Education

Introduction to Teaching I

The course will begin with student stories about themselves as adolescent students and learners. These personal learner/student stories will be histories of familial, cultural, cognitive, linguistic, social, ethical, and in-school experiences. Students will explore and study what currently counts as accepted knowledge about child and adolescent behavior and development; and compare and contrast their specific, personal stories with academic assertions and descriptions about children and adolescents.

Introduction to Teaching II

The course will be about teachers, teaching, and classrooms. It will start with the personal: student descriptions of past and current teachers and classrooms. The goal will be to observe and record exactly what happened in these classrooms, especially what specific teachers did and said; students will then hypothesize on the teacher' knowledge, theories and beliefs which might explain classroom decisions, duties, and responsibilities, including discourse and behavior. Then students will learn about and examine current educational knowledge, theories and practices recommended for teachers to maximize student achievement and success in school.