EDCI 231 -  Historical., Social, and Phil. Foundations of Education


Instructor          Casey Hurley, Killian 238, 227-3321, churley@email.wcu.edu

Statement of Purpose    The fundamental role of Western Carolina University is to develop a community of scholarship in which students, faculty members, administrators, and staff members earn and apply the products of learning.  The College of Education and Allied Professions fulfills this mission by providing students the opportunity to grow within their personal roles as educational decision makers.  The guiding principle for all instruction in the College is the belief that the best education decisions are made after adequate reflection and after considering the interests and welfare of the persons affected by the decisions.

General Description       This course is an introductory study of the historical, philosophical, political and sociological foundations of American Education.   This course also introduces students to policies, procedures and requirements of the teacher education program.  A field experience is required.

Text:     Teachers, Schools and Society: A Brief Introduction to Education, David Sadker and Karen Zittleman, McGraw-Hill, Second Edition.         

Class Attendance:      Class attendance is required.  For more information about class attendance, see the Grading Criteria section. During bad weather, students should use good judgment concerning their personal safety.

Academic Honesty:       University policy will be followed in cases of plagiarism or cheating.  (See the Student Handbook for an explanation of University policy.) 

Conceptual Framework:           The professional education program at Western Carolina University fulfills its mission by creating and nourishing a community of learners guided by knowledge, values, and experiences.  The guiding principles of this community include: (1) the belief that the best educational decisions are made after adequate reflection and with careful consideration of the interests, experiences, and welfare of the persons affected by the decisions; (2) appreciation of and respect for diversity; and (3) the fostering of the responsible use of technology.  By studying issues related to the history, politics, sociology, technology, and philosophy of American education, students form a foundation upon which to build their teaching skills.

Diversity:          Students address diversity issues as they study the history of American education and the American educational ideal of equal educational opportunity. 

Technology:      Students are required to access the syllabus on the Web, to communicate with the professor via e-mail, and to view DVDs and CDs.

Disability Services:        Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for qualified students with documented disabilities. Disability Services is responsible for assuring that facilities, programs and services are accessible. Students who require disability services or accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide documentation from the appropriate professional care provider about the disability, functional limitations, and recommendations for accommodations. Documentation Guidelines are available on our website at www.wcu.edu/disabilities. All information is confidential.

Field Experience:           As part of this course students are required to participate in a K-12 classroom for 14 hours.  Completion of the field experience is required in order to pass the course.   Students are responsible for maintaining field experience time sheets and log.  Forging a supervising teacher's signature is a serious breach of professional honesty, resulting in a grade of "F." 

GUIDELINES FOR PRE-STUDENT TEACHING FIELD EXPERIENCES

It is the goal of the College of Education and Allied Professions and its faculty to, in collaboration with our B-12 partners in the region, foster the development of the dispositions, knowledge and skills of our students as defined in the Conceptual Framework of our college.  “We teach our students to use their knowledge of both human development and their disciplines to effectively teach all pupils to solve problems. Appropriate values and dispositions are central to excellent teaching.  We model collaborative, caring and intellectually stimulating learning communities so our teacher education students will create environments for all their students that encourage curiosity, foster motivation, and promote achievement of rigorous state and professional standards.  We require our candidates to use state-of-the-art technology in their courses and in their field experiences.” It is also a goal to prepare “highly qualified” teachers as defined by the state of North Carolina.  It is a desire of the college that students complete field experiences with a better understanding of the roles of a teacher and the many skills necessary to becoming an effective classroom teacher.

 

Field experiences in EDCI 231 provide opportunities for students to relate the content of the course with what occurs in public schools. 

Field Observation Report – You will write a report on your field experience. The instructions and the rubric are on Taskstream, so make sure you have an active Taskstream account.

This reflection should be approximately two pages (no more than three).  Your focus for this reflection will be your expanded perspective from time in the classroom, both from participating in EDCI 231 and your field experience observation.  Consider and respond to the following questions:

1.  How has this experience influenced your decision to become a teacher? 

2.  What benefits have you seen? 

3.  What questions still remain related to a career in teaching?

Your discussion should show how you have grown from a semester dedicated to considering teaching and its components.

Grading Criteria

Students contract for the grade they want to earn. Earning the desired grade involves doing both the required quantity and quality of work. After you choose the quantity of work you will attempt, it is my job to give you feedback on the quality of your work. In this class, if the quality of your work is not satisfactory for the desired grade, you may revise and re-submit it.  (See re-submission requirements.)

Because you contract for the grade you desire, student attendance must be factored into grade requirements.  Otherwise, a student who contracts for an “A” and does all the required work for an “A,” but misses 6 classes, would get the same grade as the person who did all the required work for an “A,” and missed no classes.  This would be unfair. 

Therefore, for all absences, you must contact me for a make-up assignment.  Class attendance is a required part of earning whatever grade you desire.  Consequently, grades are lowered for students who both fail to attend class and fail to do the makeup work. 

