GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXTS OF EDUCATION 01.636 Fall 2013 Wednesday 4:00-6:30 and online Michaela W. Colombo, Ed.D. Michaela_WymanColombo@uml.edu Office Hours: Monday and Tuesday 2:00 3:30 Monday Friday by email and by appointment The conceptual framework that unifies programs at the Graduate School of Education is Education for Transformation. The mission of the University of Massachusetts Lowell is to meet the needs of the Commonwealth today and into the future by supporting the development of sustainable technologies and communities through its teaching research, scholarship and engagement. The Graduate School of Education (GSE) contributes to this mission by educating new teachers and enhancing the professional development of those already in the field so that they may assume leadership roles focused on transforming the lives of children and the vitality of the region. The GSE's commitment to "Education for Transformation" produces graduates who: This course cultivates transformation through the following assignments and activities: demonstrate excellent knowledge, judgment and skills in their professional fields; promote equity of educational opportunity for all learners; collaborate with other educators, parents and community representatives to support educational excellence; Active participation in weekly class discussions focused on sociocultural aspects of education, presentation of a class symposium, submission of literature review paper Equity and educational opportunity are the topics of course discussion, symposia or individual paper, and papers Interview of a school leader, parent, or community representative who differs from you in race, culture or some other important way. use inquiry and research to address educational challenges Review and critique of research articles for biases, and issues of reliability, and validity Course Description and Purpose This course will examine seminal works in Sociology of Education as well as the wide body of research that focuses on the sociocultural contexts of education in schools and school systems in the United States and Beyond. The overarching objective of this course is for participants to gain in-depth understanding of the sociocultural forces that have shaped, and continue to shape and influence schools and school systems. Core topics in this course include theory and methodology in sociology of education, the purpose of education in the United States, the structure and ecology of schools, the Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 1
effects of systemic stratification and structural racism, issues of equity and access, and the role and influence of social capital for improving educational opportunities for children who are considered at risk. Course Objectives As professionals in the field of school leadership participants in this course will 1) engage in (and, at times, take the lead in) informed discussions of course readings, 2) review and critique relevant research, 3) prepare a paper based on an interview with an individual who is likely to have a world view that differs from your own, 4) develop a research paper that connects course content to a topic of interest, and 5) present this paper during a round table discussion. Specifically, as a participant in this course you will 1. develop and demonstrate understanding of the dominant theories and methodologies in the field of sociology of education; 2. review and critique research and other scholarly papers, identifying and analyzing the underlying theoretical constructs the methodologies; 3. develop and demonstrate an understanding of the ecology of schools and communities; 4. explore social stratification and institutional racism as it exists in U.S. schools and systems, and the implications of these for children who differ from the dominant culture; 5. demonstrate understanding of the role of social capital and network orientations for students who are considered at risk for failure in U.S. schools and suggest ways in which social capital can be developed within schools and school systems; 6. develop an understanding of multiple perspectives by interviewing a school leader, parent, or community representative who differs from you in race, culture or other important way about one of the core issues we discuss in this course and prepare an analytic paper connecting the interview to course content; 7. Expand on a central concept in the class by conducting research in your specific area of interest, prepare an individual paper, and present your paper as part of a round table discussion. Participation Expectations (20% of total grade) Course Requirements Collaboration and focused discussion based on the course readings are an important component of this course. Please plan to be in class on time and be prepared to actively contribute to small and large group discussions based on the assigned readings. As part of your participation in this course you will be expected to synthesize specific chapters of the Handbook and relate these to current educational issues. Please also plan to review the papers of a team mate and provide thoughtful and constructive criticism. There is also an online component to this course. Your timely participation is anticipated. Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 2
Review and Critique Research Papers and Other Scholarly Papers (20%) As you conduct research for your paper and round table presentation, you will access many research and scholarly papers. Select three of these. In three to four double-spaced pages, briefly summarize and then critique the article. What are the underlying assumptions? What methodology is used? Why did you decide to include or reject this paper for your research? These will be uploaded to online discussion forums by Friday, 9/25, 10/16, 11/6 * Interview (20%) Based on the readings in this course, you will conduct a 45-60 minute interview with a school or community leader to gain her or his perspective on one of the critical issues that we discuss in this course. Alternative assignment: Contact the author of one of the course books or another author who writes about issues explored in this course and arrange an interview by telephone or in person. You will submit your interview notes and a formal paper of approximately 2,500 words. Draft 10/23, Final Paper 11/6 * Paper (25%) Consider an issue that broadly affects schooling in the United States through a sociology of education lens, conduct relevant research about this topic, and develop a research-based position paper of no fewer than 4,000 and no more than 5,000 words exclusive of title page and references. Draft 11/13, Final Paper 12/3 * You will have the interview paper and the final paper critiqued by at least one member of the course prior to submitting