CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, APRIL 18-21, 2007
PALMER HOUSE HILTON HOTEL
FORMAT: ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

Main theme:

"Is there a Place for Philosophy in the Accreditation and Certification of Educational Programs for Teachers?"

Where? Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, Annual Conference of the American Philosophical Association-Central Division, special SPSE sessions
When? Special sessions are on (1) Friday, April 20, 2007 between 7-10 p.m.; and (2) Saturday, April 21, 2007 between 12:15 and 2:15 p.m, rooms to be determined.
APA-Central Web Site: Conference program of all APA -Central sessions and papers is now available at: http://www.apa.udel.edu/apa/publications/proceedings/v80n4/Public/default.asp
Conference Registration Fees: APA Members $50; APA Student Members $10; Non-Members $60. SPSE session fee: None.
Summary of Presentations: 24 presenters: 14 on Friday 4/20 7-10 p.m. & 10 on Saturday 4/21 12:15-2:15 p.m. (please see below). 4 pre-enrolled discussants, 2 on Friday and 2 on Saturday. Any registrant during APA-CD conference is welcome to attend either or both SPSE special sessions.
Format: Roundtable sitting arrangement: all sitting in a circular seating arrangement. Presenters start from any point in the circle and move clockwise until all presenters have presented. Time limits: Each presenter has total of 12 minutes for both presentation (6 mins maximum) and discussion (6 mins maximum). Time limits must be strictly adhered to, to allow every presenter in circle equal opportunity to present within prescribed time limits.Ten minute break at 8:20 p.m. on Friday 4/20; no break on Saturday 4/21. Pre-enrolled "discussants" may have prepared questions; other conference registrants in attendance are encouraged to ask questions during 6-minute discussion periods. Copies of Papers and Abstracts: To prepare for the discussion, presenters are asked to please prepare copies of their papers for distribution among participants. In the meantime, please see presenters' names and titles of their presentations, below. To see their preliminary abstracts, please click here.
Publication of SPSE/APA-CD presentations: Papers presented during the special SPSE sessions are eligible for publication in the Society's peer-reviewed e-newsletter  THE ROUNDTABLE. Deadline for submission of papers: June 15, 2007. Send in .rtf format as an email attachment, or within body of email message, to: Alexander Makedon, editor, THE ROUNDTABLE, at: MakedonA@aol.com For more detailed guidelines, please click here.

NEWS ITEM: DINNER IN GREEKTOWN ON APRIL 21ST: Society will host a dinner on 4/21/07 in Greektown, Chicago, which is free for SPSE session presenters, session facilitators, and SPSE officers and members of the SPSE Board of Directors. If you are interested in attending, please click here for more information. Thank you!

SPSE Session programs: Paper presentations:

FRIDAY 4/20/07 Time: 7-10 pm (3 hours); 10-minute break at 8:20 pm.

Pre-enrolled discussants, Friday 4/20/07:

Albear, Gustavo, Eastern Illinois University
Mueller, Sven, Indiana University

Role of discussants: Discussants have prepared questions, may keep time limits; others  in circle are free/encouraged to ask questions during 6-minute discussion periods

Presenters , Friday 4/20/07:

Please note that each presenter has total of 12 minutes for both presentation and roundtable discussion (6 mins for presentation, 6 mins for discussion). Presentations start anywhere in circle, continue clockwise.

• Dhillon, Pradeep , University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, "Kant, Disciplinary Content, and Critical Thinking"

• Freedman, Joseph S., Alabama State University, Presenter, "Educational Philosophy as a Conceptual Framework"

• Goddard, Connie, Education Writer / Independent Scholar, Evanston, Illinois "Ella Flagg Young and Dewey on Growth and Change in Teacher Education"

• Jagusah, Olivet, Walden University, "Is there a Place for Philosophy in the Accreditation and Certification of Educational Programs for Teachers-An examination of the Implicit Assumptions in the Question!"

• Keegan, Chris, SUNY--Oneonta, "The Philosophy of Race and Teacher Preparation"

• Levanon, Maya , Montclair State University, "Philosophical-Spirituality: New Paradigm in Educational Knowledge and Pedagogy"

• Makedon, Alexander , Chicago State University, "Reading Between the Lines: How Ethically Desirable are NCATE's Accreditation Ethics?"

• McCarthy, Christine, University of Iowa, "The Value of Philosophy in the Education of Teachers: Instrumental, Constitutive, or Both?"

• O'Loughlin, Marjorie, University of Sydney, Australia, "An Australian Perspective"

• O’Neill, Linda, Northern Illinois University, "Dangerous Liaisons: Foucault and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)"

• Perry-Polise, Alexandra, Montclair State University, "The Role Of Logic in Teacher Education: Changing Dynamics of the Classroom"

• Roper, James E., Michigan State University, "The Importance of Courses in "Education Ethics" in Assessing the Accreditation and Certification of Educational Programs for Teachers"

• Stillwaggon, James, Iona College, "NCATE Standards as a Form of Techne"

• Swartz, Ron, Oakland University, "The Possible Impact of Democracy on the Certification of Programs to Educate Educators."

