Faculty of Education University of British Columbia

EDST 314 Section 020

Social Issues in Education

September-November 2008
Instructor: Dr. Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi Room: Neville Scarfe 204 E-mail: smfatemi@hotmail.com or sayyedmohsen.fatemi@ubc.ca Telephone: 604 222 4495 Section: 020 Times: Fri 10:00 1:00 Neville Scarfe 204 Office Hours: By Appointment Course Objectives Schools and schooling are subject to competing claims. Educators need to understand the wider forces influencing educational practice, theory, and policy and to reflect (self)critically on claims originating from a wide variety of individuals and organizations including governments, teacher organizations, parent groups, student groups, school boards, cultural communities, and various social movements. EDST 314 aims to help students develop the conceptual background and the language to evaluate the on-going public dialogue about the purposes and ends of education and to communicate their views effectively as professional educators. The objectives of this course are to stimulate prospective teachers examination of their beliefs about education; to explore equality of educational opportunity; and to examine the implications of social justice philosophies and policies for teaching practice. Topics include the competing purposes of education, poverty, multiculturalism, antiracism, gender, sexual orientation, First Nations' issues, and possibly other related issues at the discretion of the instructor. A theme that runs throughout the course is the responsibility of the teacher to critically reflect on his or her personal assumptions about educational issues and the implications of those assumptions for ethical teaching practice. The course reflects the Faculty of Educations commitment to preparing teachers who are knowledgeable, skillful, flexible, and compassionate in their professional practice, and who will be guided by a sense of social and ethical responsibility in relation to their students and the wider society.

2 The course provides multiples connections and opportunities to the UBC Attainment of Standards Report (http://educ.ubc.ca/about/standrads/) including Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10. The assignments, discussions, lectures and projects can be tied to these standards.

Required Reading You will be required to read selections from the EDST 314 Course Reading Package, which is available in the UBC Bookstore. You will also be required to read additional articles that I will assign. The costs of reproducing these articles will be recovered through the administration of a modest course fee (no more than $5.00).

Teacher Education and EDST Policies The following policies apply across all sections of EDST 314. Evaluation In EDST 314 only the terms pass or fail will appear on a students transcript at the end of term. Passing a course entails good academic performance and active participation in learning activities. Students are expected to meet all criteria to receive a passing grade in the course. In cases where students do not meet expected standards, they will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit written assignments or to complete supplemental assignments in the case of presentations. In re-submitting a written assignment, please attach the first draft of the assignment and highlight changes you have made in response to instructor comments. If you have two assignments that do not meet expectations, or you continue not to meet expectations for participation or attendance, the instructor must complete an interim report, a copy of which is filed with the Teacher Education Office and with the Department of Educational Studies. It is the instructors responsibility to provide you with timely, specific, and helpful responses to your assignments, written on a separate page. Students should use the instructors feedback to revise work, where necessary. Students are advised to retain copies of the instructors written comments to include in a professional portfolio that can be used later when applying for teaching positions or for graduate programs,

3 Attendance Since class participation is an essential part of the educational experience, students should note that regular attendance, including special lectures, is expected. In the event a student unavoidably misses four or more classes, the Teacher Education Office will be notified immediately. If you are absent for a timed assignment or examination or unable to complete an assignment due to illness, you must obtain a statement from your physician or from Student Health Services. The statement must be submitted to the Teacher Education Office as soon as possible. Students requiring an academic concession due to illness or extenuating circumstances should contact the instructor as soon as possible. Late Assignments Due dates refer to the class period on the date specified. If deadlines for assignments cannot be met, notify the instructor in advance of the deadline, when possible, and negotiate an appropriate due date.

4 Course activities Classes will be held on Monday and Wednesday. They will include some combination of short lectures; videos; small and large group discussions of assigned readings; individual reflection and writing; problem-solving initiatives designed to enhance the skills of collaborative inquiry; individual or small group presentations to the rest of the class.

