Studies in the Philosophy of Education – Serie

Dystopia and Education: Insights into Theory, Praxis, and Policy in an age of Utopia Gone Wrong provides an as-of-yet unexplored critical perspective for examining contemporary educational theory, praxis, and policy with particular reference to the current state of dehumanizing and often oppressive policy and practices that have come to demarcate the era of NCLB and RTT. The authors in this collection employ dystopian themes found in literature, film, visual art, and video games as the lens for that critical inquiry. As such Dystopia and Education: Insights into Theory, Praxis, and Policy is an essential contribution to the philosophical/critical tradition in educational scholarship. It is especially valuable because the inquiry undertaken is from a new perspective—one that will extend the critical tradition into a yet unexplored arena.Given the educational climate established by NCLB and RTT, this collection is especially important to the ongoing critical analysis of such policy mandates. There is also a significantly important timeliness to this book given NCLB’s utopian expectation of universal academic proficiency among American schoolchildren by the year 2014: as educators race to achieve such a noble yet naïve goal, this collection of essays examines the educational environment that has been enacted to achieve such ends, and describes our current state as a utopia-gone wrong.

Dystopia and Education: Insights into Theory, Praxis, and Policy in an age of Utopia Gone Wrong provides an as-of-yet unexplored critical perspective for examining contemporary educational theory, praxis, and policy with particular reference to the current state of dehumanizing and often oppressive policy and practices that have come to demarcate the era of NCLB and RTT. The authors in this collection employ dystopian themes found in literature, film, visual art, and video games as the lens for that critical inquiry. As such Dystopia and Education: Insights into Theory, Praxis, and Policy is an essential contribution to the philosophical/critical tradition in educational scholarship. It is especially valuable because the inquiry undertaken is from a new perspective—one that will extend the critical tradition into a yet unexplored arena.Given the educational climate established by NCLB and RTT, this collection is especially important to the ongoing critical analysis of such policy mandates. There is also a significantly important timeliness to this book given NCLB’s utopian expectation of universal academic proficiency among American schoolchildren by the year 2014: as educators race to achieve such a noble yet naïve goal, this collection of essays examines the educational environment that has been enacted to achieve such ends, and describes our current state as a utopia-gone wrong.

In this book, Baez examines a series of governmental “technologies” that he believes strongly characterize our present. The technologies that he addresses in this book are information, statistics, databases, economy, and accountability. He offers arguments about the role these technologies play in contemporary politics. Specifically, Baez analyzes these technologies in terms of (the sometimes oppositional) rationalities for rendering reality thinkable, and, consequently, governable. These technologies bear on the field of education, but also exceed it. So, while issues in education frame many of the arguments in this book, the book’s also has usefulness to those outside of field of education.Specifically, Baez concludes that the governmental technologies listed above all are coopted by neoliberal rationalities rendering our lives thinkable and governable through an array of devices for the management of risk, using the model of the economy, and heavily investing in the uses of information, statistics, databases, and oversight mechanisms associated with accountability. Baez leaves readers with more questions than they might have had prior to reading the book, so that they may re-imagine their own present and future and thus their own forms of self-government.

In this book, Baez examines a series of governmental “technologies” that he believes strongly characterize our present. The technologies that he addresses in this book are information, statistics, databases, economy, and accountability. He offers arguments about the role these technologies play in contemporary politics. Specifically, Baez analyzes these technologies in terms of (the sometimes oppositional) rationalities for rendering reality thinkable, and, consequently, governable. These technologies bear on the field of education, but also exceed it. So, while issues in education frame many of the arguments in this book, the book’s also has usefulness to those outside of field of education.Specifically, Baez concludes that the governmental technologies listed above all are coopted by neoliberal rationalities rendering our lives thinkable and governable through an array of devices for the management of risk, using the model of the economy, and heavily investing in the uses of information, statistics, databases, and oversight mechanisms associated with accountability. Baez leaves readers with more questions than they might have had prior to reading the book, so that they may re-imagine their own present and future and thus their own forms of self-government.

