Craig A. Cunningham, Ph.D.
Philosophy of Education
Chicago State University
Teachers for ChicagoLand
Spring 2003
Syllabus
Instructor
Craig A. Cunningham, Ph. D.
Home phone: 773-528-6128
Day job: Research Associate for Technology and Teacher
Education
Center for School Improvement
University of Chicago
Daytime phone: 773-702-4885
Email: c-cunningham@uchicago.edu
Home page: http://craigcunningham.com
Office hours by appointment
Readings
Book: Cahn, Steven M. 1997. Classic and Contemporary Readings in the Philosophy of Education. New York: McGraw Hill, Inc.
Course goals and outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Critically read writings about education more specifically by: summarizing an author's point of view, evaluating the evidence used to support the point of view, drawing conclusions from the theories/ideologies of education and the evidence presented, and identifying the implications of various philosophical and historical ideas on educational development and teaching practices.
- Analyze and present educational ideas and ideas about education in a historical context, e.g. considering moral, social, and political influences on the shaping of classrooms, teaching, and elementary, middle, and high schools.
- Articulate theories about how the institutional, cultural, historical, and political relationships among schools, teacher training programs, and other educational agencies have influenced and continue to influence education practices in American schools.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which cultural differences in values, expectations, attitudes toward education, and differing beliefs about the importance of social conformity versus individual creativity influence schooling cultures and processes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how contemporary issues in education represent recurring themes in the history and philosophy of education, by articulating various perspectives on these issues.
- Compare and contrast "traditional" and "progressive" educational orientations by analyzing the ideas of at least two proponents of educational ideas and the implications of their beliefs on schooling and classroom practice in elementary, middle, and high schools.
- Articulate and defend personal beliefs on: the purposes of education , the nature of virtue/excellence, what should be taught in school, the nature of the learner and the teacher/student relationships, focusing on elementary, middle, and high schools.
- Complete a project or paper in which the student applies historical, philosophical, and sociological analysis and synthesis to a contemporary issue or position concerning education in elementary, middle, or high schools.
Learning experiences and instructional strategies
This course includes a variety of experiences oriented around a set of philosophical issues related to education and designed to help the students to meet the outcomes. These experiences will include reading, research, lecture, guided discussion, small group discussion, student presentations, and directed writing assignments. It is hoped that students will take the opportunity to relate these issues and experiences to the events in their own educational history and begin to develop an informed and reflective professional understanding of these events, so that they will help rather than hinder their own professional growth.
The course will evolve from the beginning of the semester, which will be primarily instructor-driven, toward the end, when it will become primarily student-driven.
Course Requirements
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Attendance at all sessions. Please inform the instructor in advance if you are going to miss a session. Students who miss more than three sessions will not pass the course.
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Regular and voluntary participation in discussions. This is a graduate seminar, and it depends upon each participant for its energy and vitality. You should make a point of contributing at least once during each class session. This constitutes 25% of the final grade in the course.
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Reading assignments as posted here and announced in class.
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One five-minute reading summary to be presented to the class at the start of a session. Students will sign up for the date of their reading summary during the second class session. This constitutes 5% of the final grade.
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One paper presentation to be given to the class late in the semester. The presentation will be on the topic of the third paper. You will present for 15 minutes and lead a discussion for 5 to 10 minutes. This constitutes 20% of the final grade.
- Three papers. The first paper (5 to 7 pages) will be on an assigned question related to Plato's Meno and will constitute 10% of the final grade. The second paper (6 to 8 pages) will relate to one of the readings by Dewey but will be on a question or topic of the students' choice,, and will constitute 15% of the final grade. The third paper (10 to 14 pages) will be on readings and/or topics selected by the student but related to issues discussed in the class. The paper is due on the last day of class. The final paper constitutes 25% of the final grade in the course.
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Assignments are listed on the day they are DUE. These assignments may change as the semester proceeds. Please check the web site for the latest version.
January 15: Introduction to the course, students, texts, teacher.
January 22: Cahn, "Preface, " "Introduction" and Plato, Meno. Sign-up for reading summaries.
January 29: Plato, Meno; Plato, Protagoras (selection).
February 5: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (selections).
February 12: Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education (selections).
February 19: Rousseau, Emile (selections).
February 26: Cahn: readings by Neill and Egan. First paper due.
March 5: Dewey, "The Child and the Curriculum."
March 12: Dewey, Experience and Education.
March 19: Cahn: readings by Scheffler and Freire. Sign-up for paper presenations.
March 26: Cahn, readings by Noddings and Martin. Second paper due.
April 2: Cahn, reading by Greene. Student presentations.
April 9: Cahn, reading by and Searle. Student presentations.
April 16: NO CLASS
April 23: NO CLASS
April 30: Student presentations.
May 7: Student presentations. Third paper due.