SATURDAY 4/21/07 Time: 12:15-2:15 (2 hours); No break

Pre-enrolled discussants, Sat. 4/21/07:

Higgens, Chris, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
deNeveu, Christine, National Louis University

Role of discussants: Discussants have prepared questions, may keep time limits; others  in circle are free/encouraged to ask questions during 6-minute discussion periods

Presenters, Saturday 4/21/07:

Please note that each presenter has total of 12 minutes for both presentation and roundtable discussion (6 mins for presentation, 6 mins for discussion). Presentations start anywhere in circle, continue clockwise.

• Eckrich, Lucille L. T., IIllinois State University, "The Value of Philosophy and a Philosophy of Value in Teacher Education"

• Fraser, Sheron Fraser-Burgess, Ball State University, "The Place of Reconstructed Philosophy in Pre-service Teacher Education "

• Helfer, Jason , Knox College, "The Deleterious Effects of Dispositions Upon the Act of Instruction: How to Ensure Impotent Teachers"

• Hufford, Don, Newman University, "Philosophy of Education and the Prophetic Voice"

• Jackson, Liz, University of Illinois-Champaign, "Education's Philosophical Aims and the Goals of Teacher Certification"

• Konkol, Pamela J., Concordia University, "The Quandary of a Professional Ethos for Educators: Professional Ethics or Disposition Development?"

• Murphy, Madonna, University of St. Francis, "Role of Philosophy in Helping to Meet the ITASC Standards"

• Sanger, Matthew, Idaho State University, "The Place of Theorizing in Programs of Teacher Education"

• Smith, Philip L. , Ohio State University, "On the Tension Between Professional Education and Academic Study"

• Watras, Joseph , University of Dayton, "The Philosophy of Education, Teacher Tests, and NCATE"

Colleges/universities represented by presenters:

Alabama State University
Ball State University
Chicago State University
Concordia University
Idaho State University
Iona College
IIllinois State University
Knox College
Michigan State University
Montclair State University (2)
Newman University
Northern Illinois University
Oakland University
Ohio State University
SUNY--Oneonta
University of Dayton
University of Illinois-Champaign (2)
University of Iowa
University of St. Francis
University of Sydney
Walden University

Independent Scholars: 1

States:

Alabama
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Ohio

Countries:

Australia (1)
U.S.A. (23)

Back to the top

Abstracts are listed alphabetically according to their authors' last name.

1. Dhillon, Pradeep , University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, "Kant, Disciplinary Content, and Critical Thinking"

Email: dhillon@uiuc.edu

Abstract:

Roughly, I first propose to point to the enduring legacy of Kant's call for independent thinking in his essay "What is Enlightenment?" Drawing a distinction between formal and transcendental logic, thus focusing on discipline-specific content, I will argue that Kantian Logic provides a useful approach to teaching critical thinking. I will oppose Kant to both a general deductive approach typically taken in the teaching of critical thinking to teachers, and more recent approaches which seek to introduce a relational approach. I will argue that the Kantian approach offers us the most relevant way of preparing teachers for teaching critical thinking within the secondary and higher education.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

2. Eckrich, Lucille L. T., IIllinois State University, "The Value of Philosophy and a Philosophy of Value in Teacher Education"

Email: lteckri@ilstu.edu

Abstract:

I will make two points in my presentation. First is the practical value of conceptual analysis for preservice teachers. In particular, drawing on my own teaching, I will suggest that preservice teachers can find rich and necessary pedagogical resource for their own teaching in coming to both distinguish and relate the concepts of socialization, education, and indoctrination. My second point will address the need for axiology in the study and practice of public education and schooling. In particular, I will suggest that understanding the nature of economic value, and its biased institutionalization in our existing monetary system, can have practical import both for explaining the achievement gap of poor and minority students and, more importantly, for designing and implementing new and sustainable approaches to school funding that can help.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

3. Fraser-Burgess, Sheron, Ball State University, "The Place of Reconstructed Philosophy in Pre-service Teacher Education "

Email: sfraserburge@bsu.edu

Abstract:

Now more than ever philosophy has a place in pre-service teacher education. For the past two decades, philosophy has steadily been the subject of postmodernist and critical theorists' critique and deconstruction. In a social milieu of cultural broadmindedness, that only a euro-centric, normative version of the discipline has been historically legitimate in Western society was an object of ongoing derision by education radicals. Gradually an already fragile relationship, in the extant literature, between the more analytic methods of philosophy and the practices of schooling completely fragmented. Philosophy seemed to go one way and education the next.  The revival of the place of philosophy comes, in my view, because of four developments.

