Undergraduate Courses in the Education Studies Minor
ED50: Issues in K-12 Education
This course is an introduction to the role of K-12 education in U.S. society. History and purposes of K-12 education will be discussed in the context of 4 issues:
- International comparisons of teaching and learning practices
- Standardized testing
- The achievement gap and the equality of learning opportunities
- Bilingual and multicultural education
Students will learn to critically examine these key issues by reading relevant material, watching documentaries, conducting a research project, and writing a report. Students will also learn to present and discuss research findings.
ED175: Foundations of Education
This course is divided into two parts:
During the first part of the quarter, you will acquire basic information about the teaching profession and the functioning of schools. You will learn about (1) teacher certification and preparation and effective models for teacher professional development, (2) the history of American education (3) the legal framework, governing and financing of public schools, and (4) effective schools and effective teaching practices. Through readings, videos, a fieldwork project and a group presentation you will become knowledgeable about these topics.
During the second part of the course you will work on a video-based technology project and learn to analyze teaching from two perspectives: the teacher’s perspective and the researcher’s perspective.
Graduate Courses
ED225: Learning, Development, and Culture
This course will explore issues of learning and development through a cultural lens. The interplay between “learning and culture” and “development and culture” will be analyzed through the discussion of relevant readings from both psychological and anthropological research traditions.
ED304: Observation and Participation in Diverse K-6 Classrooms
The primary purpose of this course is to support Student Teacher Candidates through their fieldwork experiences by providing them with opportunities to:
- Learn a framework for conducting classroom observations
- Learn to plan instruction with a focus on students’ thinking and learning
- Acquire analysis tools to reflect on observed instruction and to develop understanding of the teaching/learning process that can later be applied to the planning, studying, and improvement of one’s own teaching
- Learn about innovative teaching practices (through video examples), including: effective classroom discourse; teaching for understanding; handling of students’ errors; and teaching strategies for EL students.