Welcome to Paideia II!

Welcome to a new semester and to Paideia II: Decision Making in US Schools. I am looking forward to meeting all of you. I am going to be asking each of you to create a Paideia II blog that will serve as one more way for everyone in the class to share ideas.

You will also be a part of a discussion group that will serve as my way to hold you accountable for the reading material. Each group will be expected to meet for one hour each week to discuss the readings and to talk about the reflective papers required for the class. The groups have been intentionally designed to have a mix of majors in them so that you can come at the issues from different perspectives.

Group 1- M. Allen, L. Forst, E. Gonia, J. Tweten, G. Schutte
Group 2- K. Bandman, J. Hare, A. Hanson, M. Voights, K. McAllister
Group 3- H. Berlin-Burns, J. Ohnemus, A. Martinson, B. Van Slotn, A. Krebsbach
Group 4- P. Burleson, M. Scarlato, A. Streck, D. Sonnicksen
Group 5- M. Drees, M. Vejdani, E. Schmitt, K. Roberts, C. Fisher

Class #1 will focus on: 1) Introductions 2) One difficult decision that you have had to make or that you were the for of the decision. 3) What conflicting values were involved with the decision and how did that influence it. 4) What is ultimately the purpose of schools, of education and of teaching?

For Wednesday: 1. Read pp. 1-3 in the Reader. 2. Think of a difficult decision you have had to make in your life. 3. Watch a couple of these clips: Shift Happens

Shame of the Nation

NCLB

Look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday at 9:15. Enjoy the last days of break.

Cheers.

Jim