Artifact Eleven
COURSE OUTLINE FOR EDUC 5321.02 Philosophy of Education
Faculty of Education
EDUC 5321.02 Philosophy of Education
Mondays, 9:00 am – 11:45 am Seton 432
January 8th- April 9th 2018
Instructor: András Kocsis
Telephone: 902-2192323 (cell)
Email: andras.kocsis@msvu.ca
Appointments by arrangement
There are two ways of spreading the light: To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
— Edith Wharton
Course description
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to educational concepts, issues and case studies through philosophical inquiry. This course offers preservice teachers a stimulating and accessible introduction to some of the most important issues in the field. By doing philosophy—examining, synthetizing, analyzing, speculating, prescribing, conveying, assuming and evaluating—we will connect philosophical reflection with current debates concerning various approaches to teaching, content of curriculum, methods of assessment, and many other practical matters that relate to schools and student learning. Participants will learn to think philosophically, that is, bring certain ways of thinking to their task, in order to develop the critical and creative attitudes, and begin to understand, as Wolfgang Klafki (2000) puts it, the “draft character” of planning and preparation for future classroom situations (p. 143).
Format of Study
The course will combine in-class sessions with self-directed learning. By nature, this class requires a great deal of in-class discussion and dialogue coupled with self-reflection and introspection. It`s aim is to be very inter-active and the bulk of the course learnings will come from in-class work, group projects, and individual research and writing.
The online Moodle site will provide the platform to access articles and the possibility of interactive classroom exchanges. The course-based communication outside the classroom—the back and forth between instructor and members of the class—will occur in the context of easy-to-use email technology.
The format of meetings will include small and full group discussions, lectures, role-playing, discovery activities, consultation, collaboration and research. Students are expected to be familiar with assigned readings prior to each week’s class.
Course objectives
This course is intended to provide students (and, in the spirit of lifelong learning, the instructor) with an introduction to some of the foundational concepts, ideas, and perspectives in educational philosophy. Aristotle, in The Politics, raises the question of whether education should be directed mainly to the intellect or to moral character, and whether proper studies are those that are useful in life, make for excellence, and advance the bounds of knowledge. The great Greek philosopher`s comments are still relevant today, because as educators we have to constantly consider the fundamental questions of human existence. If we fail to investigate questions about the meaning of life, the nature of truth, goodness, beauty, and justice—with which the philosophy of education should be concerned—we promote an education that is inadequate.
In addition, the course aims to study educational philosophy in order to create an environment in which participants establish mutually supportive relationships that will enhance their learning, professional growth and research inquiry. By the end of the course we may have found answers to some of our questions, but we will also have learned how to generate many more.
During this course, participants will:
× Review the basic problems of education,
× Evaluate a wide variety of suggestions offered as solutions to problems,
× Learn to develop a philosophical perspective, and
× Develop an internally consistent point of view that relates to the larger-world context in a realistic way.
Required Texts
1. Hare, William & Portelli, John P. (Eds.). Key Questions for Educators. Halifax:
Edphil Books, 2005.
2. Hare, William & Portelli, John P. (Eds.). What to Do? Case Studies for Educators,3rd edition.
Halifax: Edphil Books, 2003.
3. Additional materials will be posted online.
Key Questions for Educators provides an informed stepping stone to stimulate the ever-evolving discourse about theory and practice, while What to Do?Case Studies for Educators calls upon the educator`s to reflect upon appropriate actions concerning controversial issues.
In addition to the case you are presenting, you will need to read all cases in preparation for class discussion. On the first and second days of class, each student—in cooperation with one or two others—will sign up for specific case study presentations.
Further readings:
Some books and articles are also listed a) as references for the quotes and citations I am using throughout the course outline and b) as possible resources for your own research.
Required:
Battiste, M. & Henderson, J. Y. (2000). “What is indigenous knowledge?” In Protecting
Indigenous knowledge and heritage(pp. 35-36). Saskatoon, SK: Purich Publishing.
Dewey, J. (1963). Experience and education.New York, NY: Collier Books.
Gould, M. & Battiste, M. (2016). ‘Teach from the baskets’: Lessons learned in life. In M.
