We speak with Cara E. Furman, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Hunter College, about her book "Teaching from an Ethical Center: Practical Wisdom for Daily Instruction." Dr. Furman focuses on teachers ensuring that their practice corresponds with their ethical center. She emphasizes teachers’ knowledge of learning environments, local communities, and the children themselves. We discuss the ethical problems with "fidelity" as applied to teaching.
Overview
00:00-00:43 Intros
00:43-03:15 Crossroads of philosophy, teaching, teacher ed
03:15-04:47 Practical wisdom
04:47-07:02 “The way that teachers know”
07:02-11:33 “Fidelity” as applied to teaching
11:33-13:04 Are fidelity and ethics compatible for teachers?
13:04-16:50 Do philosophers and teachers have difficulty understanding the connections between the fields?
16:50-18:44 Teaching from a “philosophical center”
18:44-20:58 Teaching from an “ethical center”
20:58-26:23 Variations in ethical centers
26:23-27:51 Can a school have an ethical center?
27:51-31:52 When teachers find themselves in schools with highly restrictive practices
31:52-35:24 Lawsuits against Lucy Calkins and Fountas and Pinnell
35:24-36:32 Effects on teachers of demands for fidelity
36:32-38:41 Scripts
38:41-41:35 Podcasts and books—similarities and differences
41:35- Outro
Transcript
Click here to see the full transcription of this episode.
Resources
Book Teaching from an Ethical Center: Practical Wisdom for Daily Instruction by Cara Furman
Soundtrack by Poddington Bear
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