TITLE: SOFD 550: Philosophy of Education (Philosophy, Ethics, and Teaching)

CREDITS: 2 semester hours

PREREQUISITES: None

TEACHER EDUCATION THEME FOR ADVANCED PROGRAMS

Inquiry, advocacy and leadership in education for a diverse and democratic society.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Application of philosophical methods of analysis to specific ethical problems facing teachers in preschool, elementary, and secondary schools. Students will investigate various ethical frameworks and critically examine, by means of case studies, controversial educational issues.

PURPOSE/RATIONALE

In order to become effective classroom practitioners, advocates for children and young adults, and educational leaders in their communities, teachers and other educational professionals need to (1) recognize the moral dimension of education and how it impacts school policy and classroom practice, (2) actively engage in philosophical analyses of educational ideas, problems, and controversial issues, and (3) employ ethical perspectives in interpreting and formulating educational practice.

OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to: (1) demonstrate awareness of the ethical dimensions of education and the role of teachers as moral leaders and advocates of children and young adults; (2) identify and evaluate different conceptions of justice, truth, rights, and caring that inform public discourse on educational issues; (3) apply disciplinary knowledge from philosophy of education and ethics to schooling in diverse cultural contexts; (4) evaluate the moral, social, and political dimensions of classrooms, teaching, and schools as the relate to life in a democratic society; (5) understand the full significance of diversity in a democratic society and how that bears on instruction, school leadership, and governance; (6) demonstrate skills in thinking analytically and communicating effectively; (7) articulate and defend their own value orientations on teaching, technology, and society; (8) engage in an analysis of moral dilemmas confronting preschool and K-12 teachers today; and (9) build bridges between critical analysis of schools and educational policies, and the practical ways that teachers, parents, students, administrators and concerned community members can transform and improve educational relations both within schools and within their personal and social lives.

COURSE OUTLINE

I. ETHICAL INQUIRY AND EDUCATION

-Ethics as a branch of philosophical inquiry

-Nature of philosophical inquiry

-Difference between philosophy and ideology
-Moral dimensions of education

-Tolerance for diverse ethical viewpoints

II. ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS/ CONCEPTUAL TOOLS

-Consequentialist and nonconsequentialist ethical theories
-Vocabulary of moral discourse

-Ethical claims vs. factual claims
-Ethical claims vs. legal claims
-Ethical claims vs. religious claims
-Reflective equilibrium

III. THE ETHIC OF CARE
-Characteristics of a caring relationship
-Caring as an aim of education
-Applications to preschool settings
-Applications to the elementary classroom
-Applications to the secondary classroom
-Reflections on method

IV. EDUCATORS AND SOCIAL CHANGE
-Exemplary models (guest speakers, film clips, and literature)
-Teachers as democratic leaders and moral agents

-Teachers and the internet
-Teachers as allies of the oppressed
-Teachers as advocates for diversity

V. THE ETHIC OF THE PROFESSION
-Professional ethics as applied ethics
-Need for professional ethics for teachers
-Professional codes of conduct vs. personal codes of conduct
-Examination of specific ethical codes

-Role of ethical codes
-Limitations of ethical codes

VI. ETHICAL DILEMMAS AND DISPUTES, ROUND ONE: FAIR TREATMENT OF STUDENTS

-Presentation of case studies
-Clarification of disputes
-Analysis of concepts and issues
-Argument/counter argument
-Tentative conclusions
-Reflections on method

VII. ETHICAL DILEMMAS AND DISPUTES, ROUND TWO:
DIVERSITY AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
-Presentation of case studies

-Clarification of disputes
-Analysis of concepts and issues
-Argument/counter argument
-Tentative conclusions
-Reflections on method

VIII. ETHICAL DILEMMAS AND DISPUTES, ROUND THREE: STUDENT GENERATED CASE STUDIES

-Presentation of case studies
-Clarification of disputes
-Analysis of concepts and issues
-Argument/counter argument
-Tentative conclusions
-Reflections on method

IX. FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
-Philosophy in action, some guidelines
-Social and political realities of teaching
-Ethical decision-making in a democratic context
-Need for collaboration and support

-Need for self-knowledge
-Getting started in schools

SUGGESTED TEXTS AND READINGS

American Federation of Teachers. (1971). Code of ethics. Washington, DC: Author.

