Professor: Shirley Freed, freed@andrews.edu, Office phone - 269-471-6163, Webpage: www.andrews.edu/~freed.

An online class? This is an online experience and you can expect much of your learning to take place through interactions with one another and independent study. However, I am committed to facilitating the discussions and providing timely responses to your questions. If you need to contact me, I'd prefer that you use the email inside the class - this will keep your message from getting lost in my regular email. Should you have difficulty accessing data bases in the library, email Marilyn Gane - mgane@andrews.edu, the library liaison for all distance education students. You may want to access the library for more information about any of the topics we will discuss. I'm also expecting that you'll discover many online resources and I hope you'll share these with one another. One example that might be helpful is the Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy.

What is a foundation course? Traditionally foundations refer to philosophical, psychological, sociological, historical and theological issues. Why do we have a competency relating to foundations? It is because leaders need a grasp of the streams of thought that have shaped them and others. We never lead in isolation. We always lead in a context embedded with ideas about "how the world works." And so the course is about your identity - who are you? Po Bronson in the January, 2003 issue of FastCompany said, "I have spent the better part of the past two years in the company of people who have dared to confront where they belong. They didn't always find an ultimate answer, but taking the question seriously helped get them closer." So a foundation course should help you get clearer about your "foundations" - what will you commit your life to? where will you find energy and passion? If you haven't thought about these basic questions: who am I?, where am I going? and where are the cookies? - oops - that's just to see if your reading!! - you will not likely find yourself leading anyone anywhere - including yourself!!

Course Description: A survey of worldviews and an analysis of the basic teachings of Greek to modern philosophers with an emphasis on epistemological issues. Leadership participants are challenged to rethink their definitions of knowledge: what it is and how do we get it. This is particularly critical in a non-traditional program striving for knowledge-in-action rather than knowledge-out-of-context. The term knowledge-in-action is used to refer to 1) knowledge embedded in the context of daily life and 2) knowledge that is constantly changing as previous experiences are (re)examined from multiple perspectives. This required course in the Leadership program examines the assumptions and critical components/processes of the Leadership program.

Expectations: Since this is a 2 credit graduate level course, you can expect to spend approximately 1-3 hours per week interacting on-line and another 4-8 hours studying off-line. We are assuming that most of you have had 1 or 2 basic philosophy courses. If that is not true for you, you can expect to spend more time!! You should be reading and responding in the discussion board 3 - 4 times per week. With 24/7 availability, I am optimistic you'll find a time that works best for you. If you are NOT able to spend this amount of time, or if you are having trouble with your WEBCT connection, please email freed@andrews.edu . We'd like everyone to have a meaningful learning experience but this is not likely to happen if your involvment is inconsistent. We will be setting up an atmosphere for dialogue and academic interactions and if your involvment is sporadic, your learning will be hampered as well as that of others.

Required Textbooks and Readings: You should view these books as resources and expect to return to them often for reference. We won't be accessing them in a linear fashion.

Alaby, Jose. 2003. The End or Ends of Education: The Issue of Means and Ends of the Andrews University Leadership Program. Andrews Lithotech. (available from Michelle at the leadership office - parism@andrews.edu).

Sire, James. 2004. The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalogue.

Stevenson. Jay. 2002. The Complete Idiots's Guide to Philosophy. Alpha Books. A Simon and Schuster Macmillan Company. New York.

Wallace, Betty & William Graves. 1995. Poisoned Apple: The Bell-Curve Crisis and How Our Schools Create Mediocrity and Failure. St. Martin's Press. New York. (available from Michelle at the leadership office - parism@andrews.edu).

Online Readings - The power of an online experience is increased exponentially by the availability of online readings. I have given a few in response to the weekly questions. You should feel free to access more using a search engine like google and please share links in the discussion board.