It is common for teachers and students of education to feel disheartened about the profession and their own aims and purposes once they become conscious of the dehumanizing tendencies of the schooling institution. As teacher educators, we have also known many students who, after studying critical perspectives aimed at exposing the power and privilege flowing through the public schools, then look to us with the question, “Where’s the hope?” Our attempt to answer our students’ questions has led us to consider what beauty and love in education look like. Where can it be seen, and how can we bring this forward so it can be instructive to those who are faced with similar questions about the incredibly important craft of teaching?This collection of narratives, essays, and poetic expressions includes the perspectives of students and educators who, in varying ways, express gratitude toward those who came before them and a deep desire to keep the faith alive. The authors share narrative accounts of someone or something in the public schools or learning experiences in general that inspired and nurtured the passionate desire to achieve goods internal to some shared practice – that is, some art at living – such that there was a transformative readjustment to the very nature of experience itself. We share with readers the stories and intellectual habits that have fueled us, inspired us, and that continue to push us to engage in the practice of cultivating educational dynamics that are meaningful and transformative for ourselves, our students, and our communities. The book concludes with an exploration into how teachers might not only root their craft, but the habit of love in general, in a sense of freedom.

It is common for teachers and students of education to feel disheartened about the profession and their own aims and purposes once they become conscious of the dehumanizing tendencies of the schooling institution. As teacher educators, we have also known many students who, after studying critical perspectives aimed at exposing the power and privilege flowing through the public schools, then look to us with the question, “Where’s the hope?” Our attempt to answer our students’ questions has led us to consider what beauty and love in education look like. Where can it be seen, and how can we bring this forward so it can be instructive to those who are faced with similar questions about the incredibly important craft of teaching?This collection of narratives, essays, and poetic expressions includes the perspectives of students and educators who, in varying ways, express gratitude toward those who came before them and a deep desire to keep the faith alive. The authors share narrative accounts of someone or something in the public schools or learning experiences in general that inspired and nurtured the passionate desire to achieve goods internal to some shared practice – that is, some art at living – such that there was a transformative readjustment to the very nature of experience itself. We share with readers the stories and intellectual habits that have fueled us, inspired us, and that continue to push us to engage in the practice of cultivating educational dynamics that are meaningful and transformative for ourselves, our students, and our communities. The book concludes with an exploration into how teachers might not only root their craft, but the habit of love in general, in a sense of freedom.

Teachers not only serve as caretakers for the students in their classroom but also serve as stewards for society’s next generation. In this way, teachers are charged with responsibility for the present and the future of their world. Shouldering this responsibility is no less than an existential dilemma that requires not only professional solutions but also personal responsibility rooted in subjective authenticity. In the edited volume, authors will explore how the philosophy of Existentialism can help teachers, teacher educators, educational researchers, and policymakers better understand the existential responsibility that teachers shoulder.The core concepts of Existential philosophy explored in this edited volume imply that a teacher’s lived experience cannot be defined solely by professional knowledge or dictates. Teachers have the capacity to create subjective meaning through their own agency, and there is no guarantee that those subjective meanings will accord with professional dictates. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that professional dictates are more valid than the existential realities of individual teachers. The philosophy of Existentialism encourages individuals to reflect on the existential realities of isolation, freedom, meaninglessness, and death in an effort to propel individuals towards more authentic ways of engaging in the world. The chapters of this edited volume advance the argument that being and becoming a teacher must be understood – at least in part – from the subjective perspective of the individual and that teachers are responsible for authoring the meaning of their lives and of their work.

