Note: THIS IS THE SYLLABUS FOR THE ONLINE COURSE I TAUGHT LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR’S COURSE WILL FOLLOW MUCH THE SAME READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS, BUT WILL BE STRUCTURED SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY THAN THE ONLINE COURSE.
Modern Philosophies of Education: Ed Pol 740
Fall, 2011
Instructor:Aaron Schutz, Associate Professor
Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies
Enderis 553, Office hours: M 2:00-4:20 and by appointment
, Office Phone: 229-4150
Note: I will NOT be on the D2L site all the time. If you want to reach me quickly, send me an email. If there is something on D2L that you wish I would respond to quickly, you can also shoot me an email.
I will try to focus my responses on a couple of days of the week.
Course Objectives:
To examine a range of different theories of education and society and apply them to current educational issues and contexts.
Texts
1.Texts at UWM bookstore:
John Dewey, Experience and Education
W. E. B. Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk
Nel Noddings, Caring
2.Articles and Chapters on D2L
Assignments
AssignmentGradingDue
1. Class Participation30%
2. Paper #115%10/2
3. Paper #215%10/16
4. Paper #330%12/23
All papers may be rewritten during the semester for an improved grade, and I will often request that a paper be rewritten before I assign a grade.
Assignment Descriptions:
Class Participation: Because this is an online course, participation will be essential. In the first few weeks I will have small group assignments that will help you ease your way into reading philosophical material. Later on, you will be required to write a brief post with a question about the material and some citations that you think are relevant to this question, and you will be required to make at least three substantive responses to others’ posts. You will also be required to read all posts every week by other students and myself.
Papers: There will be three papers this semester. The first paper will require you to relate the material we have read on Dewey to some issue or specific context you are familiar with. The second paper will require you to lay out what you think Dewey and Foucault’s perspectives would be on a different issue or context you are familiar with. You are encouraged to draw from material or contexts that you already know well—either from courses or from your own life experience. You do not have to draw from any material beyond that which we have read in class. NOTE: YOU CANNOT USE SECONDARY SOURCE MATERIAL ABOUT DEWEY OR FOUCAULT FOR THESE PAPERS (with the exception of the short introductory section we will read about Foucault). These papers must represent your own interpretation of the material we have read. The aim of these papers is to help you learn how to read and talk about primary philosophical work. Papers 1 & 2 should be 7+ pages long
The third paper is a more standard semester paper. You will need to choose a particular theoretical framework or theorist that you want to know better, and you will need to read additional material about this area or person beyond that presented in class (you may also address areas and thinkers we don’t address in class). The goal is to either present a detailed exposition of this theorists’ perspective on a particular issue, or show what this theorist would say about a particular context or problem you are concerned with. You must also include a short section in this paper discussing how looking at this issue or context from the perspective of one of the other theoretical frameworks we have examined in class would lead to different answers and different questions. The goal is to help you understand at least one theoretical area or theorist well, and to understand that different theoretical frameworks illuminate issues and contexts in different ways. You may use secondary sources for Paper 3. Paper #3 should be 15+ pages long.
Other Comments on Class Participation. For our class to be successful, it is crucial that everyone find ways to participate that feel comfortable to them. An important part of participation is the ability to make space for others to contribute. We need to work together to create an environment in this class that encourages dialogue and exchange. Students will be expected to take part in all class discussions; reflect understandings from readings; receive alternative perspectives in a constructive, professional, and respectful manner; listen well to the comments of others; share and negotiate meaning; ask questions for understanding; and contribute to the growth of others.
Attendance. Students will be required to prepare fully for class, and participate actively in discussion. Students who substantially miss more than one full module will be required to write a short makeup paper. Students who substantially miss more than threeweeks will not receive credit for the course. While I understand that emergencies arise, at some point, regardless of the reason it is time to accept that the class should be taken some other time.
Other Class Policies
Academic Misconduct. The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors. Papers submitted for this class must have been written expressly for this class. Unless explicitly negotiated with the instructor (and I am open to discussing this), papers or parts of papers turned into more than one course will be treated as plagiarism.
Accommodation for Religious Observances. Students will be allowed to complete examinations or other requirements that are missed because of a religious observance.
Grade Appeal Procedures. A student may appeal a grade on the grounds that it is based on a capricious or arbitrary decision of the course instructor. Such an appeal shall follow the established procedures adopted by the department, college, or school in which the course resides. These procedures are available in writing from the respective department chairperson or the Academic Dean of the College/School.
Incompletes. A notation of "incomplete" may be given in lieu of a final grade to a student who has carried out a subject successfully until the end of the semester but who, because of illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond the student's control, has been unable to complete some limited amount of term work. An incomplete is not given unless you prove to the instructor that you were prevented from completing course requirements for just cause as indicated above.
