During winter quarter, we will continue to investigate the history and philosophy of education, but we will also look at the economic and socio-political settings within which schools operate. We will explore school governance and finance and look at alternative approaches to organizing and funding schools.
Students in this program can expect to use writing as a tool for learning; to develop an understanding of child development; to investigate the historical, socio-cultural and organizational contexts of schools; and to develop skills in formulating and pursuing a research question, analyzing schooling practices and making public presentations.
Program activities will include interactive lectures and workshops, seminars, weekly writing, small group investigations and a long-term project. Participants' work in the program will be assessed through written papers, participation in all activities, projects and a final portfolio.
Fall Quarter Themes
In our study of the history, we will find that the development
of schools in the
Race isn’t just about people of color. Class isn’t just about the poor. Gender isn’t just about women. The program will offer an examination into such areas of our society, what they mean, how do such areas intertwine, and what it all has to do with schools and teaching. We will examine and critically reflect on what we know about race, class and gender. We will explore how the past and present society has had an impact upon such issues as the curriculum, access, equity, and treatment, as well as what happens to children in schools. Finally, we will explore how various theories & viewpoints on power and privilege, as well as how our own racialized, gendered, and classed positioning affects our understandings, and influences our perspectives.
In addition, all students will spend three hours per week in an elementary school classroom observing and helping the teacher.
Learning Goals for Fall Quarter
1.
To
understand the history of schools and schooling in the
2. To grasp issues of diversity and racial justice in American schools, both historically and in the present.
3. To consider theories of psychological development and how those theories relate to alternative approaches to teaching and learning.
4. To gain mastery of basic study and learning skills as a foundation for more advanced college work. These skills include computing, writing, oral expression and critical thinking.
Program Assignments
Following are brief summaries of assignments for the program. More details on each assignment will be presented in class.
1. Weekly Response Papers – These papers will focus on the assigned weekly seminar books. Each student will write a thoughtful response to the reading after, first, identifying the author’s thesis and the nature of her/his argument. Drafts are to be posted on WebX by 9 pm Tuesday of each week. Each student must comment on two other students’ papers (one or two paragraphs of constructive suggestions for improvement of the paper) by midnight Wednesday. While students must provide appropriate documentation of sources, this documentation may be informal for the weekly response papers. On Thursday, students will revise their papers, as necessary, in response to peer comments. Due: 9:00am Friday of each week.
2. Web Site/Electronic Portfolio – Each student will prepare a personal web page related their participation in the program. All work for the quarter will be collected on these web pages in the form of an e-portfolio. Faculty will use the portfolios in writing end-of-quarter evaluations.
3. History/Philosophy Presentations – Students will be divided into small groups, and each group will be responsible for teaching a part of the Spring text (The American school:1642-2004) to the rest of the class. Due 10/24 and 10/31.
4. Ethnic Autobiography - As a teacher, you will be working with students who come from a wide range of cultures, ethnicities and classes. In order to be effective at this daunting task you will have to become sensitive to how your culture, ethnic background and class have affected the way you react to people who are different. As a first step we are asking you to take time to find out about your family history, your cultural background and your economic class. You will write a 4 to 10 page ethnic autobiography in which you will detail your cultural and economic background. For the first draft, feel free to create your own structure for your paper. This draft is due Wednesday November 23rd at 9 am. In future drafts (in winter quarter) you will be asked to think about and write about how your background affects how you react to behaviors of people who are different.
5. Final Exam in Education History/Philosophy and Developmental Psychology – There will be a comprehensive final, in-class examination on the history, philosophy and psychology materials that we cover during the quarter.
6.
Assigned
7. Reflective Exercise on Racial Justice – There will be a final reflective exercise on materials related to racial justice. Details to be announced.
8. Other – Faculty may add assignments as the quarter progresses.
Program Book List (for Fall Qtr.)
Bigelow, B., Christensen,
L., Karp, S., Miner, B. & Peterson, B. (1994). Rethinking our Classrooms:
Teaching for Equity and Justice.
Bigelow, B., Harvey, B.,
Karp, S., & Miller, L. (2001). Rethinking our Classrooms: Teaching
for Equity andJustice, Volume 2.
Books, S. (1998). Invisible
Children in the Society and its Schools.
Bruchac, Joseph (2001) The Heart of a Chief. Puffin Books, ISBN:014131236X [Paperback]
Chin, S. A. (1993). When
Justice Failed: The Fred Korematsu Story.
Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to
Cushman, K. (2003). Fires
in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students.
Igoa, C. (1995). The
inner World of the Immigrant Child.
Jensen, Eric (2005) Teaching
with the Brain in Mind
Kindlon, D. & Thompson,
M. (2000). Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys.
Kohl, H. (1967). 36
children.
Miller, Patricia. (2001). Theories of Developmental Psychology. 4th Ed. Freeman & Company. ISBN# 071672846X.
Orenstein, P.(2000). Schoolgirls:
Young Women, Self-esteem, and the Confidence Gap.
Spring, J. (2001). The
Stanley, J. (1992). Children
of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp.
Tatum, B. (2002). Why
are all the Black Students Sitting Together?
Program Covenant
As a learning community, faculty and students in So You Want to be a Teacher acknowledge that community does not just "happen." It is up to us to create our own learning community and to strive to maintain community vitality. As such, we have responsibilities to ourselves, and to the group. It is important that the duties and responsibilities of faculty and students are clearly understood. Those responsibilities are described here and constitute a covenant among community members.