One form of analytic philosophy, epistemology, has been duly chastised by feminist and social epistemology, which have argued cogently for normative but inclusive pathwaysto knowledge. Interesting questions are being raised about the significance of feminist and social constructs for education.

The trajectory of multicultural initiatives now places different social groups in competition with each other. Ladson-Billings and Tate (1995) write of the growing "tensions" that exist between various groups that gather under the umbrella of multiculturalism" (p. 61). For example, the term "culture" is highly contested as a label that applies to both ethnic groups and gays. At issue is the meaning and significance of pluralism. The analytic method of philosophy can clarify the terms of the debate and logically propose the parameters of social and political deliberation that could be acceptable to all.

The popularity of constructivist pedagogy has created an opportunity to revisit Dewey's pragmatist epistemology. Dewey's individualistic, subjective view of learning is partnered with a strong scientific leaning that presupposes the regularity of natural laws without holding with certainty to a knowable reality outside of ourselves. Education seems to have embraced the subjectivity and is confusedly dismissing and minimizing the regularity, creating false dilemmas for the teaching of math and science. Philosophy's concern with the criteria for knowledge and justification can provide a clarification of the problem. The demographic changes in American society means that schools will continue to be places of growing social conflict. The arguments of moral philosophy offer some promise for being a vehicle by which this kind of conflict can be addressed.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

4. Freedman, Joseph S., Alabama State University, Presenter, "Educational Philosophy as a Conceptual Framework"

Email:joseph-freedman@usa.net

Abstract:

Three reasons are given here in support of a "yes" answer. First, candidates for positions as teachers are often asked to present -- orally and/or in writing -- a personal philosophy of education. And candidates for K-12 administrative positions -- for example, for positions as principal, assistant principal, library media specialist, etc. -- also may be asked to formulate and present a "vision" pertaining to their administrative unit (e.g., a school, a library media center) that is in harmony with a broader institutional mission. A well articulated educational philosophy and/or vision can communicate the ability and willingness to make positive contributions within a K-12 educational setting.

Second, students normally are required to digest a very considerable amount of information -- much of which is mandated by individual states and/or NCATE --in the course of initial and advanced certification programs. Students can utilize a personal educational philosophy as a conceptual framework to help them organize and apply what they have studied. And third, while K-12 educational professionals all have guidelines, they also -- be they K-12 administrators or teachers -- have varying degrees of autonomy as to how they carry out their professional responsibilities. A personal educational philosophy can assist the education professional to develop a flexible overall framework within which he/she manages the autonomous as well as the mandated components of his/her professional position; such an overall framework can be used to help place one's own personal educational philosophy and vision into the context of and educational institution's mission and goals.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

5. Goddard, Connie, Education Writer / Independent Scholar, Evanston, Illinois "Ella Flagg Young and Dewey on Growth and Change in Teacher Education"

Email: conniegoddard@comcast.net

Abstract:

In response to the question "Is there a place for philosophy in the certification of teachers?" I offer an emphatic yes! Notably absent from the current national debate on this subject are questions of a philosophic nature: are teachers to make citizens or workers? Is the process most in need of purpose or methods at this point in time? Can quantitative studies address qualitative questions? Does privatizing the education process inevitably demean the schools' democratic function, and if so, how so? And, how much of the teachers' role and preparation for it was determined by the sex and social class of those who occupied it when these determinations were made?

To address these questions I would rely on insights from the collaboration between John Dewey and Ella Flagg Young of a century ago. Specifically, his 1904 article "The Relation of Theory to Practice in Education," an article that addresses the education of teachers “ and in doing so raises essential questions largely missing from current criticisms of teacher education. Like Dewey, Young wrote a great deal on these issues, but comments I would contribute to this discussion would be based largely on her experience as principal of the Chicago Normal School, a post she held from 1904 until 1909. Her comments in particular echo in the criticisms of teacher education made by Arthur Levine in his recent report (Educating School Teachers, 2006).

Young argued, for example (in a talk she gave in 1903) that domination kills individuality and thus destroys the possibility of true growth in both teacher and pupil. The ethical law that she claimed must underlie all vital change is the growth of the individual on the basis of his own ideals, thus, standardization and dictation of method deny true growth or the possibility of real change.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

6. Helfer, Jason , Knox College, "The Deleterious Effects of Dispositions Upon the Act of Instruction: How to Ensure Impotent Teachers"

Email: jhelfer@knox.edu

Abstract:

I shall consider the problematic nature of dispositions and how the sorts of evaluation schemes used by NCATE have deleterious effects on the intended result of teacher education programs. That is, rather than preparing effective teachers, NCATE program evaluation policies actually demand that teacher candidates are trained to be reactive and, ultimately, pedagogically impotent.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

7. Hufford, Don, Newman University, "Philosophy of Education and the Prophetic Voice"

Email: HuffordD@newmanu.edu

Abstract:

The thesis of the paper relates to the importance of helping teachers-to-be develop (in John Dewey's words) "a philosophic disposition." This way of thinking is intimately related to theologian Abraham Heschel's definition of a prophet as "one who asks the challenging questions" about present and past conditions. By asking the challenging questions, and open-mindedly pursuing divergent answers the teacher confronts the educational what is, and looks toward the what should be. Philosophical thinking with its prophetic implications, generates the transformative power to provide a counterpoint to the technocratic, behaviorist, entrepreneurial models that so dominate the content of educational discourse; and that permeate the demands of the teacher education accreditation process. Prospective teachers should be given opportunities to try on the prophet's robe. With alterations made by a philosophical understanding, it might just fit.

