Fall, 2001

Room B756: 9:00 AM-9:50 AM, MWF

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Introduction: Why An Issues Course?
   • The Importance of Reflective Practice
   • The Importance of Defining Issues for Oneself
   • The Importance of Placing Issues in a Larger Context
   • Questions to Guide Inquiry

2. Sample Issue A: Placing Cutbacks in Context: Schooling and the Political Economy
   • The Human Capital Model
   • The Alberta Context

3. Sample Issue B: Are Public Criticisms of the Schools Warranted?
   • Schooling and the Popular Media

4. Sample Issue C: Have Teachers Lost Control of Schooling?
   • Defining the Issue: Is Teaching a Profession?

   • Recognizing Trends Within the Teaching Profession

   • The Alberta Context: School Boards, School Councils, and School Teachers

5. Topics Selected by the Class

The first part of the course will attempt to demonstrate the advantages of adopting a sociological approach to analyzing and responding to issues. Having illustrated this approach by analyzing the three sample social issues listed above, the remainder of the course will focus on topics selected by the class. Previous classes chose to address some of the following issues:

• Should Albertans encourage school-business partnerships?

• Should Alberta taxpayers fund early childhood education (ECS)?

• Should parents have the right to organize charter schools?

• Should schools take responsibility for sex education?

• Should schooling include a religious component?

• Should students with AIDS have the right to attend regular classes?

• Should teachers with AIDS have the right to continue teaching?

• Should Alberta schools turn to technology to solve their problems?

• Should Alberta schools include computer literacy as one of the "basics"?

• Should the fine arts have a greater role in today's schools?

• Should teachers have permanent certificates, or should teaching licenses be subject to periodic review?

• Should teachers be accountable for their actions outside of school hours?

• Is sexism (or racism) a problem in Alberta schools?

• Should non-native teachers teach on reserve schools?

• Is school violence increasing?

• Should corporal punishment be brought back to the schools?

There is no required text for this course. Successful completion of course assignments will likely require considerable reading, but students will select materials appropriate to their chosen topic, rather than share a common text.

A central theme of this course is that teachers should be proactive rather than reactive, which means we must be able to anticipate issues before they confront us in the classroom. A related theme is that teachers, to be autonomous professionals, must be prepared to define the issues for themselves, to prevent administrators, parents, students, the media, or various lobby groups from imposing their interpretation of events on the teaching profession. A third theme is that to understand an issue fully, it must be placed in the larger context of its historical, political, economic and social antecedents.

The assignments are therefore intended to provide some practice in identifying trends; understanding all sides of a controversy; and forming one's own position on the issue based on logic, the best information available, and an understanding of "the big picture".

Website or Position paper Due on or before November 29, topic proposal due Sept. 24.

Class Presentation or Poster Session on research project. Class presentations will be by sign up list; Poster session (if sufficient numbers for separate day) Nov. 8.

Peer Evaluation (of class presentation/poster)

Class participation 5%

The same content is required whether you choose to produce a website or position paper, in-class presentation or poster session:

• respond to input received from peers and instructor during the class presentation (see below)

You may also find it helpful to consult the "Questions to Guide Inquiry" (included below in this course outline) when researching your selected topic.

You may choose to incorporate original research (e.g., a survey, a case study, interviews, etc.) on some aspect of the issue. If you choose to undertake original research, you must obtain clearance from your instructor first, as a number of additional methodological and ethical requirements will apply. For example, if your research requires access to schools, you will need to obtain clearance from the Field Services Office before contacting any students, teachers, or administrators.

Research and produce a website providing in depth coverage of a particular social issue related to education. You may work alone or in groups of up to five. Group members may divide the tasks involved any way they see fit., but share responsibility for the quality of all aspects of their website; all those involved in that site receive the same grade. (Note that website design could accomodate "minority reports" from members who disagree with the group concensus.)

This assignment assesses course goals 1 to 11 and allows students to acquire, develop, or practice communication skills which are likely to prove useful later in their teaching careers. Successful assignments (B+ and above) may be mounted (with your permission) on the Faculty of Education's web server under the Education 4321 course number. Grading of the website

[Students simultaneously registered in Education 4769 may apply for permission to submit the same project to both courses, on the understanding that slightly higher standards will be applied to such ‘double’ projects.]