Battiste (Ed.), Visioning a Mi’Kmaw humanities: Indigenizing the academy(pp. 89- 106). Sydney,
NS: Cape Breton University Press.
Gruenewald, D. (2003). The best of both two worlds: A critical pedagogy of place.
Educational Researcher, 32(4), 3-12. Available on-line.
Noddings, N. (2011). Schooling for Democracy. Democracy & Education, 19(1). Available on-
Line.
Rachels, J. (1999). The elements of moral philosophy (4th edition). Boston, MA, Toronto,
ON: McGraw-Hill. Available on-line.
Young, M. (2013). Overcoming the crisis in curriculum theory: A knowledge-based approach.
Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(2), 101-118. Available on-line.
Reference books and articles:
Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. Saskatoon, SK:
Purich Publishing Limited.
Brookfield, S. D. (2005). The power of critical theory.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Egan, K. (1992). Imagination in teaching and learning. The middle school years. Chicago, IL:
The University of Chicago Press.
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum.
Giroux, H. (2014). Neoliberalism`s war on higher education. Toronto, ON: Between the lines.
Greene, M. (1995). Releasing the imagination. Essays on education, the arts, and the social
change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hare, W., & Portelli, J. P. (2013). Philosophy of education: Introductory readings(4th ed.).
Calgary, AB: Brush Education.
Jarvis, P. (2010). The Routledge International Handbook of Lifelong Learning. London, UK:
Routledge.
Klafki, W. (2000). Didaktik analysis as the core of preparation of instruction. In
I.Westbury, S. Hopmann & K. Riquarts (Eds.), Teaching as a reflective practice: The German
Didaktik Tradition(pp. 139-160). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Pinto, L. E. (2013). The case for critical pedagogy. In W. Hare & J. P. Portelli (Eds.), Philosophy
of education (pp.151-169). (4th ed.). Alberta, AB: Brush Education Inc.
Tarnas, R. (1991). The passion of the Western mind: Understanding the ideas that have shaped
our world view(1st Ballantine Books ed.). New York: Ballantine.
Course Schedule
Students are responsible for all the readings listed. Not all, of course, will be covered in detail during the scheduled classes, but each will be referred to in discussion or written assignments. There may be adjustments in the schedule in order to accommodate readings more closely assigned with essay topics.
Knowledge and Learning
Class 1: Monday, January 8.
· Introductions
· Course outline and Q & A
· In the beginning was philosophy. From Socrates to Dewey.
· What is philosophy as an attitude?
· What is philosophy as content?
· What is the nature of philosophy and education?
Readings:
1. Plato`s Allegory of the CaveIn Republic,Book VII, as intro. & trans. by T. Sheehan
2. Plato`s Ship Analogy, In Republic, Book VI.
3. Preface in Key Questions
4. Chapter 1 in What to Do?
5. A perspective on Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. See the video:
Class 2: Monday, January 15.
· The minimum conception of morality. What is morality?
· “How we ought to live” –Socrates
· Where do we get our values? What are the influences? Name some of the sources values are emanating from? Discuss.
Readings:
1. Rachels`The elements of moral philosophy (pp. 1-15)available on-line
2. What is knowledge? in Key Questions
3. What is controversy? in Key Questions
4. Case studies 1, 7, and 40 in What to Do? [Presenters TBA].
Analysis:
- What can we learn from the nature of morality? First, that moral judgements must be backed up by good reasons—moral reasoning. Second, that morality requires that each individual`s interests are equally important—impartial consideration. Discuss.
Class 3: Monday, January 22.
· What is education?
· What is there to be learnt about education that we don`t already know?
Readings:
1. What is education? in Key Questions
2. Case studies 33, 34 in What to do? [Presenters TBA].
Further resources:
3. Dewey`s Experience and Education (pp.17-24).
4. Dewey, J. (1897) “My pedagogic creed.” First published in The School Journal, 54(3), 77-88. Available on-line.
Analysis:
- While you read Case Study 34, please also think about the following: How can excellence occur if we do the same thing, the same way, at the same time?
Class 4: Monday, January 29.
· What is critical thinking?
