EDUC 3004 – EdD – Foundations - Context of Education

Course Description

In “Illumination: framing the terrain,” Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot(1997) defines context as, “thesetting—physical, geographic, temporal, historical, cultural,aesthetic—withinwhich action takes place” (p. 41). The study of context puts what people do and say in time and space. The context of action involves identities, cultures, ideologies, power relationships, and interests of individuals and groups. Action happens within social structures and dynamics, which are often in conflict. The contexts of action are also mediated by local, state, national, and even international conditions, trends, and tensions. Given the fluidity of societies, the context is always changing. This course explores the context of education. It emphasizes understanding the context and using education as an opportunity for transformation and social advance beyond discourses of deficit. Students in the differentARCOswill have the possibility to understand education and to discuss ways to make decisions through the lens of context.

Course objectives

  • Understand the multiple settings in which education takes place.
  • Learn context analysis for decision making in education.
  • Review the social, political, and economic landscape and uses of power.
  • Develop a deeper understanding of poverty, race, society, and education.
  • Generate questions and strategies to address poverty and race as leaders in educational facilities.
  • Use context study as atransformativetool in education.

Organization of the course

This course consists of four modules (described in the next entries below) that will use various strategies regardingonlinework and assignments. Each module has a Saturday session that will be led by one of the instructors. During the span of each module, students will be participating inonlinedeliberationsin assigned small groups (created to have the differentARCOsrepresented). Instructors will be able to provide some feedback during the weekly deliberations. There is also anindividual or groupwritten assignment that will be submitted by the end of each module. Specific assignments andonlinedeliberations are described on "Assignments" in the course menu on the right. The general rules foronlineparticipation are delineated below.

Onlineparticipation in deliberations on the Discussion Board

Class participation is essential in ensuring we are hearing the multiple perspectives present in the small groups and connecting them as a community. “Speaking” and “listening” in a group is a relevant capacity to develop as education practitioners and citizens. The aim is to achieve democratic and deliberativedialogue, which requires everyone’s participation.

This is how it works: There will be several dated forums on thesmall group'sDiscussion Boards. Each forum relates to a specific module/week’s topic. Students must do at least three postings every week: 1) a 200-to-400-word original response to the forum questions; 2) a meaningful comment on a classmate’s posting; 3) a response to a comment on their original postings. Students are encouraged to try to write comments on postings that have not received any comments yet. In case there is not a comment on a student's original posting, she/he can comment on two other postings. Original responses must be posted early in the week (Monday-Wednesday) and comments can take place throughout the week. There is not a write or wrong answer to the forum questions. However, students are required to write solid arguments. Therefore, responses based on mere opinion are not valid. They must be supported (warranted) with citations from class, the readings, or previous deliberations. Writing “I agree with you” is not enough; students are expected to include informed reasons. Also, avoid “absolutist” terms (e.g., totally or completely) as well as adjectives because they make arguments weak and turn them into mere opinion.

Besides the book assigned for Modules 1 and 3, all the reading materials will be available via "Course Documents" from the beginning of the term. Everybody is welcome to finish the readings, complete the written assignments, and do theonlinedeliberations for each forum (if small groups agree on that) early in the term.

Evaluation and grading

The course will be evaluated on a 500-point basis.

Each module will have a total score of 125 points with the following disaggregation:

  • 25 points Attendance to Saturday session (Note: if a student misses a Saturday session, and the excuse is acceptable, instructors will decide how the student will have the opportunity to catch up with the content and so the number of points he/she will get)
  • 50 points Participation inonlinedeliberations
  • 50 points Written assignment (Note: groups and students will have the opportunity to resubmit revised assignments for up to 48 points)

Onlinedeliberations

Module 1only has three weeks. Therefore, the 50 points foronlinedeliberations will be distributed as follows: Week 1, 16 points; weeks 2 and 3, 17 points each. Since in Module 1 students will be learning about each other and becoming familiar with theonlinedeliberation model created for this course, full grade will be granted to those who do an original posting and two comments. If a student does not post one of the weekly comments (response to original postings and/or other comments), 2 points will be subtracted from each missing posting. If one comment is a students’ only post during a week, that student will receive 4 points.

Modules 2, 3, and 4have four weeks each. The 50 points foronlinedeliberations will be divided by 4, that is, each week will be worth 12.5 points. Original postings will be granted 4.5 points and the two comments will be granted 4 points each. Even though this grading system is not based on the quality of the postings and is more intended to promote participation in theonlinedeliberations, one-sentence comments that do not provide any insight or reflection will not be grated any points.

This is just a basic standard. Students are encouraged to have copious and fruitfulonlinedeliberations considering that they have full weeks to participate. This is contrary to what often happens in brick-and-mortar classroom sessions, limited to a couple hours.