Research and write a position paper on a social issue related to education.

While the required content for the position paper is the same as that for the website assignment (see above), the focus will be on your ability to build a logical argument in defence of the particular position you wish to have adopted as school or district policy. With the increasing emphasis on site-based management, teachers are increasingly being called upon to research, present, and defend their position on various issues to school boards, school councils, and at school staff meetings. This assignment is intended to hone the skills necessary to prepare your position.

Close attention to the criteria used to evaluate position papers (see below) is encouraged. Note especially that papers are to go beyond description to interpretation, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Because there is a close link between thought and expression, term papers will be graded for the quality of written expression as well as for content. Students are advised to adopt a clear, concise style and to avoid "academese" – that is, to avoid inflated diction, unnecessarily complex sentence structure, or an obtuse style. Pomposity will cost you marks. The use of inclusive (e.g., non-sexist) language is also encouraged.

Students may collaborate on term papers if they wish, provided that everyone whose name appears on the paper is prepared to accept the same grade.

Term papers will generally be between 12 and 14 pages, though collaborative efforts often run longer, and there are no page limits as such. In accordance with Faculty policy that all graduates demonstrate that they are computer literate prior to graduation, students are required to word process their papers.

Present the issue you researched for your website, or the position you developed in your position paper, and be prepared to answer questions about the issue from the class, and to defend your position logically against the arguments of your classmates.

Presentations should be a maximum of 25 minutes; the other half of the class will be reserved for class discussion of your presentation. Marks may be deducted for presentations that run over.

Note that if your website or paper is based on original research on some aspect of the issue, you are still required to lay out the larger context in your presentation before going into detail of your own research findings.

Your classmates should come away from your presentation with a sufficiently thorough grasp of the issue to be able to discuss it intelligently in a job interview or school staff room. You should come away with sufficient feedback from your classmates to help you refine your website or paper before turning it in November 29.

You are encouraged, but not required, to produce a class handout to go along with your presentation. A fact sheet, a timeline, the titles of the two or three books or articles you found most useful (or annoying), a relevant quote or cartoon, or summary notes on your own presentation may prove useful to your colleagues. But if you choose to do this, keep it very brief: do not bankrupt yourself photocopying.

Those working on websites may include this web material directly in their presentations if they wish. Those presenting position papers should approach the class as if presenting to a school council. As prospective teachers it is expected that your presentations will be involving as well as informative. Dynamic lectures, seminar discussions, dramatizations, debates, multimedia extravaganzas, etc. are all acceptable as long as you do not sacrifice profundity for entertainment value.

Class presentations are intended as an exercise in collaborative research. By sharing your findings with each other, everyone will be able to get an overview of the issues that are likely to be important for the next year or two at least. Forewarned is forearmed, so this information will better prepare you for your first year of teaching (and may even help you through a question or two in your job interview).

Teachers are often called upon to produce creative and informative bulletin boards in their class- rooms. The poster session is designed to cultivate these skills while still serving the function of sharing your research findings with classmates. Each person or group will set up their poster and be available to respond to questions in class November 8th. If a sufficient number choose this option, the poster session will be conducted in the University Atrium from 9:00 to 11:00 AM to allow members of the university community to view and comment on the posters.

The class participation grade is based on both attendence and the quality of questions, comments and feedback provided to presenters (including the instructor during his classes).

To ensure that the right person is being credited for their attendence and participation, I would ask that you bring your name card to every class. This will also help me to learn your names.

Peer evaluation is worth 5% of your course grade. Your audience will be surveyed by anonymous questionnaire following your presentation or poster session as follows:

I found the presentation/poster interesting and stimulating. It kept my attention throughout.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

I found the presentation/poster informative. I learned things I hadn’t known before and/OR it helped me to focus my own thoughts about this issue.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

I found the presentation/poster to be relevant. I am glad this topic was covered.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Comments:

(Note that the final draft of your paper or website must take into account the feedback received during the presentation or poster session.)

A - EXCELLENT (85 - 100) - A Markedly Exceptional Performance

B - SUPERIOR (70 - 84) - Clearly Above Average Performance

Robert Runté

• What are the two (or more) sides of the issue?

