Global Campus Exemplar Course

Social Foundations of Education

Course Details

Instructor: T. Francene Watson, Ph.D.

Text and Resources: See File and Course Calendar for links; no text required

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 3:00 - 5:00 and by appointment

IMPORTANT: Visit the course "More Information" page to review details about textbooks, course materials, media, proctor requirements, and any fees associated with this course.

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Course Overview

Welcome. This graduate course explores the many roles that schooling and education serve in US democratic society. We probe and reflect on the ways that schools and society are tethered as simultaneously reproductive and transformative systems.

Social Foundations of Education (SFE) weaves several disciplines and fields together in order to explore the forces that shape education. In the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, schooling and education have perhaps never received such focus.

As a field of study, social foundations draws from disciplines and areas of study that include history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, religion, political science, economics, cultural studies, gender studies, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) studies, comparative and international education, educational studies, and educational policy studies, as well as transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Students draw upon these inter/trans/disciplinary fields to develop interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives on education, both inside and outside of the physical school environment.

This course was designed with working professionals in mind, centered in graduate programs in Education Leadership, Special Education, Sports Management, and Curriculum & Instruction. It was designed to bridge to current practice spaces. The purpose is to question and understand how various forces and factors influence operational realities in which students (and educators) work or will work.

For students coming from outside of the public school system, a social foundations course supports the development of a more critical view, as public schooling in America impacts all of us, implicitly and explicitly. Issues include access to education, policy development and implementation, development of educational structures, social justice and democracy in schools, and more.

This semester, we will iteratively ground our study with the "here and now" as we collectively and respectively navigate the unprecedented waters of the global pandemic—a “quadruple” pandemic, as education scholar Ladson-Billings (2021) states, noting that “the COVID19 pandemic exposed many of the nation’s vulnerabilities—health care, economic, climate, and educational disparities—and put us all on alert” (p. 68). She issues a call to action, prompting us “to fundamentally rethink education and consider the pandemic as an opportunity to restart, or more precisely re-set education” (p. 68).

A social foundations course asks educators to go well beyond “best practices” and instead ushers in inquiry and asks us to think deeply about the relationships between education (formal and informal) and our society/communities at large.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students will understand values and model the guiding principles of the profession, including:

• a commitment to social justice and sustainability;
• an understanding of ethical responsibilities of leadership (educators, administrators, community);
• effective and respectful interaction with others of similar and diverse cultures, values, and perspectives with respect for diversity, inclusion, and equity; and
• a foundational commitment to school improvement and positive influence on student learning.

507 Course Outcomes

Students...
1) Through engaged and critical reading and listening, develop an understanding of the different functions of education in society and be able to describe select patterns of interactions between schooling and systemic roots of those respective functions.
2) Apply concepts and theoretical perspectives in the critical analysis of education and be able to explain how and why schools reflect larger societal values (and vice versa).
3) Conceptualize and express informed opinions about how individual views on issues of diversity impact educational goals, policies, and practices in classrooms and schools (e.g. enduring significance of racial issues, social status and resources, gender and sexual identity, language, geography, religion, and exceptionality).
4) Make informed, normative assessments/judgements about the aims of education and practice through multiple means of expression.
5) Defend emergent assessments/judgements about the aims of education and practice with wholehearted and reasoned evidence from course scholarship and their own experience.

College of Education Conceptual Framework

Welcome. The College of Education contributes to the theory and practice of the broad field of education and dedicates itself to understanding and respecting learners in diverse cultural contexts. We facilitate engaged learning and ethical leadership in schools and clinical settings. We seek collaboration with diverse constituencies, recognizing our local and global responsibilities to communities, environments, and future generations.

As a college committed to social justice education, we begin by acknowledging that WSU Pullman was settled on the original homelands of the Paluus’pu and ceded territory of the Nimiipuu Nation, also known as the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho. As you read this, I welcome you and invite you to acknowledge the ancestral homelands of your respective home/s. In doing so, we begin with a reverent connection to land, place, and our community contexts.

Teaching & Learning Mission Statement

The Department of Teaching and Learning seeks to advance knowledge and ethical practice in the field of education; we do so through collaboration among universities; schools; families; and local, regional, and global communities in a manner that reflects the ideals of democracy, social justice, and ecological sustainability.

