Introduction to Education: Learning, Schooling, and Society

Education 60 _Spring 2017

MW 5:20-6:55

Humanities Lecture Hall

An educated person must teach the child to actノand to live out the larger ideas for which the world has always hoped.  -Jane Addams, メClaim on the College Woman

It is your responsibility to change society if you think of yourself as an educated person. -James Baldwin, メA Talk to Teachersモ

What the best and wisest parent wants for his/her child, that must we want for all the children of the community. Anything less is unlovely, and left unchecked, destroys our democracy. -John Dewey, "The School and Social Progressモ

Education is the laboratory in which philosophic distinctions become concrete and are tested.  -John Dewey, メDemocracy and Educationモ

Where anything is growing, one former is worth a thousand re-formers. -Horace Mann, Source unknown

We need to see education not as helping to get us in touch with something non-human called Truth or Reality, but rather in touch with our own potentialities. -Richard Rorty, メHermeneutics, General Studies, and Teachingモ

Catalog Description:

This survey course explores the foundations of learning and teaching, the social and political forces within schools and school systems in the US, and the educational policies and practices in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. 5 units.

Course Description:

This course explores the historical, philosophical, psychological and sociological questions in American education and discusses historical policies and programs designed to improve US schools. It offers an overview of the influential theories on learning and teaching, focusing on how these views have influenced public education in a diverse society. The course gives students an opportunity to explore their own interests as they prepare to teach or work in education related contexts.

The course provides an introduction to the upper division courses offered in the Education Department. It is a required course for all education minors.

Course Questions:

Education 60 will address the following over-arching questions:

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will understand: _

 

Required Reading: _

Spring, J. (2016).  American Education (17th Edition). New York: Routledge. (Available at Baytree, online, etc.)

All other readings/resources can be found in Canvas Resources and via links in Canvas Syllabus.

Teaching Team

Name

Contact Information

Office/Meeting Location

Office hours

Michelle Bagwell

michellebagwell@ucsc.edu

TBN

TBN

Julianne Foxworthy

jfoxwort@ucsc.edu

TBN

TBN

Jolene Gregory

jrgregor@ucsc.edu

TBN

TBN

Edgar Martinez

edgar@ucsc.edu

TBN

TBN

Kip T四lez

ktellez@ucsc.edu
(831) 345-7081 (Text and Voice)

McHenry 3141

MO after class or WE before class (in my office). 

 

Course Schedule and Attendance Requirements
If you miss a class/section (sometimes unavoidable, we understand), please find a partner (or partners) who can fill you in on notes, assignments, and other important information. We do not provide students with information on missed classes. Sorry. You are not required to contact us if you will miss a single class/section (although we donユt mind if you do). However, we do ask you to let us know if you will miss a week or more. You are not required to provide us with a reason for your absence (e.g., a note from a physician). Of course, we will miss you, but we trust that your absence could not be avoided. We donユt routinely take roll and never give points for class メparticipation,モ but we strongly encourage your comments and questions.

Barring extraordinary circumstances, we start class/section on time, every time, so please donユt arrive late. We generally skip the lecture break and adjourn 5 minutes early.

Technology: We make full use of Canvas and other learning platforms. Therefore, we ask that you bring an internet-connected laptop, Chromebook, tablet, or mobile phone to every class. If you donユt have access to any of these, please let Kip know privately, and weユll find an option for you. We strongly recommend that you connect to the internet via eduroam. Feel free to use personal technology during class or section, but keep in mind that all devices can be distractions or valuable learning tools. We trust you to know the difference.

Discussion Sections Requirement: _All students must be enrolled in a discussion section. The purpose of section is to review material presented in lecture, complete group projects, as well as to engage in conversations of specific interest to section participants.

Course Schedule: 
The schedule below is subject to change. Readings should be completed prior to each class. In event that we lose Canvas service, please be sure that you download then save or print each of the readings/resources in Canvas. Note that additional readings/resources may be sent via a Canvas Announcement (as attachment).

Note: If changes are made to the syllabus/readings, youユll be notified via Canvas announcement. The Canvas version of the syllabus will not be updated.

Session/ Date

Topic

Reading(s)/Resource(s): 

1  MO 4/3

Course introduction

Syllabus/Who we are.

2  WE 4/5

・ Historical Goals of Schooling

・ Protected or Prepared Childhood?

