10-12n, and after class) Ext. 1327 Email: roberja
“Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” - G.W. Bush
“Education is a social process...Education is growth...Education is, not a preparation for life; Education is life itself.” -John Dewey
“I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers.” -Fry and Laurie
Course Description Focusing in particular on public education in the United States, Foundations of Education explores the historical, philosophical, and socio-cultural questions of schooling in a theme-based, trans-disciplinary format. Rather than examining education from one particular discipline, this course will examine how a variety of disciplines can shed light on the problems and issues specific to public schooling in the United States. Some version of Foundations of Education is taught at most colleges and universities preparing students for careers in teaching. As such, this is an excellent course for students interested in teaching and educational careers. We will explore the scope of the field, delving into such topics as:
• the origin of the public school movement in the U.S. • philosophies of teaching and learning • the promises and problems of testing, standardization, and assessment • the dynamics of race, class, and social identity in the classroom • issues of community, democracy, and citizenship
We will also augment our theoretical work with a practicum field component where students will have the opportunity to observe and work in local schools. Students frequently cite this experiential component as the most powerful part of the course. This “real world” grounding in educational practice can help students work through the discernment process of choosing a vocation in teaching.
However, this is not just a class for developing teachers. Each of us, no matter what our future plans, will be involved in education in some way. Whether as parents, coaches, mentors, or simply as citizens, we must engage in the important questions, issues, and problems involved in public schooling. Many view schooling, and in particular public schooling, as the lifeblood of our democracy. So, in the end, this course is as much about our notions of democracy, democratic process, community, and citizenship as it is about what happens inside the four walls of a classroom or a local school.
Be prepared to critically engage the questions, ideas, and theories presented in the reading, in class, and in your practicum site. On the surface, the issues of education and schooling seem so simple. Yet, spend sometime with the complexity of the problems and you’ll find that the issues are not so simple. In considering educational questions, we can attempt to answer them based upon our own experiences in school. But in order to examine the processes and systems of schooling critically, we must look beyond personal experience and examine the arguments, values, and assumptions of the theorists, practicioners, and critics of our educational system. In doing so, we will also be able to examine our own biases, assumptions, and values about schooling. In the end, the answers that you give today about the purposes and problems of schooling may be very different from the ones you give at the end of this course. Even if your answers remain relatively unchanged, you will be able to support your reasoning with evidence from a variety of sources both contemporary and historical, theoretical and practical.
Course Objectives: There are several overarching objectives for this course:
• To gain a broad understanding of education in the United States, its virtues, limits, historical development, and modern challenges • To use a variety of lenses to examine educational issues including cultural, political, historical, and philosophical perspectives • To acquire a foundational understanding of education theory, exploring the purposes, assumptions, values, and merits of the literature • To refine your ability to communicate effectively and intelligently on educational matters, including oral and written skills • To develop your research skills in relation to social science inquiry
Readings: Four required texts will help fuel our exploration (available at the bookstore):
Schultz, Fred. Sources: Notable Selections in Education. 3rd edition. Spring, Joel, American Education, 11th Edition Rodriguez, Richard, Hunger of Memory Foundations of Education Course Reader* (available from the social science office)
Course Expectations:
You will be expected to fully engage the material for this course. This means regular and punctual attendance, participation in the form of class discussion and attentive listening, and timely, careful and critical reading of the required assignments. An effort grade will be given at the end of the course as an assessment of your engagement. An “A” effort rating indicates exemplary engagement in class and in the subject matter and will boost your final grade. A “B” effort rating is considered average and will not affect your grade positively or negatively. A “C” effort rating indicates poor engagement in class and the subject matter and will reduce your final grade. This rating is independent of the other
grading measures—that is, do not assume that good marks on other assignments indicates a good effort rating and vice versa. Finally, I do not grant extensions for assigned work. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class (no exceptions-make sure your printer is working). Late assignments will be reduced one letter grade for each day late (including weekends).
Finally, I expect that all of us will choose to act honorably in this endeavor together. That is to say, all work in this class, unless otherwise specified, is to be your own.
What Works: • Being on time to class and prepared with the necessary materials (texts, notes, etc). • Attention to and improvement in your reading and note-taking skills • Attention to and improvement in your research skills • Attention to and improvement in your oral skills (see Handout for Successful Discussions) • Checking your email regularly—it is the only way I will communicate with you about class changes • Talking to me after class; asking for help; I cannot help if you do not use me. It is most helpful to do so after class rather than before as I am often prepping before class • Staying attentive, without packing up your things, until class has adjourned
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE COLLEGE: "Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact Academic Support Services and the instructor at the beginning of each semester. Accommodation arrangements must be made during the first-two weeks of the semester."
