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Undergraduate Courses/ Graduate

EDS 190 Freshmore Seminar: Popular Culture & Literacy (same as LING 190)

Fisher, W 1:00-4:00, Max: 16

Content: In this seminar, we will critically examine intersections of popular culture and literacy (reading, writing and speaking) in school and in out-of-school contexts. The seminar is divided into four parts. Part I: What is popular
culture? How has it been theorized? Part II: What is literacy? Who defines literacy? And what power, if any, is ascribed to literacy? Part III: What are the meaningful intersections of popular culture and literacy? Part IV: How can we design curriculum that uses popular culture while addressing the needs of public school curriculum?

EDS 190: Freshmore Seminar: The Politics of Education

Main, W 1:15-3:45, Max: 16

Content: Why is education consistently among the top three concerns of the American public? Who makes the decisions about the form and content of materials in pre K through 12? What are the respective roles of the local, state and federal governments in education? What are the most pressing issues? How have these issues changed over time? How does the American political process differ from that of other countries; does this effect which educational issues are political issues? The seminar examines these questions and others related to the politics and policy processes that effect primary and secondary education.

Texts: to be selected

Particulars: The seminar requires several short writing assignments, a take-home final examination and regular participation in seminar meetings.

EDS 201 American Education

Content: This course places American Education in its historical, political, social and cultural context. It examines issues such as the function and philosophy of schools, and the structure of schools (including school governance, curriculum, teachers and teaching, and students), and multiculturalism in K-12 education. This course also introduces students to current issues in education and provides students with first-hand elementary or secondary school experience through placement as a tutor in a local school. The effectiveness of the teaching and learning in this class depends largely on the participation of students through discussions, reflections on their field experiences in the schools and group presentations.

Text: Noll, James William, (ed.). Taking sides: Clashing views on controversial educational issues. (13^th ed.). New York: Dushkin.

Content: This course explores current issues in K-12 education within a larger examination of the historical, philosophical, and sociocultural context of U. S. schools. Students will be asked to consider and weigh varying perspectives of school structure and function through debates, discussions, and presentations. In addition, the course will provide students with first-hand experience as tutors in local schools.

Content: There are two goals for this class. The first is to introduce students to theories and principles of human learning and their application to instruction. Topics include psychological and philosophical antecedents of contemporary views of learning (with special emphasis on the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and William James), classical and operant
conditioning, the constructivist theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, and social cognitive theory (with special emphasis on Albert Bandura and Carol Dweck). The second goal of the course is to teach students to use the above principles so that they may improve their own ways of learning.

Content: This course explores the aims and purposes of American schooling from the nationalist period through the post civil rights era. It examines the varied forms of schools; the ways in which access was mediated by gender, class, ethnicity, geography, and religion; the growth of systematization and professionalism; and the relationship of school reform to societal needs. Relying upon lecture, discussion, primary source documentation, and film, this class seeks to unfold the evolving and cyclical nature of schooling in the American democracy.

Particulars: Requirements include one essay exam, one paper, one presentation, and class exercises.

Content: In this seminar, we engage in thorough and in-depth analyses of various philosophical perspectives that have had a profound influence on American education, and we describe their contribution to an understanding of teaching and learning, childrearing, and the human condition. To this end, we describe the implications of these perspectives for educational practice and policy; apply the major principles and concepts derived from educational philosophy and thought to the identification, selection, and solution of problems that individuals encounter as students, teachers, researchers, parents, and policy makers; learn to better appreciate how ethnicity, social class, gender, and other sociocultural factors influence philosophical thinking in education; describe key issues and controversies in the study of educational philosophy and thought; develop a sound historical perspective of philosophical writings on education; and learn how we might exercise good judgment when discussing and using the major principles, concepts, and insights derived from the study of educational philosophy and thought. Readings include Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Mill, Whitehead, Dewey, James , Washington , Du Bois, Neill, Maritain, Noddings, hooks, Greene, Irvine , Palmer, Vygotsky, and Freire.

Particulars: Seminar class with emphasis on group discussion and class activities. Class requirements include written reflections on readings, assignments related to course content, participation and involvement in class, and an end-of-term paper in keeping with the WR nature of the class.