Fenner, D.E.W. (Ed.). (1999). Ethics in education. New York: Garland.

Feeney, S. & Kipnis, K. (1992). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Gorski, P. C. (2001). Multicultural education and the internet: Intersections and integrations. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Nash, R. J. (2002). "Real world" ethics: Frameworks for educators and human service professionals (2^nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

National Education Association. (1975). Code of ethics of the education profession. Washington, DC: Author.

Noddings, N. (1992). The challenge to care in schools. Columbia University: Teachers College Press.

Strike, K. A., & Soltis, J. (1998). The ethics of teaching (3rd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

De Los Reyes, E. & Gozemba, P. (2001). Pockets of hope: How students and teachers change the world. South Hadley, MA: Bergin &Garvey.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

These range from direct instruction to whole-group discussions, structured small-group activities, and student presentations. A case study approach is used as much as possible. Materials are varied and most often include primary sources and case studies but may also include selections from fiction, biographies, government documents, films, videos, slides, and presentations by guest speakers.

ASSESSMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS

General description: Students are evaluated through a variety of measures, including analytic essays, group projects, in-class participation, and discussions. All assessments are designed to encourage critical reflection on educational policy and practice in the context of a diverse democratic society. In addition students must demonstrate how the issues discussed in the course impact their lives as classroom teachers, advocates for children and young adults, and as educational leaders in their communities.

Specific examples: (*indicates those shared by all instructors and faculty)

l. Case study analyses of ethical dilemmas * (20%)

2. Reflective essays* (30%)
3. Critical reviews of films, articles, and other texts
4. Ethical analysis of classroom relations and practices including lesson plans, methods, management, and curriculum

5. Critical analysis of local, state and federal policies as they impact schools and classroom practices

6. Small group projects and presentations (written and oral) * (20%)
7. Field experience projects (individual and small group) in alternative educational settings

8. Active participation in classroom discussions* (10%)
9. At least one application assignment

Suggested application assignments:

1. Write a persuasive paper with a plan of action and rationale for creating or changing a specific school policy or educational practice.* (20%)
2. Create a reflective journal focused on the dispositions needed to be an effective and caring teacher in a democratic, culturally diverse society.
3. Create or modify your philosophy of education statement, highlighting the moral, social, and political dimensions of your teaching practice.
4. Develop and teach a mini-unit centered on themes of care, justice, diversity, or democracy in the classroom setting. (Include rationale and reflections.)
5. Document participatory leadership skills by working in collaborative projects with other educators or by engaging in a community project.

Criteria for evaluation of assignments

1. Quality of content (relevance to course, treatment of basic issues, significance or fullness of meaning, and mastery in synthesizing course materials and outside readings)

2. Precision of expression and accuracy of reasoning
3. Adequacy of evidence presented to support interpretations, criticisms and conclusions
4. Creative, insightful expression of ideas

5. Relevance to classroom practice, advocacy of children and young adults, and educational leadership in communities

KNOWLEDGE BASE: BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alvarado, C. et al. (Eds.) (2000). In our own way: How anti-bias work shapes our lives. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

American Association of University Professors. (1987). Statement on professional ethics. Washington, DC: Author.

American Federation of Teachers. (1971). Code of ethics. Washington, DC: Author.

Aristotle. (1980). Nicmachian ethics. Salem, New York: Oxford University Press.

Banks, J. A. 1994. An introduction to multicultural education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Baptiste, N. E. & Reyes, L. (2002). Ethics in Early Care and Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, Prentice Hall.

Blanchard, J. S. & Casanova, U. (1996). Modern fiction about schoolteaching. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Bowers, C. (2000). Let them eat data: How computers affect education, cultural diversity, and the prospects of ecological sustainability. Athens: University of Georgia Press.