Optional Textbooks:

Frost, S. E. 1962. Basic Teachings of the Great Philosophers. (especially Chapters II and VIII) Doubleday. New York.
Gaarder, Jostein. 1991. Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy. Berkley Books. New York.
Goldstein, Clifford. 2003. God, Godel and Grace: A Philosophy of Faith.
Johnson, Phillip.1995. Reason in the Balance: The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law and Education. Intervarsity Press. Downers, Illinois.
Knight, George. 1998. Issues & Alternatives in Educational Philosophy. Andrews Univeristy Press. Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Lindsley, Art. 2004. True Truth: Defending Absolute Truth in a Relativistic World. InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove, Ill.
Palmer, Donald. 1996. Does the Center Hold? An Introduction to Western Philosophy. Mayfield Publishing Co. Mountatin View, CA
Sire, James. 2004. Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept. InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove Ill.
Stevenson,Leslie. 1974. Seven Theories of Human Nature. Oxford University Press. New York.
Postman, Neil & Charles Weingartner. 1969. Teaching as a Subversive Activity. Delacorte Press. New York.
White, Ellen, G. 1903. Education. Pacific Press: Mountain View, CA.

You'll want to access online data bases through the James White Library to augment your reading and writing.

Goals:

Out of the Mission Statement of Andrews University:
AU educates its students for generous service to... society...

Accordingly, students are challenged
- to be inquisitive
- to think clearly and communicate effectively
- to develop competencies in their fields of study
- to prepare for a meaningful position in the work place
- to respect ethnic and cultural diversity
- to embrace a wholesome way of life

Out of the Ideals of the School of Education of Andrews University:

Conceptual Framework: Andrews University embraces the theme, "True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and the whole period of existence possible to all people. It is the harmonious develpment of the physical, mental, and spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and the higher joy of wider service in the world to come. . . In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one." White, pg. 13, 30.

The mission of the School of Education is to provide programs based on a redemptive Christian worldview to prepare professionals for global service. To Educate is to Redeem.
We believe we accomplish this mission through six major elements - one of which is worldviews.

Out of the Mission Statement of the Leadership Program of the AU School of Education:

The Leadership Program develops a community of scholar-practitioners who transform the power of knowledge into global service.

Basic Assumptions:

1. "Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator - individuality, power to think and to do.... It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men's thought." (Ellen White, Education (1903) p. 17)

2. Science has become a myth. It contributes to the idea that there is a class of people "specialized" in thinking (the "semi-gods" scientists), so that other individuals are "liberated" from the obligation to think. Any myth is dangerous because it is often accepted without critical analysis.

3. Individuals are not isolated. Reason, language, methods, vision and blindness, all these have to do with the institutional realities in which science takes place. That is, the scientific tools must be understood as being socially constructed, remaining social to the end.

4. All knowledge should serve humankind's need to live with dignity. This is the ethical dimension of knowledge and science. Compassion does not need epistemological legitimacy. Feeling is not divorced from reason in decision making. The only and ultimate purpose of knowledge and science is to diminish the misery of human existence.

Objectives:

1. To critically read the books, chapters, articles and webpages assigned, and reflect and raise questions from the reading, in order to share and submit them to the subgroups for discussion.

2. To understand the historicity of philosophy as a relevant activity. "Examining, analyzing, synthesizing, speculating, prescribing, and evaluating are activities that have traditionally been at the center of philosophic endeavors." (Knight, George. Issues and Alternatives, p. 4).

3. To think about and express your personal worldview (Weltanschauung), your own concept of truth, knowledge, nature and humankind, and your own set of values, as philosophical "tools" to understand, among others, those specific problems presented in the Poisoned Apple, Literacy with an Attitude, and the Leadership Program.

4. To participate in an online community of learners that can produce significant recommendations and/or contributions to a larger community.

Supports for your work:

1. Disability - Anyone with any type of disability and needing any type of accommodation should contact freed@andrews.edu.

2. Chat Room - this is open and available for your use throughout the duration of the class. You should note that conversations in the four rooms are recorded but not those in the other two rooms. Also, I will be available for Office Hours each tuesday at 8pm Eastern time in one of the chatrooms. This is optional! In other words you don't have to "show-up" in this synchronous space but it is available should you have questions or just want to experience an online chat or to use the space for chatting with other people in the class.

