Classroom Ethics
“Classroom Ethics”
Morality and Values for Teachers and Students
Internet based instruction for a physical or online staff development
By Randall Vail
Abstract
“Classroom Ethics: Morality and Values for Teachers and Students” is a Salary Point Class for K-12 teachers of all subjects. The primary goal of the course is to promote good behavior, academic integrity, and social responsibility in our students. Further, the course will help our students develop their moral intelligence. The course will address a wide variety of issues related to the general topic of ethics and morality. It will touch on issues of philosophical, religious, and social values, examples of good manners and proper etiquette, the virtues of honor and honesty, as well as the California Content Standards in Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. In addition to examining the development of respect, empathy, and tolerance in our students, the course will explore aspects of conflict resolution and service learning. As a fundamental component of the course, all participants will create a notebook of instructional materials and lesson plans to use in their work as teachers.
Format
If taught in a classroom, this salary point class will meet on two Saturdays from 8:00 until 5:00, for a total of 16 hours of instructional time. Participants will also have a total of 16 hours of homework which will be presented in a notebook and sent to the instructor within a month of the second Saturday. In a physical setting much of the participation would be oral.
If taught online, participants would be required to log into the course weekly, read lectures and assignments and then respond. Participants would probably be using the Blackboard course portal (if supplied by LAUSD), although the course could be run through a website or a blog. To respond, participants must give a 3-400 word response to the assignment, demonstrating their understanding of the lecture and readings, then give a shorter evaluation of at least two of the other participants responses. The readings and threaded discussions should take approximately eight hours per week for four weeks (or four hours per week for eight weeks). These written responses to assignments and threaded discussions would represent class participation as well as the 16 hours of homework.
If necessary, the course can be modified to include both a physical, “in person” component, with an online component. For example, participants would meet in person for a two hour introductory session to begin the course, then participate online for a given number of weeks, then meet again in person for a concluding session.
1. Introduction (one hour)
We will begin with brief personal and professional introductory remarks by the instructor and participants. The rules and requirements of salary point classes will be presented. (If online, the parameters and guidelines for participation will be presented.)
Because of the potentially volatile nature of the topic and the potential for disagreement among participants, certain guidelines regarding respect and tolerance as well as techniques for non-violent communication will be presented.
Definitions and discussion of “morality” and “virtue ethics”…
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
Supplemental sites explaining non-violent communication…
http://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/
Writing Prompts: Summarize the reading and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify passages from the reading with which you most relate. Describe one or more of your earliest memories in learning about right and wrong. How do you relate to the experiences of your colleagues?
Activity: Rules! Participants will make and discuss classroom rules, personal rules, and exceptions to rules.
2. Philosophy (one hour)
A brief introduction to ethics and morality in philosophy will be presented, and the ethical theories of various philosophers will be discussed.
From the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (by James Fieser). In particular, focus on the section on applied ethics…
http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/ethics.htm
Sources for important philosopher’s work regarding Ethics. Choose at least two philosophers to compare…
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sdarwall/Phil361.html
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify a passage with which you most relate, or identify a philosopher with whom you most relate. With what philosophical ideas to you most agree or disagree? Why?
Activity: Participants will be asked to explain and evaluate a variety of proverbs and maxims on ethics, morality, and values. They may also share their own favorites. (Potential source: http://www.valuequotes.net/) Examples include:
“We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.”
Aristotle
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.”
Thomas Paine
“Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.”
Henry David Thoreau
“Always do right--this will gratify some and astonish the rest.”
Mark Twain
“The highest form of treason: to do the right thing for the wrong reason.”
T. S. Eliot
“Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right.”
Isaac Asimov
3. Religion (one hour)
A very general discussion of general ethical guidelines of the world’s great religions will be presented, including the Ten Commandments of the Hebrew Bible, the Beatitudes or the New Testament, The Five Pillars of Islam, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, the concepts of Karma and Dharma in Hinduism, among others. Aspects of Secular Humanism will also be discussed in an attempt present all aspects of the religion debate.
Exploring Religious Ethics is Daily Life, adapted from Religion for Dummies. Also, read at least three of the “related articles” which you can link to near the bottom of the page.
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-977.html
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify a passage with which you most relate. While various religions have their own variation on The Golden Rule, what other ethical tenets do different religions share? Or, where is there a fundamental disagreement? How do different religions handle the concept of “sin”?
Activity: Create your own religion (or variation on an existing religion) or secular ethical movement. What are its moral guidelines? What is the nature mankind, the nature of salvation or self-fulfillment, and what are tenets of a virtuous life in your system of belief?