Participation by Students with Disabilities. If you need special accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is not tolerated by the University, and threatens the careers, educational experience, and well-being of students, faculty, and staff. The University will not tolerate behavior between or among members of the University community which creates an unacceptable working environment for anyone.
Course Outline
DateTopicsReadings
9/6-10Introduction
9/7-9/8: Introduce yourself in the Introductions forum—please include a picture if you can.
9/7-9/8: Provide availability for chat sessions.
9/8, 7:30-9:00pm, Thursday: Group Discussion: at URL: in Enderis 546. See instruction sheet. NOTE: Testing not available from 11:30-2:30 on Tuesday.
9/9: Instructor assigns chat session times
Complete Scavenger Hunt
Watch Dewey Video Part I
NOTE: For the video discussion, you will need to have tested out your connection prior to the meeting. See the instructions in the content section for doing this.
NOTE THAT THE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS WILL BE GREATER EARLIER IN THE SEMESTER AS WE WORK WITH MORE CHALLENGING MATERIAL BY DEWEY AND FOUCAULT
John Dewey and Progressive Education
9/11-17Dewey I: The Laboratory SchoolRead: Dewey, Chs.1 & 2 of School and Society
9/14 at noon. Regular Weekly Posting
9/14-17. Regular Weekly Responses
9/18-24Dewey II: Experience and EducationRead: Dewey, Experience and Education, Chs.1-5
9/18-21: Participate in small group “chat” discussion about your assigned pages of Experience and Education. Make sure that you have read the ENTIRE set of readings, not just the pages assigned to you, before you begin this discussion—understanding your section will require understanding what else Dewey is talking about.
9/21 at noon: One member of each small group should post a summary of the key points in their section, key quotes (keep these fairly short) and key questions they still have.
9/22: Whole group discussion on IP camera or by attending Enderis 546, 7:30-9:00
Students must read and comment on the posts of other groups, and also respond to queries to their own posts.
9/25-10/1Dewey III: Experience and EducationRead: Dewey, Experience and Education, Chs. 6-8
Dewey, “The Economic Basis of a New Society”
Regular weekly discussion.
Post a key question or issue you have with the readings, include some quotations. Read and respond to the posts of others. More instructions to follow.
Michel Foucault and Postmodernism
10/2-10/8Michel Foucault IRead:Rabinow, Foucault Reader, pp. 14-23
Watch:Aaron’s Lecture on Foucault
Due: Paper #1 (10/3)
Regular Weekly Discussion Format
Note that the reading for this week is brief, but will also be challenging for some.
10/9-15Michel Foucault IIRead:Miller, Passion, pp.208-211
Foucault Reader, pp. 188-238
10/3-5: Participate in small group “chat” discussion about assigned pages of the Foucault Reader. Make sure that you have read the ENTIRE set of readings before you begin this discussion—understanding your section will require understanding what else Foucault is talking about.
10/5 noon: Small groups have one of their members post a summary of the key points in their section, key quotes (keep these fairly short) and key questions they still have.
10/6: Whole group discussion of Foucault on IP camera or by attending Enderis 546.
Theorizing and Resisting Racial Oppression
10/16-22WEB DuBois IRead: DuBois, Souls, The Forethought & Chs. 1-3.
Watch: Video on DuBois.
Paper II Due: Dewey and (vs.?) Foucault
Regular discussion format from this point on.
10/23-29W.E.B. Dubois IIDuBois, Souls, Chs. 4-12
Regular discussion format.
May also include a brief in-week assignment related to Dubois.
10/30-11/5Critical Race TheoryTate, "Critical Race Theory in Education"
Bell, “Ch. 4: Chronicle of the Sacrificed Black . . .”
Feminist Theory
11/6-11/12Nel NoddingsNoddings, Caring Chs. 1-4.
Thompson, "Not the Color Purple"
In addition to regular posting, each student must also post a brief statement about what they think they will write Paper #3 about. If you are not sure, feel free to call me.
11/13-11/19Feminists of ColorCollins, “Social Const. of Black Feminist Thought”
hooks, “Black Women: Shaping Feminist Theory”
11/20-11/26ThanksgivingPaper Revision
11/27-12/3Social ClassAnzaldua, “. . .Towards a New Consciousness”
Crenshaw, “Whose Story is it Anyway?”
Social Class
12/4-12/10Social ClassSchutz, “Social Class and Social Action . . .”
Schutz & Sandy, “Saul Alinsky”
Alinsky Video
Social Action
12/10-12/17Community OrganizingBourdieu Chapters from Practical Reason
Final Paper Due12/23/11