Calumet College of St.
Joseph
Syllabus:
Foundations of Education 10 311
Term:
Day Cohort – August,
2002
Course
Number: Education
311x
Instructor:
Michele
Dvorak, PHJC
Office
Phone: (219)
473-4305
Email
Address: mdvorak@ccsj.edu
Office
Hours: By
Appointment
Instructor’s
Background:
Educational: As a professional and perpetual student, I have
experienced many of the possible universe of degrees. Associate of Arts (AA) – Ancilla College 1976, Bachelor of
Science (BS)-Alverno College, Master of Science (MS) – Dayton University, Doctorate
in Education (Ed.D.) – University of San Francisco. Licenses: K-9 Illinois
Teacher Certification, K-8 Indiana Teacher Certification, Type 75
(Administration) Illinois.
Endorsements: Middle School,
K-12 Music Education.
Each degree provided me with a unique geographical
environment for study. Without much
need to cajole or encourage, I would easily choose further study or research.
Professional: Having worked in the educational profession for
more than 26 years, my list of experiences includes teaching and administration
at the elementary, high school and college level. Reaching back into the recesses of my mind’s files, I recall each
professional experience with fondness:
St. Boniface Elementary School, Edwardsville, IL (4th grade);
St. Augustine School, Chicago, IL (7th/8th grade);
St. Bavo School, Mishawaka, IN (6th/7th/8th); Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Hammond, IN (6th/7th/8th), St. Martin of Tours School, East St. Louis, IL (Principal), St. Michael School, Chicago, IL (Principal), Calumet College of St. Joseph, Education Faculty member, Calumet College of St. Joseph; then administration. High school experiences were short and between locations.
Course
Time and Location: Saturday, August 24 8:00am
– 4:pm
Thursday, August 29 6:00
– 9:00pm
Saturday, August 31 8:00am
– 4:pm
Thursday, September 5 6:00
– 9:00pm
Saturday, September 7 8:00am
– 4:pm
Thursday, September 12 6:00
– 9:00pm
Course
Description:
The course provides an overview of the historical basis of the present educational
system as well as its social impact and future implications. Cultural, ethnic,
and minority expectations of school; the legal rights and responsibilities of
students and teachers; and philosophies and theories of education are
highlighted. Field experience is required.
Textbook:
Foundations
of Education: Eighth Edition by Alan C. Ornstein and Daniel U. Levine (New York:
Houghton Mifflin, 2003).
This text provides a thorough and ready resource on the various aspects of Educational Foundations. Throughout the course, we will also read “primary” reading selections as handouts when appropriate. Internet research will also be required to complement the readings.
Learning
Outcomes/Competencies:
Overview:
When one engages in the art and science of teaching,
one does so from within the context of a history and a culture. As all human
beings belong to a community steeped in a history in which ideas, values,
beliefs are shared, challenged, transformed, and transmitted over time,
consistent questions emerge relative to education. Thus, what we teach, why we teach, and how we teach are always
informed, either implicitly or explicitly by the philosophical, historical, and
political foundations that serve as the underpinnings for our professional
actions as educators. This course will, therefore, serve to facilitate a
clearer, and thus more explicit understanding of those foundations.
Our goal then is twofold: 1) to understand the
philosophical, historical, and political foundations of American education, and
2) to evaluate those foundations with a view towards developing a personal
self-reflective philosophy of education. Thus, while this course will offer the
student the opportunity to appropriate the relevant historical, philosophical,
and political (legal) facts/concepts available in a “foundations” course in
American education, the primary goal of this course is to facilitate the
critically reflective development of a coherent philosophy of education.
By
the end of this course, students will:
Ø
Demonstrate
an understanding of the key philosophical stances over time by the development
of teaching strategies that reflect those various stances.
Ø Demonstrate an understanding of the major factors and themes that continue to inform the historical project of American education through critical evaluative judgment of the identified themes.
Ø
Demonstrate
an understanding of the key facts/concepts inherent in the political/legal
understanding of the American educational system(s).
Ø
Demonstrate
the ability to create and implement through strategies one’s personal
philosophy of education.
Ø
Synthesize
information gleaned regarding one philosopher, one historian, and one American
legal education case study.
Ø
Evaluate
questions by applying Bloom’s Taxonomy
The
field experiences will be aligned with the INTASC standards. The teacher candidate fulfills both the CCSJ
course requirement for field experiences while completing the INTASC standards. Total number of field experience hours for
this course: 12 hours. The following field experiences will be acceptable.
