UBC EDST 401 Syllabus

EDST 401-204: Education, School and Society

Time: Friday 1-4 pm. Term: Winter 1 - Sept. 3 to Oct. 24

Professor Leslie G. Roman

Email: leslie.roman@ubc.ca

Tel: 604-822-9186

Classroom: SCRF 204

Office: Pon G 16

Office hours: by appointment

Description

This two-credit course provides an entry for students to inquire into the nature of schooling as a key institution in a pluralist and democratic society.  This course aims to illustrate how schooling is a site for competing politics and philosophies about the role of education in society and the work of teachers.  It is organized into four units covering: (1) the relationships between schooling and society and the competing purposes of schooling; (2) conceptions of social and ecological justice and the applicability of these conceptions to the understanding of contemporary schooling; (3) the connections among teaching, policy, and schooling; and (4) the possibilities and limitations to develop teachers as inquirers and activists.

Course Objectives

EDST 401 is designed to provide learning opportunities that will assist participants to:

1. Explore the relationship between society, education, and schooling;
2. Develop an understanding of the competing purposes that public schools serve in Canadian society today and the implications for teachers ;
3. Identify and critically assess key assumptions underpinning discussions of diversity in schools;
4. Identify key features of different conceptions of social justice and the implications for schooling ;
5. Explore how teachers have attempted to translate teaching for social justice into practice;
6. Understand the connection between politics and policy and the competing interests involved in the educational policy arena;
7. Explore relevant and current educational policy debates.

 Course Readings:

All course readings are available through Connect at no cost to students at http://elearning.ubc.ca/connect/

Course Policies

The instructor accommodates students with disabilities as per school policies below:

http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,34,0,0

If you desire to go on religious holidays, please consult the following link and

submit a request to the instructor in advance.
http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2010/08/policy65.pdf

The instructor deals with plagiarism following the UBC policy below.  http://www.grad.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/policies-procedures/plagiarism-course-work-academic-responses

Students are strongly encouraged to check out the link below to understand what constitute plagiarism.

http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2010/08/policy85.pdf

Students should comply with UBC’s Copyright Guidelines and applicable copyright laws. http://copyright.ubc.ca

Class participation:

Students are expected to attend all classes and participate in both group and class discussions and activities.  As this course focuses on the differing and, at times, conflicting philosophies and pedagogies of education and schooling, we must respect diverse ideas.  We may not agree on all issues, but we should feel the freedom to express our views as long as they are not oppressive and degrading to others. Students need to be punctual in class attendance. They need to show evidence of having completed the required readings. In addition, the course requires active listening, reflexive participation in group and/or class discussions, and treating others with respect. Students may "fail" the course should they dominate or monopolize discussions and/or treating others disrespectfully, or if they make little or no contribution to discussions due to lack of preparedness.

Alternative way to show class participation:

In recognition that people have different learning styles and comfort levels with group and class settings, students can also show evidence of active class participation by submitting reading journals where they engage in a reflective dialogue with the readings before the start of the classes.

Submission of assignments:

Students are expected to submit all assignments electronically through Connect and you will receive feedbacks electronically as well. If deadlines for assignments cannot be met, students are to notify the instructor in advance of the deadline, when possible, and negotiate an appropriate due date.  If students submit two late assignments, the instructor will file an Interim Report with the Teacher Education Office.  Late presentations will not be accepted. 

Evaluation Criteria and Assignments

The course is graded on a pass/fail basis.  In a professional faculty, passing a course entails both good academic performance as well as active participation in learning activities.  Students are expected to meet all criteria to receive a passing mark in the

course.  Reminder: a passing mark in the Teacher Education Program is B+ (76%) or higher.  In cases where students fail to meet expected standards, they will have the

opportunity to revise and resubmit the written assignments. In such cases, the instructor will ask students to attach the first draft of their assignment and highlight the changes they have made to it in response to the instructor's comments. If students have two assignments that do not meet expectations or they continue not to meet expectations in participation or attendance, the instructor is required to complete and Interim Report, a copy of which is signed by the teacher candidate and the instructor and then filed with the Teacher Education Office and the Department of Educational Studies. 

There are two assignments for this course.

1.     Group inquiry into social justice and educational policy in BC

Weighting: 30%

Following your group presentation in Unit 4, submit a 1000-word summary of your analysis.  You need to include references to course readings.  Fifty percent of the summary can be group authored (but this must be clearly footnoted).