To be certified as an educational professional should signify more than the possession of a piece of paper verifying the successful absorption of testable knowledge and officially sanctioned technical expertise. It is important to wrestle with a metaphysical, epistemological, and axiological understanding of the whys, whats, and hows of the profession “ to be exposed to the philosophical study of education. There is an often overlooked teacher responsibility. This is to question and challenge the answers that are given by an educational orthodoxy, and that are assumed to be adequate. Adequate is not enough. It is at this point that philosophy fits into the continually evolving equation of educational reform. The structured discussion will focus on why an accreditation review of a teacher education program should recognize the need for a "philosophic disposition" to be part of a teacher's professional possibilities.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

8. Jackson, Liz, University of Illinois-Champaign, "Education's Philosophical Aims and the Goals of Teacher Certification"

Email: ejackso4@uiuc.edu

Abstract:

What is the aim of public education? If the aim is to provide students with competency in basic subjects, a facts-based approach to teacher education involving functionally understanding different teaching methods may be justified. Yet if our goal is to also enable students to act autonomously in a diverse liberal democratic society, then we must equip teachers with the skills to engage young people more philosophically. In any case, as the aims and conditions of education change, teachers must be able to critically evaluate their practices with philosophical methods. This essay examines how education requires philosophy and how teaching depends upon philosophical thinking with reference to the author's experiences teaching pre-service and practicing teachers about the various theories underpinning education. Ultimately, the question as to whether teachers should study some philosophy as part of their training is answered affirmatively here.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

9. Jagusah, Olivet, Walden University, "Is there a Place for Philosophy in the Accreditation and Certification of Educational Programs for Teachers-An examination of the Implicit Assumptions in the Question!"

Email: ojagusah@hotmail.com

Abstract:

Anywhere in the world, this question might sound odd, in that education is generally assumed to be about the examination of life and that teacher education ought to be at the heart of that examination praxis. However, in the culture of amusement, the examination of the lived experience is question, silent ideologies hold sway, and therefore the over all future is compromised. Accrediting bodies will therefore do society some good, if educational experience is predicated on something more than the banality of Hakuuna Ma Tata or simply 'amusing ourselves to death'.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

10. Keegan, Chris, SUNY--Oneonta, "The Philosophy of Race and Teacher Preparation"

Email: keeganc@oneonta.edu

Abstract:

While many states now require as part of their teacher preparation programs/certification processes a course or course work in issues of diversity and multiculturalism, the training in this area is woefully inadequate and often approaches the absurd. It is safe to assume that most teachers (like most Americans) could not explain to a classroom of students the difference between the social construction of race and the biologically specious claim that race is a natural kind; nor could most teachers discuss, with any academic authority, issues such as racial essentialism, the history of racial laws and discrimination policies and the plasticity of such policies over time, the use of science to justify racial discrimination, the complications of identity, and the difference between ethnicity and race. This is a safe assumption to make because most intellectuals cannot provide a clear analysis of these issues. As a consequence, most teachers, and thus most public and private schools, continue to deal with problems of diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism from a uninformed standpoint. The result is that in their most formative years, students are allowed to socially construct race under the assumption that it is natural, which by the way leads to all the other issues articulated above. As Anthony Appiah has noted, it is the duty of academics, teachers, and policy makers to correct such distorted views, because ultimately they not only result in bad public policy, but also interfere with the "soul making" of our students, and as Dewey made clear, education should enhance our capacities for flourishing, not diminish them. As such, philosophers (as well as sociologists, biologists, and anthropologists) need to work with teacher training programs to develop courses that address the philosophical examination of race and ethnicity.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

11. Konkol, Pamela J., Concordia University, "The Quandary of a Professional Ethos for Educators: Professional Ethics or Disposition Development?"