Teachers not only serve as caretakers for the students in their classroom but also serve as stewards for society’s next generation. In this way, teachers are charged with responsibility for the present and the future of their world. Shouldering this responsibility is no less than an existential dilemma that requires not only professional solutions but also personal responsibility rooted in subjective authenticity. In the edited volume, authors will explore how the philosophy of Existentialism can help teachers, teacher educators, educational researchers, and policymakers better understand the existential responsibility that teachers shoulder.The core concepts of Existential philosophy explored in this edited volume imply that a teacher’s lived experience cannot be defined solely by professional knowledge or dictates. Teachers have the capacity to create subjective meaning through their own agency, and there is no guarantee that those subjective meanings will accord with professional dictates. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that professional dictates are more valid than the existential realities of individual teachers. The philosophy of Existentialism encourages individuals to reflect on the existential realities of isolation, freedom, meaninglessness, and death in an effort to propel individuals towards more authentic ways of engaging in the world. The chapters of this edited volume advance the argument that being and becoming a teacher must be understood – at least in part – from the subjective perspective of the individual and that teachers are responsible for authoring the meaning of their lives and of their work.

There is a story going around about the public schools and the people who teach in them—a story about how awful our nation’s teachers are and why we should blame teachers for the poor state of our public schools. But is the story about teachers right or fair? Why do so many people point fingers at teachers and seem to resent them so much?Blame Teachers: The Emotional Reasons for Educational Reform examines why many people blame teachers for what they understand to be the poor state of our schools. Blame comes easily to many people when they read about poor student performance and how “protected” teachers are by teachers’ unions and tenure policies. And with blame comes resentment, and with resentment comes demands for all kinds of educational reform—calls for more standardized testing, merit pay, charter schools, and all the rest. And we expect teachers to like and accept all the reforms being proposed.Conceiving educational reform out of blame and resentment aimed at teachers does no good for teachers, students, or schools. Blame Teachers outlines many of the strange and unacceptable assumptions about teaching and the purposes of education contained in these educational reforms. Intended for teachers, teacher education students, policymakers and the larger public, Blame Teachers suggests much better and more productive conversations we can have with teachers—conversations much more likely to improve teaching and learning in classrooms. The book argues for conversations with teachers that don’t begin or end with blame and resentment.

There is a story going around about the public schools and the people who teach in them—a story about how awful our nation’s teachers are and why we should blame teachers for the poor state of our public schools. But is the story about teachers right or fair? Why do so many people point fingers at teachers and seem to resent them so much?Blame Teachers: The Emotional Reasons for Educational Reform examines why many people blame teachers for what they understand to be the poor state of our schools. Blame comes easily to many people when they read about poor student performance and how “protected” teachers are by teachers’ unions and tenure policies. And with blame comes resentment, and with resentment comes demands for all kinds of educational reform—calls for more standardized testing, merit pay, charter schools, and all the rest. And we expect teachers to like and accept all the reforms being proposed.Conceiving educational reform out of blame and resentment aimed at teachers does no good for teachers, students, or schools. Blame Teachers outlines many of the strange and unacceptable assumptions about teaching and the purposes of education contained in these educational reforms. Intended for teachers, teacher education students, policymakers and the larger public, Blame Teachers suggests much better and more productive conversations we can have with teachers—conversations much more likely to improve teaching and learning in classrooms. The book argues for conversations with teachers that don’t begin or end with blame and resentment.

It has been widely noted that society has moved away from seeing truth as an objective and, in some ways, important part of what it means to be educated. Varied conceptions of truth have existed and have been debated in the halls of academia for years but recently a shift has occurred in which truth has lost its status broadly as a virtue. In fact, in 2016, Oxford Dictionary declared “post-truth” as its international word of the year, defined as: ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’. Living in a world that is post-truth has direct implications on the education of a society’s youth.This book will examine several broad conceptions of truth and present them as truth profiles considering their implications for education. This survey will consider the role of truth as it relates to teaching and the act of being a teacher, engage with challenging questions about what curriculum will be learned and its implications for our understanding of truth and specific consideration is attended to the impacts that one’s conception of truth has for what they prioritize in the classroom, their instructional practice, and on learning itself. This book will take a focused look at the concept of truth and how varied conceptions of truth impact teaching and learning through theoretical, analytic, and practical examples.