Expectations of Faculty
The learning community can expect faculty members to:
1. Attend a faculty seminar and business meeting each week ready to participate.
2. Be prepared for lectures, workshops and other activities as scheduled by the faculty team.
3. Help facilitate book seminars each week.
4. Attend all program activities required of the entire group of students when not ill or absent for professional or religious reasons.
5. Give prompt and meaningful feedback to all student assignments.
6. Be available to students during posted office hours or by appointment.
7. Give students feedback throughout the quarter so that written evaluations are not a surprise.
8. Notify students by the end of the 5th week if their work‑to‑date does not meet the requirements for full credit.
9. Write an evaluation for each assigned student.
10. Participate in the administrative business of the program as agreed to by the faculty team.
11. Continually work to create a community that respects differences and encourages an environment where students and faculty can learn with and from each other.
12. Abide by Evergreen's social contract.
Expectations of Students
The learning community can expect students to:
1. Attend all class meetings on time and to stay for the entire class period. Any absences can lead to reduced credit. Faculty will take roll.
2. Prepare fully for all classes, seminars and program activities by completing the readings, reflecting on the readings and thoughtfully designing questions and comments about the readings. Students will put the same careful attention into their writing. All written work will be typed, double‑spaced and proofread before submission and will conform to the APA handbook.
3. Complete all written work and assignments on time.
4. Engage fully in all classes, seminars and program activities by generating and sharing ideas and critiques as well as listening actively and encouraging others to generate and share their ideas and critiques.
5. Consult with their seminar leader whenever they need clarification about any aspect of the program, the readings or other activities.
6. Write self and faculty evaluations at the end of the quarter. Draft self evaluations must be submitted with the final paper. Evaluations of faculty may be submitted to the program secretaries.
7. Meet with seminar leader for evaluation conference at the arranged time.
8. Continually work to create a community that respects and encourages an environment where students and faculty can learn with and from each other.
9. Submit original pieces of work. No plagiarism. Plagiarism is to pass off as one's own the words or ideas of others. Plagiarists could lose credit, be removed from the program and may be required to leave the college. Ask faculty members if you have any questions.
10. Abide by Evergreen's social contract
Academic Standards
By enrolling in the program, you agree to abide by the academic standards outlined below.
· Late Work Policy - This course requires self-discipline, individual work and teamwork. Please follow the schedule closely and attend all seminars, workshops, lectures, and team meetings. It will be hard to achieve the program goals of working collaboratively and communicating clearly without actively attending and contributing to class.
We expect all work to be submitted on time. Late submittals communicate to us that you are not keeping up with your work. In all but the most extenuating of circumstances, work that is submitted past its due date and time will not be read by faculty and your evaluation will state that your work was not submitted in a timely fashion. Failure to attend all program meetings or to submit all work could result in a loss of credit.
· Credit Policy - Credit is not the same thing as high quality work. Full credit may be given when students fulfill the college-level requirements and standards of the program. The evaluation is used to describe the quality of the student's work. Thus, a student could actually receive credit, but also receive evaluations that reflect poor quality work. On the flip side, a student could attend regularly but receive partial or no credit because of poor quality or missing work.
· Honesty - It is required that each assignment be an original piece of work for this program (i.e., the piece has never been submitted to or has not been the basis for an assignment in another program). Ideas or written passages that are not yours must be correctly referenced so that credit can accrue to the original sources. In general, documentation is to be in American Psychological Association format, though informal citations are acceptable in the weekly response papers during fall quarter. The APA handbook is available in the library.
Any student who plagiarizes material will lose credit, be asked
to leave the program, and may be required to leave the college. Ask your faculty members
if you have any questions. The Evergreen library and the
If any situation arises in which there is ambiguity or uncertainty about whether the work fulfills the letter or spirit of Evergreen’s Academic Standards, please bring it to our attention. Failure to adhere to these standards will result in a loss of credit.
Housekeeping
1. Conflict resolution - Although we will all strive to maintain a smooth‑running program, conflict happens and can be healthy if handled well. Resolution of disagreement between a student and a faculty member should be attempted first by the two parties involved, then with the whole faculty team. If resolution cannot be reached at this point, we will use the college's established grievance procedure. Students should strive to resolve conflict between themselves, first, but faculty members are available to act as mediators if needed.
2. Evaluations - Students will be evaluated by their seminar leader, but contributions from the other faculty member will be solicited and welcomed.
3. Credit - Credit is not the same thing as high quality work. Full credit may be given when students fulfill the college-level requirements and standards of the program. The evaluation is used to describe the QUALITY of the student's work. Thus, a student could actually receive credit, but also receive evaluations that reflect poor quality work. On the flip side, a student could attend regularly but receive partial or no credit because of poor quality or missing work.
4. Partial credit - This program awards 16‑quarter hours for the quarter. Reduction of credit requires the consensus of the entire faculty team.
5. Expulsion from the program - A student may be asked to leave the program if his or her behavior is consistently disruptive, antagonistic and impedes the program from progressing. Any student who is asked to leave and wishes to appeal may do so by arranging to meet with the entire faculty team. The team's decision will be binding, although students always have access to the college's grievance procedures.
A student's registration in this program indicates his or her willingness to abide by these duties and responsibilities.