One thing about teaching in computer clusters is that there’s almost always something useful — or at least interesting — to be found in the printer. Students print things out, then leave them, and sometimes, you find something and say, “That’s a great idea! I could adapt that for my classes!”
Then other times, you find something that either makes you laugh. Or cry.
One day, I found a syllabus from an education seminar. I think I’ve fixed all the typos (I scanned it). If not, apologies for any I missed.
This is what our future teachers are, uh, learning in the university. I didn’t reproduce it all because I didn’t want to accidentally make anyone ill or anything.
In this class, we will explore the systematic oppression of people of color and other marginalized groups at the hands of the priveleged, focusing on a different method of oppression each week. In the first half of the semester, we will look at oppression and disenfranchisement from a broad perspective, and in the second half, how marginalization affects learning:
Week 1: How are you oppressed? Exploring your victimhood.
Week 2: The oppression of denaming.
Week 3: Privilege, power, and race as oppression.
Week 4: Group interviews and feelings-exploration.
Week 5: Marginalizing the counter-sexual.
Week 6: Individuality: the oppression of the marginalized.
Week 7: Rationality: the oppression of feeling.
Week 8: Group interviews and feelings-exploration.
Week 9: How are my students oppressed? Exporing your students’ victimhood.
Week 10: Classroom behavior as oppression.
Week 11: Privileged students oppressing the marginalized (including testing and expected classroom behavior)
Week 12: Group interviews and feelings-exploration.
Week 13: Heteronormal classroom speech and text: the victimization of the counter-sexual.
Week 14: Classroom as collective, creating a nurturing non-judgmental environment for victimized students.
Week 15: Group interviews and feelings-exploration.
Week 16: Final projects due
rt says:
Hey Prof,
This is why I found the education part of my college education to become an English teacher so uselesss. Teach me how to teach grammar and writing…that’s what I really need. No, instead I get a bazillion classes on how to create lesson plans. My useful classes were my literature classes. At least I didn’t have any classes on what you posted. I think my mind would have gone numb. Treat your students with respect without regard to color, ehtnic background, or socio-economic status. That’s all that needs to be said.
I’m a conservative in a school where folks of my ilk can be counted on one hand. You know how it is. If “liberals” are supposed to be so compassionate and caring for the underdog, why is a class like this needed? (Ironic, eh?)
Funny thing is, because I keep quiet about my political and religious beliefs, I get to hear all the rants against such beliefs. They aren’t so open-minded as they are inclined to think. I’ve learned that Christians have a conspiracy to take over school boards so that they can take over the school systems. Did you know that? LOL I ramble. Sorry. I’m gonna go work on that conspiracy right now! I’m wishing I had done something else when grew up. There are too many wacko teachers.
November 26, 2005, 4:50 pmMahndisa says:
11 26 05
Hello Prof:
I hope you had a nice Thxgiving:) This is the type of tripe that I deal with on a daily basis when I attend San Francisco State University. THe phyiscs dept is awesome, but some of the other departments are simply there for genderqueer studies. I am sick and tired of the universities being used to foster a victimology rhetoric for minorities, and I am Black! When the whole course is about victimization and NOT self empowerment, one leaves the term with a bitter taste in the mouth, some hatred and some serious distortions of the facts. I do believe it worthwhile to study history from differnt perspectives and a hero to a buddy of mine in South Carolina isn’t a hero to me necessarily; but differing viewpoints are important in expanding the mind. My issue is when the ONLY focus of these courses is VICTIM and ANGER ANTI WHITE MALE PATRIARCHAL HEGEMONIC BS RHETORIC! I don’t want their analysis; I want the FACTS!!! Let me, as a student draw my own conclusions with all of the facts in my hands!
And that Prof, is why these leftists are so disturbing to me! Great Post!
