EDST 200 - History and Philosophy of Education
Instructor:
Fall 2009
Debra Pratt
Office and Office Hours: Tech 207, Fridays 1:00-2:30; Others by appt.
Office phone: 785-5486
e-mail: djpratt@pnc.edu
Time → Day → Room:
1:00 p.m.-3:50 p.m. → M → Tech 214
Online Blog Address www.edst20000fall09.blogspot.com
Credit: Three Semester Hours
Text:
Introduction to Teaching Becoming a Professional , by
Kauchak & Eggen Third EDITION
Charting a Professional Course , by Kauchak & Eggen
ISBN # 0131559362
This is a hybrid course. We will meet ¼ of the time face-to-face and ¾ of the time online
using the online blog www.edst20000fall09.blogspot.com
 BRING YOUR BOOKS TO EACH FACE-TO-FACE CLASS
Course Description:
How history and philosophy have informed school organization, curriculum, and teaching
practice. Students develop their own philosophies of teaching. Conflicting demands
placed upon schools. Issues of race, class, and gender inform debates over school
purposes and practices.
Purpose/Rationale:
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a background and a critical
understanding of how history and philosophy have informed school organization,
curriculum, and teaching practices. One focus will be on the conflicting demands that
institutions and the American public place upon schools. History and philosophy are not
static or abstract concepts but are enacted daily in our classrooms. Through the
contextualization of history and philosophy of education-especially the exploration of
social, cultural, political and economic aspects-students will gain a deeper understanding
of the complexities of both schools and the teaching profession.
Objectives and Outcomes:
History and Philosophy of Education is a required course in the Purdue University
Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education. The course reflects upon Purdue
1
University North Central’s Institutional Outcomes that are designed to lay the foundation
for teachers in training.
Mission
The institutional mission statement has served as a guiding principle in our development of the
unit’s conceptual framework. The mission of the unit is to serve area residents and schools with
an exceptional teacher education program. To fulfill the mission, we provide candidates in our
program with strong pedagogy and optimal field experiences. Our courses have small teacherstudent ratios to ensure that candidates receive ample individual attention and feedback.
Furthermore, most of the courses are primarily taught by full-time, tenure-track faculty who are
experts in their areas. As the University has a close relationship with local schools, members of
the unit are able to work together to provide varied opportunities for candidates to learn to be
effective educators, to discover the fulfillment of becoming a life-long learner, and to engage in
the educational process as catalysts for school reform. The unit is committed to providing,
assessing, and enhancing candidates’ knowledge as well as helping candidates develop the skills
and dispositions that are necessary for becoming effective educators who are able to foster
students’ positive development through learning, discovery, and engagement.
Vision
We envision that the Elementary Education program at Purdue University North Central will
prepare candidates to complete our mission, and meet the challenges they will encounter as
classroom teachers in educating students in our global, diverse and democratic society. Our
candidates will have the knowledge that allows them to integrate theory with practice so that they
will be viewed as effective and reflective educators. They will possess the necessary knowledge,
skills, dispositions and will be committed to providing all children with developmentally
appropriate instruction to foster students’ learning, discovery and engagement. As they gain
classroom experience, our graduates will be seen as school leaders who are advocates for
student growth and school reform. They will continually reflect and seek to grow professionally,
and support professional organizations. The conceptual framework, the foundation of the
program, is designed to bring this vision to fruition through the outcomes, dispositions and goals.
The vision and mission are captured in the following theme:
Theme
The unit’s conceptual framework is represented in the model found in Figure 1. The triangle was
chosen as a symbol, to represent the candidate’s continuous growth. At the center of the model is
the unit’s theme. Surrounding the theme are Purdue University North Central’s three institutional
core beliefs of learning, discovery, and engagement, which we believe are the fundamental
elements of the educational process.
2
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework Model
Course Objectives:
Knowledge of Educational Foundations – Foundations of education from the historical,
philosophical and socio-political perspectives are used as a basis for understanding the
many roles of the teacher as they relate to classroom instruction, relationships with
students, peers, administrators and families. The candidate has an understanding of
school culture as it relates to the local community and the world beyond.
Policies and Procedures:
Assignments: All assignments must be turned in during class on Mondays. Late
assignments are not accepted. If you are absent and an assignment is due it is your
responsibility that the assignment is turned in prior to the missed class.
Attendance: Since this is a hybrid course it is imperative that you are in class every
Monday that we have a face-to-face class. Failure to attend class will adversely affect
your learning. Please be punctual. Arriving late and leaving early is considered