Bricker, D. (1989). Classroom life as civic education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Brown, C. S. (2002). Refusing racism: White allies and the struggle for civil rights. New York: Teachers College Press.

Buzelli, C. & Johnston, B. (2002). The moral dimensions of teaching: Language, Power, and culture in classroom interaction. New York: Routledge Falmer.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2002). Learning to teach for social justice. New York: Teachers College Press.

De Los Reyes, E. & Gozemba, P. (2001). Pockets of hope: How students and teachers change the world. South Hadley, MA: Bergin &Garvey.

Dewey, J. (1916). Democrat and education. New York: Free Press.

__________. (1957). Reconstruction in philosophy. Boston: Beacon Press.

Duckworth, E. (1997). Teacher to teacher: Learning from each other. New York: Teachers College Press.

Feeney, S., Freeman, N., & Moravcik, E. (2000). Teaching the NAEYC code of ethical conduct: Activity sourcebook. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Feeney, S., Freeman, N. (1999). Ethics and the early childhood educator: Using the NAEYC code. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Feeney, S. & Kipnis, K. (1992). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Fenner, D.E.W. (Ed.). (1999). Ethics in education. New York: Garland.

Foucault, M. (1983). On the genealogy of ethics: An overview of work in progress. In H. L. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow (Eds.), Michael Foucault: Beyond structuralism and hermeneutics (2^nd ed.), pp. 229-252. University of Chicago Press.

Fraser, N. (1997). Justus interruptus. New York: Routledge.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.

________. (1985). The politics of education: Culture, power and liberation. South Hadley, MA: Bergin &Garvey.

Glaser, J. W. (1994). Three realms of ethics: Individual institutional societal. Kansas City, MO: Sheed & Ward.

Glickman, C. (1998). Revolutionizing America's schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Goodlad, J. I., Soder, R., & Sirotnik, K. A. (Eds.). (1990). The moral dimension of teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Gorski, P. C. (2001). Multicultural education and the internet: Intersections and integrations. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Gotz, I. L. (2001). Technology and the spirit. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.

Greene, M. (1988). The dialectic of freedom. New York: Teachers College Press.

___________. (1995). Releasing_ the imagination. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Gutman, A. (1987). Democratic education. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Hoffman, N. (1981). Woman's "true" profession: Voices from the history of teaching. Old Westbury, NY: The Feminist Press.

Hursh, D. W. & Ross, E. W. (2000). Democratic social education. New York: Routledge.

Katz, M. S., Noddings, N., & Strike, K. A. (Eds.). (1999). Justice and caring: The search for common ground in education. New York: Teachers College Press.

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Lipkin, A. (2000). Understanding homosexuality, changing schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

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Meier, D. (1995). The power of their ideas: Lessons for America from a small school in Harlem. Boston: Beacon Press.

Nash, R. J. (2002). "Real world" ethics: Frameworks for educators and human service professionals (2" ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

National Education Association. (1975). Code of ethics of the education profession. Washington, DC: Author.

Noddings, N. (1984). Caring: A feminine approach to ethics and moral education. Berkeley: University of California Press.

___________. (1992). The challenge to care in schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

____________. (2001). Starting at home: Caring and social policy. Berkeley: University of California Press.

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Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Rich, J. M. (1984). Professional ethics in education: Its study and importance. IL: Charles Thomas.

Robinson, A. & Stark, D. (2002). Advocates in action: Making a difference for young children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Roland Martin, J. (2002). Cultural miseducation: In search of a democratic solution. New York: Teachers College Press.

Shapiro, J. P. & Stefkovich, J. A. (2001). Ethical leadership and decision making in education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Sizer, T. R. & Sizer, N. F. (2002). The students are watching: Schools and the moral contract. Boston: Beacon Press.

Sockett, H. (1993). The moral base for teacher professionalism. New York: Teachers College Press.

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Staratt, R. J. (1994). Building an ethical school. Washington, DC: Palmer Press.

Stephan, W. (1999). Reducing prejudice and stereotyping in schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

Strike, K. A., & Soltis, J. (1998). The ethics of teaching (3rd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

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