COURSE TITLE:  Ed310 - Foundations of Education (4 units).

COURSE PURPOSE and DESCRIPTION:  The primary purpose of this course is to provide the student with a philosophical framework, as well as a practical understanding, of the field of Education.  The primary emphasis will be on exploring the history and philosophy of the U.S. educational system, the changing role of the teacher and the community, the politics of delivering instruction, and the role of ethics in education.

COURSE OBJECTIVES and STUDENT COMPETENCIES:  Students will:

·   Examine, evaluate, understand, and clearly articulate the connection between the works of various philosophers to the educational perspectives, theories, and practices that exist today.

·   Identify different types of current U.S. school models, and describe specifically how different philosophies have shaped and affected them.

·   Accurately articulate the meaning of ethics, and successfully analyze various ethical issues facing schools today.

·   Use critical thinking skills to develop their own personal perspectives on philosophical and ethical issues which impact education.

  

 

1. “Philosophical and Ideological Voices in Education", by Gerald L. Gutek (Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2004 or later).  [ISBN: 0-801-33314-8]  This text should be used as a reference book.

2. “Critical Issues in Education: Dialogues and Dialectics”, by Nelson, Palonsky, & McCarthy (McGraw Hill, 2004 or later).  [ISBN: 0-07-255511-4]

3. Access to the Internet and an e-mail address

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Class attendance
2. Class participation
3. Reading of text, handouts, and materials.
4. Successful completion of all activities.
5. Passing of quizzes and exams.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES / BASIS FOR GRADES:

   In addition to class attendance, which is mandatory:

WEEKLY SESSION TOPICS AND ACTIVITIES, which are outlined on the course index page, are subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

ASSIGNMENT DATES, which are also outlined on the course index page, are also subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

Modifications of this syllabus may be made at any time at the professor's discretion.

GRADING:

The grading policy outlined in the ULV Catalog will be followed, in accordance with a point system derived from the "Activities/Basis for Grades" section above.

Basically:

• "A" work evidences insightful mastery of the subject matter and exceptional quality in written and oral communication.
• "B" work evidences professional competence in the subject matter and in all written and oral communication.
• "C" work results from completing course assignments and requirements with minimally acceptable proficiency. (Any student not meeting the criteria for a "C" grade will fail the course.)

Please note that you will not normally be granted an extension of time to complete work.

To wit:

• Incomplete grades (INC) are authorized only when it is impossible for the student to complete the course because of illness or other justifiable cause, and only with a formal written petition (available from the Registrar) from the student to the professor which is approved before the end of the term.
• In Progress grades (IP) are reserved for those directed studies, independent studies, field work courses, senior projects, and graduate culminating activities where the contract at the time of registration specifies a date of completion which is beyond the end of the term of registration.
• A Withdrawal (W) may only granted during the first 60% of a term.
• A grade change may only be granted: (a) within four weeks after the original grade was issued; and (b) if the original grade was posted in error at the time it was issued; and (c) the revised grade is officially reported by the instructor to the Registrar.
• Please note that a 3.0 GPA is required by the teacher credential professional preparation program, and that a “B” or higher is required for each fieldwork practicum.

Competence will be demonstrated through activities such as: class participation (including electronic bulletin board posting), exams, individual projects, group projects, and writing assignments.

Please read, and become familiar with, the ULV general writing standards rubric.

Attendance is mandatory. Make-up work will be assigned, and grades will be reduced, for excessive absences and/or for work turned in late.  Absences totaling more than 10% of the total class time will affect your grade.  Missing more than 20% of the total class time will result in your needing to repeat the course.  There is no making up for missing class time.  Participation is defined by meaningfully and appropriately contributing to class discussions, and by quality activity on the course bulletin board.

REPORT FORMATS:

Research papers should be in APA format unless otherwise directed.

All reports submitted electronically should be sent as e-mail attachments in either rich text (.rtf) or MS Word (.doc) format.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: University policy is as follows:

• All tests, papers, oral and written assignments, and recitations are to be the work of the student presenting the material.
• Any use of wording, ideas, or findings of other persons, writers, or researchers requires the explicit citation of the source. Use of exact wording requires a "quotation" format.
• Anyone deliberately supplying material to a student for purposes of plagiarism is also culpable.
• Academic dishonesty will result in appropriate disciplinary action, which may involve additional and/or revised work, refusal of course credit, probation, suspension, or expulsion from the program.

THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY (paraphrased):

• Values Orientation (a philosophy of life which actively supports the health of the planet and its people.
• Community and Diversity (understand and appreciate the diversity of cultures which exist, and appreciate bio-diversity by understanding the impact/dependence of humans on the environment).
• Lifelong Learning (learn, think critically, do responsible research, and access and integrate information toward career flexibility and continued professional growth).
• Community Service (service as a primary goal of the educated person; experience the responsibilities and rewards of serving the human and ecological community).

HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS COURSE:

• Attend every scheduled class period. Classes are not merely reviews of the reading. Classes entail lectures, individual activities, and group projects which spring from, and go much deeper than, the reading assignments.
• Establish one or more “study buddies”, and agree to take notes, and collect handouts and assignments, for one another in the event of an emergency in which one of you needs to miss a class unexpectedly. 
• It is not your professor’s responsibility to keep track of what you may have missed during an absence, and there is no guarantee that whatever was handed out during one session will necessarily be available again after that.
• Please do not use plastic or paper covers. Staple your pages together in the upper left-hand corner.
• All written work will be graded on content (i.e. concept, development, and clarity), organization of ideas (i.e. logic, order, and cohesion), and the mechanics of English (i.e. articulation, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and format style), and judged by the standards indicated in the “grading” section above.
• Exchange papers with a classmate for proofreading, prior to submitting it to your instructor. 
• If the first page is full of mistakes, the rest your paper will go unread, and your grade will reflect that.
• Please place your name and course number on all papers and e-mail correspondence.
• Be on time! Latecomers either force class to start late, or result in some students missing concepts and thereby ultimately delaying the entire group. Please respect your fellow classmates by arriving on time.
• Read the book. Review your class notes. Learn the language of your topic. Think critically about how you can apply the information. Organize your notes. Organize your thoughts. Organize your time. Turn in your work on time. Academia is simply common sense with its hair combed.
• Read the material in advance. That gives you an overview of the topic in preparation for lecture concepts and/or class projects, which often go much deeper.
• Ask questions! If you don't understand a concept, you can be certain that someone else is unclear about it too. Many concepts are built on each other, and some can't be skipped without making subsequent ones more difficult to grasp.
• Ponder out loud.  Many great ideas spring from simply wondering about something.
• Have fun!

CELL PHONE USE POLICY:

I prefer that cell phones be turned off during class, but I also understand that many people have unique situations (e.g. a parent who gives a babysitter an emergency cell number), and that sort of thing is fine.

If you leave your cell phone on in the classroom, please have it where you can reach it quickly and easily, and converse on it only if you have a genuine family emergency.

I will not tolerate non-emergency cell phone conversations during class, and reserve the right to request that any student's phone be turned off for the remainder of the term if it becomes disruptive.  This policy also applies to text messaging and all other forms of electronic communication.  The classroom is not an acceptable place to socialize electronically with friends, and this includes the form of non-emergency text messages. 

Thank you for respecting your instructor and your fellow students by following this policy.

CONFERENCING: I can be contacted by phone at (805) 289-0023, ext. 1408, or by e-mail. I return all received calls and correspondence, and am open to scheduling office meetings that will suit your schedule.