4. History: The Founding Fathers (two hours)
Just a few tidbits on ethics from American History: When he was young George Washington wrote his own little book on “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.” When he was old, Benjamin Franklin recorded his “Thirteen Virtues” and how he perfected them in his Autobiography. These personal examples of moral behavior, as well as the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will be examined.
George Washington’s Rules of Civility…
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1248919
Benjamin Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues…
http://www.school-for-champions.com/character/franklin_virtues.htm
Numerous websites about American History and the Constitution…
http://www.besthistorysites.net/USHistory_Constitution.shtml
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify a passage (or a rule of civility or a virtue) with which you most relate. Create your own list of 13 virtues. How would you attempt to realize them?
Activity: “There oughta be a law!” Explain why you would enact or revoke a law, rule, or legal code (related to human behavior). How would it be enforced? What would be the social consequences of this change?
5. Psychology and Education Theories (two hours)
Moving quickly from Psychoanalysis and Behaviorism to aspects of Humanistic and “Pop” Psychology, participants will scan some of the ways people learn (or don’t learn) right from wrong. The course will then focus on the theories of Moral Development Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and others, and how these theories may apply to the classroom.
“Moral Development and Moral Education: An Overview”…
http://tigger.uic.edu/~lnucci/MoralEd/overview.html
“Moral and Character Development” by W. Huitt…
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/morchr/morchr.html
Kohlberg’s Moral Dilemmas…
http://www.haverford.edu/psych/ddavis/p109g/kohlberg.dilemmas.html
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify a passage or theory with which you most relate. How can you gauge the moral development of your students? Can you influence it?
Activity: Moral Dilemma #1 – Choose one of Kohlberg’s 4 moral dilemmas from the website above, then answer several questions posed.
6. Educational Practice (two hours)
As teachers, we face a variety of ethically charged scenarios. Dealing with the behavior of our students, implementing fair rules, and grading are just a few. Also, academic integrity and intellectual honesty are challenged by the looming specter of cheating and plagiarism. Strategies for detecting and avoiding plagiarism will be presented. Additionally, there will be a discussion of a variety of ethical problems in society, e.g. casual lying, illegally downloading music and movies, corporate malfeasance and white collar crime.
“Teaching Ethics in the classroom” by Peter Hart…
http://www.pitt.edu/utimes/issues/34/020418/09.html
“Ethics in the Science Classroom” by Kenneth Abbott & William Leacock http://onlineethics.org/edu/precol/classroom/lesson2.html
“The Ethics Classroom was developed as an interactive forum for individuals interested in current issues involving values, morals, and ethics across American society”…
http://www.ethicsclassroom.info/
Sources on academic integrity or a lack thereof…
http://www.cheatingculture.com/
http://tlt.suny.edu/cheating.htm
http://www.web-miner.com/plagiarism
http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm
More Moral Dilemmas…
http://www.friesian.com/valley/dilemmas.htm
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify passages from the reading with which you most relate. When is lying appropriate? Explain the importance of academic integrity and/or intellectual honesty. Choose another moral dilemma to analyze.
Activity 1: Share your best practices in classroom management and behavior modification. Describe how you handle grading and cheating in your classroom.
7. Being Polite: Manners, Etiquette and Classroom Behavior (one hour)
Proper behavior in a variety of contexts is important for students to know. However, “home training” is not always as thorough as teachers would like. This discussion on manners and etiquette is meant to be instructive, and it will include reference to the book “Multicultural Manners,” about appropriate behaviors across different cultures.
Classroom Management: Manners and Etiquette – from the NEA
http://www.nea.org/classmanagement/ifc040113.html
Manners and Etiquette: Teaching Essential Ingredients for Success – from Education World…
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev087.shtml
Articles on Social Skills and Classroom Behavior…
http://www.politechild.com/rss-articles.htm
Children’s Etiquette Resources from Parenting Experts…
http://www.rudebusters.com/etikid.htm
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify passages from the reading with which you most relate. Your prioritized etiquette list. Pet peeves in class? Should we be training the children or their parents?
Activity: The manners game. Participants will critique each other in various role-played encounters, e.g. eating dinner, a job interview, meeting another’s family, hosting a party, etc.