Grades

A: 470-500 A-: 450-469 B+: 430-449 B: 410-429 B-: 390-409 C+: 370-389

C: 350-369 C-: 330-349 D: 329-below

Class Modules and Schedule

Module 1: Race, Poverty, and Context (part 1). January 6-31, 2016

Face-to-face Saturday session. January 9, 2016

Module 2: Politics of Education. February 1-28, 2016

Face-to-face Saturday session. February 6, 2016

Module 3: Race, Poverty, and Context (part 2). February 29-March 27, 2016

Face-to-face Saturday session. March 5, 2016

Module 4: Context Analysis and Education Opportunity. March 28-April 24, 2016

Face-to-face Saturday session. April 2, 2016

NOTE: The instructors could do modifications to the syllabus as needed.

Module 1: Race, Poverty, and Context (part 1)

Professors

Dr.H. RichardMilner

Dr.Erika GoldKestenberg

Description

Educators often talk about poverty when discussing the failures of our education system, yet they often shy away from conversations around race. In this session, ProfessorMilnerdiscusses the ways in race and racism shape policies and practices that influence students. Milnerexamines pervasive raced structural and social policies that impact educators’ mindsets, considershow we can support instructional and leadership practices that address race and poverty in meaningful ways, and shares what“successful” schools and districts do to meet the needs ofunderservedstudents.

Objectives

In modules 1 and 3, students will:

  • Develop a deeper understanding of poverty and race.
  • Begin to answer questions from theRac(e)ingto class:Confronting poverty and race in schools and classroomsbook to enhance their knowledge and understanding of poverty, race, society and education.
  • Develop strategies to address poverty and race as leaders in educational facilities.
  • Generate questions and ideas about the role and salience of race and poverty in students’ opportunities to learn.
  • Construct a preliminary plan to “assess” issues of race and poverty in an educational environment.

Some of the concepts that we will be covered (this is not an exhaustive list):

  • Meritocracy
  • Colorblindness
  • Social Capital
  • Race
  • Equity
  • Racism
  • Disproportionality
  • Social Reproduction
  • Culture
  • Cultural Practices
  • Self-Efficacy Beliefs
  • Poverty
  • Wealth
  • Inequality
  • Social Justice
  • Racial Micro-Aggressions
  • Racial Battle Fatigue
  • Stereotype Threat

Questions for deliberation from the bookRac(e)ingto Class: Confronting Poverty and Race in Schools and Classroomsand other readings:

Introduction

  • Why do young children too often lose interest and motivation in schools even though they begin their schooling excited about education?
  • Why is it important to understand students’ experiences outside of school?
  • What are some of the out-of-school experiences that educators should know about, seek to understand, and respond to?
  • How does Darling-Hammond conceptualize the decline in narrowing achievement gaps? Why did progress stop? (p. 5)
  • What is race and why does it matter in the work of educators in schools?
  • In what ways is race about more than skin color? (p. 8)
  • What is poverty? Why is it essential for educators to understand poverty among students and families?
  • What is the difference between “schooling” and “education”?
  • What is social class?
  • What is social/racial stratification?
  • Why should educators develop tools to address the intersections of race and poverty?
  • Read and react to the suppositions that guideRac(e)ingto Classon pages 24-26.

Chapter 1

  • Identify the four recommendations on page 33 for school and district-level reform.
  • What roles do educators (in the classroom) play in helping districts realize and reach these recommendations?
  • Define equity.
  • Why is an increase in school and district resources insufficient for the kinds of reform necessary to meet the needs of students living in poverty?
  • How do educators identify and respond to neighborhood conditions? (p. 39)
  • What role do social contexts (the environment) play on the effects of race and poverty?
  • What are some of the realities of homeless students and families?
  • Outline some of the educational barriers of homeless students according toMawhinney-
  • RhoadsandStahler(p. 45).
  • What six recommendations doesMilnerdiscuss on pages 47-48 for state, district, and school reform?
  • What does it mean for students to be “school dependent”?
  • Which pedagogical shifts are essential for educators when class sizes are reduced among students?
  • What are some benefits to reducing class size among students?
  • What is the curriculum? How does Eisner define the various forms of the curriculum? (p. 57)
  • What are pros and cons to narrowing and standardizing the curriculum?
  • How do schools and districts cultivate cultural and organizational shifts to meet the needs of students living in poverty?

Chapter 2

  • How does listening to the voices of students influence teachers’ instructional practices? (pp. 69-74)
  • What are some critiques of Ruby Payne’s framework on the “culture of poverty”?
  • What are the four recommendationsMilnermakes for reforming instructional practices to better meet the needs of students living in poverty? (p. 78)
  • How do teachers build the capacity to teach English Language arts across the curriculum?
  • Read and react to the knowledge and skills teachers need to develop beyond academic content (pp. 102-103).
  • How do educators build the capacity to build thesummativeinstructional practices on pages 110-111?

Chapter 3

Preschool Educators:

  • Read the case study of Jamal on pages 114–115. What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?

Elementary Educators:

  • Read the case study of Lawrence on pages 115–116. What are the central issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?

Middle School Educators:

  • Read the case study about math and motivation on pages 117-119. What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?

