UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA UNIT: School of Education
AT GREENSBORO DEPT: Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations
COURSE SYLLABUS
1. Course Prefix and Number: ELC 688
2. Course Title: Popular Culture and Education
3. Credits: 3.0
4. Course Prerequisites/Corequisites:
5. For Whom Planned: Elective course in the Masters of School Administration, the Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, the Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations, and other departments in the school of education.
Instructor Information:
Glenn Hudak
Office: 239B Curry Bldg
Phone: (336) 334-3465
Office Hours: By Appointment.
e-mail: gmhudak@uncg.edu
6. Course Purpose/Catalog Description:
7. Teachers Academy Conceptual Framework Mission Statement: The mission of professional education at UNCG is to prepare and support the professional development of caring, collaborative, and competent educators who work in diverse settings. This mission is carried out in an environment that nurtures the active engagement of all participants, values individual as well as cultural diversity and recognizes the importance of reflection and integration of theory and practice. UNCG's professional education programs are guided by shared commitments to: (a) equity and excellence in teaching, research, and service; (b) professional integrity and ethical deliberation in dealing with students and colleagues (university-based, school-based, and community-based); (c) the construction of a professional knowledge base through collaboration and collegiality; and (d) the dissemination of professional knowledge, skills and dispositions through the preparation and continuing professional development of teachers, principals and other school personnel.
8. Course Goals and/or Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes:
This course is intended for doctoral level students in the Cultural Foundations of Education Program. This course will investigate the role of popular culture as it pertains to the lives of both students and teachers in schools. Key to this investigation is how students “use” popular culture in their lives both in and out of school. Indeed, for students are submerged in a sea of media images and representations that frame, to a growing extent, their conceptualizations of self and society.
With this in mind, the course begins by asking, what is popular culture? To this end, we explore the nature of representation, i.e., how images are created to fit certain ideological needs of society. Next, we explore the dialectic between popular culture and schooling. Here we investigate the ways in which students(and teachers) use and adopt images from popular culture to help define their gendered/sexual/racial identities. Further, we explore how student use popular culture to navigate day to day life within the context of schooling, e.g. how students use popular culture to fight institutional racism. And finally, we explore the teaching of popular culture from a foundational perspective.
9. Teaching Strategies: For example, lecture, class discussion, group work, conferences, student presentations, electronic chat room, etc.
10. Evaluation Methods and Guidelines for Assignments: Statement of how students will be evaluated in the course and/or list of course requirements
Here we will reflect back upon what we have read and discussed in two ways:
First, you are required to do one oral presentation. This presentation is intended to help you bring together ideas and insights gained from class discussions. This presentation is also intended as a vehicle for you to present “working ideas.” That is, to present ideas that are still new to you and very much in the process of cognitive clarification. Your presentation will be between 25-30 minutes in length. This gives you some time to work through ideas and get feedback from our class community. All Auditors are required to contribute to our class conversations by doing an oral presentation. Schedule to be announced.
Second, and only for those taking the course for credit,: First, you are to write a short essay reflecting on our discussions of popular culture, asking: what is popular culture? This paper is to be typed and 5-6 pages in length.
Next, based on your oral presentation- and taking into account feedback etc. - you are to write a final seminar paper that brings together your thinking on the relationships between popular culture and schooling. This paper is due the last day of class and is to be somewhere between 13-20 pages in length, typed, double spaced. (Maximum 20 pages please!).
Grading:
Oral Presentation: 25%
Reflection Paper: 25%
Final Paper: 50%
11. Required Text(s)/Readings/References: Use full citations
Berger, J. (1977). Ways of Seeing. New York: Penguin.
Hebdige, D. (1989). Hiding in the Light. London: Comedia.
Hudak, G. McCarthy, C., et.al. (eds.). (1999). Sound Identities. New York: Peter Lang.
Grossberg, L., Nelson, C., Treichler, P. (eds.). (1991). Cultural Studies. New York: Routlege.
Spring, J. (2000). The American School: 1642-2000. New York: Longman.
12. Topical Outline: This might also be your calendar. The course outline should contain sufficient detail to permit assessment of agreement between actual content and stated objectives and catalog description.
Part 1. What is Popular Culture?
Here we will read and critically discuss John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, Dick Hebdige’s Hiding
in the Light, and selections from Grossberg et al. The goal will be to define the parameters of popular culture.
Part 2. Popular Culture & Schooling.
Next we will investigate the dialectic between popular culture and schooling. Here we explore the historic role of schooling within the American context by drawing from Spring’s text and asking: What do schools do? And from this we extend our investigation to the roles of students and teachers. With this in mind we now begin to make conceptual links between popular culture and students and teachers. We will read selections from Hudak, et. al., on the role of music in the lives of students, and read further selections from Grossberg, et. al. on the uses of popular culture.
13. Other Information: Any other items you normally include on your course syllabus such as Academic Honor Code, Attendance Policy, Additional Requirements, etc.
14. Recommended Text(s) and/or Readings: A bibliography or list of references highlighting recent scholarship (pedagogy and research) in the subject area
15. Alignment with State and National Standards: Attach a matrix aligning the course goals/objectives with INTASC and/or NBPTS, DPI guidelines or competencies, standards of your professional organization (CEC, NCTM, NCTE, NCSS, NASD, etc.). See the CUI 553 matrix as an example. If these were included as part of the course goals/objectives listed #9, you do not have to repeat them in a matrix.