the paper to me. These critiques will enable you to revise and edit the paper if needed. Paper Presentation (15%) You will present your paper in a round table format to your colleagues in the course. The presentation should be approximately 10 minutes in length with an additional 15 minutes for questions, comments and responses. PLEASE NOTE: ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST FOLLOW APA FORMAT OR WILL BE RETURNED UNREAD-- A paper that is returned unread will not receive a grade higher than a B when it is resubmitted. Assignments must be submitted on time. Assignments that are submitted late may lose up to 1/2 point per day. If there is an emergency and you must submit your work beyond the date it is due, please contact me in advance. This course adheres to the University's policy to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and for religious reasons. http://www.uml.edu/equal/accommodations/accomodations.html Specific information for students can be found at http://www.uml.edu/studentservices/disability/services.html Academic Dishonesty: Students are expected to adhere to UML s policies for Academic Dishonesty. These can be accessed at http://continuinged.uml.edu/pdf/dishones.pdf The university policies apply to online as well as other work. Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 3
Grade GPA GSE point Comment structure A+ 4.0 99-100 Work of the highest professional standard demonstrating independent and exemplary performance A 4.0 96-98 Excellent work demonstrating independent and high quality performance. A- 3.7 91-95 Very good work, carefully executed, but requiring some areas of improvement. B+ 3.3 86-90 Good work, indicating careful thought and attention to the task, yet requiring several areas of improvement. B 3.0 80-85 Work of graduate standard, but omissions exist or careful analysis is not in evidence. Below Graduate Standard B- 2.7 76-79 Effort is evident, but work indicates lack of understanding of the demands of the task C+ 2.3 70-75 Poor quality work with little attention to detail and the demands of the task. C 2.0 65-69 Work of very poor quality, indicating no understanding of the depth of analysis required. F 0.0 Below 65 Serious neglect or evidence of cheating. Texts Required Apple, M.W., Ball, S.J. & Gandin, L.A. (Eds.). (2010). The Routledge international handbook of the sociology of education. New York, NY: Routledge. Bourdieu, P. & Passeron, J. (1996). Reproduction in education, society, and culture (2 nd ed.). (R. Nice, Trans.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Instructional Activities Classes will consist of discussions based upon assigned course readings, video, related interactive activities, lecture and participants written work. The following is an overview of planned course activities, which and may be modified depending upon the specific needs of course participants. Week One (September 4): Introduction to Class, introductions and research interests, review of syllabus, including course objectives, expectations and assignments Understand how the course readings will connect to meet objectives 1,3,4,5 Begin to consider how your research interests fit with course readings Participant introductions Presentation of syllabus, objectives, readings, expectations and assignments. Small group discussion, What is the purpose of education and why are so many children failed by the system? Brief presentation regarding methodology Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 4
Week Two (September 11): Prior to class, please read assigned sections of Bourdieu and Passeron: pp. 3-11, 1.1-1.3; pp. 11-31, 2.1-2.3; pp.31-54, 3.1-3.3; pp. 54-67, 4.1-4.3. Present plain word overviews of the reading; questions that remain after careful analysis, and application to a current educational issue or issues. Presentations of sections and discussions. Prior to class, identify an area of interest for your research paper. Please be as specific as possible. Note: This class will not meet until 5:00 PM. Week Three (September 18): Bourdieu & Passeron, pp. 71-140. Discuss 5 key points from the reading and specific applications and questions. Round table discussions with expert Week Four (September 25): Prior to class, please read Bourdieu & Passeron, pp. 141-231. Discuss 5 key points from the reading and specific applications and questions Round table discussions with expert Discuss and develop draft interview questions Week Five (October 2): Prior to class, please read the Introduction and Chapter 1 of the Handbook. Discuss the role of perspective and the importance of space in sociology of education Round table discussions with expert Discuss and develop draft interview questions Week Six (October 9): Prior to class, please read Chapters 3, 6, and 7 in the Handbook. Discuss Critical Race Theory, Code Theory, and Social Democracy in Education Review and critique interview questions Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 5
Week Seven (October 16): Prior to class, please read Chapter 15. Discuss the Sociology of Pedagogies Round table discussions Presentations/discussions research critiques Week Eight (October 23): Prior to class, please read Chapters 8, 9, and 10 in the Handbook. Discuss Digital Connectedness and Equity, Sociology of Inclusion, and the Sociology of Mothering Week Nine (October 30): Prior to class, please read Chapters 16 and 17 in the Handbook. Discuss Relations and Politics in Teacher Preparation with Focus on Alternative Certification Programs and Pop Culture and the Sociology of Education Week Ten (November 6): Prior to class, please read Chapters 18 and 19 in the Handbook. Discuss Sociology of Education in a Performative Culture and Tracking and Inequality Expert of lessons learned from interviews Week Eleven (November 13): Prior to class, please read Chapters 20, 21, and 22 in the Handbook. Discuss Economic Globalization, Education and Urban Policies, and the Middle Class and the Schools Week Twelve (November 20): Prior to class, please read Chapters 26, 28, and 29 in the Handbook. Course Objectives Discuss Equality and Social Justice, Bourdieu and Policies in Higher Education, the Sociology of Elite Education Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 6
Week Thirteen (November 27): This class will meet ONLINE. Prior to class, please read Chapters 30, 32, and 35 Discuss Sociology of Learning Communities, Online discussions in which participants log into Language, Race and Social Class in Education the class space at least three times and contribute three or more meaningful postings. Week Fourteen (December 4): Prior to class, please read drafts of participants papers to prepare for inclass paper. Present research in roundtable format Roundtable Wrap Up Colombo Syllabus Sociocultural Contexts of Education 01.636 7