November 26, 2005, 7:54 pmweaver says:
that is a great syllabus for long term therapy sessions, but completely inappropriate for a classroom of any kind.
here’s an idea: why don’t we assume that our students are grownups, who are mentally healthy and able to function well in the tasks that will be expected of them in a university classroom? if we assume that, and offer appropriate activities, then it will quickly become apparent which students are not grownups, are not mentally healthy, are not able to function well in a university. then why don’t we let those students [or even encourage those students] to ge the additional help they need From Somewhere Else. then we can continue doing what we are paid to do: teach students our subject [not give them therapy].
let me emphasize that i am not dissing therapy, or those who need it. i am simply suggesting that there be a big fat separation of therapy and classrooms. [and let me say this in the meantime: if you keep expecting me to do therapy in the classroom, you better start paying me a whole lot more!]
phd in indiana
November 27, 2005, 10:24 amRight Wing Nation » More Academic Nonsense says:
[…] If you think what passes for academic courses is hooey, then you haven’t read any academic journals lately. […]
November 29, 2005, 12:55 pmJoe Hilliard says:
As an expert in Liberalese, I took the liberty of translating this syllabus into everyday English. Please see below:
Week 1: How are you oppressed? Exploring your victimhood. (You don’t even realize you are being oppressed. We will explain how you are and don’t even realize it.)
December 5, 2005, 3:51 pmWeek 2: The oppression of denaming. (Just calling you a person or a student is oppression because it doesn’t acknowledge all of your unique qualities that identify you. You should be called: proud non-Christian homosexual African-American from a disadvantaged background. - You can fill in any cluster of 5 or more adjectives. Calling you merely a ’student’ is demeaning.)
Week 3: Privilege, power, and race as oppression. (Anyone different than you and/or more successful is by default an oppressor. Your condition of life is merely due to such oppression as you have no responsibility - except to demand and ‘take back’ what is rightfully yours.)
Week 4: Group interviews and feelings-exploration. (Let’s badger the ones in the class who don’t quite accept our premise yet and bully them into realizing their wrong headed thinking.)
Week 5: Marginalizing the counter-sexual. (Ok, even I cannot translate this.)
Week 6: Individuality: the oppression of the marginalized. (By taking pride as an individual and denying a group identity you allow yourself to be oppressed.)
Week 7: Rationality: the oppression of feeling. (Don’t let logic and rationale thinking interfere with what you ‘know’ - feel - to be true. You are oppressed by other groups of evil doers who enjoy oppressing you. Oppressors use facts and logic to keep people down. You don’t require facts or logic because any position is valid and everyone ‘knows’ that such oppression is inherent in the system.)
Week 8: Group interviews and feelings-exploration. (Ok, if we haven’t convinced everyone in the class yet, group interviews should break down those who disagree with our obviously correct ideas.)
Week 9: How are my students oppressed? Exporing your students’ victimhood. (The system oppresses you if you earn less than an ‘A’. If the ’system’ demands that you present logical well reasoned positions that are coherently expressed it is oppressive. Your feelings and intentions should be rewarded, not results.)
Week 10: Classroom behavior as oppression. (Any limitations to behavior and self-expression are evil and opppressive. Discipline and rules are oppressive.)
Week 11: Privileged students oppressing the marginalized (including testing and expected classroom behavior) (Those who work harder, are smarter, exceed expectations of work or behavior, or get better grades are victims who are too stupid to realize they are victims, and, as a result have become part of the oppressor class who attack you other poor, noble students who are too smart to succumb to the evil measures of success or performance. And any test that you don’t do well on is biased and oppressive.)
Week 12: Group interviews and feelings-exploration. (Ok, the last attempt to ‘persuade’ those who still do not agree. Those who don’t will fail or be asked to leave the class so we can promote ‘proper’ ideas and learning. No oppressors allowed!)
Week 13: Heteronormal classroom speech and text: the victimization of the counter-sexual. (Ok, can’t translate this one either.)
Week 14: Classroom as collective, creating a nurturing non-judgmental environment for victimized students. (We are all the same. All ideas are equal. No one is right or wrong. We must accept any premise, idea, or thought - except those that promote individualism or rational thought because those are the tools of the oppressor and must not be tolerated! They are dangerous! - None has more value over another. Even those engaged in behaviors that have nothing to do with the class or learning are fine. They are expressing themselves and we can not be judgemental.)
Week 15: Group interviews and feelings-exploration. (This is your last chance. Agree with us or face the consequences!)
Week 16: Final projects due (However, they can be whatever you feel like doing or nothing at all. Because to set any type of expectations for a project or to judge them and actually grade them would be a form of oppression. However, attending a rally or protest against Bush is highly encouraged. Here is a list of events.)
mahndisa says:
12 05 05
Geesh Joe! YOu hit the nail on the head. Sounds like Marxist bs when you put it in perspective! Ha!
December 5, 2005, 4:15 pm