 Quantity requirements for a "C:"

1. Read the text assignments and complete all exams up to a "C" standard.

2. Satisfactorily complete the field experience report.

3. Satisfactorily complete three (3) written assignments. 

Quantity requirements for a "B:"

1. Read the text assignments and complete all exams up to a "B" standard.

2. Satisfactorily complete the field experience report up to a "B" standard.

3. Satisfactorily complete five (5) written assignments. 

Quantity requirements for an "A:"

1. Read the text assignments and complete all exams up to an "A" standard.

2. Satisfactorily complete the field experience report up to an "A" standard..

3. Satisfactorily complete seven (7) written assignments.

Written Assignments

Following are descriptions of the written assignments:

1.  Submission of an an analysis of a case study in the Reader.  These reports do the following:

a.  Describe three of the issues raised in the case.
b.  Explain your stance on each of the issues. 
c.  Explain what might be said by people who disagree with you. 
d.  Explain how you respond to those disagreements by describing what is gained and what is lost in your position. 

2.  Submitting an analysis of an article from the Reader.   These analyses do the following:

a.  Provide a one-paragraph summary of the purpose of the article. 
b.  Explain two of the points made by the author.
c.  Explain an opposing argument for each of these from your own experience and reading. 
d.  Explain why you chose the article.  (I assume you will choose an article that stimulates a strong reaction.  Don't review any articles that do not.)


3.   Submission of the Field Experience Report on Taskstream. (Described above.)

Three Exams
In-class essay exams
cover class discussions and videos.  Dates are on the Class Schedule. 

Re-submission Guidelines

You can re-submit your work if you have not received the desired grade.  This includes tests and written assignments.  Before you re-submit, however, know what you need to do to improve it.  Don't just re-write some things and re-submit it.  Unless you make it substantially better, it will not earn a better grade. 

Along with your re-submission, include the work that did not receive the desired grade.  On your re-submission, start with a brief explanation of how your new work is improved.  Point me toward your revisions and additions by describing where you improved your work.  For example, you might write, “I better supported my second point by adding an example.”  Or you might explain, “I improved the second paragraph by eliminating an unclear sentence and clarifying the topic sentence.”  I will re-evaluate your work and change your grade to coincide with the quality of the revision.

Grading Rubric for Written Work

Effective educators are people who understand complex ideas and express them clearly to others. Clarity of writing reflects clarity of thinking. Unclear writing reflects fuzzy thinking, which leads to fuzzy instruction.  Humans write so their ideas can be studied by others.  And this is what college is all about -- expressing and examining our own ideas and those of others. As you realize this, and become serious about your professional growth, you develop an urge to write. You feel a need to examine your own ideas and learn more about the ideas of others. This systematic expression and examination of ideas prepares you to become a thoughtful teacher.

Consequently, in grading written assignments, the first thing I look for is your interest in sharing the ideas that are important to you. Second, I look for the breadth and depth of your treatment. In other words, "Is enough there? Is it treated thoughtfully? Do you grapple with the ideas? Then, as I read, I experience how easy it is to understand your ideas (clarity).

When it is apparent that the ideas are important to you, when it is easy for me to understand your points, and when you grapple with the topics in enough breadth and depth, you are doing "A" quality work. When you do the assignment and include some of your own ideas, you receive a "B." When it is clear that you are submitting work to fulfill a course requirement (in other words, you do not struggle with the ideas or include your own thinking or explanations), you receive a "C" or lower.


Schedule for Spring, 2010

Week                     Class Activities                                                   Assignments/Topics

Week 1                  Introductions, Syllabus, Field Exp.                  Chapter 1 (Teaching Profession)

Week 2                  Discuss Chapter 1                                                Chapter 2 (Different Ways of Learning)

Tour of Curr. Materials Center                         Prepare case study or article (2)          

 Week 3                  Discuss Chapter 2                                                Chapter 3 (Teaching Diverse Learners)

                                Discuss case studies & articles            

Week 4                  Discuss Chapter 3                                                Chapter 4 (Student Life)

Educating Peter video                                      Prepare case study or article (4)          


Week 5                 Discuss Chapter 4                                             Chapter 5 (History of Am. Ed.)       

Discuss case studies & articles        

Exam #1 on Chapters 1-4 and 1 video.         

Week 6                 Discuss Chapter 5                                                 Work on writing assignments

Diversity Activity

 Week 7                  Advising Day, no class on 2/23                        Chapter 6 (Philosophy of Education)

History of American Ed. Video

 Week 8                 Chapter 6 Activity                                                Chapter 7 (Finance & Governance)

Mid-term Break, no class 3/4                            Work on writing assignments

Week 9                 Discuss Chapter 7                                             Chapter 8 (Law and Ethics)

                                No Other Choice video                                      Prepare case study or article (8)

Week 10               Discuss Chapter 8                                                 Study for exam

Discuss case studies & articles  -- Decisions that Have Shaped U.S Education
                Amanda Jackson, Ellen Norton Diane News                      

Week 11               March 23 – Exam #2 on Chapters 5 - 8 and 2 videos.                                               

March 25 – No class, complete exam and turn in to Killian 250.

 Spring Break Week


Week 12
               Discuss "Questionable Assumptions
                               About Schooling," Allison Cohen,              Chapter 9 (Choice and Challenges)
                               
Amy Rothman

It’s a Bull Market video                                    Prepare case study or article (9)

Week 13               Discuss Chapter 9                                             Chapter 10 (Curriculum, Standards, Testing)

                                Discuss case studies & articles                          Prepare case study or article (10)

 

Week 14               Discuss Chapter 10                                              Chapter 11 (An Effective Teacher)

Discuss case studies & articles                          Prepare case study or article (11)

Week 15               Discuss Chapter 11                                              Study for Exam

Discuss case studies & articles                        Taskstream report due May 1.

Wonder Years video

 Week 16               Final Exam on Chapters 9, 10 and 11, and two videos.