Issues in Education
Fall 2009
"Exploration of the cultural foundations of the American Public Education system. Study of the impact of key education reform movements on today’s dynamic and often troubled pre-K through 12th grade classroom environments. Consideration of several contemporary educational issues from historical, philosophical, scientific, multicultural and pedagogical perspectives. Includes lecture, discussion, multi-media projects and small-group interaction." -Course Description
In this class I learned a lot about the history of the public school system, which I had never learned previously. The amount of material covered was immense but useful. Knowing this information is a key part of becoming a teacher. One must be aware of all aspects of the field they are pursuing. I also very much enjoyed the wide range of assessments such as oral exams, debates, and multi-media projects. The professor was focused on creating a collaborative learning environment where everyone was actively participating. Student-led discussion groups met weekly and group projects were assigned frequently.
One group project that has stood out in my mind is a pamphlet that I and a few other people did on bilingual education. I had not learned much on this topic and had not been surrounded by this type of education at all in my life. In the pamphlet we go into depth about the history of bilingual education, the pros and cons of bilingual education, and the view Obama takes on the matter. Also, on the back of the pamphlet we talk about the states that have allowed bilingual education and that ban it. Lastly, we talk about Hamilton's efforts in creating a community where bilingual education is accepted. While this might not be my most well put together project because of the amount of typos and inconsistency, I thought that the method of assessment and the depth of the topic was worth focusing on.