Liberal Studies 250B and 250F
Reason, Belief, and Education
TTh 4:00 - 5:15; TTh 5:15 - 5:45
SH 384
Drs. B. Paller and M. Czech
|
677-2757, 677-2746 Bonnie.paller@csun.edu |
677-3154 maria.czech@csun.edu |
Spring 2006
This course is an introduction to =
the
concepts essential to the identification, analysis, and evaluation of
arguments, for students in the Integrated Teacher Education Program. Studen=
ts
will learn criteria for distinguishing good reasoning from bad and will dev=
elop
basic reasoning skills that they can apply both within a broad range of
academic disciplines and outside the academic environment. Students are
expected to acquire skill in recognizing the logical structure of statements
and arguments, skill in applying the principles of sound reasoning in the
construction and evaluation of arguments, and an appreciation of the value =
of
critical reasoning skills in the pursuit of knowledge.
Students will examine a variety of
sources of justification, evidence, and warrant, such as argumentation,
problem-solving, scientific reasoning, and perception. Lastly, the applicat=
ion
of these concepts to instructional practices and curricular materials for
teaching and learning in K-12 classroom will be emphasized.
Texts:
Schick and Vaughn, (2005), How =
to
Think About Weird Things, fourth edition
The Power of Logic, Layman, Primis Edition
Additional materials will be made
available.
Course Requirements:
3 exams: 20%, 20%, and 20% =3D 60%=
1 critical reasoning analysis proj=
ect =3D
15%
1 project which includes reflectio=
n and
analysis of fieldwork data (15 hours fieldwork observation of diverse learn=
ers)
=3D 25%
This course will use a plus/minus
grading system.
Course Outline: (reading should be completed bef=
ore
each class session)
All dates are approximate!
|
Week |
Philos=
ophy |
Educat=
ion |
|
Week One:=
Jan. 31, =
Feb. 1 |
Schick and
Vaughn, Logical
Possibility, Physical Possibility, and Reality Ch. One, =
Close
Encounters With The Strange (pp.1-14) Ch. Two, The Possibility of the
Impossible (pp.15-34) |
Send an email for online communication and the
following information: &m=
iddot; &nbs=
p;
Name, address, phone number=
(s) &m=
iddot; &nbs=
p;
Are you a teaching assistan=
t? · &nbs=
p;
Days and times your are
available for fieldwork (2 hrs) · &nbs=
p;
Will you carpool—which
whom? “Thinking and the School Curriculum̶=
1; |
|
Week Two:=
Feb. 7, 9=
|
When d=
oes personal
experience provide reliable evidence? &nb=
sp; Ch. Three,
Looking for Truth in Personal Experience&=
nbsp; (p=
p.35-87) |
Review=
of
how children learn “Philosophy: the Lost Dimension in Education” |
|
Week Thre=
e: Feb. 14, =
16 Week Four=
: Feb. 21, =
23 |
Realis=
m,
Relativism, and Extreme Relativism Ch. Four,
Relativism, Truth, and Reality (pp. 88-113) Handouts:=
1. select=
ion
from Thomas Kuhn, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” a=
nd 2. Barnes=
and
Bloor, “Relativism, Rationalism, and the Sociology of KnowledgeR=
21; |
Conver=
ting
the classroom into a community of inquiry “=
;Guiding
a Philosophical Discussion” Practi=
cing
“facilitating” discussion with children (Begin
observation of children in the field—script discourse) |
|
Week Five=
: Feb. 28 |
The qu=
est
for justified, true belief Ch. Five,
Knowledge, Belief, and Evidence (pp.114-153) How do we
acquire evidence and justification? How do we
acquire knowledge? |
Web se=
arch
for “philosophy for children” sites |
|
March 2 |
EXAM #=
1,
March 2 |
Discus=
sion
of preliminary findings in the field |
|
Week Six:=
March 7, =
9 |
Layman: C=
h.
One, The Power of Logic 1.1
What is an argument? Valididty 1.3 Some
“Famous” Forms |
Can ch=
ildren
be logical? |
|
Week Seve=
n: March 14, 16 |
Layman: C=
h.
Two, The Power of Logic 2.1 Argum=
ents
and Non-arguments 2.2
Well-crafted arguments |
Can ch=
ildren
be moral? |
|
Week Eigh=
t: March 21,=
23 |
Layman: C=
h. Seven,
Statement Logic: Truth Tables 7.1 Symbo=
lizing
English Arguments 7.2 Truth
Tables 7.3 Using=
Truth
Tables to Evaluate Arguments |
Due: Can children be ethical?<=
/i> |
|
Week Nine=
: March 28,=
30 |
Ch. Eight=
, Statement
Logic: Proofs 8.1
Implicational Rules of Inference 8.2 Equiv=
alence
Rules |
Philosophy and critical thinking=
in
Language Arts |
|
Week Ten:=
April 4 |
8.3 Five =
More
Equivalence Rules |
Philosophy and critical thinking=
in
Mathematics |
|
April 6 |
Exam #=
2,
April 6 |
Philosophy and critical thinking=
in
History and Geography |
|
Week Elev=
en: April 18,=
20 |
Back to S=
chick
and Vaughn: Studies in
Methodology Can we
demarcate science from pseudo-science? Ch. Seven,
Science and Its Pretenders (pp. 175-231) |
Philosophy and critical thinking=
in Science Difference between Beliefs and
Science—what do children need to know |
|
Week Twel=
ve: April 25,=
27 |
Science v.
Intelligent Design Handouts =
and
websites: resources |
The place of religion and belief=
s in
the classroom (???) |
|
Week Thir=
teen: May 2, 4<= o:p> |
Ch. Eight=
, How
to Assess a “Miracle Cure” (pp.232-270) |
|
|
Week Four=
teen: May 9, 11=
|
Ch. Nine,=
Case
Studies in the Extraordinary (pp. 271-336) |
Due=
: Field notes and reflective paper=
(word processed) incorporate children’s voi=
ces in
text |
|
Week Fift=
een: May 16 May 18 |
Critic=
al
Reasoning Project Due Exam #=
3, May
18 |
|