To think critically is mostly defined as the process of unearthing, and then researching, the assumptions one is operating under, primarily by taking different perspectives on familiar, taken-for-granted beliefs and behaviors (Brookfield, 2005).
· What is inquiry?
“Inquiry is our quest for meaning or sense-making, value, purpose, perspective, and awareness” (Hare & Portelli, 2005, p. 46)
Readings:
1. What is Inquiry? What is Discussion? and What is Critical Thinking? in Key Questions
2. Case studies 15, 17 in What to Do? [Presenters TBA].
Analysis:
- Say, you, as a teacher, feel that your class “ought to acquire some values”. Choose one—love, friendship, compassion etc.--and explain how you model and discuss it.
Class 5: Monday, February 5.
· Narrative in the making: horizons to be breached, landscapes to be transformed. “It is simply not enough for us to reproduce the way things are” (Greene, 1995, p.1).
Readings:
1. What is wisdom? and What is Imagination? in Key Questions
2. Case studies 8, 29, and 36 in What to do?[TBA].
Analysis:
- When we are imagining we are seeking context. Greene (1995) points out that imagination is a means through which we can assemble a coherent world, and more importantly makes empathy possible. Egan (1992) is more specific when he asserts that imagination is a good thing and ought to be stimulated and developed in education.
- How would you cultivate imagination in your class, if you were to teach, the alphabet?
Class 6: Monday, February 12.
· Learning that is more grounded in the students experiences of particular places.
· Place-based pedagogies are needed so that the education of citizens might have some direct bearing on the well-being of the social and ecological places people actually inhabit (Gruenewald, 2003, p. 4).
Readings:
1. Gruenewald (2003) article, available on-line.
2. What is urban education? in Key Questions
3. What is critical pedagogy? in Key Questions
4. Case studies 28, 23 in What to do? [TBA].
Analysis:
- Place based education fosters the experience of nature as an everyday act. Without such experiences what might our learners be at risk of? Should our students be initiated into being citizens of future in a particular community or citizens for now?
February 19.
· Mount study week begins. No classes!
Pedagogy and curriculum
Class 8: Monday, February 26.
· Teaching vs. learning. Until Dewey emerged the terms teaching and learning were basically synonymous(Jarvis, 2010).The terms education and teaching were also ambiguously used. Should we care? Are we?
· How can we make our subjects matter to our students? Different educational approaches
Readings:
1. What is teaching? and What is caring? What is curriculum? in Key Questions
2. Case studies 5, 22, and 25 in What to Do? [TBA].
3. Young (2013) article, available on-line.
Analysis:
- Jarvis, and Hare & Portelli agree that when we talk about educational issues we should clearly articulate what we mean. So, what does a caring teacher mean? Competence? Love? Strict work ethic?
Class 9: Monday, March 5.
· Indigenous approach. “Aboriginal people`s invisibility continues to be ignored under modern educational curricula and theory, and the physic disequilibrium continues. We need to take a look at where we have been and where we are going” (Battiste, 2013, p. 29).
Readings:
1. Battiste & Henderson (2000)
2. What is spiritual education? in Key questions.
3. What is a good school? in Key questions
4. Case studies 24, 27 in What To Do[TBA]
5. Case study 41 in What To Do [TBA]
6. Gould & Battiste (2016)
Further optional reading, Marie Battiste`s book: Decolonizing education.
Analysis:
- How can we shift our thinking from a modernistic, expository prose of Western grand narratives to a more storytelling manner as way of uncovering—revealing—a nuanced and balanced perspective of a colonized history? And, through it, how can we unmask the faulty logics of knowing grounded in objectivity and Eurocentric theorizing that have undermined Indigenous peoples` knowledge system?
- How can we enrich the capacities of First Nations` knowledge keepers, educators, performers, artists, storytellers, historians, and scholars to get past a critique of the Eurocentric canon by animating the indigenous humanities?
Class 10: Monday, March 12.
· In-class research activity: “The having of wonderful ideas” (re: article by Eleanor Duckworth)
Ø During this class, students work in small groups (2-3) to find out what other approaches are in the field of education e.g., Montessori (logic); Waldorf (holistic); Kodaly-Delcroze-Orff (music-art); Piaget (cognitive development); Makarenko (self-governing); Pestalozzi (social justice); Summerhill, Clonlara (democratic- free schooling), John Holt (homeschooling-unschooling); Shambhala (mindfulness); NSCC (trade); Hattie (visible learning); Eton (i.e., English “public” school).
