PIEDMONT COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of all children.

EDUC 703 Social Cultural and Ethical Perspectives on Education

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Name: Dr. Madge Holden Kibler

Office Location: L-114

Phone Numbers: 706-778-3000 x1202 H 706-754 8460 (Call before 10 pm)

E-mail: mkibler@piedmont.edu

Fax Number: 706 776 0135

Office Hours: Mon. 3:30-5:30, Tues. 4:30-5:30, Wed and Thur. 4-5, Fri. By appointment

Campus Security: 706 778 2222

TIME AND PLACE

CAMPUS: Demorest SEMESTER: Fall YEAR: 2007

Dates: Thursdays Aug 16th to Oct 4

Time: 5:00 to 9:30

Place: L 130

The professor and some of your classmates are highly allergic to perfume and aftershave. Refrain from wearing them to class.

Turn off cell phones.

COURSE INFORMATION:

Prerequisites/Corequisites: None

Credit: 3 semester hours

Period: 110 .

I. TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS

Paley, V. (1995). Kwanzaa and me. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Rose, M. (1995). Possible lives: The promise of public education in America. New

York: Penguin.

Sadker, M. & Sadker, D. (1994). Failing at fairness: How our schools cheat girls. New

York: Simon & Schuster.

Spring, J. (2005). Political agendas for education: From the Christian Coalition to the

Green Party 3^rd Ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (5^th ed.). Washington, D. C.: Author.

Supplemental readings will be required as needed throughout the course. These readings will include research, professional documents, and personal reading. Also, copying some materials to share with the class may be required.

II. PIEDMONT COLLEGE MISSION; SCHOOL OF EDUCATION MISSION; &

GRADUATE MAT AND MA PROGRAM GOALS (See School of Education Syllabus A – II)

III. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE:

Catalog statement--An examination of the functions of education for the individual and society including problems of interrelating school and community, relationships between culture and the school, and teaching for cross-cultural understanding. Field experience required.

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an in-depth critical exploration and analysis of various social, cultural and ethical perspectives on education. Particular attention will be given to those contemporary perspectives that focus on the functions of education for the individual and society, as well as those that deal with the interrelationships among the public school/education community and culture.

The format of the class includes discussions, readings, videos, lecture, presentations and collaborative work. This is a course in educational foundations, not a methods class.

IV. SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OUTCOMES (See School of Education Syllabus A – IV)

(Core Candidate Learning Outcomes by Program and Dispositions for All Candidates)

V. COURSE OUTCOMES:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of

1. Various social perspectives of education and how they contribute to an understanding of educational practice. Included will be the structural relationships between race, class and gender inequalities and education. CLO 1, 4, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15,16, 18&22

2. Various cultural perspectives of education and how they contribute to an understanding of educational practice. Included will be a discussion of educational practices as cultural texts, the ideological nature of educational theory and practice as well as the perspectives of multiculturalism. CLO 4, 12, 13, 14, 15,16, 18&22

3. Ethical practices of education and how they contribute to an understanding of educational practice. Included will be an understanding of the political and philosophical nature of educational practices. CLO 4, 12 , 13, 15, 16, 18&22

4.The relationship between educational theory and practice, including an understanding that educational practices are embedded with theory. CLO 4, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18&22

The students will demonstrate mastery of these outcomes through their reflective papers and their contributions to class discussion.

VI. COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES: (In addition to information provided on School of Education Syllabus A – VI).

1. Class Attendance & Participation

Attendance, timeliness, and participation are required and part of your grade. The School of Education policy states that more than the allotted number of excused absences for any reason will result in failure of the course. The allotted number of excused absences for this course is one. Additionally, tardiness or leaving class early will be considered a partial absence reflected in your grade. Work missed due to an excused absence may be made up. It is your responsibility to inform me in writing how you make up the work. Your writing should include a statement about why you were absent and a detailed quality description of the process you undertook to make up the work as well as a comprehensive summary of the content that was covered in class. Be sure to include a cover page. If work is not made up, the highest grade a candidate can receive for the course is a B. Any candidate who misses more than one class will be asked to drop the course or will receive an F at the end of the semester. However, if makeup work is approved by the professor and satisfactorily completed, a passing grade is still possible. Also understand that reading a classmate’s notes cannot easily duplicate many of the experiences of the course.