Assessment Criteria for Assignment 1:

Pass:   (1) examines a BC-related educational policy and uses appropriate social justice framework; (2) presentation easy to follow (well organized argument; concise); (3) provides examples and explanations based on course readings; (4) no more than 50% is co-authored work

Fail:    (1) does not examine BC policy and/ or neglects to use relevant social justice framework ; (2) lacks examples; (3) lacks transitions between thoughts or fails to make an argument; (4) more than 50% is co-authored work, or unattributed.

2.     Choose one of the following options

Weighting: 70%

Option A: Basic essay option - Social justice, schools and teachers

Drawing on the discussions had in class during this course and ideas in readings, construct a 1500-word response to any ONE of the following questions or statements:

i.                What are some of the contradictions, problems, and benefits of enacting social justice within a school setting?

ii.               Politics is an important aspect of schooling. Discuss and critically evaluate.

iii.            Teachers should refrain from taking a position on social issues.  Discuss and critically evaluate, whether this is both possible and desirable.

Option B: Critical assessment of unit plan

Select either a unit plan that you have developed previously or a student learning resource unit developed by an organization.  Examples include:

Basset, J., & Farber, R. (Writers). (2007). Nisga'a: Dancing in both worlds. In J. Basset & R. Farber (Producer), Nisga’a Nation Series. Toronto, Canada: Kinetic Video.

Surrey School District educators and BC Treaty Commission. (2010). Learning resource to accompany the DVD Nisga'a: Nisga'a: Dancing in both worlds.  Available at: https://nisgaatreaty.wikispaces.com

British Columbia Settlement and Multiculturalism Division of the Ministry of Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism. (2008). Make a case against racism: A guide for teachers of grades 4-7.  Victoria: author.  Available at: http://www.embracebc.ca/local/embracebc/pdf/make_a_case_teachers_guide.pdf

Reflect on this unit in light of the perspective on social justice that makes most sense to you.  Take into consideration such choices as the content of the unit plan, instructional strategies and areas of concern, the selection of texts and resources, the nature of assignments, and evaluation.  As you develop your analysis, think about, and make explicit, a particular teaching context (e.g., the school where you did your practicum, another school with which you are familiar).  What is the socioeconomic and racial profile of the surrounding neighborhood and the families whose children attend the school, and how might this affect the teaching of this unit?  Explain whether and how you would use the unit in this context.  How old are the students, and what difference would you anticipate age making?  How and why would you supplement the resource?  Paper should be 1500 words (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font).

Option C: Teachers as knowledge translators

Increasingly, teachers are required to translate changes in educational policy and practice for a variety of audiences, including parents and community groups.  For this assignment choose a topic from one of the units in the course and provide a summary that would be accessible for a chosen audience (e.g., parents).  Draw on course readings and at least two other academic and non-academic sources, such as media articles and policy documents.  Your summary should be 1500 words with a reference list attached.

Assessment Criteria for Assignment 2 (Options A, B, C):

·      Pass:   (1) easy to read (well organized; concise; proofread for grammar, spelling, and diction errors); (2) supports claims with citations from the document and examples; (3) demonstrates a synthesis of course concepts and themes and makes connections to pertinent course readings and class discussions; (4) includes your insights and conclusions.

·      Fail:    (1) contains recurring errors of grammar, spelling, diction, and/or organization; (2) lacks examples; (3) fails to demonstrate comprehension or application of course content; (4) lacks meaningful connections between theory and personal experience (relies on anecdote).

Relation to the BCCT Standards

The readings, class discussions, and assignments in this course primarily contribute to teacher candidates’ attainment of Standard 6: Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.  This standard indicates that “Educators teach students to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context.  Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society.”  The course helps teacher candidates understand the differing views regarding the purposes of education.  Second, it enhances their awareness of current policy debates in education.  Third, it helps them to explore and understand the types of institutional and attitudinal barriers that certain groups in Canadian society have experienced and how these barriers have hindered full and equitable participation in schooling.

This course also contributes to teacher candidates’ attainment of Standard 8: Educators contribute to the profession.  It includes a unit on “Educational policy and teaching” as well as a unit on “Teacher inquiry and action,” where teacher candidates have the opportunity to explore the idea of teacher leadership and the role of teachers as “knowledge translators.”