3. WebCT mail - you can use this tool to email anyone in the class at any time - I would appreciate if most of the conversations with me about the class are channelled through this mail tool. It will keep your class mail from getting lost in my other email!

4. Forum/Bulletin Board - this is the space where much of your learning will take place. You'll have ten weeks of responses. I will be reading all your posts but will be fairly quiet so as not to overtake your discussions. I find that if I'm too vocal, everyone waits for me to say something and then chimes in!! At any point you are welcome to compile the conversations for portfolio documentation or further reflection.

5. Archives - you'll find much of the discussion from lead99 archived for your perusal. I have saved these discussions and have permission for you to have access to them. I'm particularly proud of lead99 because while they were having their discussions they were being observed by two researchers from Nova Southeastern University and Atlantic Univeristy. As a result of their research, Lead636 was identified as an Exemplary WebCT course for 2000. I expect that you'll be able to extend the work that Lead99 has done and that each year we won't have to start from the very beginning!!

6. James White Library - throughout your program, you'll want to use the Andrews University Library - this would be a great time to check it out - look over the section "For Off- Campus Students" and when you have a question about "purpose of education" or "history" or any of the theories or philosophies, access the online data bases - I'd suggest Wilson Select full text as a good one to orient you to "what's available". If you have trouble accessing the library, email Marilyn - mgane@andrews.edu - I guarantee that she will help solve whatever problems you might be having!!


Weekly Schedule of Topics and Discussion Questions: The questions in italics should be "starters" for a discussion in your forum.

Preweek (January 3-9) We'll use this time to make sure everyone is connected. Use the discussion board to introduce yourself (and then I'll know you're ready to go!)

Week One (January 10-16) What is the fundamental purpose of education?

How would the fundamental purpose of education be portrayed by the following contemporary theories of education? essentialism, progressivism, perennialism, multiculturalism, constructivism, and behaviorism?. Explain how the various theories seemed to interact in your past educational experiences (school, church, occupation, recreation).

Theories of education usually take educational problems as their starting point. They are generally not framed in terms of philosophic concerns (ie. metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology). "This does not mean, however, that their educational proposals have no philosophic undergirding. On the contrary, their proposals are thoroughly permeated with assumptions, even though those assumptions may not always be explicit." (Knight, pg 95) The relationship of some theories to their philosophic sources is shown in this chart - Figure 4 (Knight, pg 96 - used with permission). Click on the topics above to take you to a web page that has a cursory discussion of each of the above perspectives. This should act as an overview of the course.

Additional web resources: Constructivism - more Behaviorism , more Constructivism,

Week Two (Jan 17 - 23): Historically, what is the purpose of education?

How would you relate society's historical interest in education as compared with Anyon's research (found in Literacy with an Attitude? Is the fundamental purpose of education the training of obedient citizens, or is it the development of free people in a democracy? How significant is the socio-economic factor in education? What are the ethics involved? What is the purpose of higher education (Alaby, chap2)?

Additional web resources: History of Education, A Student's Viewpoint, A Muslim Viewpoint, A Conservative viewpoint, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin L. King -

Week Three (Jan 24 - 30): What is Knowledge? What can we know and how do we get knowledge?

Review Freed's epistemological model. Comment on the various aspects in general and specifically as they relate to your learning in the leadership program. How do you account for the different views of knowledge held by the children in Literacy with an Attitude? Refer to Chaps 1-3 in the Complete Idiot's Guide with special attention to Chapter 3 - "What there is to know about knowing". Reflect on the process whereby you come to "know". Share your ideas with your forum.

Additional web resources: Constructivist Epistemology This - epistemology would be a great topic to do a library search!

Week Four (Jan 31 - Feb 6): How are knowledge (epistemology) and reality (ontology) connected in the leadership program?