Watch this short video about the “creative doers”:
Read these two articles:
Dean Takes Leave to Start New University without Lectures or Classrooms
http://www.chronicle.com/article/MIT-Dean-Takes-Leave-to-Start/235121/
Duckworth, E. (1972). The Having of Wonderful Ideas.
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/files/Having%20Wonderful%20Ideas.pdf
During the second part of March 12 class students will give a short presentation of findings.
Analysis:
- What is the philosophical underpinning?
- What is the aim and purpose?
- What kind of curriculum are they using? (give one example), see also Case Study 18 in What to
Do?
- Would you like to teach in such a learning environment?
Class 11: Monday, March 19.
· Inclusion. More equality and freedom.
Readings:
1. What is Feminist pedagogy? What is anti-racist education? in Key Questions
2. What is media literacy? What is social justice education? in Key Questions
3. Case Studies 21, 35 in What to do?[TBA].
Analysis:
- Entire education programs are informed by conceptual frameworks that embrace social justice as their defining purpose. Pertaining to this point: what does social justice mean?
More equality? Consider this statement: When education fails to keep pace with technology, the result is inequality! Discuss!
School and Society
Class 12: Monday, March 26.
· The many concepts of democracy: critical, liberal, market, deliberate, agonistic.
· Education as a fundamental basis for engaged citizenship. “No more than ever we need reasons to believe in this world” (Giroux, 2014, p. 101). Giroux further argues that the current threat to education is the increasing pace of corporatization, the “squelching of academic freedom” and the view that students are basically consumers of a saleable commodity. Under these circumstances it is time to remind ourselves that critical ideas are a matter of critical importance, and that democratic citizenship is “morally demanding and requires a robust participation in the formation of society” (Hare & Portelli, 2005, p. 85)
Readings:
1. Noddings` (2001) article.
2. What is democratic education? What is a good school? in Key Questions
3. What is marketization in education? in Key Questions
4. Case study 45 in What to do? [TBA]
5. Case studies 31, 42 in What to do?[TBA]
Further optional reading:
Pinto, L. E. (2013). The case for critical pedagogy. In W. Hare & J. P. Portelli (Eds.), Philosophy of
education (pp.151-169). (4th ed.). Alberta, AB: Brush Education Inc.
Analysis:
- We have to (re)consider the aims of schooling in a democratic context. Consider the following: democracy in education vs. education for democracy.
- Neoliberal governance has produced a powerful economy that has no allegiance to national communities, justice, human rights, just to potential markets and profits. The corporate school is “an output fundamentalism” (Giroux, 2014, p. 122) that prioritizes market over quality scholarship. How can we, as educators, ensure that knowledge, competency, social responsibility, leadership, civic literacy etc. is not devalued?
April, 2: Easter Monday - No classes today)
April 3, Tuesday: Final paper due!
Class 13: Monday April 9.
· Closing discussions in the company of Weber, Foucault and Freire.
“The more radical the person is, the more fully he or she enters into reality so that, knowing it better, he or she can transform it. This individual is not afraid to confront, to listen, [and] to see the world unveiled. This person is not afraid to meet the people or to enter into dialogue with them. This person does not consider himself or herself the proprietor of history or of all people, or the liberator of the oppressed; but he or she does commit himself or herself, within history, to fight at their side” (Freire, 2000, p. 21).
Readings:
1. What is authority? What is Freedom of speech in teaching? in Key Questions.
2. What is discussion? In Key Questions
3. Case studies 13, 14 in What to do? [TBA]
Analysis:
- The mechanics of authority and power have never been much studied by history—and social science. What has been studied even less is the relation between power and authority, the articulation of each other. How can we make teacher authority redundant and unnecessary? How can we ensure autonomy in our work?
Assignments
All assignments must be completed in order to pass the course. Submit your assignments on time to the Moodle site. Late assignments will be penalized except in cases of serious illness or emergencies, both of which must be supported by evidence such as a doctor’s note.