Course Evaluation
This is a pass/fail course. You need to meet the following criteria in order to pass EDST 314. N.B. Written assignments are due by the end of the class period on the date specified. If you are unable to meet a deadline, please notify me as far in advance as possible so that we can discuss whether or not an extension is warranted. If you submit two late assignments, I am required to file an Interim Report with the Teacher Education Office. Late presentations will not be accepted and supplemental work may be required. Class Participation You need to attend all classes and display an active participation in the course of discussions and presentations. Your thoughtful responses and your reflective questions to each meeting's readings and presentations would greatly substantiate your active participation. Reflective and Reflexive Thinking Assignment You are asked to reflect upon your own experiences and explore how your individual and unique experiences may have influenced your being what you are. You may also discuss how your experiences would have an impact on you as a new teacher. In discussing these experiences, you may include the cultural, ethnic and racial components while deconstructing your assumptions and their role in constructing your own perspective. This can be between two and three pages (typed, double-spaced). You will be asked to share this in small groups. Short Essay You need to compose a short essay that is reflective of your schooling experience. You need to discuss how your particular experience or incident can be well connected to a

5 larger framework in the context of education. Your short essay needs to illustrate the relationship between the individualized discourse and their connectedness to the larger forms of discourses that can impact our lives including our understanding of education. This needs to be between two and four pages (typed, double-spaced). Critical Thinking Paper You will be required to submit a paper that critically examines one of the topics that is discussed in the class. The essay needs to be on a topic that has some meaningful relationship with our class discussions. Some of the suggested topics are; media and education, media analysis, multiculturalism and education, discourse and education, social justice and education, language and education, the family and the school, hidden curriculum, cultural diversity within Canadian Education, pop culture and education, Bullying, First Nations Education. This needs to be between three and five pages (typed, double-spaced). You need to summarize your paper in a short presentation to the class. You need to notify me of your choice of topic before our fourth session. Term Paper You need to write a final paper on a topic of your choice that demonstrates how an understanding of the topics covered in this course would help you to be a more effective educator. I will provide you with some suggested topics but you may choose a topic of your own. If you are doing a topic of your own choosing, please run it by me to ensure that it is appropriate. The paper is expected to be 5-8 pages double-spaced, type-written, with proper citations (see me if you are unsure about using APA or one of the other style manuals). A concise source to consult about grammar is Strunk & White. (William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White. (1979). The Elements of Style (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.). Peer Presentation You will be required to present an overview of your final paper to a group of 4-5 classmates (each person in the group of six will be required to present to the same group). Your presentations will be 20 minutes in length. I suggest about 5-10 of this should be you presenting your ideas/arguments. The remaining 10-15 minutes will offer you the chance to lead a discussion around your topic. The goal here will be for you to practice leading a critical thinking discussion. There are three rationales for this assignment: the first is to give you the opportunity to get feedback on your final topic; the second is to give you some experience in leading a discussion; the third is to offer you the chance to give constructive feedback on others work.

6 Group Research Project and Class Seminar You and your group (You will be assigned a group) need to conduct a research on an issue related to one of the topics of this course, and then prepare and conduct a lesson for the class based on the results of your research. Your group is free to choose both the particular issue you will investigate and the format of your lesson. Here are some of the sources you may want to consider checking for information once your group has chosen an issue to investigate: BCTF policy documents; Policy and other documents from the Ministry of Education, e.g., the School Act; School board regulations and other policy documents; School policies and procedures; Articles in UBC libraries, and in on-line journals, including ERIC. The purpose of this exercise is to provide you and your group with an opportunity to become better informed on a course topic of your choice and to share your findings and conclusions with your peers; to practice the skills involved in research, critical thinking, collaborative lesson planning, public presentations, and assessment; to demonstrate your power of creativity and looking into the unfamiliar in the midst of the familiar. The group project presentation can be between thirty to forty minutes.

Proposed Schedule (Subject to Revision)

# Day Date Topic Reading 1. Fri Sept 5 Introductions and course outline review Building communities of inquiry Decoding the language of social justice: What do privilege and oppression really mean? 2. Fri Sept 12 Rethinking social justice: A conceptual analysis Reflective thinking assignment due. Erasing race: the story of Reena Virk: Canadian Women Studies 3. Fri September 19 Schooling and social justice Education for gender equity: Origins and development Articles on multiculturalism and discourse (to be handed in class) 4. Fri Sep 26 Schooling children living in poverty Critical thinking paper Due 5. Fri Oct 3 A pernicious silence: confronting race in the elementary classroom. Making Educational Research Real: Students as Researchers and Creators of Community Based Oral Histories Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr. Short essay due 6. Fri Oct 10 Aboriginal families and aboriginal education Individual presentations begin and Articles on critical thinking and education (to be handed in class) Motivating people from privileged groups to support social justice 7. Fri Oct 17 Social Foundations as Pedagogies of Responsibility and Eco-Ethical Commitment Rebecca A. Martusewics & Jeff Edmundson Schooled for inequality Individual presentation October 20-31 Practicum No classes are held during this period

