Dan W. Butin

 SYLLABUS – Fall 2011

EDU 2110 Section A: Foundations and Principles of Education

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11:00am – 12:15pm

Location: Cushing Hall 203;

Webpage: http://danbutin.org/courses__advising/foundations_of_education_fall2011

Professor:                                                                                                        Teaching Assistant & Community Liaison:

Dan W. Butin, PhD                                                                                          Alison Byron     

Office: Austin 203; ext. 5338                                                                         byronaj@merrimack.edu

Contact information: dan.butin@merrimack.edu

Course Description

An introduction to the social and philosophical principles which have shaped educational thought and practices viewed in historical perspective; the challenge of modern education in our urban, suburban, technological, and mobile culture; the professional, legal, and community responsibilities of the teacher; organization of the American school system; contemporary issues in education. Close examination of the social context of schooling will be included.

NOTE: This is a service-learning course, with a substantial community engagement component to support the course content, goals, and outcomes.

See here for a full syllabus (pdf)

Course Schedule

Tuesday, Sept. 6 – Introduction & Overview

Thursday, Sept. 8 – Philosophical Foundations – The Purpose of Schooling, part I

• Summerhill School (read through their website, including the entire “About” section)
• E.D. Hirsch, (1999). “Why Core Knowledge Promotes Social Justice”

 Tuesday, Sept. 13 – Philosophical Foundations – The Purpose of Schooling, part II

• John Dewey (1897) My Pedagogic Creed
• John Dewey, (1916) Democracy and Education, Chapter 1

 Thursday, Sept. 15 – Philosophical Foundations – Diverse Models of Schooling & Bread & Roses

• Visit by Bread & Roses
• Diverse Models of Schooling
  • Big Picture Learning
  • Coalition of Essential Schools
  • Core Knowledge Schools
  • KIPP[Knowledge is Power Program]
  • Montessori Schools
  • Summerhill & Sudbury Schools
  • Teach For America and Teaching as Leadership
  • Waldorf Schools

 Tuesday, Sept. 20 – Philosophical Foundations – Critiques of the Purpose of Schooling, part I

• Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Chapter 2.

 Thursday, Sept. 22 – Philosophical Foundations – Critiques of the Purpose of Schooling, part II

• Nel Noddings, (1995), “Teaching Themes of Care” Phi Delta Kappan, [read just pp. 1-6]
• Blythe McVicker Clinchy, (1989), “On Critical Thinking and Connected Knowing.” in Liberal Education, 75, pp. 14 – 19.
  • Quiz #1 handed out

 Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Philosophical Foundations – The Implicit (Hidden) Curriculum of Schooling, part I

• Ivan Illich, DeSchooling Society, Chapter 3, “Ritualization of Progress” (1971)
• Ivan Illich “To Hell With Good Intentions” (1968)
  • Quiz #1 due

 Thursday, Sept. 29 – Philosophical Foundations – The Implicit (Hidden) Curriculum of Schooling, part II

• Phillip Jackson, Life in Classrooms, pp. 3 – 37.

 Tuesday, Oct. 4 – Summary and Synthesis of the Philosophical Foundations of Education

• 1^st Critique Paper Due
• Experiential Learning Activity

 Thursday, Oct. 6 – Multicultural Foundations – Demographic Realities and Inequities

• “Families Struggle to Afford Food, Survey Finds” New York Times, January 26, 2010.
• “Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009”, US Census Bureau
• Quick Facts: Lawrence, MA, US Census Bureau, 2010

• Jonathan Kozol, (2005), “Still Separate, Still Unequal: America’s Educational Apartheid”, Harper’s Magazine.

 Tuesday, Oct. 11 – Monday schedule, no class

 Thursday, Oct. 13 – Multicultural Foundations – Issues of Race and Racism, part I

• Aspen Institute (2005), Structural Racism and Youth Development

 Tuesday, Oct. 18 – Multicultural Foundations – Issues of Race

• Lisa Delpit, (1996), Other People’s Children, Chapter 2, “The Silenced Dialogue”
• John Ogbu, (1992), “Adaptation to Minority Status and Impact on School Success” Theory into Practice, 31(4), I, pp. 287-295.

 Thursday, Oct. 20 – Multicultural Foundations – Issues of Class

• Richard Rothstein, (2004), “Class and the Classroom”
• New York Times Series on Class
  • “Shadowy Lines That Still Divides” & “15 Years on the Bottom Rung”
  • Quiz # 2 handed out

 Tuesday, Oct. 25– mid-term grades due – no class

• Quiz #2 due

 Thursday, Oct. 27 – Multicultural Foundations – Issues of Systemic and Internalized Inequities

• Project Implicit: Race IAT (Implicit Association Test) [Presidents; Weight; Skin tone]

 Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Summary and Synthesis of the Multicultural Foundations

• Critique #2 due
• Experiential Learning Activity

 Thursday, Nov. 3 – No class

• Work on group projects & watch one documentary: Waiting for "Superman" or The Lottery or Whatever it Takes or The First Year (all available for viewing through Netflix; 1^st month free)

 Tuesday, Nov. 8 – Key Issues in Education – Credentialism

• David Labaree, (1992). “Public Schools for Private Advantage”

 Thursday, Nov. 10– Key Issues in Education – Becoming “Schooled” Through Evaluation

• Hugh Mehan, (1979), “What Time is It, Denise?”: Asking Known Information Questions in Classroom Discourse”, Theory into Practice, 18(4), pp. 285-294.

 Tuesday, Nov. 15 – Key Issues in Education – The Failures and Successes of Educational Reform

• Larry Cuban & David Tyack, Tinkering Towards Utopia, pp. 85 – 109.

 Thursday, Nov. 17 – Presentation of Group Projects – 1^st draft

• Quiz #3 handed out

 Tuesday, Nov. 22 – Thanksgiving Break begins at 7pm – no class

• Quiz #3 due

 Tuesday, Nov. 29 – Key Issues in Education – What Makes a Great Teacher?

• Esme Raji Codell, Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year, 2001

 Thursday, Dec. 1 – Key Issues in Education – Contemporary Educational Policies and Debates

• US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s Speeches
  • “Working Toward ‘Wow’: A Vision for a New Teaching Profession”
  • “The Unfinished Work of Education Reform”
  • “The Road Less Traveled”

 Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Final Presentations of Group Projects

 Thursday, Dec. 8 – last class (Critique #3 due on final exam day)