Course Evaluation
To best capture the on-going and continuous work in class, there will be three assignments. Assignments are due throughout the course, and must each be completed with a passing grade in order to receive a passing grade in the course.
Assignments should be typed. Spelling and grammar will be considered in assigning marks. A 12-point font such as New Times Roman is preferred, with lines spaced at double. In terms of referencing and citations, use APA 6th edition.
Your grade in this course will be determined as follows:
1. Class Participation (20%):
Attendance is compulsory, as you are required to attend classes at all times. By its nature, this
class requires a great deal of in-class discussion and dialogue coupled with self-reflection and introspection. It is an interactive course and the bulk of the course learnings will come from in-class work and engagement with philosophical ideas. Examples from your own life and/or professional practice are welcomed.
Class policy:
Missing class without a valid medical note will result in a loss of participation points. Continual and unjustified late arrival to class will also result in a deduction of participation points. It is up to the discretion of the professor to decide if absences or continued lateness should result in failure to pass the course. Late assignments will result in reduced points. If your assignment will be late for medical reasons, it is your responsibility to get approval from the professor prior to the assignment due date, and to have a medical note.
2. Reflections (20%):
To facilitate the research/writing/reading process it is necessary for you to produce an analytical reflection writing—the why and how. Key to this process is to identify patterns that may emerge as a result of your thinking, learning, class discussion, and experiences in life. I am asking that you write and submit a weekly reflective piece—10 in total—concerning the discussions and the readings. These reflective pieces will regularly represent a “where I am so far” in relation to the course and literature that aim to help clarify the latest thinking within your research topic and to provide material for further classroom discussions.
Due date: Every relevant week, by Friday 6 am, throughout the course. The last one is due on April 5. Length between 300-350 words (one page). You may use references with correct APA, but please note that they are not included in the word count.
3. Presentation of a Case study (25%):(to be planned and presented individually or with a partner).
For this assignment, you and a colleague will select one case from the course textbook What to do? Case studies for educators. You will then share the case—giving it a Key Question for Educators slant: context, inquiry, discussion, exploration of controversial issues, and constructivist approach—with the class, and lead to discussion. In your presentation you may use imagination and dramatize accordingly: dress the part, add to dialogue, and ask new questions.
Seek to capture an insight into what makes a good school.
In preparation for your presentation you are required to read both required textbooks and the supplementary articles on the topic.
In your in-class presentation you are required to:
a. explain two or three key points pertaining to the case you are presenting
b. make significant connection(s) to teaching practice, and
c. offer three or four philosophical questions to stimulate in-class discussion.
Your presentation should take no more than 30 minutes, including full-class discussion. No hand-out is needed for this assignment.
With a partner, divide the work so that each of you speaks for approximately the same length of
time and that you take turns in leading the discussion. The most important part of the assignment is to stimulate a philosophical discussion.
You will be evaluated on the substance of the presentation, including the points you choose to illustrate (10%), the connection you make to teaching practice and the questions you ask to stimulate discussion (10%) and on the skill and imagination of your in-class performance (5%).
4. Final Essay (35%):
At this junction, you are expected to engage in research and write about contemporary educational issues.
You are required to select a topic from the list below (or another one in consultation with me) and, using the course materials, analyze your point and make an argument in an essay of approximately 2000 words. You may use the case study and other examples to illustrate your philosophical point and support your argument. Use concepts you encountered in class, supplementary readings from your list, and possibly your own personal experience.
Make your choice clear but feel free to design your own title. Following is a list of possible subjects/topics you may select:
- Climate change and the Environment
- Food security (or Sovereignty)
- Gender equality
- Place-based education (e.g., Gruenewald)
- Culturally appropriate education
- Arts in education
- Moral and value education
- Technological advancement in curriculum
- Creativity, critical thinking, solidarity, empathy in education
- Neoliberal education
- Language of hope in education (things can be different for the better)
- Challenging racist ideology
- The celebrity culture in education
- Indigenous knowledge—how to decolonize education?
- “Shared humanity is the lifeboat” etc. etc.