1)
Interview a teacher or administrator
Task: Identify the philosophical position/s held by the teacher or administrator. Describe how the identified philosophical position would be demonstrated in the classroom. Incorporate course learning. (INTASC #10)
2)
Knowledge of students and the community
Task: Prepare a protocol of questions to learn about characteristics of the students and their community. Meet with one or two professional educators from the school. Document responses. Identify how one would apply this knowledge to a lesson plan. (INTASC #7 and/or #10)
3)
Foster relationships with parents and/or agencies in the community
Task: Attend parent meeting and meeting at a local agency. Identify the philosophical perspectives heard and write paper with a plan to address competing philosophical positions with parents or in an agency. (INTASC #10)
4)
Knowledge of students and community in curricular planning
Task: Interview a professional educator on how he/she incorporates knowledge of the community and his/her students into lesson plans. Note the underlying philosophical perspectives. (INTASC #7)
5)
Interview with a retired educator
Task: Interview someone who taught in the “good ole days”. Listen to his/her contribution and identify his/her philosophical perspective. (INTASC #10 and/or #7)
Learning
Strategies:
Input Presentations, observations, evaluation, field
experiences, syntheses, individual and group critical thinking, and
discussions.
Analysis Through the critical thinking
process and the Socratic method of questioning (what, why and how we teach).
Synthesis Through the development of synthesis
papers and a personal statement of educational philosophy (responding to the
what, why and how you teach).
Assessment:
20% Class participation and discussion
25% Synthesis papers
25% Field Experiences
30% Philosophy of Education
The
standard grading scale will be used:
A:
93-100 B: 85-92 C: 77-84 D:
70-76 F: 69 and below.
Class
Expectations:
Each
class requires specific preparation. Attendance is required
This
course is divided into three “pillars” of foundations: Philosophical, historical, and
political/legal. In addition, field
experiences provide students the opportunity to apply new learning. Finally, the development of a personal
philosophy of education will be required.
Course Outline:
Readings:
1. Previous to first session: Chapter 4, pp. 95-129
2. Internet search: Benjamin Bloom – Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Questioning
August 24 Introductions, Overview of
course, input/discussion of 4 philosophical perspectives, analysis through
video, primary sources readings, discussion, chapter exam.
August 28 By Wednesday at 12:00pm, post
a one page synthesis/reflection paper of philosopher.
August
29 Blackboard Threaded Discussion: Learnings and Leanings
Discussion: What did you learn about
philosopher?
How
are you leaning in your own philosophy?
Class
#2 History of American Education
Readings: Chapters 5 and 6 pp. 131-199
Field
Experiences (reminder)
August 31 Questions from previous
experiences, feedback from papers, video of history of American education,
research of American educator, discussion, chapter exam.
September 4 By Wednesday at 12:00pm, post a
one page synthesis/reflection paper of a noted American educator. Add how your philosophy might be changing.
September 5 Blackboard Threaded Discussion:
Teaching Ain’t What It Used To Be.
How has the educational system changed?
For the better? For the
worse? Support your claims with
evidence.
Previous
to Class: Chapters 9, pp.
251-293, and Chapter 16, pp.485 - 520
Legal cases on the Internet
Field Experiences (reminder)
September 7 Questions from previous
experiences, feedback from papers, famous law case studies, “You Be The Judge”
experience, course evaluation, feedback from course, case law synthesis,
chapter exam, philosophies.
September 11 By Wednesday at 12:00pm, submit
your philosophy of education to my email.
September
12 Blackboard
Threaded Discussion: The Law: Helps or Hinders?
Where
has the law drawn parameters around schools and teachers? Too restrictive? Freedom to teach? Support
your claims with evidence.
Subject matter for synthesis
papers:
Philosophers: a. Plato Educational
Leaders: a. Rousseau
b.
Aristotle b.
Piaget
c.
Descartes c. Montessori
d.
Locke d. Gardner
e.
Dewey e. Friere
Court
Cases: a.
Pickering v. Board of Education
b.
Tinker v. Des Moines
c.
Goss v. Lopez
d.
Ingraham v. Wright
e.
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
f.
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Center for Academic
Excellence:
Tutoring
assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the
Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The
Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help
students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to
do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.
Statement of Plagiarism:
If
an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a
student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic
dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up
for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is
dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under
the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances. (Academic
Planner 2001/2002 p.27)
Citation Guidelines:
Calumet
College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the
particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or
Turabian.). All of these guidelines are
available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore. These texts outline how to cite references
from a variety of sources, including electronic media.
Withdrawal from Classes Policy:
After
the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may
withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the
faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s)
for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for
withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior
to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may
be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259.
Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses.
The request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final
determination to accept or deny the request. If the request is honored, the
student will receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the
notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree
Completion Division (DCD) students should consult the DCD Student Handbook for
information on DCD withdrawals.
An
official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's
transcript. Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs
an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).