EDCI 658 – History of Education
Spring 2010
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Phone:
Email:
Course web site:
Lynn M. Burlbaw
Harrington Tower 330
Th 2:00 to 4:00 pm, and by appointment
979-845-6195
burlbaw@neo.tamu.edu
personal web site lburlbaw.cehd.tamu.edu
http://lburlbaw.cehd.tamu.edu/edci658/edci65810ahome.htm
Course Listserv:
Much of the communication in this course will be conducted using a
listserv. The address of the listserv is EDCI658@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU. To send a message
to everyone in this course, use the above address in the place of anyone’s name.
Description of Course: The genesis of formal education in the Western world beginning with the
ancient Greeks and working though the Enlightenment; tracing the idea that schooling is a
fundamental part of human existence and therefore crucial to all questions concerning the human
condition. (Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog 2006-2007, 315).
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, the student will
- Be able to explain the genesis of ideas found in education in Europe and the United
States
- Explain how ideas conceived and articulated by historical figures appear and reappear
throughout western education
- Be able to explain how a school building or district has contributed to the education
of students in a particular community
- Demonstrate some level of competence in doing qualitative, document based research
Required Textbook available at Campus Bookstore and on-line
Gutek, Gerald L. A History of the Western Educational Experience, 2nd ed. Prospect
Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1995. ISBN 0-88133-818-4
Class Attendance: Class, in College Station, will meet each Thursday night at 5:45 in
Harrington Tower, Room 503. Class will run until 8:35, Central Time. There will be a 10
minute break around the middle of each class session. Students are expected to attend each class
session and come prepared for class by completing the required readings and/or assignments.
I understand that, as professionals, you may have obligations that require you to miss a
class. If you must miss a class meeting, please let me know prior to the session and make
arrangements to complete the assignment(s) due that meeting date. Failure to do this may
result in no credit being given for an assignment or activity.
University rules on attendance can be found at http://student-rules.tamu.edu/search/rule49.htm
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Assignments: Three types of assignments will be completed in this course (descriptions follow):
First type:
Web-based responses to class readings in the Gutek book
First type part II – threaded discussion over supplemental readings found on web
site and on elearning.
Second type: Discussion lead/support in class based on class readings in the Gutek book
Third type: Biography of a school building and presentation based on biography.
Grading and Work Completion
Students are expected to complete assignments by the date indicated in the Assignment
Calendar.
All assignments will be graded and points awarded for work completed. Late assignments will
be assessed a penalty of 10%.
Grades will be assigned as follows:
Grade of “A” will be assigned for accumulating between 94% and 100% of total points
Grade of “B” will be assigned for accumulating between 86% and 93.9% of total points
Grade of “C” will be assigned for accumulating between 75% and 85.9% of total points
In incomplete will be given only upon written request and then only if the request meets the
requirements listed in the Student Rules under Section 10: Grading. http://studentrules.tamu.edu/rule10.htm
Course Evaluation – the evaluation of a course is one of the measures used to assess quality,
strengths and need for improvement. Each student who completes the course evaluation will
receive an additional 50 points on their accumulated points for the semester.
Assignments and Values
Assignments
Number
Value
Threaded Discussion from Supplemental
4
50
Weekly Web Assignment for Gutek Book
10
50
and supplemental readings
School Biography
Paper
1
200
Presentation (w/illustrative material)
1
50
Research Reflection
1
50
Class Chapter Discussion
1
200
Total Available Points for Course
End of Course Evaluation
1
50
Total Available Points for Course with evaluation bonus
Page 2 of 10 Spring 2010
Total
200
500
300
200
1200
50
1250
Course Calendar
Below is a calendar showing the dates various assignments will be due. Following the calendar is
a description of the various assignments. The Gutek Book column refers to the reading that is
due for that week. Computer based responses are always due the week before the Chapter
discussion date. A calendar showing which chapter you will be responsible for will be
distributed no later than the second class meeting after everyone has chosen which chapter group
they wish to discuss.
Date
Assignments from the below listed books are due on the following dates
Jan 21
Jan 28
Introduction to Course, Syllabus, Books
Historiography Readings from
Elearning Threaded discussions due this
course Website, Chap 1
by Wed this week
Chapter 1 is in Gutek for the web based
and Tozier for class
Chapters 2 – 4
Chapters 5 – 7
Chapters 8
Chapters 9, 12, 13
Chapters 10-11
Chapters 14-15
Spring Break, No Class
Chapters 17 - 20
School Biographies
School Biographies
Chapter 21
Chapters 22 - Epilogue
TBA
Feb 4
Feb 11
Feb 18
Feb 25
Mar 4
Mar 11
Mar 18
Mar 25
Apr 1
Apr 8
Apr 15
Apr 22
Apr 29
Assignments for the Gutek Book
Web-based Responses: For the designated class meeting, you should complete, no later than
noon on the Monday of the week of the class meeting to discuss a group of chapters, the webbased assignment for the chapter(s) from the Gutek book listed for that day.
Responses for the Gutek Chapter 1 will be due by NOON on January 25, 2009.
There are no responses needed for the Tozier book chapter 1 but it should be read by class on Jan
28th.
The web-based responses ask you to write briefly about what you found especially
interesting, informative, or provocative in the chapter read.
I also ask you, after having read the chapter, to identify at least one thing that you would
like to know more about as a result of having read the chapter. A web form will be used
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for each night’s readings, not for each chapter submission – this means that for Jan 28th,
you will have one form to use to respond to all of the supplemental readings. Please
confine these thoughts to the time of the chapter, e.g., a question that asks, “What would
Plato think about No Child Left Behind?” would not be expected. However, “How are or
have Plato’s principles of education found in The Republic reflected in contemporary
schooling?” could be a good question. The questions you ask in this response section
will be used by chapter discussants as they prepare for their discussion – this is not a
stump the prof or committee activity.
For 1st, you will have one form complete which covers all three chapters (2-4 in Gutek
book) which will be discussed on Feb 4th.
This assignment DOES NOT ask you to outline the chapter!
To complete these assignments, log onto the course web site, click on link titled
Assignments and then click on the appropriate chapter hotlink. This will take you to a
web form to complete the assignment. Failure to use this form will result in no credit
being given for an assignment. You may also Control/Click here to go to the
assignment page.
There are also links for the Introduction to the Gutek book, and the Historiography
Readings.
Chapter discussion – you will participate in a prepared discussion on the chapter group you are
a member of. The purpose of the discussion will be to internalize/ synthesize the
information in the chapter(s) and explain the significance of the content – DO NOT make
a presentation over the content of the chapter as if the class had not read the
chapter. My expectation is that you will primarily include information not found in the
textbook as part of the content of your discussion. This means that you will need to spend
time looking at other books and resources in the library and on-line.
For each chapter group discussion, you should elect/draft/dragoon one person who will be the
group leader who coordinates the discussion and communications with me and the class.
As a way of helping you focus your discussion, you should consider the analytic
framework from the Tozer, Violas, and Senese book.
You will also have the questions submitted by your colleagues to provide guidance in the
discussion – you DO NOT have to address every question in the What I Want to Know
section but should attempt as many as possible that work with the discussion. I don’t see
this as a question, answer, question, answer sequence. I will assist you with answering
these questions.
Each discussion will be guided by a handout that will be prepared by the group – this
discussion guide should be distributed to the class no later than 6:00 pm on the evening
Page 4 of 10 Spring 2010
before class meets. You ARE NOT responsible for providing hard copies of the
discussion guide to the class.
The class, those not sitting in the discussion panel, will be responsible for participating and
doing their part in moving the discussion forward.
When you are planning for your discussion, you may count on having 30 - 45 minutes of
class time. I have no doubts that the session will actually go longer than that but the idea
is that you have an idea of how long you are planning on leading the discussion.
Chapter assignments will be made before the second class meeting.
So we are all on the same page as to what I mean by a discussion, I have provided
some dictionary definitions of a discussion on the next page. Notice the repetition of
the word or phrase to break apart and the ideas of examination and exploration.
Page 5 of 10 Spring 2010
dis⋅cus⋅sion - noun
an act or instance of discussing; consideration or examination by argument, comment, etc., esp.
to explore solutions; informal debate.
Origin:
1300–50; ME < AF < LL discussiōn- (s. of discussiō) inquiry, examination, L: a shaking. See
DISCUSS, -ION
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
dis·cus·sion (dĭ-skŭsh'ən) Pronunciation Key n.
1. Consideration of a subject by a group; an earnest conversation.
2. A formal discourse on a topic; an exposition.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
discussion
c.1340, from O.Fr. discussion, from L.L. discussionem "examination, discussion," in classical L.,
"a shaking," from discussus, pp. of discutere "strike asunder, break up," from dis- "apart" +
quatere "to shake." Originally "examination, investigation, judicial trial;" meaning of "talk over,
debate" first recorded 1448. Sense evolution in L. appears to have been from "smash apart" to
"scatter, disperse," then in post-classical times (via the mental process involved) to "investigate,
examine," then to "debate."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Discussion – noun
1. an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic; "the book
contains an excellent discussion of modal logic"; "his treatment of the race question is badly
biased"
2. an exchange of views on some topic; "we had a good discussion"; "we had a word or two
about it"
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Discussion
Dis*cus"sion\, n. [L. discussio a shaking, examination, discussion: cf. F. discussion.]
1. The act or process of discussing by breaking up, or dispersing, as a tumor, or the like.
2. The act of discussing or exchanging reasons; examination by argument; debate; disputation;
agitation.
Page 6 of 10 Spring 2010
Building Biography Project
The public schools are perhaps the most familiar but least understood institution
in our society. Most Americans spend over 12 years attending public schools and
later, as adults, confront a wide array of school-related issues.
(Tozer, Violas, and Senese, 2002, 4)
History is not disembodied. The past is implicit in the present, in each of us, and
in the places we inhabit.
Archibald (1999, 9)
Public schools are ubiquitous in people’s lives. As the Tozer, Violas, and Senese state above,
everyone has experience with schools. Because schools are such a common part of the milieu of
life, many drive or walk past or in the buildings and fail to attend to changes in schools. In an
attempt to bring to people’s attention and encourage explorations of classrooms, Ian Grosvenor,
along with Kate Rousmaniere and Martin Lawn edited Silences and Images: The Social History
of the Classroom wherein authors such as the editors explored various ways of looking at
classrooms; different lenses, different techniques, for different purposes.
In an attempt to open the eyes of students in this course, a school building biography will be
completed. The final products will be a paper supplemented by a visual presentation to the class.
An example of the project will be provided.
Here are the criteria for the assignment
Identify a building, in a school district, that is at least 50 years old
Building may or may not be currently in use, but must have been used for
instructional purposes at some time during its life. The building may not even
exist in physical form now. Private schools meet the qualification of building for
this project.
Building identification will be due on Feb 11
You must be, have been, able to visit the building or site of the building and talk to
people about the building and its use. You may not complete this assignment
using only electronically available or from textual sources only.
A written biography consisting of at least 15 pages of text and images
Use proper citations for all materials – check with APA or Chicago Manual of
Style for format
Submit prepared materials on April 1, 2010, regardless of when you will be making your
presentation.
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Collect data about the school building (here are some types of sources and data you might use
for your school building biography):
Building date
Renovation date(s) if any
Closing date (if appropriate)
Construction materials description
Blue prints of the building (if available - otherwise measure and draw a footprint of the
building) blueprints may be photographed and photograph(s) included.
Photographs of the building - both contemporary and historic – contemporary photos
are required if the building still exists.
Types of uses with years of those occupations (grade levels, number of students, etc)
Photographs/documents related to the building - could be interior, exterior, groups of
students, etc.
Testimonials from teachers, students, administrators, staff, etc. who used the building.