7 8. Fri Nov 7. How well we are nurturing racial and ethnic diversity, Education for Action Preparing Youth for Participatory Democracy Joel Westheimer and Joseph Kahne Peer presentation due 9. Fri Nov 14. Group project presentation. 10. Fri Nov 21. Seminar presentation Paper Due 11. Fri Nov 28 Course wrap up and evaluation

Peer Review
The purpose of the peer review is to help your peer improve his/her paper. You will be evaluated on the quality of your suggestions and the thoroughness of your reading. In reviewing the paper, you may want to follow the six section headings listed below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is good about the paper (in being critical, we must not forget to be encouraging and supportive as well!)? Is the purpose of the paper clearly laid-out in a succinct introduction? Are there any terms or concepts that need further clarification? Is the evidence that the author provides to support his/her position good? Sufficient? Are there other factors that the author might want to consider (other types of evidence, other points of view, etc.)? Anything else that might be helpful to the author.

Write the peer review as though it were a letter to the author. Speak to him or her directly; there is no need to refer to him/her in the third person. There is no need to summarize the work either. The author knows what he/she has written. Include in the peer review only suggestions on how to improve the paper and what you have found valuable in the work. If you wish, the peer review can be written in bullet format (as long as you can still clearly express your suggestions to the author). I would expect that the review would be about 2-3 pages long.

Student Information Please complete and hand in during the first or second class. Name:___________________________________________ Student #:_______________ Address:_________________________________________ Phone #________________ E-Mail:__________________________________________ Specialization/Subjects: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any situation that you would like me to be aware of that affects your learning (e.g. hearing or visual impairment, chronic health problem, learning disability, etc.)? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Hopes/fears/concerns/questions about the course: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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Academic Integrity, Academic honesty The following information is taken from the 2007/2008 USC Calendar online. for more information on Academic Misconduct p/ease visit www. vpacademic. ubc. ca/int~grit,v/policies. h tm. It is expected that students will abide by the UBC policy on plagiarism and academic misconduct. Ignorance of the appropriate standard of academic honesty is no defense to an allegation of Academic Misconduct. Academic Misconduct that is subject to penalty includes, but is riot limited to, the following: 1. Plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs where an individual submits or presents the work of another person as his or. her own. Scholarship quite properly rests upon examining and referring to the thoughts and writings of others. However, when excerpts are used in paragraphs or essays, the author must be acknowledged in the text, through footnotes, in endnotes, or in other accepted forms of academic citation. Plagiarism extends from where there is no recognition given to the author for phrases, sentences, or ideas of the author incorporated in an essay to where an entire essay is copied from an author, or composed by another person, and presented as original work. Students must ensure that when they seek assistance from a tutor or anyone else that the work they submit is actually their own. Where collaborative work is permitted by the instructor, students must ensure that they comply with the instructors requirements for such collaboration. Students are responsible for ensuring that any work submitted does not constitute plagiarism. Students who are in any doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism should consult their instructor before handing in any assignments. 2.Cheating. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: falsifying any material subject to academic evaluation; having in an examination any materials other than those permitted by the examiner; and using unauthorized means to complete an examination (e.g. receiving unauthorized assistance from a fellow student). 3.Submitting the same, or substantially the same, essay, presentation, or assignment more than once (whether the earlier submission was at this or another institution), unless prior approval has been obtained from the instructor(s) to whom the assignment is to be submitted.