Alternatively, you may choose to carry out in-depth research on another approach in the field of education (see Meeting 9). If so, your analysis should include the origins of the approach, the major ideas promoted, and—most importantly—assess these as they might be incorporated in today's public schools.
The range is tremendous, the time is short, so be prepared to dive in. The goal is to grow your research interest and to create written material that allows each of you to trace an independent line of thought, while also learning from it. Philosophical inquiry is the examination of unquestioned assumptions, so question all assumptions, especially your own, and examine the bases for your reasons. The reader of your essay should be able to follow your discussion without having to refer to any other source to figure out what you are talking about.
Marks for this essay will be given as follows: Introduction of topic (5%); clarity of description, i.e., particular contemporary educational issue (10%); integration of ideas gathered during this class (10%); suitable references (5%); and use of consistent formatting, such as APA (5%).
Due date: Tuesday, April 3.
Undergraduate Grading Scheme
The grading scheme can be found in the university calendar.
University Regulations and Policy Statements
Students with Disabilities
Students who have a disability and who require academic accommodations must register with Accessibility Services (www.msvu.ca/accessibilityservices) as early as possible in order to receive accommodations.
Plagiarism and Cheating
University regulations on plagiarism and cheating and other academic offenses will be strictly enforced. These regulations including applicable procedures and penalties are detailed in the University Calendar and are posted on department boards and are found on the website at www.msvu.caon the Current Students page under Academic Offenses.
Correct Use of Language
Correct use of language is one of the criteria included in the evaluation of all written assignments.
On Research with Humans
Students who conduct research involving human participants must have their research reviewed in accordance with the MSVU Policies and Procedures for Ethics Review of Research Involving Humans before starting the research. Check with your course professor or Chair of the department about proper procedure.
Accommodation of Religious Observances
Requests for accommodation of specific religious or spiritual observance must be presented in writing to the instructor within the first two weeks of class.
Supplementary Resources
(Reference texts, scholarly journals and web resources):
- In the Fulton Library you will find the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, a comprehensive multivolume reference for philosophical terms, movements and historical figures. (Ask at the reference desk.) This offers thorough discussions of major topics in philosophy.
- Concise general reference texts are The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Robert Audi, gen. ed., 1995 and A Dictionary of Philosophy, Antony Flew, ed., 1984. A one-volume philosophical dictionary offers explanations of essential words and phrases as well as brief biographical information about famous philosophers.
- In order to read a philosopher as she or he works through a philosophical problem you need to consult primary sources such as professional journals. For recent articles and book reviews in philosophy of education, see Paideusis: Journal of the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society; Journal of philosophy of education. Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain; Educational Theory and Educational Foundations. For material specifically on doing philosophy in the classroom see the journals Thinking and Analytic Teaching.
- If you are new to philosophy and this is your first-time reading articles in the field, don’t be surprised or discouraged if some of this material seems beyond your grasp. As beginners we all view a field as if from the wrong end of binoculars. With practice comes familiarity and eventually a certain level of clarity. Philosophy, however, is the practice of sorting through complex questions and issues. Philosophical questions, such as What is reality? or What do Iknow for certain?are never fully resolved; rather, thinking and debating continually illuminate them from new perspectives. Philosophical writing makes everyone think, even the philosophers themselves.
For your future interest and possible lesson planning, here are some websites on philosophy and doing philosophy in the classroom:
o The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: www.utm.edu/research/iep/
o Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://:plato.stanford.edu
o The Critical Thinking Consortium: www.criticalthinking.org
o Institute for The Advancement of Philosophy For Children
o www.montclair.edu/page/cehs/academic/iapc/index.shtml.
o The Socrates Café and The Society for Philosophical Inquiry: www.philosopher.org/. The Socrates Café phenomenon was started by a philosophy grad and has branches all over the world.
o The site that accompanies the popular public access TV program, No Dogs or Philosophers Allowed: www.nodogs.org
o Free electronic books such as Plato’s Dialogues (e.g., Critias) downloadable in HTML: www.etext.library.adelaide.edu.au
o Centre for Inquiry: a scholarly informal community event at Uncommon Grounds Café, Halifax, for advancing reason and freedom of inquiry. See social networks for more details.