Review Alaby (Chap5). How is the leadership program trying to alter some traditional ways of knowledge acquisition? Why might this be useful? How are epistemology, ontology and freedom connected in leadership and in Anyon's study?

Additional web resources: Knowledge and freedom, Pope's perspective, Information Technology and Economic Freedom,

Week Five (Feb 7 - 13): What is a worldview? (Sire) Where do worldviews come from?

Choose several chapters in Sire that represent "worldviews" you are not particularly clear about. Read carefully, then post a reaction to that worldview in the discussion board. In what ways is this "new" framework different from your own framework - way of viewing the world?

Additional web resources. Do a google search and share your results. Another great topic for a library search!

Week Six (Feb 14 - 20): From Socrates to Rorty: Basic Teachings of Philosophers. You will be divided into groups - see assignment #2. Each group will take the perspective of a cluster of philosophers (who may or may not agree with one another!) and will role play the cluster of philosophers as they advise Betty Wallace before, during and after her superintendency. You may use the chat rooms or your bulletin board or face to face to organize your group's response. Please post your responses to the Main forum in the bulletin board area. (Assign #2)

Additional web resources: Existemtialism, Plato, search google for more on your assigned philosopher.

Week Seven (Feb 21 - 27): From Socrates to Rorty: Basic Teachings of Philosophers (Group response)

What would your assigned philosophers say to the leadership faculty when they were creating the Leadership program and now - after 10 years of implementation. Why would they advise them in this way? What would be their undergirding rationale? What are the implications for leaders in general? (Assign # 2)

Additional web resources: Postmodernism, search google for more on your assigned philosopher or someone else's.

Week Eight (Feb 28 - Mar 6): Connecting Philosophers to Worldviews

Review the "role play" responses of all philosophers. What connections do you see with various worldviews (Sire). Do your assigned philosophers seem to align with any particular worldview (Sire)? How do worldviews seem to be influencing education today - Poisoned Apple, Anyon's study, The Leadership Program?

Additional web resources: Christianity Today homepage,

Week Nine (Mar 7 - 13): So, how would you describe your worldview? (Assign #3)

Post your worldview paper in the bulletin board space - even if you think it's not quite finished!! You should view this as evidence of your competency in foundations and plan to use this paper in your portfolio. Please, give feedback to others in the group.

Additional web resources: Worldviews, more worldviews, more worldviews,

Week Ten (Mar 14 - 21): How shall we respond to people with worldviews different from our own? (Assign #4)

Do a self assessment of your own interactions in the bulletin board. What is your most common mode: posting, questions, reflecting or dialoguing. Why do you think this is so? Please share your thoughts with others. Also, review the interactions in one other forum. Evaluate the level of dialogue. What seemed to work well? Why? What would you suggest to make the learning more effective next time? Post your reactions in the Process Venting forum.
Also, which books were most helpful in the class? And please give suggestions for future offerings of the class.

Additional web resources: Deep Dialogue, Dialogue to Action, Dialogue Rubric

Assignments and Evaluation:

Your final grade will be calculated on the following basis:

1) Weekly participation in online discussions 30%

Some discussion starters are listed in italics in each week's description of activities. You need to reflect and speak to these but you should not feel limited to them. Because of the amount of discussion generated in this class, I have randomly placed you in two groups. When you go into the Discussion Area, click on your group and post your responses under the appropriate, weekly topic. You will only be expected to interact with the people in your own group, however you are welcome to lurk in the other forum!

Discussion Group A - Yami Bazan, Lynda Daniel-Underwood, Sallie Brewer, Jeffrey Derico, Jeffrey Hart, Mable Isaac, Monica Kapso, Cheryl Kisunzu, Appiah Kwarteng, Michael Toupin and Evelyn Savory.

Discussion Group B - Ronald Clahar, Diane Neuhauser, Carolyn Denney, Rita Francis, Wayne Ireland-Cleghorne, Sarita Johnson, Harry Kirk, Erna Kriigel, Throstur Thordarson, and Robert Young.