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Course Work

Course Workload Expectations

As this is a graduate, online, 3-credit course. Online courses have a minimum commitment of nine hours per week engaged in the following types of activities: reading, listening to and viewing media, discussion conversation in the LMS or other academic technology, conducting research, completing assignments and reviewing instructor feedback, studying for and completing assessments, etc.

Study Materials

All reading materials are provided through Canvas and links to WSU Libraries for free access. Listening and viewing video links (for podcasts or videos) are provided in each module and are free to access. You may need to establish a free account to access them, but I have selected titles to minimize this step.

Assignment Format

All papers submitted for this course must be in APA (7th Edition) style.

Accuracy, organization, clarity, mechanics, citations, and presentation are contributing evaluation criteria for all assignments. You will have ample opportunity in this course to write drafts and get feedback from your peers and from me. It is therefore expected that final drafts meet the above criteria. If your writing is not at a professional scholarly level, I will develop a plan with you. I may also require that you seek additional support and guidance from others on campus such as the Graduate Writing Center. 

Modules & Assignments

Module Engagement (100 Points): Modules ask for multiple means of engagement and expression drawn from Universal Design for Learning principles. Initial engagement is at the beginning of each module with more formative discussion and reflection submissions required weekly (see course schedule). This has a twin goal of providing flexibility of access and participation while at the same time building a virtual learning community where we learn through, with, and from our colleagues and peers—learning as a social endeavor. I consider myself a part of this professional and collegial group and will be assuming the role of facilitator by and large.

Module engagement includes: (1) inquiry prompts and engagement with materials, (2) community discussion forums, and (3) individual practice and reflection. Each module will have one to two of these response types.

• Inquiry Prompts: The inquiry prompts provide a grounding for what you will be exploring and studying during the module. They may come in the form of question or as a more personalized space for you to connect your lived experiences and knowledge to the content studied during the module. These are designed to support you in a regular process of reflection and dig for relevancy. Each class member is required to:
  • Post a response to the inquiry prompt near the beginning of a module to keep us connected. Ideally, this ought to be done prior to engaging in the learning cluster to reveal assumptions, ideas, and experiences. Inquiry prompts may be posted in whole class or small group format.
  • Note that posts will be fielded by me (published for class or groups to see). My goal is to facilitate connections and pose new questions based on your experience and observations. I invite you to engage in this pre-discussion as you can to support your independent inquiry and exploration. In other words, inquiry questions are a means of support.

Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL), this weekly post may be a combination of text, video, or audio (post and response) in which you try each. We will work through an example together using Canvas discussion tools (e.g. traditionally written post, as well as Perusall) or external options to be uploaded (multiple means of expression).

• Learning Clusters: These include required course material (readings/viewings/audio) on critical topics and issues, including posts made by peers. Throughout the term, you will have the options to include material named by peers or things you’ve wanted to “get to.” Learning cluster material is thematic and woven from a multidisciplinary perspective with a goal of making connections across domains. I encourage you to keep a journal to track your thoughts and questions or to engage in an active reading/listening/viewing process (e.g. audio notes). This will be useful to return to as you collect thoughts for required community discussion forums.
• Community Discussion Forums: These are focused discussion forums set up semi-weekly to support individual and collective learning—our learning community. Most discussion forums will be in smaller groups (of about seven to eight people), but some will be set as a whole group. This is a place to not simply summarize or post reactions, but to share critical analyses, make personal connections, and identify implications and potential implementation ideas.* Guidelines, protocols, and posting options will be provided on Canvas and will differ slightly over time to keep things fresh.
• Practice and Reflection Papers: This is a structure designed to help us make connections between theory/concept and practice. In other words, these are opportunities to test out the concepts—how do they work in practice? For each submission, you will apply chosen elements (perhaps those that are the most relevant, intriguing, or troubling to you) from the learning clusters and course discussions, then reflect on them from your positionality and personal context (e.g. classroom, work, community). These submissions will support you in developing each one of the summative assignments. Practice and reflection foci may be tangible (e.g. using an intentional approach to run more inclusive meetings) or a way to build critical awareness (e.g. taking time to observe how power and privilege may be enacted in your locale—racism and prejudice). Written and/or recorded (e.g. video, audio) reflections on practice are only shared with me, unless you decide to share with the class in some way (e.g. you might include your practice experience in one of your discussion posts). I see this as a material way to support your individual goals for the term. 