INCOMPLETES – A candidate may receive an incomplete (I) for reasons such as illness or other extenuating circumstances upon approval of the course instructor and the dean. An incomplete is not granted just to extend time to complete work that should have been done in a timely manner. (See the Piedmont College catalog for additional information regarding an incomplete).

If the candidate’s illness is extended, causing more than two class absences, the candidate may need to request in writing a medical withdrawal. If the Registrar approves the request, a candidate may receive a “W” for the course.

2. Written Work

Although all dialects and languages are acceptable in informal situations, the use of standard edited English is expected in all written or oral presentations in this class. Use APA style (5^th ed.). All papers for the course are to be typed using size 12 print and one of the following fonts: Bookman, Times New Roman, Geneva, or similar font. Papers should be double-spaced, error-free, and grammatically correct (including punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.). Make good use of writing references such as dictionaries, writing handbooks, and computer spelling and grammar checks.

Be sure to keep a duplicate copy of all submitted work for your own records.

Each assignment should have a cover page with your name, course number and name, assignment, and date clearly typed on the front.

3. Academic Integrity (See School of Education Syllabus A – VI)

4. Special Considerations (See School of Education Syllabus A – VI)

5. Cell Phone Usage (See School of Education Syllabus A – VI)

VII. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS, DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS, AND FIELD EXPERIENCES:

1. Instructional Methods: See School of Education Syllabus A – VII.

2. Description of Assignments:

Readings from the assigned texts will be one focus for discussions, writings, and group activities. Please read the assigned readings before coming to class in order to facilitate quality discussions. Think about how the readings relate or could relate to your classroom teaching experiences. Also keep in mind that you are responsible for the reading assignments even if we do not go over them in class..

All work for the course is to be in on time, or handed in on an agreed upon future date. Work submitted late will be penalized one letter grade. Completion of all assignments is required for a passing grade in the course. If at any time you are unclear about assignments or expectations, please contact me for clarification.

Other assignments or activities may be required as deemed necessary to assure the mastery of the course objectives as stated.

Assignments to Be Completed for This Course:

Class participation: Each student will lead the class discussion of part of the assigned readings. We will discuss this at the first class meeting. As you prepare for the discussion, you may want to think about questions that address, but are not limited to, these points:

What are the major foci of the text and its relationship to societal constructs?
What cultural, social or ethical dilemmas are presented in this text?
What strategies does the text offer to alleviate these dilemmas? Give examples.
In what ways might these dilemmas impact the school or its learning community negatively or positively?
How might a practitioner apply the information in this text to his or her school setting?
In what way is this text beneficial to a future educator?

You will select one article from refereed journals or books for class meeting four. Include the following in your report on the self-selected articles or books: a summary, your reaction, implications for educators and education, and questions for colleagues to consider and answer.

Reflective papers: Each student will complete two reflective papers that assess the various perspectives discussed during the course. Included in the paper should be discussion of how the various perspectives do or do not inform your teaching practice. The paper should synthesize and integrate the material covered in class. A good start on the paper would be a learning log or journal of all readings and class discussion. All readings, videos and discussions must be addressed in your reflective papers. The papers will be due at the fourth and seventh class meetings.

Culture-based Project: Each student will complete a culture-based assignment designed by you. The project will expand your comfort zone and increase the chances for school success for all children. You may work in pairs to complete this assignment. You will both write (APA 5^th Ed. format) and present your project. You may write and present either individually or together. The project can be related to any topic or issue in multicultural education, however, it must focus on one cultural or subcultural group found in this country--i.e. Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Laotians. For example, it could be related to your classroom teaching, development of some multicultural activities for your discipline, a mini-research paper, or a personal in-depth investigation of an area of multicultural education. The instructions are vague because you are to decide what will be of most benefit to you. If you need additional assistance, make an appointment to see me. This project will be presented at the last class meeting.