High School Educators:

  • Read the case study about black girls on pages 119-121. What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?
  • What does the research show about objective and subjective office referral patterns?
  • Discuss and critique the reasons for exclusionary office referral practices of educators on pages 124-127.

Middle and High School Educators:

  • Read the case study about “A Robbery in the Perry Community” on pages 129-137. What are the reasons educators give for avoiding a discussion of the robbery with their students?
  • What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty? What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?

Elementary and Middle School Educators:

  • Read the case study about shoes on pages 137-138. What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?
  • Read the case study about a notebook on pages 138-139. What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?

Principals and Leaders:

  • Read the case study about a principal on pages 139-140. What are the essential issues related to race and/or poverty?
  • What strategies and recommendations would you draw from throughout earlier chapters to address the issues you determined to be essential?

All Educators:

  • What are some of the broad lessons embedded in the case studies in chapter 3? What did you think about that you may not have considered much in the past?

Module 2: Politics of Education

Professor

Dr. Mary Esther Van Shura

Description

A major premise is asserted that to serve as a community leader, one must have a clear vision and a strong organizational style that mirrors a community’s social, political, economic and organizational profile. A second premise is that to be truly effective within a community, a community leader must epitomize Aristotle’s belief that we have the responsibility to be “political animals.”

Objectives and Educational Strategies

A recent survey byEducation Week(“Quality Counts,” 2014) indicated that 66 percent of administrators surveyed noted that “their district’s superintendency had turned over at least once in the past five years.” Coupled with previous surveys that indicated that school administrators generally leave due to politics and bureaucracy, it is the belief of the Instructor that the ability of a school administrator to serve as a community leader for an extended period of time occurs by understanding and implementing strategies to respond to the social, political, economic and organizational forces that impact on the community.

To achieve this objective, this module will be divided into three segments as follows:

  • Reviewing the political landscape and uses of power
  • Observing “political animals” in a political landscape
  • Leading in a changing social, economic, and political landscape

Part A: Political Landscape

Using the Bushaw & Calderon, Ahmad & Hamm, and Burke & Corona articles, students should be prepared to address the following:

  • How does a political ideology influence one’s attitude to education?
  • What priorities or challenges are identified due to one’s political perspective?
  • How do voting patterns reflect an ideology?

Analyze Voting Behavior forShalerTownship, PA, usingShalerTownship website (see Course Documents):

  • Review a Ward map of Wards and Districts and have a copy for reference in class

UsingAllegheny county data (see Course Documents):

  • Once you are in the Detailed District site, scroll down to all the results for Shaler starting on page 616.
  • Review results for Ward 1 District 1 through Ward 1 District 5 on pages 616 to 618 and have available for class.
  • Review results for Ward 6 District 1 through Ward 6 District 4 on pages 631-634 and have available for class.

Part B: Social and Economic Landscape

UsingthePuente& Warren,Niederberger, andBrookingsInstitutereadings and reviewing Census data, students should be prepared to address the following:

  • What was the impact on education with the suburbanization of America in the late 20th century?
  • What will be the impact on education with the urbanization of America in the 21st century?

Given that this section of the session will explore the relationship between school districts and municipalities, the following materials are needed for reference during class:

  • Retrieve a map of the school districts in Allegheny County outside of the City (AIU3 link on Course Documents). Have this map available in hard copy or electronically for class review.
  • Secure a map of Allegheny County municipalities andretrieve information on Penn Hills
  • Using the AmericanFactfFnder, print data ofPenn Hills Township, Allegheny County, PA(Do NOT use Penn Hills CDP) about:
  1. 2010 Population: General Population and Housing Characteristics
  2. 2014 Age: Children’s Characteristics
  3. 2014 Education: Educational Attainment
  4. 2014 Housing: Selected Housing Characteristics

Module 3: Race, Poverty, and Context (part 2)

Professors

Dr. H. RichardMilner

Dr. Erika GoldKestenberg

Description

Educators often talk about poverty when discussing the failures of our education system, yet they often shy away from conversations around race. In this session, ProfessorMilnerdiscusses the ways in race and racism shape policies and practices that influence students. Milnerexamines pervasive raced structural and social policies that impact educators’ mindsets, considershow we can support instructional and leadership practices that address race and poverty in meaningful ways, and shares what“successful” schools and districts do to meet the needs ofunderservedstudents.

Objectives

In modules 1 and 3, students will:

  • Develop a deeper understanding of poverty and race.
  • Begin to answer questions from theRac(e)ingto class:Confronting poverty and race in schools and classroomsbook to enhance their knowledge and understanding of poverty, race, society and education.
  • Develop strategies to address poverty and race as leaders in educational facilities.
  • Generate questions and ideas about the role and salience of race and poverty in students’ opportunities to learn.
  • Construct a preliminary plan to “assess” issues of race and poverty in an educational environment.

Questions for deliberation from the bookRac(e)ingto Class: Confronting Poverty and Race in Schools and Classroomsand other readings: