EDLF 7615: School, Society and Moralityfall 2014

EDLF 7615: School, Society and MoralityFall 2014

VaccaroNorthern Virginia

EDLF 7615: School, Society and Morality3 Credit Hours

Leadership, Foundations and Policy Fall 2014

Registration requirements -- None

September 24 through December 10, 2014 NOTE: There are no classes on November 5 and November 25, 2014

Wednesdays, 5:00 PM-9:15 PM

Final Project Deadline: December 13, 2014

Instructor

Vincent T. Vaccaro Adjunct Instructor

Office: NoneOffice Hours: Upon Request

Email: Phone: None

Description

This course examines the topics of character development, values education, moral reasoning, ethics, and the role of the school in the formation of citizens for participation in a democratic society. Philosophical, religious, comparative, historical, sociological and literary perspectives will be explored with respect to the attitudes toward and approaches to moral education.

Learning Objectives

• To discuss and formulate definitions and arguments for several competing theories of moral development. Emphasis will be placed on setting ethical theory within an historical and social framework and relating that framework to education within pluralistic, democratic communities.

• To discuss the philosophical, historical and psychological basis for several theories of human nature and how each provides insight into the roles and purposes of education in society.

• To identify and discuss several approaches to values and character development in schools. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring that approaches suggested are consistent with the nature of ethical, psychological and democratic values.

• To assist participants in clarifying their own views on the nature of morality and ethical values and assist them in applying those views within specific educational settings.

Instructional Methods

As a graduate seminar our approach will be primarily through class discussion of readings and class exercises. The readings combine the insights of various fields including philosophy, psychology, history, social science, religion, law and especially literature and stories. The seminar will allow for discussions of such issues as the nature of ethical values and their relationship to pluralistic, democratic ideals, human rights, the development of value systems and character within social systems, the role of sex and cultural differences in morality and moral development, the use and importance of narrative and community values, and the role of the school in instilling and sustaining ethical values within a democratic community. These theoretical issues will be applied specifically to the practical issues and dilemmas faced by educators in a classroom or other educational settings, e.g., museum exhibitions, text book selection, curriculum design, program development, grant administration and sponsorship for not-for-profit institutions and public advocacy educational endeavors. The course utilizes a number of the functions available through UVACollab.

Course Texts

Required

Bettelheim, B. (1976). The struggle for meaning. In Maria Tatar (Ed.), The classic fairy tales: Texts and criticism. A Norton Critical Edition (pp. 269-273). New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Company. (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

Dickens, C. (1854). Hard times. Any edition

Cremin, L. A. (ed.). (1957). The republic and the school: Horace Mann on the education of free men. Classics in Education No. 1. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Lewis, C. S. (1982). Sometimes fairy stories may say best what’s to be said. In W. Hooper (Ed.), Of other worlds: Essays and stories (pp. 35-38). New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

Lickona, T. (1992). What is good character. In Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility (pp. 49-63). New York, NY: Bantam Books. (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

Lickona, T. (2004). Raise children of character. In Character matters: How to help our children develop good judgment, integrity, and other essential virtues (pp. 33-59). New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

McClellan, B. E. (1999). Decline and revival, 1945-present. In Moral education in America: Schools and the shaping of character from colonial times to the present. Reflective History Series. (pp. 70-103). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

Nel Noddings. (1992). The challenge of care in schools: An alternative approach to education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Great Thinkers: Values Education: Parts 1 and 2. Unpublished. (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

Paton, A. (1948). Cry, the beloved country. Any edition.

Supplemental Material [Instructor Provided] . (Available through UVACollab on class web site.)

Callan, E. (1995). Virtue, dialogue, and the common school. American Journal of Education, 104 (1) 1-33.

Kraybill , D. B., & Bowman, C. F. (2001). Ironies of a postmodern journey. In On the backroad to heaven: Old order hutterites, mennonites, amish, and brethern (pp. 258-280). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lee, V. E. (1997) Catholic lessons for public schools. In D. Ravitch & J. P. Viteritti (Eds.), New schools for a new century: The redesign of urban education (pp. 147-163). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

MacIntyre, A. (1984). The virtues, the unity of a human life and the concept of a tradition. In After virtue (2nd ed.) (pp. 204-225). Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University Press.

Course Outline [edit table as needed]

Grading

A+100%

A 96%

A- 92%

B+ 88%

B 84%

B- 80%

CBelow 80%

Weighting Scale:

Participation in class discussions 15%

Three Assignments (A through D)60% (20% each)

Teaching Values – a Project25%

Total 100%

See attached “Recommended Grading Criteria for Social Foundations Master’s Program at Northern Virginia Center

Due Dates:

Assignment AOctober 15, 2014

Assignment BOctober 29, 2014

Assignment CNovember 19, 2013

Assignment DDecember 10, 2013

Project on Teaching ValuesDecember 13, 2013

Assessments

A short paper will be submitted on three of the four assigned texts or readings – specifically, Dickens, Mann, Lickona and Noddings. No written assignment is required for Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country.

Assignment A: Charles Dickens was a popular and profitable author in mid-nineteenth century England. Along with his reputation as a superb story teller, he also has developed a considerable reputation as a social critic. His 1854 short novel, Hard Times, provides an excellent example of his insight into the ills of unchecked industrial development.

Like many of his works, Hard Times, is a work of contrasts. Thomas Gradgrind and Joshiah Bounderby are men of business – no nonsense men of facts. Sissy Jupe in contrast is a young woman of fancy – a person on whom factual education is wasted. They differ as well in their approaches to values and morality as may be seen from the following two passages in which Sissy describes her failures to grasp simple moral ideas.

…that she was as low down, in the school, as she could be; that after eight weeks into the induction of the elements of Political Economy, she had only yesterday been set right by a prattler three feet high, for returning to the question, “What is the first principle of this science?” the absurd answer, “to do unto others as I would that they should do unto me.”

Sissy continues her discussion of failure with Louisa Gradgrind as follows:

“Tell me some of your mistakes.”

“I am almost ashamed,” said Sissy with reluctance. “But to-day, for instance, Mr. M’Choakumchild was explaining to us about Natural Prosperity.”

“National, I think it must have been,” observed Louisa.

“Yes, it was.—But isn’t it the same?” she timidly asked.

“You had better say, National, as he said so,” returned Louisa, with her dry reserve.

“National Prosperity. And he said, Now this schoolroom is a Nation. And in this nation, there are fifty millions of money. Isn’t this a prosperous nation? Girl number twenty, isn’t this a prosperous nation, and a’n’t you in a thriving state?”

“What did you say?,” asked Louisa.

“Miss Louisa, I said I didn’t know. I thought I couldn’t know whether it was a prosperous nation or not, unless I knew who had got the money, and whether any of it was mine. But that had nothing to do with it. It was not in the figures at all,” said Sissy, wiping her eyes.

“That was a great mistake of yours,” observed Louisa (Book the First, Chapter 9).

In a 750 to 1000 word paper please discuss the contrast in approach to reasoning about morals represented by the Gradgrinds and Sissy Jupe. In one paragraph each briefly describe what is the basis for making moral or ethical decisions under each approach. Then discuss how each would approach the teaching of values in schools? Describe two examples of how you see similar approaches in schools today. Due October 15, 2014

Assignment B: Horace Mann is recognized by many educational historians as the Father of the Common Schools in the United States. In his Twelve Annual Reports to the Massachusetts State Board of Education during the 1830s and 1840s, Mann lays out many challenges about education that can still assist us today. In his Tenth Annual Report, he discusses the role of moral education in the development of a free people.

I believe in the existence of a great, immutable principle of natural law, or natural ethics – a principle antecedent to all human institutions and incapable of being abrogated by any ordinance of man, -- a principle of divine origin, clearly legible in the ways of Providence as those ways are manifested in the order of nature and the history of the [human] race, -- which proves the absolute right of every human being that comes into the world to an education; and which, of course, proves the correlative duty of every government to see that means of education are provided to all.

Mann goes on to say that under a republican government universal education is to be provided to all “at the public expense.” He admits there may be some differences of opinion, but as a minimum this common education must provide the following:

…such an education as teaches the great laws of bodily health; as qualifies for the fulfillment of parental duties; as indispensable for the civil functions of witness or a juror; as is necessary for the voter in municipal affairs; and, finally, for the faithful and conscientious discharge of all those duties which devolve upon the inheritor of a portion of the sovereignty of this great republic (63).

In a 750 to 1000 word paper please discuss whether Mann is correct that all human beings have an absolute right to an education? Do we as educators have the same vision of the connection between the role of education and the role of citizens to maintain their government today as Mann held in 1846? If not, why not? Are the ends of public education the same today as the ones that Mann lists? Due October 29, 2014

Assignment C: Thomas Lickona’s book, Character Matters, contains a treasure house of suggestions about how to teach character and virtues to students. Two of his foundational virtues are respect and responsibility. About responsibility he writes:

We live in a society in which taking responsibility for one’s actions is becoming less and less common and passing the buck the norm. “It seems as if everyone is a ‘victim,’” says a principal. “I have a fifty-year-old friend who blames most of her problems on her alcoholic father. He died when she was two.” Teaching kids the principles of responsibility is a step in the right direction, toward getting them to take responsibility for their behavior and their lives (147).

Earlier in his book while discussing the importance of character, Lickona discusses the need for “moral models or exemplars,” to help students see what is required to become a person of character. Lickona lists five criteria for such a model: “(1) a sustained commitment to moral ideals; (2) a consistency between one’s ideals and means to achieving them; (3) a willingness to sacrifice self-interest; (4) a capacity to inspire others; and (5) a humility about one’s own importance (21).” At the end of this discussion, Lickona concludes:

The lessons for us as teachers and parents? First, to provide young people with opportunities to think about and set worthwhile goals that will develop their character and give them the sense of purpose that every young person needs. Second, to model that process ourselves, so that young people have adults in their lives who are visibly committed to high ideals and engaged in actualizing them more fully (22).

In a 750 to 1000 word paper discuss the charge that is often raised against Lickona that his approach to character education is simply “moral cheerleading” and his content is no more than a “bag of virtues” carefully sprinkled throughout the school year. Begin your discussion by defining what you believe character education is and what you see as its content within education, based on the two chapters provided on the class web site. Then, pick out one component of a character education approach within the definition you have provided and discuss how it might be approached within schooling. End with an assessment of whether the charge of “moral cheerleading” and “bag of virtues” is accurate or inaccurate. Due November 19, 2014

Assignment D: Nel Noddings has presented a refreshing new look at the purpose of education based upon her ethics of care. One of her concerns is that schools fail to appreciate the importance of continuity in the education process. Noddings writes in her Introduction to The Challenge to Care in Schools: An Alternative Approach to Education:

Schools, I will argue, pay little attention to the need for continuity of place, people, purpose, and curriculum. Most fundamental, of course, is purpose. If our main purpose as educators were to encourage the development of caring in our students, we would begin to look more attentively at the need for continuity in place, people, and curriculum (xii).