EDF 4450: PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY OF EDUCATIONCourse Syllabus: Fall 2005Instructor Office HoursJames L. Kestner, Ph.D. Mon., 2-4 [email protected] Tues., 4-7 p.m.217-581-6671 Others by appt.2407 Buzzard HallCourse PurposeIn Philosophy and History of Education we explore the structure and function of Americanpublic education. More than an exercise in history, rhetoric and abstract thought, this courseempowers the professional educator the way the study of physics, for example, empowers theprofessional engineer. Philosophy and history help us answer questions about the nature ofeducation in the United States, the hows and whys behind the systems in which twenty-firstcentury teachers practice their profession. As we explore the origins, influences and evolution ofeducation, we improve our capacity to understand and thereby effectively address challenges,particularly those related to race, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic status.Course ObjectivesStudents who complete the course successfully will be equipped to• Become reflective practitioners, making more informed decisions about what shouldbe learned and the learning process.• Contribute to the intellectual, social and ethical development of those they willinstruct.• Demonstrate knowledge of past and present developments, issues, research and socialinfluences in the field of education—to begin the process of actively seeking to growprofessionally.• Identify significant historical events and significant philosophical concepts that haveinfluenced educational trends.• Identify and understand historical and philosophical perspectives in addressing theeducational questions of why, whom, what and how we educate.• Define and understand esoteric words, terms and phrases used in the disciplines ofhistory and philosophy.Learning OutcomesThis course is designed to develop skills of reflection and critical thinking and professionaldispositions and to understand, choose and defend what they do as educators. Specific outcomesinclude1. Helping students understand that reflection is an integral part of professional growthand improvement of instruction:Dr. Kestner Fall 20052a. Letting students realize, through practice, the importance of an ongoingcollaboration with professional peers in generating ideas, solving problems andseeking and giving informed feedback;b. Making students aware of the lifelong development as a teacher and learner thatmay grow from such professional dialogue.2. Helping students become reflective practitioners capable of contributing to theintellectual, social and ethical development of those they instruct:a. Helping students use means of inquiry to self assess and solve problems;b. Leading students to understand the meaning of alternative school and classroompolicies;c. Empowering students to combine observation with knowledge of perspectives assources of reflection that foster better evaluation and revision of practices;d. Building skills in the interpretation and critical examination of major schools ofthought and related past and present practices, issues, research and socialinfluence in education;e. Teaching students to collaborate with their peers in interpreting and generatingideas and in explaining and defending their own views on learning, instructionand appropriate behavior.Learning ModelThis course follows a guided inquiry approach, through which the instructor highlights keyissues and concepts while positing questions and guiding discussions among students to facilitatetheir abilities to transform assigned readings and research into higher-order analysis and thought.Specific learning methods include completing and reflecting upon assigned readings, engaging indialogue with fellow students in large and small group settings, planning and delivering classpresentations, and expressing understanding and ability to work with course concepts verballyand in writing.Students with DisabilitiesStudents with a documented disability who wish to receive academic accommodations shouldcontact the Coordinator of the Office of Disability Services (581-6583) as soon as possible.Course RequirementsThe following requirements guide students toward successful completion of the course:Textbooks:Three textbooks are required:Gutek, G. L. (2004). Philosophical and ideological voices in education. Boston, MA: PearsonEducation Inc.Reed, R. F. & Johnson, T. W. (2000). Philosophical documents in education (2nd edition). WhitePlains, NY: Longman.Smith, D. G., Barger, R. & Butt, M. (Eds). EDF 4450. Charleston, IL: Eastern IllinoisUniversity.Dr. Kestner Fall 20053One textbook is optional:Knight, G. R. (1998). Issues and alternatives in educational philosophy (3rd edition). BerrienSprings, MI: Andrews University Press.AttendanceClass meets only once per week, so missing a single session equates to missing a significantportion of the course. Illness or unusual circumstances might lie beyond a student’s ability tocontrol. However, students who choose to miss more than one class session are choosing toreduce their final course grade by 4 percentage points per incident.Assignments and GradingThis is a writing intensive course, requiring several writing assignments over the course of thesemester. The final paper is eligible for electronic submission for the writing portfolio. Visithttp://www.eiu.edu/~assess/ for the electronic submission requirements for the writing portfolio.Note that the end of the fourth week of spring semester 2006 is the last date that the final paperfor this course is eligible for submission to the writing portfolio.Specific assignments for this course and their point values follow:Exam 1 20 Grading ScaleExam 2 20 100 - 93 AClass Presentation 20 92 - 85 BParticipation 10 84 - 77 CFinal Paper 30 76 - 70 DTotal 100 69 - 0 FExamsTwo exams will be given during the course (see course outline for dates). Exams will be essayand designed to provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to understand andapply course concepts as covered in readings discussions and other class activities. Exams willbe discussed one week in advance. Each exam is worth 20% of the final grade for the course.Class PresentationStudents will be assigned to teams (2 students per team) to plan, prepare and deliver an in-classpresentation about one of the philosophers covered in the course. These presentations will beginthe third week of the course. Volunteers to do the first two presentations will be taken