unprofessional. In order to learn and process information you must be in class.
Participation points will be given for your attendance in class.
A-Absence
0-1 A
25 points
2A
10 points
3A
5 points
4A
0 points
Teacher Responsibilities in the Learning Process:
It is expected that I will be prepared each week to create an environment conducive to the
learning process. In addition, I have tried to create active learning activities and to
provide classroom experiences that I believe will enhance the educational experiences of
all students.
3
Student Responsibilities in the Learning Process:
It is expected that you will participate in the blog and come to class prepared to
participate in the learning process. An example of being prepared is that you complete
readings before the class meeting and are ready to ask relevant questions. Learning is
social and best learned in a community of learners. We, including myself, are all teachers
and learners in the educational process. Your contribution to your classmates’ learning,
as is theirs to yours, is considered an integral part of this course.
Professional Behaviors: As a teacher candidate, the teacher education faculty prepares you to
enter a very important profession. Failure to comply with the following behaviors will lead to a
Professional Progress Report which can result in the development of a remediation plan and
possible removal from the program. These behaviors apply to your interactions with all faculty,
staff, and students at both Purdue North Central and in all teaching placements.
Professionalism:
Demonstrates acceptable professional appearance/hygiene.
Preparedness:
Is prepared for each class.
Flexibility:
Demonstrates flexibility regarding course content, class scheduling, and
other changes deemed necessary by professor.
Attendance:
Purdue’s attendance policy states that students are expected to be
present for every meeting of the classes in which they are enrolled. You
are expected to attend all class sessions, to arrive on time, and to
actively participate in discussions and activities. Arriving late and/or
leaving early is considered both unprofessional and as an absence.
Students are responsible for any materials (announcements, notes,
handouts, etc.) they miss due for any reason. Simply stated, if you are
not in class, you cannot participate. You will be allowed one absence
for illness. Please call or send an email to djpratt@pnc.edu or 219-
785-5486 before the class session you will be missing.
Respect:
Treats others with courtesy, respect and open-mindedness.
Integrity/Honesty:
Acknowledges the work of others and protects confidential information.
Does not engage in any activities that have been deemed unethical or
dishonest according to Purdue North Central Student Handbook.
Stays Informed:
Reads the Elementary Education information on the web, referring to it
regularly in order to remain informed of responsibilities to the Elementary
4
Education Program process.
Safe and Responsible: Agrees to act in a safe and responsible manner, avoiding any action
that might put others at physical and/or emotional risk.
Problem Solver:
Accepts Feedback:
Seeks solutions independently and/or identifies the faculty or staff
member who can assist; addresses the problem with the appropriate
person; uses discretion in discussing the problem; focuses on seeking
solutions rather than assigning blame.
Is receptive to constructive comments, implements changes, and
seeks feedback from others.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Although the learning activities for this course are not conducive to cheating and
plagiarism, academic misconduct is taken very seriously. The following statement is
from the student handbook:
Student Academic Misconduct Statement
Source: Regulations Governing Student Conduct, Disciplinary Proceedings and Appeals,
Section B, Paragraph 1.2a
The following actions constitute misconduct for which students may be subject to
administrative action or disciplinary penalties:
a. Dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, and
knowingly furnishing false information to the Universtiy are examples of
dishonesty. The commitment of the acts of cheating, lying, stealing, and deceit in
any of their diverse forms (such as the use of ghostwritten papers, the use of
substitutes for taking examinations, the use of illegal crib sheets, plagiarism, and
copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover,
knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing
dishonest acts is in itself dishonest.
ADA
If you have a disability and will need accommodations, please let me know as soon as
possible. If you have not done so already please provide appropriate documentation and
request accommodations with the Disability Services Coordinator, LSF 029, 785-5374.
Active Learning Activities:
Active learning takes place when students engage in “hands-on” and “minds-on”
activities in the classroom (e.g., demonstrations, discussions, collaborative projects,
games, problem solving, writing assignments, and interactive lectures). We will engage
in as many of these types of learning strategies as we can in this class because the
opportunity to engage in active learning has been found to have a variety of positive
effects in addition to increased learning and retention of material (e.g., it also increases
5
self-esteem, communication skills, and interpersonal skills). Come to this class prepared
and ready to learn actively.
 Warning: You may be accustomed to a passive learning environment in which
teachers give you information, ask you to remember it, and then require you to
recall it on tests. If this is the case, you should prepare to change your style of
learning so you can get the most out of this class.
Assignments:

