Dr. Stephen Herr
Educational Studies, Leadership & Counseling
Course: EDU 403-03 Spring, 2012
Murray State University
DEPARTMENT: ECE
COURSE NUMBER: EDU 403 - 03
CREDIT HOURS: 2
OFFICE HOURS: Monday 4:00-6:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursday 10:30-12:30 PM and Wednesday 10:30-12:30 PM
I. TITLE: EDU 403 Structures and Foundations of Education
II. COURSE DESCRIPTION: A course designed to provide the undergraduate teacher education student with an in-depth study of the foundations of education. The course includes a major emphasis in the social, historical, legal, and philosophical foundations of education. Prerequisite: Admission to Teacher Education.
III. PURPOSE: The student will study the foundations of education and learn to conceptualize the purposes and consequences of education.
IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Class activities will be centered on the attainment of the course objective listed below. These objectives are understood to be reflective of, but not limited to those behaviors advocated by the Kentucky Education Reform Act guidelines. Following the objective, and enclosed in parentheses is a reference to where the Kentucky Teacher Standards for Preparation and Certification (KTS) address that objective.
A. Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to reflect in ways that will enhance their ability to evaluate specific teaching/learning situations and/or programs. (KTS #7)
B. Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to incorporate a multicultural/global perspective into their teaching. (KTS #3)
C. Upon successful completion of this class, students will be better able to organize, express, and respond to information and ideas. (KTS #1 )
D. Upon successful completion of this class, students will express greater self sufficiency, and creativity. (KTS #1 )
E. Throughout this class and upon its successful completion, students will act as group members who demonstrates consistent, responsive, and caring behavior; interpersonal skills; respect for the rights and responsibilities of others; world views; and an open mindedness to other perspectives. (KTS # 10)
The COE Theme of Educator as Reflective Decision Maker is addressed in this course by requiring students to reflect on their role in the teaching process, the history of the their profession, societal concerns relating to teaching, and relationship between law and professional practice.
Education Professional Standards Board Themes: In this class we will address issues relating to diversity and pay specific attention to the needs and concerns of exceptional children including the gifted and talented. We will also address issues relating to cultural and ethnic diversity, and the subject of reflective practice and self assessment.
V. CONTENT OUTLINE:
The topics listed below will be taught and assessed. [See "Conceptual Framework" handed out with Syllabus. The purpose of this course is to help you "demonstrate a mastery in the identified skills of ... (your) profession."]
A. The Philosophy of Education
B. The History of Education
C. Education and Society
D. Education and the Law
VI. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Lecture, question/answer, and class discussion. Handouts will be provided by the professor to direct topics for study and discussion. Students will read and study the required portions of text and will discuss and ask questions about the text.
VII. FIELD, CLINICAL, AND/OR LABORATORY EXPERIENCES: NONE.
VIII. RESOURCES: Text, films, handouts, and lecture notes
IX. GRADING PROCEDURES:
Please note: Although activities and grading procedures may vary by instructor, the * items are required.
Exams: Two written exams will be given, one at midterm and the other exam at the conclusion of the course. Each exam is valued at 100 points. Information for the exams is taken from the class meetings, including lecture, question/answer, discussion, handouts, and from text, all the responsibility of the student.
Evaluation: Grades will be awarded from the numerical average score of the two exams according to the following percentages:
Percentage Grade
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% E
Your final grade will be based on the two exams,* class attendance, class participation, your academic journal, your philosophical statement* and your book review.
Book List(choose one of the following)
*Early Autumn, by Robert Parker
*The Small Room, by May Sarton
*The Courage to Teach, by Parker Palmer
* Robert E. Lee on Leadership, by H. W. Crocker III
*Punished by Rewards, by Alfie Kohn
*Now Discover Your Strength's, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
*A Perfect Mess, by Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman
*Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell
*Approaches to Teaching, by Fenstermacher and Sotis
*Journey to Ixtlan, by Carlos Castaneda
*Late Talking Children, Thomas Sowell
*The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, by James Marin
*Best Intentions, by Robert Anson
*Being Wrong, by Kathryn Schulz
*The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
*True North, by Jill Ker Conway
*The Emperor's Handbook, by Marcus Aurelius trans. Hicks and Hicks
*Eichman in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, by Hannah Arendt
*Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
*Misquoting Jesus, by Bart Ehrman
*The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, Nassim Taleb
*The Revolt of the Masses, Jose Ortega Y Gasset
*The Idea of the University, by John Henry Newman
*Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, by Goethe
X. ATTENDANCE POLICY:
This course adheres to the attendance policy published in the current MSU Undergraduate Bulletin.