Course Outline

Unit 1: Purposes of education and schooling
Session 1 Sept. 6	School and Education
Topic 1	Welcome and introduction
Topic 2:	Society, education, and schooling
Guiding Questions	What is the relationship among society, education, and schooling?
Session 2 Sept.13	School, education and diversity
Topic 1:	School and society, competing purposes of education, schooling and citizenship
Guiding Questions	What competing purposes do public schools serve in Canadian society today? What kinds of citizens do these competing purposes imagine? What are the implications for teachers of these competing purposes?
Readings	Barakett, J. & Cleghorn, A. (2008). Chapter 2: Theories of schooling and society.  In Sociology of education: An introductory view from Canada (2nd ed.) (pp. 34-56). Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall. Or Osborne, K. (2008). Education and schooling: A relationship that can never be taken for granted.  In D. Coulter & J.R. Wiens (Eds.), Why do we educate? Renewing the conversation (Vol. 1, pp. 21-41). Boston: Blackwell. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-7984.2008.00128.x/pdf
Topic 2:	Examining the assumptions underpinning diversity in Canada
Guiding Questions	What does it mean to assert that Canadian society is diverse?  What are some of the assumptions about individuals and groups who are said to constitute a claim of diversity?
Readings	Harper, H. (1997). Difference and diversity in Ontario schooling.  Canadian Journal of Education, 22(2), 192-206.  Available: http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1585907.pdf  St. Denis, V. (2011). Silencing Aboriginal curricular content and perspectives through multiculturalism: "There are other children here". Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 33(4), 306-317. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10714413.2011.597638
Unit 2: Conceptualizations of social justice
Session 3 Sept. 20	Social justice and pedagogy
Topic 1:	Social justice in education--tensions with ecological justice?
Guiding Questions	What are the key features of different notions of social justice (e.g. distributive, recognitive)?  What are the implications for schooling as a way of achieving equity in Canadian society? In what ways does social justice complement and contradict the aims of ecological justice?  What are the ramifications for schooling?
Readings	Furman, G.C. & Gruenewald, D.A. (2004). Expanding the landscape of social justice: A critical ecological analysis. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(1), 47-76. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://eaq.sagepub.com/content/40/1/47.full.pdf+html Or Gale, T. & Densmore, T. (2000). Chapter 2: Playing fair: who gets what and why? In Just schooling: Explorations in the cultural politics of teaching (pp. 8-29). Buckingham: Open University Press.
Topic 2:	Different ways in which teachers have approached social justice issues
Guiding Questions	How have teachers attempted to teach about issues of inequality and inequity? What can social justice look like in the classroom?  What conceptualizations of social justice are evident in the classroom examples discussed (see reading activity below)?
Readings	You will sign up to read one of the following for an in-class jigsaw activity: Cherian, F. (2001). Really teaching social justice. Orbit, 31(4), 54-58.  Available: http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/213733581  Cummins, J., Bismilla, V., Cohen, S., Giampapa, F., & Leoni, L. (2006). Timelines and lifelines: Rethinking literacy instruction in multilingual classrooms. Orbit, 36(1), 22-26.  Available: http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/213736843/fulltextPDF?accountid=14656    Dean, J. (2007). Living algebra, living wage: 8th graders learn from real-world math lessons. Rethinking Schools, 21(4).  Available from: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/21_04/wage214.shtml Espinosa, L. (2003). Seventh graders and sexism. Rethinking Schools, 17(3), 1-9.  Available from: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/17_03/seve173.shtml Solomon, S., & Russell, V. (2004). Addressing homophobic bullying in the elementary classroom. Orbit, 34(2), 24-28.
Unit 3: Educational policy and teaching
Session 4 Sept. 27		Policy, values, teacher roles
Topic 1:		Library session – conducting literature research (1-2:30)
Topic 2:		Policy, values, teachers’ work
Guiding Questions		What is policy? Why are values important to understanding which policies become accepted in school settings? How do teachers become shaped by, and shape, policy processes and practices?
Readings		Gale, T. & Densmore, K. (2003). Chapter 3: Policy: the authoritative allocation of values. In Engaging teachers: Towards a radical democratic agenda for schooling (pp. 36-53). Maidenhead: Open University Press. Gillies, D. (2008). Quality and equality: the mask of discursive conflation in education policy texts.  Journal of Education Policy, 23(6), 685-699. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02680930802248063   Welch, A. (2008), Making education policy.  In R. Connell, C. Campbell, M. Vickers, A. Welch, D. Foley, & N. Bagnall (Eds.), Education, change and society (pp. 1-33). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Task		Sign up as a group for a policy topic to explore.
Session 5 Oct. 4		Educational policy trends in BC
Topic 1:		Educational policy trends in BC: Foundation Skills Assessment
Guiding Questions		What are the various ways in which assessment can be used as a political tool?  How may you argue for or against the FSA’s as a social justice measure?
Readings		British Columbia Teachers' Federation. (2007). What really counts! Rethinking accountability. Available at: http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Education/Accountability/FSA.pdf Dosdall, E. (2007). Foundation skills assessment: What is all the fuss about? Report on Education from the Deputy Minister of Education. Available at: http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://blogs.ubc.ca/newproposals/files/2009/03/dmreportapr271.pdf Turpel-Lafond, M. E. (2007, October 10). Testing protects vulnerable children. Vancouver Sun. Available at : http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=9da2e5a1-debc-4657-9e59-9dc61bf1d239 Valli, L., & Chambliss, M. (2007). Creating classroom cultures: One teacher, two lessons, and a high-stakes test. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 38(1), 57-75. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/aeq.2007.38.1.57/pdf  Additional reading: Search for a relevant newspaper or media article on FSA’s.
Topic 2:		Educational policy trends in BC: Corporate involvement in schools
Guiding Questions		What are the arguments for and against corporate involvement in schools?
Readings		Froese-Germain, B., & Shaker, E. (2007). Good effort, could do better: Media response to school commercialism report. Our Schools/Our Selves, 17(1), 145-154.  Available: http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/204860598/fulltextPDF?accountid=14656  Saltman, K. J. (2004). Coca-Cola's global lessons: From education for corporate globalization to education for global justice. Teacher Education Quarterly, 31(1), 155-172.  Available: http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=507954302&site=ehost-live
Topic 3:		Group inquiry into social justice and educational policy in BC
Guiding Questions		What are the dominant and if not dominant, pressing social justice issues in BC schooling? In what ways are these social justice issues evident (or not) in a selected BC educational policy?
Task		In groups of four or five, undertake the following: Select a BC educational policy that you think has some relevance to social justice (e.g., special education/ inclusion) Examine this policy through the framework of a selected social justice approach.  Pay careful attention to what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of this policy relevant to your selected social justice approach Develop a 20-minute presentation on this policy that could be delivered as part of a school’s professional development As a group submit your presentation materials There is an individually assessed aspect to this activity (see assignments above)
Session 6		Oct. 11
Topic		Educational policies in Canada – student presentations
Unit 4: Teacher inquiry and action
Session 7		Oct. 18
Topic		Teacher inquiry, teachers as researchers, teachers as activists
Guiding Questions		What are the options for teachers to negotiate, accommodate, ameliorate, and communicate educational policies and practices? (e.g., teacher as researcher, teacher as activist) What are the possibilities for teachers to participate in alternative sites of learning (outside of schools)?  What are the benefits and drawbacks to this participation?
Readings		Montaño, T., López-Torres, L., DeLissovoy, N., Pacheco, M. & Stillman, J. (2002). Teachers as activists: Teacher development and alternate sites of learning, Equity & Excellence in Education, 35(3), 265 – 275. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/713845315  Or Sachs, J. (2001). Teacher professional identity: Competing discourses, competing outcomes.  Journal of Education Policy, 16(2), 149-161. http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/pdf/10.1080/02680930116819