Professional Behavior Poster: This will be an in class assignment indicating what
are Professional Behaviors and why I need to be aware of them. Bring art
materials to class that you would like to use for the assignment. For example;
markers, colored pencils, stickers, magazines that you can cut out pictures, etc.

Philosophy Object: Bring in an inanimate object that you can use to describe and
share with us what your philosophy of life is. Philosophy means a belief. What
beliefs do you have concerning how you live your life. This will be an oral
presentation.

Discussions: We will have weekly online discussions based on the chapter
readings, the DVD from the Introduction to Teaching Becoming a Professional ,
by Kauchak & Eggen book and Charting a Professional Course book.

Web Module: www.myteachingphilosophy.com This is a learning module to help
you identify your belief system. Please go to the website above and use the
following user name and password: User name: philosophy Password: web
Read the directions on the module. Create a separate journal that you will turn in
responding to the reflection prompts.

Philosophy Paper – This 1-3 page paper will be your beliefs on teaching as a preservice teacher. Prior to writing your philosophy you will need to do a great deal
of reflection upon what your beliefs about education, teaching, and learning are
and how those beliefs influence your teaching. Indicate your perspective of how
the teacher’s participation supports the learning community. Compare and
contrast your philosophy with major educational philosophies.
Grading Policy
Attendance
Discussions
Assignments
Final
The grading scale is as follows:
A 100-92
B 91-82
25 points
25 points
40 points
10 points
C 81-72
D 71-62
F 61-0
6
Timeline
Day
Date
Monday
08/24/09
Monday
08/31/09
Schedule of
Events
Class will
meet in Tech
214
Assignments
Due Dates
Read Through the syllabus
online
Read: Chapter 1 in the Intro.
To Teaching book
In class assignment
Professional Behavior Posters
Bring any art materials you would
like to bring to create a poster such as
markers, colored pencils, stickers,
etc.
Respond to the blog questions.
Monday
Monday
09/07/09
09/14/09
NO CLASS
online
Monday
09/21/09
Meets on
Campus
Tech 214
Read: His Name is Michael
from Charting a Professional
Course.
Watch The Test on the included
text DVD and respond to the
questions on p. 29.
Enjoy Labor Day
Read: Chapter 2 in the Intro to
Teaching book. Watch
Succeeding in Your First Year
of Teaching on the included
text DVD and respond to the
questions.
Read: Chapter 3 in the Intro to
Teaching book.
Respond to the blog questions.
Philosophy Object presentation
due
Read: Reflection is at the Heart
of Practice
Monday
09/28/09
online
Read: Chapter 4 in the Intro to
Teaching book.
Work on myteachingphilosophy.com
journal
Watch Action, Reaction, and
Zero Tolerance on the included
text DVD
Take a Position on Zero
Tolerance
Monday
10/05/09
online
Monday
10/12/09
No Class
Monday
10/19/09
Meets on
Campus
Tech 214
Read: Chapter 5 in the Intro to
Teaching Book
Work on myteachingphilosophy.com
journal
View the video The History of
Education that can be found on
the blog
Enjoy Mid Semester Break
Read: Chapter 6 in the Intro to
Teaching Book
Myteachingphilosophy.com
Journal due
What Do We Know About
Learners and Learning?
7
Monday
10/26/09
online
Read: Chapter 7 in the Intro to
Teaching Book
Respond to the blog questions.
Respond to Teaching in an Era
of Reform on page 229
Monday
11/02/09
online
Monday
11/09/09
online
Monday
11/16/09
online
Monday
11/23/09
Meets on
Campus
Tech 214
Monday
11/30/09
Monday
12/07/09
Read: Chapter 8 in the Intro to
Teaching Book
Watch Failing Grade on the
included text DVD and respond
to the questions on p. 262
Read: Chapter 9 in the Intro to
Teaching Book
Respond to the blog questions.
Respond to the blog questions.
Read: Chapter 10 in the Intro
to Teaching Book
Watch Curriculum, Standards,
and Accountability on the
included text DVD and respond
to the questions
Read: Chapter11 in the Intro to
Teaching Book
Respond to the blog questions.
online
Read: Chapter 12 in the Intro
to Teaching Book
Respond to the blog questions.
online
Read: Chapter 13 in the Intro
to Teaching Book
Respond to the blog questions.
Philosophy paper due
Watch Integrating Technology
into Instruction on the included
text DVD and respond to the
questions
Monday
12/14/09
Meets on
Campus
Tech 214
Final
8