・ Impact of Educational Goals

・ Historical Goals of Schooling

・ Political Goals of Schooling

・ Censorship and American Political Values

・ Courts and Political Values

・ Political Values and State and National Curriculum Standards

・ The Fruits of Political Education

・ History of Public Schooling in the US.

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 1 The History and Political Goals of Public Schooling

 

Labaree, D. F. (1997). Public goods, private goods: The American struggle over educational goals. American Educational Research Journal34(1), 39-81.

 

Mintz, S. Huckユs raft (Chapter). Harvard University Press.

 

Video: School: The story of American public education, Part 1 (to be viewed outside of class)

3  MO 4/10

 ・ The Problem of Determining Moral Values: Religion and Secularism

・ School Values and Gay and Lesbian Youth

・ Character Education

・ Do Public Schools Reduce Crime?

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 2 The Social Goals of Schooling

Eccles, J. S., & Barber, B. L. (1999). Student council, volunteering, basketball, or marching band what kind of extracurricular involvement matters?Journal of adolescent research14(1), 10-43.

Video: School: The story of American public education, Part 2 (to be viewed outside of class)

4  WE 4/12

・ Philosophy of Education

・ School Crime: Student Violence

・ Promoting National Health: Drug and Alcohol Abuse

・ Building Community through Extracurricular Activities

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 2 The Social Goals of Schooling

 

James, S. (2010). John Dewey and educational pragmatism. In R. Bailey & R. Barrow, R. (Eds.). The Sage handbook of philosophy of education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

5  MO 4/17

・ The Relationship between Schools and Equality of Opportunity

・ School Models for Equality of Opportunity

・ The Common-School Model

・ The Sorting-Machine Model

・ The High-Stakes Testing Model

・ Education and Income

・ The Bias of Labor Markets

・ White Privilege/The Asian Advantage?

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 3 Education and Equality of Opportunity

Julian, Tiffany A. and Robert A. Kominski. 2011. メEducation and Synthetic Work/Life Earnings Estimates.モ American Community Survey Reports, ACS-14. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC.

6  WE 4/19

・ Schooling: Effects on Income/ Rich and Poor Schools

・ Social Class and At-Risk Students

・ School Dropouts

・ Tracking and Ability Grouping & Social Reproduction

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 3 Education and Equality of Opportunity

Farmer-Hinton, R. L., Lewis, J. D., Patton, L. D., & Rivers, I. D. (2013). Dear Mr. Kozol.... Four African American women scholars and the re-authoring of Savage Inequalities.  Teachers College Record115(5).

7  MO 4/24

・ Human Capital Theory

・ Schooling and the Global Knowledge Economy

・ School Curriculum and the Global Economy

・ The Human Capital Education Paradigm and Lifelong Learning

・ Can investment in Schools Grow the Economy?

・ Preschool and Human Capital Theory

・ The Perry Preschool Study

・ Child-Rearing and Social and Cultural Capital

・ Family Learning and School Success

・ Childhood Poverty

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 4 The Economic Goals of Schooling: Human Capital, Global Economy, and Preschool

Hacker, A. (2012). Is algebra necessary?  New York Times.

http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/why-algebra-is-a-civil-rights-issue-285999171741

8  WE 4/26

・ The Legal Problem in Defining Race

・ Defining Race after the 1965 Immigration Act

・ The 2010 Census and Race

・ The Fourteenth Amendment and Equality of Educational Opportunity

・ Desegregating Schools/School Segregation today

・ Second-Generation Segregation

・ The Struggle for Equal Education for Women

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 5 Equality of Educational Opportunity: Race, Gender, and Special Needs

Rivas_Drake, D., Seaton, E. K., Markstrom, C., Quintana, S., Syed, M., Lee, R. M. & Yip, T. (2014). Ethnic and racial identity in adolescence: Implications for psychosocial, academic, and health outcomesChild Development85(1), 40-57.

9  MO 5/1

・Students with Disabilities

・ Public Law 94-142: Education for All Handicapped Children Act

・ Disability Categories

・ Writing an IEP

・ An Inclusion Success Story

・ The Inclusion Debate

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter (Spring): Chapter 5 Equality of Educational Opportunity: Race, Gender, and Special Needs

A Parentユs Guide to Special Education. Los Angeles Unified School District.