Since much of your learning will take place as a result of the level of dialogue we engender, the following should act as guidelines to your "posts": a) include accounts of your own experience, b) ask expansive questions - ones with no right or wrong answer - ones to stimulate thinking and lead to deeper understandings, c) build on previous "posts" by agreeing, disagreeing, giving examples, asking questions, defining issues/terms, d) suggest metaphors and e) share web links and other reference materials. It is expected that you will go on to the discussion board 3-4 times per week on the web and actually interact with others.

You will also find a forum named "process venting". This is the place where we want you to talk about how the "process" is going - the technology, the interactions, the organization of the class, etc. On-line learning is different - some research is suggesting it's more effective than face to face because there is more time for reflection before responding and more opportunity for "talking" which some are beginning to see as the "key" to learning. So use the forum freely! You won't be penalized for having strong feelings and frustrations - this bulletin board space is there because we know you'll have those kinds of feelings sometime and we want you to "vent"!!

2) Collaborative Project 30%

Complete a group "role play" of assigned philosophers response to the Poisoned Apple and the Leadership program. See weeks six and seven. The group "role plays" will be posted to give other forums an opportunity to read and ask questions. The philosophers you will role play are listed below. Your group may choose to assign different philosophers to different people or you can work together to develop responses. Before you are finished though you need to talk with the other people in your group and plan for one presentation per cluster - you will post your results in the Main Forum.

Group One - (Heidegger and Husserl) - Diane Neuhauser, Appiah Kwarteng, Throstur Thordarson
Group Two - (Descartes, Hobbes and Bacon) - Sallie Brewer, Carolyn Denney, Michael Toupin, Evelyn Savory
Group Three - (Kierkegaard and Nietzsche) - Ronald Clahar, Wayne Ireland-Cleghorne, Mable Isaac
Group Four - (Dewey, Rousseau, Pestalozzi) - Jeffrey Hart, Monica Kapso, Harry Kirk
Group Five - (Socrates, Plato Aristotle) - Lynda Daniel-Underwood, Yami Bazan, ErnaKriigel, Cheryl Kisunzu
Group Six - (Foucault, Derrida, Rorty, Capra) - Jeffrey Derico, Rita Francis, Robert Young, Sarita Johnson

3. Final, synthesis paper 30%

This paper should reflect your basic worldview/philosophical perspective, the theories of education, epistemological and ontological beliefs as they interact with your past experiences and projected ideas about your knowledge development in the leadership program. A worldview is a framework of assumptions and beliefs about "how the world works". It addresses 1) the nature of the universe, 2) the nature of humans, 3) what is wrong - why there is hate and intolerance etc. and 4) a perscription for fixing it! Sire lists 7 basic questions (p. 18) and gives suggestions for choosing a worldview (pg 214-217). I'm not so sure that we "choose" a worldview or rather that one is chosen for us by our family of origin, church, schools. etc. At any rate, you should feel free to identify yourself with any major worldview and educational theory or a creative combination of your choice! But what you will be presenting here and in your final portfolio (you may only take the 1st step in this class) is a coherent portrayal of "who you are" in this postmodern world. That means you need to be able to speak to "who you are" as much as to "who you aren't" and why!! Can you do that in six pages or less??

4. Evaluation of dialogue 10%

Why is dialogue central to this experience specifically and to the Leadership program in general? How can we improve our dialogue skills (moving us away from debate tactics)? Why might this be important? Post your thoughts in the "Process venting" Forum. Use the rubric below to help you think about your interactions: Four Mental Models of Bulletin Board Posting

Mental Model	Posting	Questioning	Reflecting/connecting	Dialoguing
Definition	You post your message as if you were submitting an assignment - often repeating what has already been said - you don't respond to others	You ask questions but often they aren't connected with what others have said - you don't engender a response	You respond to what others have said - using their name or quoting them - sharing your personal experience or metaphor to explain further	You are present in the bulletin board - listening, asking for clarification, sharing experiences, affirming others, extending the conversation
Sometimes	2	4	5	7
All the time	1	3	6	8