Here is a suggested Module pace for you to consider, regardless of due dates. I try to make this class as responsive as possible and value flexibility with communication. For example, if you need more time to post a reading response in a small group, simply let me and your group know! We can build from there. This is always preferrable over silence/absence of your voice and perspective.

Sunday/Monday/Tuesday

1. Read or listen to the module introduction (posted by instructor).
2. Post your response to the inquiry prompt/s (as assigned).
3. Begin learning (reading/listening/viewing) for the week.

Tuesday-Saturday

1. Engage with the learning cluster material. (Reach out to me if you have any questions!)
2. Return to Canvas to view the inquiry prompt connections as they emerge.
3. Keep a learning journal or other system to make notes of thoughts and connections as you work through the material.

Saturday/Sunday/Monday

1. Rest, nourish, and play!
2. Attend to upcoming community discussion forum due dates and select material that you’d like to dive more deeply into.
3. Attend to upcoming practice and reflection paper due dates and select an aspect of your “practice” to apply to concepts. This may be the same or different each round.

*About online posts and responses.

Sharing perspectives, both convergent and divergent, is a part of our learning. It often feels good when we meet people who share our ideals, values, vision. Conversely, it can feel challenging when we find ourselves disagreeing or in conflict with the aforementioned. I encourage all of us to stay safe and move past any initial levels of discomfort in order to grow. To do this, we must actively check assumptions, implicit bias, naiveté, and the like—this is what teachers ask students to do each day, and it can be vulnerable (c.f. Hammond, 2014). Topics in our learning clusters can be challenging and perhaps even painful to be present for, as looking at injustices and shared histories is personal, cultural, and political—again, schooling is a part of the democratic project. Our semester is necessarily enmeshed in our professional, educational, and personal lives—schooling impacts us all. A grounding in social foundations taps at the very core of our beliefs and experiences and often makes visible what is hidden in plain sight.

In our online format, then, it’s important to be caring and respectful of how we might come across to others, especially without the nuance of being in person to listen with whole-bodiedness. Sharing thoughts can feel risky and perhaps vulnerable, but this is the “stuff” of growth and change. I hope that you take risks so that you feel that you can get out of this course and community what you put into it. However, we need to make sure we lead with respect and relationship. you Whether you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing, you ought to express respect for others’ ideas and do you best to explain why you agree or disagree. This approach can illuminate a lot—as we come to any kind of issue or idea from different lived experiences, and in tandem, if you find yourself reactive, pause and take the time to consider multiple perspectives, tending to your own thoughts and feelings, then returning to the discussion at hand. This will help all of us learn, dig deep, and create some new ground.

Assignments

Assignments Overview: All assignments will have detailed descriptions on Canvas.

Mid-term Debate Sketch (30 points): Free write on some topics that are important to you, ones that are controversial or challenging—perhaps digging into a topic that seems to have no viable solution, or path forward. Once you have done this, narrow down to one or two. For this project, you will compose a reasoned debate on a controversial topic such as student discrimination, contested curriculum approval, standardized testing, school funding, inequality, school re-segregation, etc. Choose to construct this debate between two hypothetical and oppositional constituents; the degree to which is your choice. Considerations might be school board leaders, non-profit organizations, legislators, state education administrators, teachers, parents, administration, and/or students. This sketch should be 1200-1500 words in total.

Annotated Bibliography - Solo or Partnered (30 points): In this assignment, the focus is a topic of your choosing related to the social and cultural foundations of education. This is great assignment to support you in graduate work, as it nudges you to delve into the literature. Perhaps choose a topic that has either not been explored in class or not been explored to the degree you hoped for. You may choose to work individually or with a partner. In choosing a partner, a learning goal is to not just about dividing the work, but to be in dialogue and exchange to come to greater understanding.