10  WE 5/3

・ Global Migration and the Immigration Act of 1965

・ Mexican American Students and U.S. Schools

・ Asian American Students and U.S. Schools

・ Native American Students and U.S. Schools

・ Educational Experiences of Immigrants to the United States

・ The Language of the Schools

・ Languages of School-Age Children

・ Are U.S. Teachers Prepared for Language Diversity?

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 6 Student Diversity

Miguel, Jr, G. S., & Valencia, R. (1998). From the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to Hopwood: The educational plight and struggle of Mexican Americans in the Southwest. Harvard Educational Review68(3), 353-413.

11 MO 5/8 Midterm Examination

Midterm Examination.

Midterm Examination-In Class-Supply Response.

12 WE 5/10

・ Cultural Differences in Knowing and Seeing the World

・ Biculturalism: Collectivist and Individualist Societies_

・ The Differences among Dominant, Dominated, and Immigrant Cultures

・ Dominated Cultures: John Ogbu

・ Empowerment through Multicultural Education

・ Teaching about Racism

・ Ethnocentric Education

・ Bilingual Education

・ Globalization: Language and Cultural Rights

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 7 Multicultural and Multilingual Education

Osborne, A. B. (1996). Practice into theory into practice: Culturally relevant pedagogy for students we have marginalized and normalized. Anthropology & education quarterly27(3), 285-314.

Valdes, G. (1997). Dual-language immersion programs: A cautionary note concerning the education of language-minority students. Harvard Educational Review67(3), 391-430.

13 MO 5/15

・ Learning Theory

Reading(s)/Resource(s): Bransford, Brown & Cocking (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and schoolWashington, D.C.: Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council. National Academy Press.

14 WE 5/17

・History of Learning Theories

・ Contemporary Learning Theories and Their Relation to School Practices

・ Learning Styles: A Valid Typology?

Reading(s)/Resource(s): Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological science in the public interest9(3), 105-119.

15 MO 5/22

・ Theories of Teaching

・ How do We Learn to Teach?

Reading(s)/Resource(s): T四lez, K. Chapter 3. The teaching instinct. New York: Routledge.

16 WE 5/24

・ The Education Chair

・ School Boards

・ School Choice

・ School Choice and Religion

・ Charter Schools

・ What Is a Charter School?

・ Three Examples of Charter Schools

・ For-Profit Companies and Charters

・ Home Schooling

・ Online and Distance Learning

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 8 Local Control, Choice, Charter Schools, and Home Schooling

Beabout, B. & Gill, I. (2015) Why here and why now? Teacher motivations for unionizing in a New Orleans charter school, Journal of School Choice, 9:4, 486-502.

17 MO 5/29 Memorial Day

No class meeting

 

18 WE 5/31 

・ Problems in Federal Control: Testing Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners

・ Does Federally Mandated High-Stakes Testing Work?

・ Does Federal Testing Policy Promote Unethical Behavior?

・ The Federal Government Decides the Reading War:

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 9 Power and Control at State and National Level

Comparison of the No Child Left Behind Act to the Every Student Succeeds Act

19 MO 6/5

・ The Changing Roles of American Teachers

・ The Rewards of Teaching

・ Working Conditions

・ Teacher Turnover

・ Teachersユ Unions and ・ Teacher Politics

・A Brief History of Teacher Unions

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 10 The Profession of Teaching

Strike, K. The ethics of teaching.

Hansen, D.T. & Laverty, M.J. (2010). Teaching and pedagogy. In R. Bailey & R. Barrow, R. (Eds.). The Sage handbook of philosophy of education. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

20 WE 6/7

・ Performance-Based Pay

・ Assault on Teachers Unionsユ ・ Collective Bargaining Rights

・ Should Teachers Strike?

・ Teachersユ Rights

・ Teachersユ Liability

・ Teachersユ Private Lives

Reading(s)/Resource(s):  Chapter 10 The Profession of Teaching

T四lez, K. (2004). Preparing teachers for Latino children and youth: Policies and practice. The High School Journal, 43-54.

Final Exam and OAR Make Up (1 only)

Final Exam: Monday, June 12, 7:30-10:00pm

Make-up OAR session: Monday, June 12, 10:00-10:30pm

 

 

Course Assignments

All in-class assessments (OARs, PADDLEs, Mid-term, Final exam) are open notes, open book, and open web. The only forbidden resource is the synchronous use of another personユs brain.