Content: The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to some of the basic questions and issues related to education as a field study. To accomplish this purpose, we will explore the functions of education from a variety of perspectives and selectively use theories, models and metaphors developed in the social sciences (primarily psychology and sociology) to increase our understanding of educational processes. Fundamental questions about human behavior and change, the acquisition of attitudes, values and knowledge, and status attainment in a society can be productively studied using education as the area of study. Students will read "classic" articles by educational and social theorists, as well as contemporary works in order to develop insight into the perennial nature of the basic questions underlying the study of education. This course is relevant for all students concerned with education and its functions in American society.

Particulars: Attendance and class participation, two exams, and a term paper. Prerequisites: Educational Studies major or permission of instructor.

Content: Students will learn about education in different countries and about global education issues that transcend national borders. They will also investigate the history, issues and dominant methodologies in the field of comparative education. Students will take two exams, research an issue and tutor international students.

Content: The purpose of this seminar is to explore the meaning of culture, its influence on the "self" and "the other," as well as the influence of culture on issues of teaching and learning. This course centers on readings and a field component that explore sociopolitical factors as well as structural and cultural factors that influence the school achievement of students who come from diverse groups. This course is intended to give students a broad understanding of multicultural education through an exploration of interdisciplinary issues related to culture, social class, ethnicity and race, gender, and language.

Content: This introductory course, highly interactive and hands-on, is designed to provide participants with a foundation in: how people learn, effective inquiry teaching strategies, science and mathematics education standards, and current issues in those fields. Other topics include culture and education; novices vs. experts; implications for learning and transfer of new knowledge; and schools and society. This course is geared toward juniors and seniors who are currently majoring in a science or mathematics field and who want to explore the possibility of teaching science or math as a career path. (This course does not lead to teacher certification.)

This course has two components, a weekly two-hour interactive seminar on campus and a weekly commitment of six hours in a local middle or high school working with a teacher, observing and supporting student learning, and teaching middle or high school students. Participants will find this rewarding course to be a good complement to more traditional courses they have taken on campus and an opportunity to examine their views on equity, schools, and education.

Particulars: Students should be interested in working with middle and/or high school students, be majoring in science or mathematics, and have access to private or public transportation to get to the assigned school during regular school hours.

Content: This course provides an introduction to statistical reasoning for the behavioral sciences. We will study statistics as a liberal discipline. The emphasis is on statistics as an aid to clear thinking in personal and professional life. You will learn how to reason from uncertain empirical data and how to apply this general and fundamental intellectual method in social sciences. You will also learn how to use the statistics software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), to perform data analysis on personal computers and to write results sections based on the analyses. The course has four major sections (a) data production, (b) data analysis, (c) probability, and (d) statistical inference. Data production describes methods for producing data that can give clear answers to specific questions. Data analysis concerns methods and strategies for exploring, organizing, and describing data using graphs and numerical summaries. Probability is the language we use to describe chance, variation, and risk. Statistical inference moves beyond the data in hand to draw conclusions about some wider universe, taking into account that variation is everywhere and that conclusions are uncertain.

Content: The course is based on the following premises: (1) educational policy is an instrument for potentially improving educational equity and the educational experiences of children and (2) social policy plays a significant role in how policymakers and schools identify, frame, and seek to address fundamental issues and problems in K-12 urban education. Readings and instruction will place educational policy in the context of social policy to illuminate the influence of context and the complexities of schools. Case studies and discussions with guest speakers provide students with opportunities to analyze educational policies in K-12 schools and to pose questions to educators and policymakers, those who engage with students and who shape and respond to educational and social policy. Topics for discussion include school reform legislation, education law, desegregation, poverty, housing, race, and issues of educational equity and student achievement.

Particulars: Requirements include one essay exam, one research paper, and one presentation. Students from any major or discipline are encouraged to enroll.

Content: This seminar will provide an opportunity to delve into issues concerning the role of science in the lives of young people. Topics to be examined include the quality of science education offered in different school settings; the relevance of school science to the interests of children, adolescents, and young adults; and the potential for youth advocacy and empowerment through science education.

Particulars: In addition to assigned readings and class discussion, Blackboard will be used to organize course materials and support the construction of student-developed final projects (e.g. webpage or website, portfolio, blog) that blend important themes in youth empowerment and science education. Students will be expected to submit three thought papers over the course of the semester and a final rationale paper describing the final project from conception to
completion.

Content : The History of American Education is an introductory foundation course for doctoral students. It is designed to provide a broad general knowledge base of the ideas, people, and movements that have shaped educational practice and thought. Focusing primarily upon the common school movement through school desegregation, the course seeks 1) to provide opportunities for students to explore the cycling and recycling of ideas in different educational contexts, and 2) to explore deeply the purposes of American education and the ongoing tensions between idealism and access. During this semester, Georgia will provide a specific case study through which to conceptualize national and regional trends.