Grading: (see assignment section for details) Your performance in this course will be assessed the following ways: 50% Examinations 40% Academic Journal 10% Comprehension checks *% Engagement (see course expectations description above) P/NP Practicum requirement (see addendum)
Assignment Descriptions:
Examinations (50%) There will be three (3) in-class exams in short-answer and essay format. Emphasis will be placed on application and synthesis of knowledge rather than rote memorization or disconnected factoids. If you come to class, take good notes, keep up with the reading, and stay engaged in class discussion you can expect to do just fine. If you don’t do the above things, you can expect to die the death of a thousand slaughtered pigs.
Practicum/Academic Journal Component: (40%) Students will complete a practicum component in addition to other assigned work. The intention behind the practicum component is to give you the opportunity to gain real experience in an educational setting of your choosing. This course requires that you spend at least 20 hours working in a setting that will provide you with first hand experience in education.
With such experiences, you are better able to write convincing applications for employment (summer or permanent) and for graduate school. Indeed, several Masters in Teaching programs rank teaching experience as a major factor in determining whether or not to accept a student into a graduate program.
Within the first 2 weeks of class, I will provide you with a list of approved sites from which you can choose. I am also willing to entertain practicum sites outside of this list provided they meet the following criteria:
• Sites must be a structured, social, educational setting. Tutoring, coaching, or other informal mentoring would not qualify • Sites must have a practicum supervisor who can sign-off on your hours and complete an evaluation. • Sites must be located in the Richmond/Wayne county area
Students should arrange for a few hours each week with a minimum of 20 contact hours required (hours should be as evenly spaced as possible- packing all of them into Spring Break is not acceptable). You will be required to complete a time sheet for your hours and to submit this at several times during the semester (see syllabus for dates). A site supervisor must sign off on your hours.
Practicum students must also complete an academic journal of their practicum experience (see Academic Journaling handout).
Finally, your site supervisor must also complete an evaluation of your practicum work to be submitted with your completed journal and your timesheet on the date due.
To summarize the requirements of the practicum: • Select an educational site • Spend no fewer than 20 contact hours throughout the semester • Satisfactory completion of the Academic Journal (see handout) • Have site supervisor complete evaluation (to be handed out to you during class)
Comprehension Checks (10%) Periodically throughout the semester we will have a comprehension check. This will be in the form of three short answer questions to be completed in class on the day it is handed out. The intention behind these checks is for me to gauge whether or not the most important points from class are clear to you and/or what needs further clarification. They will be graded as √, √+, or √- and collectively will represent 10% of your overall grade.
Effort Rating (*%) Your effort rating in the course will be determined by the following: punctual class attendance, listening skills, participation in class discussion, improvement, and overall engagement and effort in the course. “Extra credit” will not be assigned or graded although highly coveted “Jay points” will be distributed throughout the semester depending upon the whim of the instructor (fresh baked cookies help).
Weekly Schedule (reading assignments are to be completed by day listed)
Week 1 Query: Why are you taking this class?
TH 1/12 Course overview and introductions
Week 2 Query: Why go to school?
T 1/17 Introduction to Foundations of Education Read: Illich “Deschooling Society” in Sources
TH 1/19 History of American Public Education (1600-1850) Read: Spring, chapter one in American Education, and Jefferson, “Bill for Gen’l Diffusion of Knowledge, “in Reader
Film: The Story of American Public Education: Part One
Week 3 Query: Why go to school?
T 1/24 History of American Public Education (1850-1950) Read: Horace Mann, “Intellectual Education” in Sources, and Spring, Chapter Two in American Education
Practicum Set-up (8:30-9:00am)
TH 1/26 The Purposes of Schooling Read: Maxine Greene, “The Passions of Pluralism” in Sources, and Lasch, “Curriculum Development and the Language of Educational Debate” in Sources
Film: The Story of American Public Education: Part Two
Week 4 Query: What knowledge is of the most worth?
T 1/31 Philosophies of Education (Progressivism) Read: Dewey, “Education and Social Change” in Sources and “My Pedagogic Creed” in Reader
TH 2/2 Progressive schooling in practice- Constructivism Read: Brooks, “The Call for Constructivism” in Reader
Week 5 Query: What knowledge is of the most worth?
T 2/7 No-Class (see readings below) Read: Hutchins “The Basis of Education” and Bagley “An Essentialist Platform” in Reader
TH 2/9 Philosophies of Education (Essentialism/Perrenialism) Read: Hirsch, “What Every American Needs to Know” in Sources
DUE: Practicum Assignment Part 1
Week 6 Reflection Week
T 2/14 In-Class Exam #1
TH 2/16 No Class- Mid-Semester Break
Week 7 Query: What knowledge is of the most worth?