XI. ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY:
This course adheres to the academic honesty policy published in the current MSU Undergraduate Bulletin.
XII. TEXT AND REFERENCES:
See course website and other materials as assigned by the professor.
XIII. PREREQUISITE: Admission to Teacher Education.
XIV. STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created to prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment, admissions, or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities equal access to participate in all programs and activities. For more information, contact Director of Equal Opportunity, 103 Wells Hall. 270-809-3155 (voice), 270-809-3361 (TDD).
XV. FLAG SYSTEM/CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT:
Student progress is continuously assessed throughout the teacher preparation program. Appropriate professional characteristics and demeanors, in addition to academic achievement, are assessed. Positive and negative flags are submitted by faculty to Teacher Education Services and then presented to admissions committees. Negative flags are carefully reviewed to make a determination as to whether a student should be denied admission OR if a professional development plan will be designed for the student's progress towards program completion. NEGATIVE FLAGS MAY BE GROUNDS FOR DENIAL OF ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION AND/OR STUDENT TEACHING.
Class Schedule
Monday January 23
First day of class
Monday January 30
Plato, "The Apology,"
http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html
Parker J. Palmer, "The Heart of a Teacher"
www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/events/afc99/articles/heartof.html
Monday February 6
Marcus Buckingham, “The Strengths Revolution”
http://gmj.gallup.com/content/547/The-Strengths-Revolution.aspx
Geoffrey Colvin, "What it takes to be great"
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/
Daniel Goleman, "What Makes a Leader"? Harvard Business Review, Nov/Dec98, Vol. 76, Issue 6
http://www.mercy.edu/faculty/Georgas/inbs640/files/WhatMakesaLeader.pdf
Monday February 13
Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, Chapter 20 "Failure"
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/hadams/eha20.html
Select Zen and Taoist Stories
http://101-zen-stories.blogspot.com/
Select Stories from the Bible: "Matthew," "Mark," "Luke" and "John" (Please; do not read all of the Zen stories or all of the Bible stories. Select whichever ones which are most interesting to you, and be prepared to talk about those stories in class.)
Monday February 20
Samuel R. Hall, "Lectures to School-Masters on Teaching," "On Teaching" (in class hand-out)
"CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF SECONDARY EDUCATION"
http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/research/edu20/moments/1918cardinal.html
Abraham Flexner, “A Modern School”
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4995/
Mid-term handed out
Monday February 27
The State PIRGs' "RIPOFF 101: 2nd Edition"
www.smccd.net/bookstore/downloads/Ripoff%20101%202005.pdf
Kathy Slobogin, "Survey: Many students say cheating's OK"
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/fyi/teachers.ednews/04/05/highschool.cheating/
Heather Vogell , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Investigation into APS cheating finds unethical behavior across every level”
http://www.ajc.com/news/investigation-into-aps-cheating-1001375.html
"The Hawthorne Effect":
http://www.burtonreport.com/InfHealthCare/Info&UseHawthorne.html
Monday March 5
Work on mid– term
Monday March 12
Jeffrey Blitz, Spellbound
(This is a film we’ll watch in class)
Monday March 19
Spring Break – Class Will Not Meet
Monday March 12
Alfie Kohn, "Rethinking Homework"
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/rethinkinghomework.htm
Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/
"The Milgram Experiment":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
Mid-term due
Monday March 19
Malcolm Gladwell, "Do Parents Matter"
http://www.gladwell.com/1998/1998_08_17_a_harris.htm
William Gary Cole, “Stop Complaining About “Kids Today,”
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/12/16/16cole.h29.html?r=1688720000&tkn=NMVFdogiuwpWSoFyIZuPfCPbJTWB97hKIYiq
“Alleviating Teachers' Fear of Parents”
http://www.isacs.org/resources/monographs/library.asp?action=show&category=11&id=236
Monday March 26
Arthur Levine, “Educating School Teachers”
http://www.edschools.org/pdf/Educating_Teachers_Exec_Summ.pdf
Jonathan Kozol, "Still Separate, Still Unequal: America's Educational Apartheid"
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/American-Apartheid-Education1sep05.htm
Thomas Sowell, “The Education of Minority Children.”
http://www.tsowell.com/speducat.html
Monday April 2
TBA
Monday April 9
TBA
Monday April 16
“From the Mouths of Babes to a Jail Cell”by Dorothy Rabinowitz
http://campus.murraystate.edu/library/E_reserve/HerrELE403/mouths.pdf
Monday April 23
Lecture
Monday April 30
Book Reviews and Philosophical essays are due
Revised: February 25, 2012