Oral presentation: Each student or pair of students will present the culture study (eighth class meeting) to the class. Be sure to include specific suggestions in the culture study presentation for how your information can improve the chances for school success for the children of that culture.

3. Field Experiences (Initial and Advanced Ceritification Tracks):

Field Experience Requirements:

Each student will observe in one classroom to record the teacher-student interaction. I will give you a handout to explain this. I will give you the permission slip that you must have the teacher sign. I will not accept the report without the signed permission slip.

Each advanced student will complete this assignment plus two more. Initial students will complete this assignment plus four more field based assignments. Adding- a- field students will complete this assignment plus three more.

The additional requirements are to be met by visiting cultural sites or events. Choose these events or sites from a culture to which you do not belong. I will have suggestions for you. You are to turn in your ticket or other documentation of your attendance. You are to write a paper describing the event or site and reflecting on how this will help you to be a scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher.

VIII. RESOURCES:

1. Bibliography:

Alma, F. A. (2003). A magical encounter Latino children’s literature in the classroom 2^nd Ed.

Boston, Allyn and Bacon.

Banks, J. A. (2003). Teaching strategies for ethnic studies 7^th Ed.. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Banks, J. A., & McGee Banks, C. A. (2005). Multicultural education: Issues and

Perspectives 5^th Ed update. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Beaty, J. J. (1997). Building bridges with multicultural picture books. Upper Saddle

River: Merrill/Prentice Hall, Inc.

Bennett, C. L. (2003). Comprehensive multicultural education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Bigelow, B., & Christensen, L., & Karp, S., & Miner, B., Peterson, B. (Eds.). (1994).

Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice. Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools.

Campbell, D. E. (2000). Choosing democracy: A practical guide to multicultural

education 2^nd ED. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall, Inc.

De Gaetano, Y., & Williams, L. R., & Volk, D. (1998). Kaleidoscope: A multicultural

approach for the primary school classroom. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice

Hall, Inc.

Delpit, L. (1995). Other people's children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York:

The New Press

Erdoes, R., & Ortiz, A. (1984). American Indian myths and legends. New York: Pantheon

Books.

Faltis, C. J. & Coulter, C..A. (2008). Teaching English learners and immigrant students in secondary

schools. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall, Inc

Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2006). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. 7^th ED.

Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall, Inc.

Grant, C. A., Sleeter, C. E. (2007). Doing multicultural education for achievement and equity. New York:

Routledge

Howard, G. R. (1999). We can’t teach what we don’t know: White teachers, multiracial

schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

Jones, T. G. & Fuller, M. L. (2003). Teaching Hispanic children. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Koppelman, K. L. & Goodhart, R. L. (2005). Understanding human differences: multicultural education

for a diverse America. Boston: Pearson

Liston, D. P. & Zeichner, K. M. (1996). Culture and teaching. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence: Erbaum

Associates.

Manning, M. L. & Baruth, L.G. (2000). Multicultural education of children and

adolescents. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

McCormick, T. M. (1994). Creating the non-sexist classroom: A multicultural approach. New York: Teachers College Press.

Nieto, S. (1992). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education.

New York: Longman Publishing Group.

Oakes, J. & Lipton, M. (2003). Teaching to change the world. Boston: McGraw Hill

Pai, Y., Adler, S. A. & Shadiow, L. K. (2006). Cultural foundations of education. Upper Saddle River:

Merrill/Prentice Hall, Inc.

Quintero, E. P., & Kummel, M. K. (1998). American voices: Webs of diversity. Upper

Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall, Inc.