T 2/21 Philosophies of Education (Critical Pedagogy) Read: Freire, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” in Sources, and Giroux, “Culture, Power, and Transformation” in Sources
TH 2/23 Theory into Practice No reading: Catch-up day
Week 8 Query: How do we improve our schools?
T 2/28 Standards, Accountability, and Achievement (NCLB) Read: Spring, Chapter 6, American Education, and “A Nation At Risk Report 1983” in Reader
TH 3/2 Will standards save public education? Read: Meier “Educating a Democracy” and response in Reader
Week 9 Query: How do we improve our schools?
T 3/7 Teacher preparation Read: Hartocollis, “Who Needs Education Schools?” in Reader Film: The First Year
TH 3/9 Will teachers save public education? Film: The First Year (continued) Read: Spring, American Education, chapter 8
Week 10 Query: What is intelligence?
T 3/14 Testing and Assessment Read: Spring, American Education, chapter 7, and Gardner and Walters, “A Rounded Version” in Sources
TH 3/16 Motivation and Learning Kohn, “Getting motivation wrong” in Reader and Hirsch, “Test Evasion” in Reader
DUE: Practicum Assignment Part II
Week 11 No Class- Spring Break
Week 12 Reflection Week
T 3/28 Theory into practice No Reading: Catch-up day
TH 3/30 In-Class Exam #2
Week 13 Query: Should we emphasize sameness or difference?
T 4/4 Introduction to Identity and Schooling (Race, Class, Gender, S/O) Read: Spring, American Education chapter 3 and Rodriguez Hunger of Memory (pgs. 1-40)
TH 4/6 Labels and Liabilities- Language and Identity Read: Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory (pgs. 43-110), Spring, American Education, Chapter 4
Week 14 Query: Should we emphasize sameness or difference?
T 4/11 Multiculturalism and Schooling Read: Spring, American Education, chapter 5 and Rodriguez (pgs. 112-139)
Due: Practicum Assignment Part III: SMARTBRIEF
TH 4/13 Separate but equal? Brown case study Read: Kozol, “Still Separate, Still Unequal” (handout), and finish Rodriguez (focus on Profession chpt)
Week 15 Query: What makes a citizen?
T 4/18 Globalism, Localism, and Democracy Read: Macintosh, “Gender Perspectives on Educating for Global Citizenship”in Reader and Friedman, “The World is Flat” in Reader or Ladson-Billings “Differing Concepts of Citizenship” in Reader
TH 4/20 Civic Education Read: Noddings “Global Citizenship” in Reader and Orr “What is Education For?” in Reader
Week 16 Query: What is the purpose of schooling?
T 4/24 Theory into practice No Reading: Catch-Up Day
W 4/25 REQUIRED: Convocation with Jonathon Kozol
TH 4/26 Final class- Reflection Day- Review and Evaluations
Due: Practicum Assignment Part IV
Week 17 Exam Week
T 5/2 In-Class Exam #3 1:00 PM
IMPORTANT SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION FROM THE EDUCATION OFFICE: Every year, at the Spring Awards Convocation, Earlham College is able to award the Jay Scholarship to Quaker students who plan to enter the field of teaching. Teaching is broadly defined to range from the private to the public and from the classroom to outdoor education. The amount of award varies, depending on the number of recipients and the amount of income the account has earned.
Are you potentially a candidate? To be eligible for the Jay Scholarship you must:
1. be a sophomore, junior, or senior next academic year. 2. have financial need; the award is in addition to any current financial aid that you may be receiving. (We will check with the Financial Aid office and know that you are a recipient of financial aid so you need not do anything about this condition.)
If you are interested in being considered for this scholarship, then please obtain an application from Cheri Gaddis. Applications are due in February.
At the same time as the Jay Scholarship, Earlham College awards the Janice Beard and Charles Kem Award in Education. According to the donors, "This award is made to a rising senior who plans to become a teacher of secondary or elementary education. The criteria include academic merit, teaching potential, as well as the demonstration of personal qualities of good character that will strengthen the teaching profession. This award is based solely on merit." The award is $1000 and goes to only one student.
Are you potentially a candidate? To be eligible for the Beard-Kem Award you must:
1. Be a senior next academic year. 2. Plan to become a teacher in secondary or elementary education. 3. Be academically strong, plan to teach, and demonstrate good character.
If you are interested in being considered for this scholarship, then please obtain an application from Cheri Gaddis in the Social Science office on the 2nd floor of the LBC. Applications are due in February.