8. Subject Areas, Grade Levels, and Content Standards (two hours)
There are several places in the California Content Standards for K-12 education where ethics and morality are a part of the curriculum. In History, Social Studies, the development of the US Constitution, the notion of rights, and the historical treatment of various groups and cultures all have a moral component. In Science, the ethical treatment of experiment subjects and the importance of the integrity of scientific research are fundamental to a discussion on ethics. And in the Language Arts, from the vocabulary of values to the use of rhetoric to persuade an audience, there is much for students to write about what is right.
And there is this from the California Education Code, Section 233.5(a): “Each teacher shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of the pupils the principles of morality, truth, justice, patriotism, and a true comprehension of the rights, duties, and dignity of American citizenship, and the meaning of equality and human dignity, including the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward domestic pets and the humane treatment of living creatures, to teach them to avoid idleness, profanity, and falsehood, and to instruct them in manners and morals and the principles of a free government. (b) Each teacher is also encouraged to create and foster an environment that encourages pupils to realize their full potential and that is free from discriminatory attitudes, practices, events, or activities, in order to prevent acts of hate violence, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 233.”
From the CDE, an annotated bibliography on “Character Education”…
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/yd/ce/bibliography.asp
From the CDE, Character Education “supports the core values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship”…
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/yd/ce/
Website for the
http://www.youthcitizenship.org/cpce/index.html
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify passages from the reading with which you most relate. Using the link to the content standards, identify at least two specific standards you use in your class related to the teaching of ethics and morality.
Activity: Develop at least one lesson plan based on Character Education. What are your specific instructional objectives, what materials will you use, what activities will the students do, and how will you evaluate your lesson?
9. Moral Intelligence (two hours)
Michele Borba’s book, “Building Moral Intelligence” is an authoritative guide to the “seven essential virtues that teach kids to do the right thing.” Her website features many articles by her which are included in the book. While there are other sites and sources for information on moral intelligence, we will focus on the work of Michele Borba.
Choose at least three (3) of the articles by Michele Borba from this page. If possible, explore the rest of this website for other information…
http://www.micheleborba.com/Pages/Articles.htm
Writing Prompts: Summarize the reading and identify passages from the reading with which you most relate. Explain why Dr. Borba identifies ‘empathy’ as fundamental to the development of moral intelligence. How does it relate to the other moral intelligences?
Activity: Just as Howard Gardner added an 8th intelligence, “Naturalist,” to his paradigm of “Multiple Intelligences,” develop an 8th intelligence to add to Michele Borba’s paradigm of “Moral Intelligence.” Define in detail.
10. Social/Environmental Responsibility & Service Learning (two hours)
“Service Learning” is not a new concept, but it will be a new graduation requirement for LAUSD students in 2007. Applying this ethical training to action will give it meaning for both students and teachers. Participants will discuss the goals of moral education for their students, and how to better develop their sense of social and environmental responsibility. Participants will brainstorm then develop service learning projects that apply aspects of the foregoing information on ethics, morality, values, and character education.
Sources for information about Service Learning…
http://www.servicelearning.org/
http://www.learnandserve.org/
http://www.fiu.edu/~time4chg/Library/bigdummy.html
http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/site/PageServer
“Provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies”…
http://www.bsr.org/
“Physicians for Social Responsibility is working to create a world free of nuclear weapons, global environmental pollution, and gun violence”…
http://www.psr.org/
Graduation pledge for social and environmental responsibility…
http://www.sageworks.net/pages/gradpledge.html
Writing Prompts: Summarize the readings and provide at least two other annotated internet sources (websites) related to the topic. Identify passages from the reading with which you most relate. What would be the mission and vision statements of “Teachers for Social Responsibility”?
Activity: Develop a Service Learning Project that allows students to act on moral and ethical principles they have learned. Outline process for implementing project, including evaluation.
“Your goodness must have some edge to it,-- else it is none.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Other Internet Sources:
General definition and discussion on ethics…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/codeofethics.htm
A compendium of articles about ethics…
More information on moral dilemmas…
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-dilemmas/
“As the oldest non-profit in the United States devoted to organizational ethics, the Ethics Resource Center advances understanding of the practices that promote ethical conduct”…
This webpage offers a brief guide for those interested in exploring the topic of "ethics and outdoor education"…
http://www.wilderdom.com/EthicsMoralDevelopment.htm
Character Counts! is a widely implemented approach to character education…
http://www.charactercounts.org/
Comprehensive site on corporate responsibility and social investing…
Former President Jimmy Carter warns about our “Endangered Values”…
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4984885
Summary of “Moral Leadership” by Thomas J. Sergiovanni
http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/moral.html