It has been widely noted that society has moved away from seeing truth as an objective and, in some ways, important part of what it means to be educated. Varied conceptions of truth have existed and have been debated in the halls of academia for years but recently a shift has occurred in which truth has lost its status broadly as a virtue. In fact, in 2016, Oxford Dictionary declared “post-truth” as its international word of the year, defined as: ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’. Living in a world that is post-truth has direct implications on the education of a society’s youth.This book will examine several broad conceptions of truth and present them as truth profiles considering their implications for education. This survey will consider the role of truth as it relates to teaching and the act of being a teacher, engage with challenging questions about what curriculum will be learned and its implications for our understanding of truth and specific consideration is attended to the impacts that one’s conception of truth has for what they prioritize in the classroom, their instructional practice, and on learning itself. This book will take a focused look at the concept of truth and how varied conceptions of truth impact teaching and learning through theoretical, analytic, and practical examples.

This book contains an argument supported by education philosophers as well as composite stories, data, and personal experiences. The author mentions a number of scholars (e.g., Benjamin, 1988; Buber, 1970; Noddings, 2005, 2013; Palmer, 1983; van Manen, 1986, 1991, 2000) who address important human issues in the field of education, and she ties their work and hers to show common themes within the issues of care, responsivity, and relational ethics.The first part of the book (Introduction and Chapters 1-3) is primarily philosophical, and the author shares the thoughts of the aforementioned scholars and others on topics relating to the very human work teachers do. The next section of the book (Chapters 4-6) combines theoretical works and empirical data to address the complexity and humanity of teaching.While the work described in the aforementioned chapters may appear to present an idea of ethical teacher perfection, this is not the case. Teachers are not supposed to be, nor are they logistically able to be, all things to all children. The final chapter instead addresses how stakeholders (e.g., educators, administrators, parents) can gently move our traditional education system toward this ideal. This conclusion shares the ways teachers and teacher educators can conceptualize the work on teaching-as-human-interaction and use it to improve the teaching perception.

This book contains an argument supported by education philosophers as well as composite stories, data, and personal experiences. The author mentions a number of scholars (e.g., Benjamin, 1988; Buber, 1970; Noddings, 2005, 2013; Palmer, 1983; van Manen, 1986, 1991, 2000) who address important human issues in the field of education, and she ties their work and hers to show common themes within the issues of care, responsivity, and relational ethics.The first part of the book (Introduction and Chapters 1-3) is primarily philosophical, and the author shares the thoughts of the aforementioned scholars and others on topics relating to the very human work teachers do. The next section of the book (Chapters 4-6) combines theoretical works and empirical data to address the complexity and humanity of teaching.While the work described in the aforementioned chapters may appear to present an idea of ethical teacher perfection, this is not the case. Teachers are not supposed to be, nor are they logistically able to be, all things to all children. The final chapter instead addresses how stakeholders (e.g., educators, administrators, parents) can gently move our traditional education system toward this ideal. This conclusion shares the ways teachers and teacher educators can conceptualize the work on teaching-as-human-interaction and use it to improve the teaching perception.

The author, with over three decades of focused research on fear and fearlessness and 45 years as an emancipatory educator, argues that philosophy and philosophy of education have missed several great opportunities to help bring about theoretical and meta-perspectival clarity, wisdom, compassion, and practical ways to the sphere of fear management/education (FME) throughout history. FME is not simple, nor a luxury, it is complex. It’s foundational to good curriculum but it requires careful philosophical critique. This book embarks on a unique transdisciplinary understanding of The Fear Problematique and how it can be integrated as a pivotal contextual reference for assessing the ‘best’ way to go in Education today and tomorrow. Educational philosophy is examined and shown to have largely ‘missed the boat’ in terms of responding critically and ethically to the insidious demand of having to truly educate ourselves when we are so scared stiff. Such a state of growing chronic fear, of morphing types of fear, and a culture of fear, ought to be central in shaping a philosophy of fear(ism) for education. The book challenges all leaders, but especially philosophers and educators, to upgrade their own fear imaginary and fear education for the 21st century, a century of terror likely to grow in the cascading global crises.