Schultz, F. Ed. ( 2006). Annual Edition Multicultural Education 06-07 Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill

Spring, J. (2007). Deculturalization and the struggle for equality. Boston: McGraw-Hill

Sleeter, C. E., & Grant, C. A. (1999). Making changes for multicultural education: Five

approaches to race, class, and gender. New York: MacMillian Publishing Company.

Tatum, B. D. (1997). “Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?”

New York: Basic Books.

Teaching Tolerance Project. (1997). Starting small: Teaching tolerance in preschool and

the early grades. Montgomery: Southern Poverty Law Center.

Tiedt, P.L. & Tiedt, I.M. (1999). Multicultural teaching. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Tozer, S.E., Senese, G. & Violas, P.C. (2006). School and Society. 5^th Ed. Boston: McGraw/Hill

2. Relevant Web Sites:

See School of Education Syllabus A – VIII

(Add any additional relevant websites specific to this course)

3. GACE Information: (See School of Education Syllabus A – VIII)

4. Admission to Teacher Education (See School of Education Syllabus A – VIII)

5. Application for Certification (See School of Education Syllabus A – VIII)

IX. COURSE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION:

Grades will be determined according to the following:

Grading scale: 90-100=A

Class Participation, including written assignments: 20% (Objectives 1-4) 90-100=A

Reflective Papers: 30 % (Objectives 1-4) 80-89=B

Field-Based Assignments: 10% (Objectives 1-4) 70-79=C

Oral Presentation: 10% (Objective 2) 60-69=D

Culture Project 30% (Objectives 1-4) Below 60=F

Grading description:

A Excellent student. Does all work enthusiastically and conscientiously. Excellent writing skills. Asks thoughtful questions. Keen observer. Goes beyond the required minimum in work. Well prepared. Anxious to improve.

B Good student. Completes assignments, but writing skills are not excellent. Responds well. Corrects mistaken notions and faulty skills. Interested in work.

C Average student. Work incomplete. Preparation weak.. Occasional spurts of interest.

D Poor student. Work rarely complete. Regularly unprepared. Low interest.

F Failing. Hopeless work. Very seldom prepared.

What are the characteristics of excellent writing?

It is clear.
It is written in first person.
There is a beginning, a middle and a conclusion.
The writing is in active voice and reflects in-depth reflection.
The writing is in standard edited English.

Some common mistakes I ‘ve seen in previous papers:

It’s/its. It’s means it is. Possessive form of it is its.

Their/there/ they’re. Their is the possessive form of the pronoun they. There means at or in that place. They’re is the contraction for they are.

Subject-verb agreement. A singular noun calls for a singular verb.

Using possessive when plural is needed. You have students in your class; they sit in the students’ desks.

Redundancy.

Parallelism.

6. Other criteria used to evaluate will include accuracy, logic, relevance, breadth and creativity

XIII. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Date Topics and Assignments

8-16--Course introduction and requirements

8-23 --Paley Race in education—as you read, note the opinions expressed by people who are not of the dominant culture in the USA

8-30--Sadker & Sadker Gender in education—as you read note how teaching became a female profession, how standardized testing and sports became a part of American schools. The information regarding a gap between males and females in testing and college attendance is outdated, but the book is relevant to education foundations.

9-6--Articles from refereed journals or books from the bibliography chosen by candidates on race or gender in education . You will turn in a copy of the article to me.

-- first reflective paper due

Address how your teaching will or will not be impacted and the following course outcome:

9-13 --Spring Politics in education, as you read note, who funds which think tanks, and what each think tank and political group advocates for education

White Privilege (On reserve in library.)

Political exercise

9-20 Field Experiences due

9-27 –Rose The practices of teachers who are successful with all children, as you read note which practices you can use in your classroom and the theories expressed by the teachers.

Second reflective paper due (No late work will be accepted after this class)

Again, address how your teaching will or will not be impacted and the following course outcomes

4.The relationship between educational theory and practice, including an understanding that educational practices are embedded with theory. (Rose) CLO 4, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18&22

10-4 Oral presentations of culture-based project

Culture-based paper due