• What makes the issue an important one? What is at stake? What are the likely consequences of acting on this issue? Of failing to act?

• Why is this an issue now ? Why not before, why not later? What has changed in society or the school system to make this an important issue at this particular time?

• Who brought the issue up? Who is pushing for these changes? Who will benefit if we go with the one side? Who will benefit if we go with the other? (Caution: Of course, everyone always claims that their ideas will benefit the children. But who else benefits?)

• Why is this an issue for the schools? Is this a problem which confronts teachers and so cannot be avoided, or is it a problem outside the schools, but one which people feel the schools could and should help resolve? Are the schools the only or best institution to address this issue? Can the schools solve this problem?

• Is this the real issue? Are there deeper social, economic, political, historical or philosophical issues that are more fundamental to this question, but that are not being addressed in the current debate? What have the various proponents on the issue failed to consider?

• What might be some of the unintended consequences of adopting the proposed courses of action?

• And most importantly: Where do you stand? If your principal were to ask for your opinion on this issue, what would you say? If you were asked to sit on the committee to draft the policy on this issue for your school, how would that policy read?

IMPORTANT HINT: Avoid the reification of "society"; that is, do not say "society demands" or "society believes" or any other phrasing that suggests that society is a single, conscious entity. Society consists of a number of competing institutions, groups, and individuals, each with their own views, aims, and influence. Be as precise as possible when identifying which group holds a particular view or has a particular need, and do not make the mistake of identifying such views or needs as universal.

The Minister of Education has established a list of knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs) required for Interim Certification as a classroom teacher in Alberta. Graduates may be asked to document that they possess these KSAs, and to this end, the KSAs applicable to the Education 4321 are listed below:

Teachers’ analysis of contextual variables underlies their reasoned judgments and decisions about which specific pedagogical skills and abilities to apply to provide students the best possible opportunity to learn. Selected variables:

• demographic variables, e.g. age, gender • maturation • abilities and talents • prior learning

• subject area of study • relationships among students • socio-economic status • cultural background

• linguistic variables mental and emotional states and conditions

• Government Organization Act • School Act and provincial regulations, policies and Ministerial Orders

• Child Welfare Act • Teaching Profession Act • Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms • school board policies

• Guides to Education (ECS-9 and Sr Hi Handbooks) • Programs of Study (Elem. Jr, & Sr Hi)

• resource availability and allocation • teaching assignment • class size and composition

• collegial and administrator support • physical plant

• parental support • parental involvement in children’s learning • socio-economic variables • provincial influences

• community support for education • multiculturalism • cultural pluralism • inter-agency collaboration

Teachers function within a policy-based and results-oriented education system authorized under the Government Organization Act and the School Act. These Acts are further elaborated in provincial regulations, Ministerial Orders, policies and initiatives. … (Course objective 2, 3, 8, 9, 10)

Teachers also function within policy frameworks established by school boards. This includes teacher evaluation policies which require: a commitment to teaching practices that meet their board’s standard(s) of quality teaching; and that teachers engage in ongoing, individualized professional development. (Course objectives 2, 3, 8, 9, 10)

Teachers recognize their actions are bound in moral, ethical and legal considerations regarding their obligations to students, parents, administrators, school boards, communities, and society at large. Teachers acknowledge these obligations and act accordingly. (Objectives 1-11)

7. Teachers translate curriculum content and objectives into meaningful learning activities. (Objective 7)

11. Teachers are career-long learners (Course objectives 1-11).

Teachers engage in ongoing professional development to enhance their understanding of and ability to analyze the context of teaching; ability to make reasoned judgments and decisions; and pedagogical knowledge and abilities. They recognize their own professional needs and work with others to meet those needs (course objective 10). They share their professional expertise to the benefit of others in their schools, communities and profession (course objective 11). Teachers guide their actions by their overall visions of the purpose of teaching (course objectives 1-7). They actively refine and redefine their visions in light of the ever-changing context, new knowledge and understandings, and their experiences. While these visions are dynamic and grow in depth and breadth over teachers’ careers, the visions maintain at their core a commitment to providing students the best possible opportunity to learn.