12 Standard Procedures for Evaluation and Accommodation in the Course Evaluations EbST 314 is evaluated on a pass / fail basis. One of those terms will appear on a students transcript on completion of the course. In a professional faculty, passing a course entails both strong academic performance as well as active participation in learning activities. Students are expected to meet all criteria to receive a passing grade in the course. In cases where students fail to meet expected standards, they will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit written assignments or to complete supplemental assignments in the case of presentations. For resubmission of written assignments please attach the first draft of the assignment and highlight the changes you have made in response to instructor comments. If you have two assignments that do not meet expectations or you continue not to meet expectations for participation or attendance, the instructor is required to complete an interim report, a copy of which is filed with the Teacher Education Office and with the Department of Educational Studies. It is the instructors responsibility to provide you with timely, specific, and helpful responses to your assignments. Students should use the instructors feedback to revise work, where necessary. Students are advised to retain copies of their work in the course include in a professional portfolio that can be used later when applying for licensure, teaching positions, or for graduate programs. Attendance Since class participation is an essential part of the educational experience, students should note that regular attendance, including special lectures, is expected. In accordance with the Teacher Education Handbook, students who must miss a class should notify the instructor as soon as possible. Any absence should be discussed with the instructor. Unexcused absences may result in an F or being required to withdraw from the course. In the event that two or more classes are unavoidably missed, the Teacher Education Office will be notified immediately. If you are absent for an assignment, or unable to complete an assignment due to illness, you must obtain a statement from your physician or from Student Health Services. The statement must be submitted to the Teacher Education Office as soon as possible. Students requiring an academic concession due to illness or extenuating circumstances should contact the instructor as soon as possible. Late Assignments Due dates are considered to mean the class period on the date specified. If deadlines for assignments cannot be met, notify the instructor in advance of the deadline, when possible, and negotiate an appropriate due date. If you submit two late assignments, the instructor will file an Interim Report with the Teacher Education Office. Accommodation and Disabilities UBC has a commitment to accommodate people with special needs in its instructional programs. There are services available to students and the department, among them the Disability Resource Centre. It is the responsibility of students with special needs to make their needs known to either the Disability Resource Centre or the instructor. Any student with special needs is requested to contact the instructor prior to the second class.

13 Explanation of Pass/Fail Standards for EDST 314 A.Written Assignments Pass: Assignment handed in on time; few errors of diction, grammar, spelling, organization and/or style; facts are shaped into an organized, structured, intelligent statement; all material is pertinent, necessary to an understanding of the problem; material is concise, yet comprehensive, covering all major areas of the problem; provides specific examples, details, and/or explanations; clearly appreciates the role of critical thinking in each assignment. Fail: Assignment not handed in or late without explanation; recurring errors of diction, grammar, spelling, organization and/or style; presents inaccurate, misleading, insufficient, or misunderstood information; fails to understand the role of critical thinking in each assignment. B. Class Facilitation/Presentation/Group Work Pass: Written summary provided to students fulfills requirements of written assignments (see above). Oral facilitation/presentation/group work participation is thoughtful, critical, and taken seriously as an important part of assignment. There is a coherent link between the summary, questions to the class, and the original reading. Teamwork - clear evidence that both team members shared in the written work and oral presentation. Fail: Written summary provided to students clearly falls short of requirements of written assignments (see above). Oral presentation is extremely brief, lacks forethought of planning, is directionless, and is therefore disrespectful of fellow classmates and instructor. Teamwork is clearly lacking - both team members fail to take the assignment seriously. C. Attendance and Participation Pass: Attendance: no more than one class missed or one late arrival w/o formal explanation (follows TEO policy). Participation: in almost all classes (1) shows active evidence of having done all the readings required, (2) shows evidence of active listening by responding to others contributions in a constructive fashion, (3) shows leadership in discussion, (4) treats others respectfully. Fail: Attendance: violates TEO policy. Participation: regularly (1) appears unprepared and ignorant of course readings, (2) hogs discussions and/or treats others disrespectfully, and (3) makes little or no contribution to discussions.

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Instructor's Bio
Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi holds a Ph.d. in language and literacy education from the University of British Columbia and is a frequently published author and poet with numerous conference presentations. He also holds a doctorate in psychology and has taught courses on social issues in education, research methods in education, philosophy of education, psychology, educational and counseling psychology, psychology of mass media, developmental psychology, social psychology, political psychology, psychology of negotiations, research methods, language, education, communication, hermeneutics, psychoanalysis, semiotics, discourse and creativity, mindfulness and creativity, narrative inquiry, film analysis, critical thinking models and methods, application of learning theories in instruction, etc. for the University of British Columbia, Athabasca University, Upper Iowa University, New York Institute of Technology, University of Phoenix, Antioch University, and City University of Seattle, Antioch University of Seattle, and Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Fatemi has been the keynote speaker of a number of International Conferences including the World Council for Psychotherapy in 2004. He has also conducted a wide variety of seminars and workshops on areas such as emotional intelligence, negotiation skills, communication skills, presentation skills, creative thinking and creative writing, motivation and performance enhancement, facilitation and emotional creativity, language awareness and self-actualization, intercultural skills, team building, etc. across North America and overseas. Dr. Fatemi is currently teaching graduate and undergraduate courses on areas of education, psychology and communication for the University of British Columbia, and the University of Phoenix.

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