Web Resources

British Columbia College of Teachers

Available at: http://www.bcct.ca/default.aspx

British Columbia Teachers’ Federation

Available at: http://www.bctf.bc.ca/

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2001). BC performance standards. Social responsibility: a framework. Victoria: British Columbia Ministry of Education.

Available at:  http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/perf_stands/social_resp.htm.

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2004). Diversity in BC schools: a framework. Victoria: British Columbia Ministry of Education.

Available at:  http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/diversity/diversity_framework.pdf

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2006). Shared learnings: Integrating BC Aboriginal content K-10. Victoria: British Columbia Ministry of Education.

 Available at:  http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/shared.pdf.

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2007).  Environmental learning and experience: an interdisciplinary guide for teachers.  Victoria: British Columbia Ministry of Education.

Available at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/environment_ed/

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2008). Making space: Teaching for diversity and social justice throughout the K-12 curriculum.  Victoria: British Columbia Ministry for  Education. 

Available at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/program_delivery/ss.htm

Canadian Policy Research Network’s Diversity Gateway

Available at: http://www.cprn.org/en/diversity.cfm

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Available at: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/

Eduwonk blog

Available at: http://www.eduwonk.com/

Kids’ Canada Policy Digest

Available at: http://www.cprn.org/en/diversity.cfm

Rethinking Schools Online

Available at: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/

The Fraser Institute

Available at: http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/