Email:pamela.konkol@cuchicago.edu

Abstract:

To date, efforts toward articulating the ethical core of the teaching practice have resulted in a variety of organizationally developed statements of professional conduct, behavior, and ethics. Beyond a superficial definition of what it means to act in the capacity of "teacher" in terms of professional credentials, methodology, and content knowledge, educators are without an easily identifiable, explicit, and shared notion of who it is they are, what it is they do, and why it is they do it; there is no identifiable creed, oath or articulated belief that all teachers share. The current debate regarding NCATE and the move toward conceptualizing teacher preparation to include assessing individuals for particular "dispositions" toward teaching, in addition to pedagogical knowledge and practical competence, provides us with another opportunity to consider the impact and import of a creed, oath or belief on the profession and practice of teaching. Insofar as the devices that do exist merely proscribe behavior and ultimately fall short of the philosophical (and political) tool the profession seems to be invoking, is the formulation of "dispositions" for teachers a postive move toward cultivating a shared philosophical base and professional identity? Or does this move lead us farther down the slippery slope of behavior codification?

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

12. Levanon, Maya , Montclair State University, "Philosophical-Spirituality: New Paradigm in Educational Knowledge and Pedagogy"

Email: mayalevanon@gmail.com

Abstract:

In my work, I examine dialectical processes through which "educational knowledge" occurs. My proposal for a coherent synthesis for our era offers educational knowledge that integrates the rational with the intuitive. Its methodological symbiosis facilitates our I-Thou relationship with knowledge, in terms of meaning, values and virtues. I call my synthesis Philosophy-Spirituality, where philosophy stands for a model of inquiry and spirituality for a disposition. After an ontological examination, I offer a model of dialogical pedagogy as a vehicle to facilitate Philosophical-Spiritual knowledge. Throughout the presentation/discussion there will be handouts from the professional development course I conduct with educators. By doing that I invite participants to explore, criticize and suggest insights regarding both theory and practice.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

13. Makedon, Alexander , Chicago State University, "Reading Between the Lines: How ethically desirable are NCATE's accreditation ethics?"

Email: MakedonA@aol.com

Abstract:

Author will examine the ethical desirability of the presumed righteousness of several of NCATE's accreditation standards, including its own ethics standards. Other standards examined include critical thinking, content knowledge, and dispositions. Author will attempt to turn inside out the underlying assumptions of what is being claimed, or the hidden curriculum of an often unethical agenda.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

14. McCarthy, Christine, University of Iowa, "The Value of Philosophy in the Education of Teachers: Instrumental, Constitutive, or Both?"

Email: christine-mccarthy@uiowa.edu

Abstract:

In this short paper I will argue, first, that there is an instrumental value to philosophical reflection in teaching practice, and hence in teacher education. Development of the intellectual virtues of critical thinking in general is of value instrumentally; in this category I include development of skills of logical reasoning, conceptual analysis, and policy evaluation. Reflection on normative ethical theories can also lead to more insightful and laudable practices in the classroom, and to more effective leadership in policy evaluation, and hence is a requisite in teacher education programs.

I will also argue, thought, that there is a deeper and more important justification for the inclusion of philosophy of education in teacher education programs. It is that the development of a reflective stance toward the broadest questions of human well-being and social affairs is constitutive of the process of "education." It is, then, the proper role of teachers in their professional lives to encourage the development of the reflective stance in their pupils. Yet to do so effectively, teachers themselves must be educated. And this requires the development of philosophical insights and dispositions.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

15. Murphy, Madonna, University of St. Francis, "Role of Philosophy in Helping to Meet the ITASC Standards"

Email: mmurphy@stfrancis.edu

Abstract:

I would like to present a paper on the important role of philosophy in helping to meet the ITASC Standards for beginning teachers and the knowledge indicators for principals the 23 IL Administrative Code, Section 29.120. In particular, philosophy is necessary in order to help these candidates for certification to: manifest a professional code of ethics (5F);base decisions on the moral and ethical implications of policy options and political strategies (5G); to treat people fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect and protect the rights and confidentiality of others (5J); and to demonstrate integrity and exercise ethical behavior (5K) basing decisions on the moral and ethical implications of policy options and political strategies (6P). In this paper, I will show how philosophy can be integrated into a History& Philosophy of Education course to help develop these ethical and philosophic skills necessary to have ethical teachers who are role models for their students and to have ethical principals who uphold the highest professional and moral standards.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

16. O'Loughlin, Marjorie, University of Sydney, Australia, "An Australian Perspective"

Email: marjorieoloughlin@mac.com

Abstract:

While teacher educators, education bureaucrats, curriculum directors and others working in the Australian states occasionally pay lip service to the notion of drawing upon phiosophy in some fashion, in the actual accreditation and certification process there is little evidence that philosophy has had a significant role. Bodies set up to exercise oversight of teacher education, in particular to determine basic requirements for acceptable courses within teacher preparation programs do not make explicit the philosophical. Courses in philosophy and education within long-established programs have in many cases disappeared altogether or have been 're-branded' in a variety of ways.