Content : This course (commonly known as Student Teaching) provides opportunities for Secondary preservice teachers to observe, participate, and teach in classrooms within an assigned school. During the spring semester of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, each pre-service teacher works full-time on a daily basis in an assigned school classroom that corresponds to the certification sought by the teacher candidate. Weekly seminars on Emory's campus provide education and support during the internship, and facilitate the development of knowledgeable, competent and culturally responsive educators through reflective practice.

Particulars : Ten weeks, full-time (about 8 clock hours each day) in the assigned school; includes weekly seminars.

Content : This course is a sequel to EDS 553a Inferential Statistics I. We will continue to study quantitative methods commonly used in educational research. Major topics of the course include survey research, multiple regression and correlation, regression diagnostics, and exploratory factor analysis.

Content: This course is a sequel to EDS 553a Inferential Statistics I. We will continue to study quantitative methods commonly used in educational research. Major topics of the course include survey research, multiple regression and correlation, regression diagnostics, and exploratory factor analysis.

Content : This support seminar is the professional preparation course for preservice teachers. Building upon the experiences you have gained as observers and teachers in the schools during the fall semester, this seminar will provide and opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to integrate pedagogical knowledge, curricular knowledge, and subject matter knowledge and to apply your understanding in the implementation of culturally responsible curriculum. The seminar also introduces you to the professional responsibilities you have as English teachers.

Content : This course is designed to advance the professional development of mathematics teachers through two integrated components. The first is an on-campus seminar that will focus on the further development of participants' pedagogical content knowledge related to the specific mathematics of their current teaching assignment. The second component involves professional development with respect to implementation of the new Georgia Performance Standards in the grades that the seminar participants will be seeking their initial teaching employment.

Particulars : Although this course is principally designed for pre-service middle and secondary teachers in the teaching intern semester of their MAT program, practicing teachers in the DAST program and doctoral students with interests in mathematics education are also encouraged to enroll.

Content : This course is designed to advance the professional development of teachers through two integrated components. The first is on-campus seminars in which teacher candidates reflect upon issues in science teaching and learning: using instructional materials, promoting inquiry, engaging in responsive pedagogy, and incorporating authentic assessment. The second component involves in-classroom observations by the instructor to support teacher candidates' growth in the following areas: subject-matter content, ethics & professionalism related to science instruction, attention to safety in the science classroom, and communicating with colleagues, parents, and the broader community.

Particulars : Enrollment Restrictions limited to science MAT students who have taken EDS 533m/s and/or DAST science externs.

Content : This course is designed to advance the professional development of social studies teachers through two integrated components. The first component is an on-campus seminar that will focus on the further development of participants' pedagogical content knowledge in social studies education. Attention is given to translating research and issues-based approaches into specific classroom practice. Participants will be required to implement some of these approaches and ideas with their own students and report on their findings. The second component includes observations of MAT interns and follow-up content-focused coaching sessions between pre-service teachers and instructor(s).

Particulars : This course is principally designed for pre-service middle grades and secondary teachers while they are in the intern semester of their MAT program.

Content : Course participants provide professional supervision, education and support for Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) preservice teachers during their field experiences. This course is designed to support supervisors in these endeavors. The course also provides opportunities for participants to complete requirements for the Internship Phase of the Georgia Teacher Support Specialist (TSS) training program.

Content : Historically, the development of urban space has been closely bound to the exercise of racial power. More recently, whether in post-Katrina New Orleans or post-apartheid South Africa , housing authorities, police, ministries of education, and other state and economic structures shape and continue to be shaped by ongoing relations of unequal power. Relying on critical race theory and related traditions of thought, this course will explore the cultural struggles and counter stories of communities that have sought to transform not only urban education, but the broader context in which schools are situated

Content: The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the major steps necessary for the construction of new measures. Frequently in the social and behavioral sciences, appropriate scales for representing variables of interest are not available to the researcher. This course will provide a framework based on modern measurement theory (item response theory) for the construction and evaluation of new measures and scales.

Content : This seminar will continue the theme of "teacher education" that was begun in the fall. It will engage doctoral students and the faculty of the Division of Educational Studies in several special meetings and events that address the role of teacher educators within the current climate of "No Child Left Behind." Dates and times for these events will announced for each event separately.

Particulars : This seminar is intended for doctoral students in the Division of Educational Studies.