By yourself or together, write an annotated bibliography that digs at the questions explored throughout the course. For example: how does your chosen topic inform the role of education within larger society? How does your topic illustrate the reproductive and/or transformative and/or generative roles of education in society? How might your topic inform elements of authority and control in education? How might your topic help us understand how educational opportunity and access are structured within the negotiation of wealth distribution, race, gender, (dis)ability, language, sexuality, etc.? Because it is not possible to address all of these questions, just focus on one or two and see where this leads you.

Final "Sense making" Project (40 points): Synthesizing and utilizing your learning this semester, critically analyze how the foundations of our education system manifest themselves in schools and society today by following a topic in the press and/or popular media. Illustrate the nuance of the topic in an artistic way or symbolic way. Then, write a comparative, thorough analysis of the issue at a state, local, regional, or national level. Please explore mixed-media options. Draw on course learning clusters (reading/listening/viewing and our discussions over the term) explicitly. This project should come out to 1700-2000 words, either written or spoken (in the case of a video).

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Grading Criteria and Writing Guidelines

Module engagement is credit/no credit. I anticipate that submissions will vary over the weeks, but expect authentic engagement with the content, reflections, and peer exchange. If I see any issues, I will reach out to you to discuss any concerns and collaborate on next steps. Course assignments will each have their own posted criteria.

Unless specified otherwise, all written assignments should have your name, be in APA format, use in-text (parenthetical) citations, include a reference page, and be typed, double-spaced, and formatted in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1” margins. Why? APA is standard formatting in the field of education. Grading on all written assignments is based 90% on content and 10% on the conventions of writing, which will be noted in comments. Resubmission may be permitted, depending on time restraints. Without a rationale, points will be deducted for failure to follow instructions or adhere to the conventions of writing (e.g., not answering the prompt, lack of proof-reading/editing as evidenced by consistent grammatical and/or spelling errors, poorly organized writing, lack of correct APA formatting and citations). Please see the paper grading criteria on Canvas for more detailed information. For APA writing resources, the Online Writing Lab (OWL) through Purdue is an excellent resource. We also have fantastic resources available through the WSU Writing Center. 

Grading

Assignment Breakdown

Assignment	Points
Module Engagement, Discussion, & Practice	100
Mid-term Debate Sketch	30
Solo or Joint Annotated Bibliography	30
Final Project and Paper	40

Grading Scale: While points are attached to each of the assignments listed above, each is a course requirement and must be completed to pass the class. 

Course requirements will be evaluated on a percentage scale:

Grading Schema

Grade	Percent
A	100-94
A-	93-90
B+	89-87
B	86-84
B-	83-80
C+	79-77
C	76-74
C-	73-70

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Instructor Interaction: Building relationship with me and with peers.

I would very much appreciate getting a chance to talk at least once with each and every one of you. I have “office hours” steadily set and am always available by appointment, virtual and in-person, safety guidelines in mind. Office hours have a couple of purposes in my mind. Certainly, there are there for clarification of assignments, discussion of course content, and any issues that may be arising. In tandem, they are set aside hours in the day to build relationship and get to know my students. Though not required, should a meeting time not emerge organically over the first part of the semester, I will reach out to you to invite one. Should this not be a good time for you to make such a meeting, I understand.

Likewise, I have suggested that as peers, you take some time in the week-to-week engagement in the modules to Zoom or meet in person (if safe to do so) to discuss ideas and get to know one another. Since teaching high school, I have always believed that “the knowledge is in the room” and the more that is shared, the richer we become.

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Academic Integrity Instructor Statement

This course will abide by WSU's Academic Integrity Policy.

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Late Work Policy

All assignments are expected to be completed on time in order to support the collective. If situations arise and you need an extension, please reach out to me prior to a due date, and we will create a reasonable arrangement to support you. I can be flexible, especially because I keep in mind that many of you are working professionals. Communication is key, and my commitment is to support you and help to keep ideas and connections flowing.

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Course Evaluation Policy

It is a hope of mine as your professor to provide professional, constructive, and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in in this course. I will integrate several informal structures for you as we move through the term to provide formative spaces to shift as we might need to in order to improve the learning experience and build relationships. Additionally, it is expected that you provide more summative feedback at the course's end by eXplorance Blue. Students are notified when the evaluation period opens and can complete evaluations through myWSU. I appreciate your time and effort to give feedback to facilitate growth and strength with the course material, professional and personal impacts, and general learning experience.

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