This is not to say that philosophers of education are no longer working in the field (though the numbers are declining), merely that the task of making the philosophical dimension visible has become much more difficult. It is ironic therefore that many involved in Indigenous education in the country, are facing a demand for philosophy to take a prominent role in educational programs designed for Aboriginal students pursuing a career in teaching. I will give a brief account of the thinking that underlies such developments and comment critically on what ramifications this might have for programs aiming for accreditation in the 'mainstream'. My main example will focus on a program at the Koori Centre, University of Sydney

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

17. O'Neill, Linda, Northern Illinois University, "Dangerous Liaisons: Foucault and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)"

Email: ljoneill@sbcglobal.net

Abstract:

Upon my departure from a private teacher training institution five years ago, the Dean bade me farewell with a warning, "You're making a mistake; within the next five years, philosophy of education will be history." I hear the echo of that prediction as I respond to the all-too-vital question, "Is There a Place for Philosophy in the Accreditation and Certification of Education Programs for Teachers?" While the differences between education programs for teachers and training programs for teachers are deeply philosophical, much of the policy language associated with accreditation of educational programs for teachers reflects a "conventional wisdom" that does not explicitly acknowledge its philosophical justification.

In Education Policy: Globalization, Citizenship, and Democracy (2004), Mark Olssen, Anne-Marie O'Neill, and John A. Codd employ Foucault's post structuralism to explore philosophical and ideological antecedents to neo-liberalism's ascendance in the educational policy arena. In a more modest application of Foucault, this paper examines one public institution's response to the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) requirements as they relate to the discourse(s) of educational philosophy. Policy questions drawn from Foucault's archaeology/genealogy pairing guide this analysis of (ir)regularities in claims of truth, falsehood, relevancy, and legitimacy. Interruptions in policy continuity and conflicts in institutional discourses provide direct challenges to professors of philosophy and philosophy of education who suspect that a stronger philosophical presence may be crucial in the formulation of accreditation policy.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

18. Perry-Polise, Alexandra, Montclair State University, "The Role Of Logic in Teacher Education: Changing Dynamics of the Classroom"

Email: polisea1@mail.montclair.edu

Abstract:

In response to the theme of this session, "Is there a place for philosophy in the accreditation and certification of educational programs for teachers?" I would like to speak about the importance of teaching logic to prospective teachers in educational certification programs. Logic is an important discipline in improving not only writing and argumentative skills, but reasoning skills as well, and in this paper I argue that our society would greatly benefit from educators with strong reasoning skills.

Educators in contemporary society are teaching to students from varying backgrounds including a lot of differentiation of culture, family structure, and parental education, and I would argue that teachers who have studied logic will be better prepared to meet these changing demands. In improving how teachers think, through logic, it will also improve what they think and thus, how they act and teach in response to the changing dynamics and demographics in the classroom.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

19. Roper, James E., Michigan State University, "The Importance of Courses in "Education Ethics" in Assessing the Accreditation and Certification of Educational Programs for Teachers"

Email: roper@msu.edu

Abstract:

In the early 80's, I helped pioneer courses in "business ethics" at Michigan State University. I have also taught courses in "medical ethics." What is interesting about these two major professional areas is that organizations that control the accreditation of programs in medicine and business are now requiring that such programs include courses in ethics in their programs. In addition, for six years, I have been teaching a course called "Ethical Issues in Government Decision Making."

Education is one of the most important institutions of our society. If business and medical people are required to have ethics training, it is clear that K-12 educators should also have such training. There are many reasons for this. Educators are role models for our children. Once they start school, children are exposed to their teachers almost as much as, perhaps more than, they are exposed to their parents. In addition, there are specific ethical issues pertaining to K-12 education that arise both in the classroom and in the broader social context. In is, therefore, imperative that teachers have a serious understanding of ethics.

There are several ways to structure a course such as I propose. The typical practical ethics course in a special area such as business or medicine (or, in this case, education) would begin with a chapter explaining the rationale for such a course. This chapter should include specific examples of some of the ethical issues that can arise for a teacher, including both cases that might arise in the classroom and broader issues an educator might be expected to understand. Next, we could expose students to brief treatments of the major types of ethical theory, including theories that have broader implications for society, such as theories of distributive justice. We would then proceed to a series of chapters examining in detail the ethical issues pertaining to specific ethical issues in education, both classroom concerns such as allocation of time among different groups of students and broader societal concerns such as the way educational benefits are distributed in our society. We should not expect the relation between ethical theory and education to be simple; rather, it is likely to involve an interaction in which both disciplines benefit. I will specify a complete syllabus for such a course as part of my presentation; here I just have space for the basics.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

20. Sanger, Matthew, Idaho State University, "The Place of Theorizing in Programs of Teacher Education"

Email: sangmatt@isu.edu

Abstract:

This paper outlines the concept of ³theorizing practice,² and argues that developing teacher candidates¹ abilities to theorize practice well is a critical part of becoming a professional educator, and thus a critical part of programs of teacher education. Using the general idea of theorizing as providing an explanation, theorizing practice in the context of teaching is viewed as a process of explaining practice in terms of what it is (i.e. how to characterize practice, selecting and describing its salient or critical elements), and also why it is (i.e. the causal and normative reasons that ground it), based upon sound interpretation, reasoning, and evidence. In this way, theorizing practice involves both philosophical and empirical explanations that serve to guide the reflection upon, and the planning and enactment of, teaching practice. Having elaborated the concept, the paper goes on to argue that theorizing practice can and should serve as a central educational aim for programs of teacher education, providing a framework for identifying knowledge and skills that are critical to the everyday work of professional educators, along with methods for teaching those constituents of professional practice to candidates.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

21. Smith, Philip L. , Ohio State University, "On the Tension Between Professional Education and Academic Study"

Email: smith.133@osu.edu

Abstract:

Most Colleges of Education try to provide practical training for those who hope to work in the field and to understand the field in an intellectual manner. The hope is that one will enrich the other. However, what usually happens is that one function comes to dominate the other and neither is adequately expressed. Accreditation and certification standards over the last 50 years have become superficially clinical. They not only fail to consider philosophical analysis, but discourage vital professional practice. I plan to tie this claim to the contemporary trend to render subjective important cultural and civic values in the name of democracy and personal liberation. Instead of resisting this trend--or "educating" it--our educational leadership has succumbed to it. The challenge of philosophy of education is to present a vision of teacher education that will integrate the educational practice with thoughtful consideration of the human condition as both a practical and moral imperative.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

22. Stillwaggon, James, Iona College, "NCATE Standards as a Form of Techne"

Email: jstillwaggon@iona.edu

Abstract:

In this presentation I discuss the possibilities for philosophy in the accreditation of teacher education programs by focusing on the limited character of the preset ends or goals of education posed by organizations such as NCATE. The type of intellectual enagement demanded by such preset goals, I argue, resembles that of a techne, limited by the fact that its purposes are established from the start and directed toward the achievement of those purposes. My analysis will deal with what role, if any, can be claimed by philosophical thought in relation to the established goals of teacher training.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

23. Swartz, Ron, Oakland University, "The Possible Impact of Democracy on the Certification of Programs to Educate Educators."

Email: swartz@oakland.edu

Abstract:

This presentation will attempt to begin a dialogue about the question "How might the demands of living in a liberal democratic society have an impact on the way teachers are educated?" I plan to elaborate on some of the issues discussed in my paper "Searching for Teacher Education Programs that are Consistent with Democratic Ideals--A Response to Professor Fenstermacher" ( see MPES Proceedings--1997-1998, pp. 23-26). In particular, my plan is to explain how Bertrand Russell's views about those who are" fit to educate" (see Ibid. p. 25 and Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays. p. 152) provide a beginning place to understand that teachers in liberal democratic societies have to be educated differently than teachers who work in illiberal nondemocratic societies.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

24. Watras, Joseph , University of Dayton, "The Philosophy of Education, Teacher Tests, and NCATE"

Email: Joseph.Watras@notes.udayton.edu

Abstract:

In this paper, my aim is to argue that the future of philosophy of education depends on the ways accrediting organizations and teacher tests require schools and colleges of education to attend to the foundations of education. At the present, foundations scholars have no connections with Praxis, NCATE, or TEAC. Worse, none of these organizations requires that prospective teachers study foundations of education with scholars trained in foundations. The result is that programs of teacher preparation can present the history of education, the philosophy of education, or social foundations in inadequate ways. For example, these subjects could appear in modules in courses carrying names such as introduction to teaching taught by professors whose special interests may be in social studies, curriculum, or secondary education.

To explain my points, I will present a brief history of the relationship of the Council of Social Foundations in Education (CSFE) with NCATE and the development of Praxis tests. In December 2005, I published an article with Erskine Dottin, Alan Jones, and Doug Simpson in Educational Studies to explain the twenty-five year connection that had existed with CSFE and NCATE. The officers of CSFE recently severed this connection. I was a representative to CSFE for fifteen years and I completed recently a three year term as a CSFE representative to NCATE. In April 2006, I published in Educational Studies an article about the development of teacher tests.

Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

Guidelines for the submission of papers for publication in the electronic peer-reviewed newsletter The Roundtable:

Length: Max. 40 pages. Minimum 2 pages. Paper should not be longer than what one would expect is a presentable conference paper (i.e., no longer than, say, an average book chapter, or max 40 pages). You may submit paper as short as 2 pages long.

Font size: Between 10 and 12.

Address: Please submit your paper to Alex Makedon, Editor, The Roundtable, at: MakedonA@aol.com as an email attachment.

Format: Please send your paper as an .rtf file, if possible (if you know how to do this), otherwise as .doc file. If it is easier for you, you may also copy and paste your paper within the body of your email (instead of, as an email attachment).

Style: It is up to the author to decide which style of referencing sources he or she would like to use, or whether to have footnotes or endnotes, or both, so long as referencing style is one of the acceptable academic styles, and remains consistent throughout the paper.