1a. Occasional Assessments/Reflections, aka, OARs (Contribution to overall grade/evaluation: 7 OARs at 5 points possible; 35 points total)

Participants will write written reflections or answer questions on class readings and lectures eight times during the quarter. The dates of the OARs are not announced in advance. Although most OARs will be administered during class time or section, one to two may be assigned as a week-long メtake-homeモ assignments. Attending all class sessions is the best strategy to receive the maximum points for the OARs. If you miss a class session during which an OAR was given, you can メmake-upモ one OAR. The OAR make-up will be scheduled for the last half hour of the final examination period.Evaluation: Assignment-dependent.

Additional information on make-up OARs: Make-up OARS cannot be taken to improve your score; that is, after you take or turn in an OAR, your grade is set. The make-up OAR can only be used to replace a missed in-class OAR and only when you did not attempt any of the items. We do not recommend that you skip an OAR, even if you have not kept up with the readings as you well as you had hoped. Why? First, you are not allowed access to resources during a make-up OAR. Second, the make-up OARs are more difficult and graded more strictly than regularly scheduled OARs. Therefore, the best strategy is toノwait for itノkeep up with the readings and attend each class and section.

If you miss an OAR, you must request a make-up. If you fail to request a make-up, your score for the missing OAR converts to 0. To request a make-up OAR, email your section leader by June 9, 5pm with the following information: Name, Student ID, OAR #, must be in the body of the email; メS17Make-UpOARモ must be in the subject line of the email.

Late work: As mentioned, two to three of the OARs will be a weeklong, take-home assignments. Late OARs might be accepted under certain circumstances, but students turning in late work waive their right to a grade challenge. Late work is also graded using a higher standard than work turned in on time.  Of course, the best strategy is toノwait for itノattend all class sessions and turn everything in on time.  

1b. Periodic Assessments Deftly Designed to Lift and Enrich your Scores (PADDLES). On occasion, we may ask a question, invite a comment, or conduct a brief activity in class or in section. PADDLES are typically worth .5 - 2 points and add to your total points for the class. There are no make-ups for missed PADDLES.

Evaluation: Adequate completion

  1. Midterm (20 points possible; 20% of total grade)
    A midterm examination will ask you to synthesize the readings and lectures thus far. It is a supply response, long format essay examination. Administered via Canvas

Evaluation criteria: Accuracy, Comprehensiveness.

  1. Final Examination (30 points possible; 30% of total grade)

A comprehensive (cumulative) final examination covering the all course content (readings, resources, and lecture material). The test format will include approximately 55-65 select-response (e.g., multiple choice) items and 3-5 supply response questions (short essay). Administered via Canvas.

  1. Group Multimedia Presentation. (15 points possible; 15% of total grade). Completed in section. On a book/course concept chosen collaboratively by section leaders and section students. Shared to ALL via Canvas/Google Drive

Evaluation: Creativity, Conceptual Explanation.

Grading scale: 98-100: A+; 94-97:A; 90-93:A-; 87-89:B+:83-86:B;80-82:B- and so on.

Miscellanea_

  1. We hope that this course is an opportunity for us to establish a genuine learning community where we all learn from one anotherユs knowledge and experience. Such communities imply a メsocial contractモ between faculty and students. Our part in this contract is as follows:
  1. UC Santa Cruz is committed to creating an academic environment that supports its diverse student body. If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations to achieve equal access in this course, please submit your Accommodation Authorization Letter from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to Kip or your section leader privately during office hours or by appointment, as soon as possible in the academic quarter, preferably within 1 week. We also encourage you to share ways we can ensure your full participation in this course. We encourage all students who may benefit to learn about the DRC and the UCSC accommodation process. You can visit the DRC website at drc.ucsc.edu. You can make an appointment and meet in-person with a DRC staff member. The phone number is 831-459-2089, or email drc@ucsc.edu.
  1. We hold fast to the UCSC principles of academic integrity (http://undergraduate.ucsc.edu/acd_integrity/index.html) and expect all participants to live up to the highest ideals of a genuine learning community (http://www.ucsc.edu/about/principles-community.html). Fiat Slug!