Newspapers, yearbooks, district reports (where available) should also be consulted for
information on the school building.
Prepare a written biography of the building, including what is available of the above
information. The biography, which should include images (maps, scans, photos, illustrations,
tables), will have at least 15 pages of text in addition to the images. This can be written from a
first person perspective as long as the first person is the building.
Include as part of your data at least one map showing the location of the school in the
community. You can use Google Earth to create a map showing the location of your school.
Submitted assignment will include the written biography and copies of all documents (this means
you should make scans or take high resolution photographs of documents that cannot be
scanned), data collected, and a Power Point presentation illustrating the biography (little or no
text to be included on the slides) to be shown to the class - at most 15 minutes will be allowed
for show and tell - depending on number of biographies prepared.
This assignment can be done individually or in pairs (2 maximum – pairs will complete a
biography of at least 20 pages of text). Presentations of biographies will take place, depending
on the number prepared, April 1st and April 8th. All biographies are due on April 1st, whether or
not you present that evening. Students should bring their power point and an electronic copy of
the paper to class on the 1st and be prepared to upload the files on the class computer.
References for School Building Biography Assignment.
Archibald, Robert R. (1999). A Place to Remember: Using History to Build Community.
Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
Grosvenor, Ian, Lawn, Martin, and Kate Rousmaniere (Ed.) (1999) Silences and Images:
The Social History of the Classroom. NY: Peter Lang Publishing.
Tozer, Steven E., Paul C. Violas, and Guy Senese. (2002). School and Society, 4th Ed.
Boston: McGraw Hill.
Page 8 of 10 Spring 2010
Diversity Statement for the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture
The Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture (TLAC) does not tolerate discrimination, violence, or
vandalism. TLAC is an open and affirming department for all people, including those who are subjected to racial
profiling, hate crimes, heterosexism, and violence. We insist that appropriate action be taken against those who
perpetrate discrimination, violence, or vandalism. Texas A&M University is an Affirmative Action and Equal
Opportunity institution and affirms its dedication to non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender,
age, sexual orientation, domestic partner status, national origin, or disability in employment, programs, and services.
Our commitment to non-discrimination and affirmative action embraces the entire university community including
faculty, staff, and students.
Americans with Disabilities Act Statement
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive
civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students
with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their
disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of
Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in Room B118 of Cain Hall. The phone number is 845-1637.
For additional information visit http://disability.tamu.edu
Excused
Absences
Excused Absences
7.1 The student is responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to the instructor to substantiate the reason for
absence. Among the reasons absences are considered excused by the university are the following:
7.1.6 Injury or illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
7.1.6.1 Injury or illness of three or more days. For injury or illness that requires a student to be
absent from classes for three or more university business days (to include classes on Saturday), the
student should obtain a medical confirmation note from his or her medical provider. The Student
Health Center or an off-campus medical professional can provide a medical confirmation note
only if medical professionals are involved in the medical care of the student. The medical
confirmation note must contain the date and time of the illness and medical professional's
confirmation of needed absence.
7.1.6.2 Injury or illness less than three days. Faculty members may require confirmation of
student injury or illness that is serious enough for a student to be absent from class for a period
less than three university business days (to include classes on Saturday). At the discretion of the
faculty member and/or academic department standard, as outlined in the course syllabus, illness
confirmation may be obtained by one or both of the following methods:
a. Texas A&M University Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class form available
at http://attendance.tamu.edu
b. Confirmation of visit to a health care professional affirming date and time of visit.
7.1.6.3 An absence for a non acute medical service does not constitute an excused absence.
To view all Student Rules, please go to: http://student-rules.tamu.edu/
Plagiarism Statement
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The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. By “handouts,” I mean all materials generated for this class,
which include but are not limited to syllabi, quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and
additional problem sets. Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy the handouts,
unless I expressly grant permission.
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong
to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another
person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person. Plagiarism is one of the
worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely
communicated.
If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest issue of the Texas A&M University Student
Rules, under the section “Scholastic Dishonesty.”
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