Timeline: We will not begin to review submissions until after the April conference, and will only consider papers for publication submitted by presenters who actually presented their work at the SPSE sessions.  Deadline for submission of papers: June 15, 2007. Authors will be notified of the decision of editorial review board by July 15, 2007. All decisions are final. If editorial board asks author to revise his or her paper, it will offer specific recommendations for such revision. All revisions are due by August 1, 2007.

Editorial Review Board: Professors Alex Makedon, Allan Johnston, Guillemette Johnston.

Back to the text in "Publications" paragraph|Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List

Dinner:

Dinner in Greektown on 4/21/07 hosted by Society for SPSE presenters [APA conference], facilitators, and officers. Dinner is free for presenters, facilitators and officers, others welcome at their own cost for dinner ($25). Please click here for more information.

Occasion: To celebrate its 50 plus years, and its new name and APA affiliation, the Society for the Philosophical Study of Education (SPSE) invites all of our presenters who will be presenting papers during the April 2007 SPSE sessions (4/20 and 4/21) at the American Philosophical Association-Central Division meeting to dinner at the Parthenon Restaurant in Greektown, in Chicago. Cost of dinner for our presenters, session discussant/facilitators , and members of the executive and directors boards will be born by SPSE (excluding alcoholic beverages). Friends of presenters, colleagues, students, or family members are also welcome to attend, but may have to pay for dinner with their own out of pocket expenses (approximately $25). If we have any pre-paid dinner tickets left over due to one or more presenters not attending (we have a total of 30 such tickets), we may be able to distribute them among others who may be attending (graduate students, family members, and others, in that order). The decision to offer pre-paid di nner after the APA -SPSE sessions are over was taken by the Executive Board of the Society, in consultation with our Board of Directors.

Dinner Details: Our SPSE dinner will take place on Saturday April 21, 2007 at 6 p.m. at the Parthenon Restaurant at: 314 South Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. We hope to be done by 8 p.m. or so, although guests are welcome to remain in the restaurant longer. You may visit the restaurant's web site at: http://www.theparthenon.com/banquets-main.htm The food is notoriously delicious and generous , and includes both vegetarian and meat items... You can get an idea of its menu on line at the above web site, for example, at: http://www.theparthenon.com/banquet-menu/buffet-menu.htm We plan to make your dinner experience a friendly, informal opportunity for friendship and collegiality. If you plan to attend this gathering, please fill in the form below, copy and paste it inside an email message to Mrs. Marge Oliker, SPSE Treasurer, at mboliker@mindspring.com copy MakedonA@aol.com (Alex Makedon, SPSE/APA session coordinator). Deadline for replies: April 12, 2007

Thank you! We hope to see you at the conference, and later also at the Parthenon for good Food, Good Company, and a happy OPAAAA!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please copy and paste completed form, below, within an email message to: Marge Oliker, SPSE Treasurer, at mboliker@mindspring.com copy MakedonA@aol.com

DINNER RESERVATION FORM

PARTHENON RESTAURANT, 314 S. HALSTED ST., CHICAGO, APRIL 21, 2007 6 PM, APA-CENTRAL CONFERENCE, APRIL 20-21, 2007 (SPSE SESSIONS)

COST: NONE FOR: (A) SPSE SESSION PRESENTERS

(B) SPSE SESSION DISCUSSANT/FACILITATORS (PRE-APPROVED), AND

( C ) MEMBERS OF SPSE EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTORS BOARDS

ALL OTHERS PLEASE PLAN TO PAY AT THE RESTAURANT WITH YOUR OWN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE (Approx. $25).

NAME:__________________ DO YOU PLAN TO ATTEND DINNER: YES__ NO:__

SESSION PRESENTER___ DATE OF YOUR PRESENTATION: 4/20__ 4/21__

SPSE SESSION FACILITATOR:___ DATE OF SESSION THAT YOU FACILITATED: 4/20__ 4/21__

MEMBER OF SPSE EXECUTIVE BOARD:___

MEMBER OF SPSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:___

OTHER (IF YOU CHECKED "OTHER", PLEASE SPECIFY WHETHER FAMILY MEMBER, APA-CENTRAL REGISTRANT/CONFEREE, GRADUATE STUDENT, FRIEND, ETC.):

___________________________________________________________________________

IF YOU WILL HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES/STUDENTS WITH YOU, PLEASE INDICATE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PLANNING TO ATTEND DINNER:_____ PLEASE NOTE THAT COST OF DINNER FOR OTHERS IS APPROX. $25.00, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTIFIED BY SOCIETY (EXTRA TICKETS FOR DISTRIBUTION, TOTAL AVAILABLE=30)

DO YOU PREFER VEGETARIAN MEAL? YES__  NO__

THANK YOU!

Back to the top of Dinner Announcement|Back to the text in "Publications" paragraph|Back to the top| Back to Top of Abstracts List