EDL 204 Sociocultural Studies in Education (3)

This course addresses the question, what does it mean to educate children to live in a democratic society? To answer this question we must 1) develop understanding of specific sociocultural, philosophical, ideological, historical, and moral aspects of education and of schooling in the United States and 2) develop a specific set of skills and knowledge with which to read and interpret the cultures within which education and schooling occur. This course addresses how education and schooling have been understood through history by addressing texts about education constructed in the past and in the present. Throughout history, we find repeated struggles concerning the very meaning and purpose of our schools: Is the primary good of public education private or public? What is an appropriate balance between equality and liberty? Should public schooling be aimed primarily at producing democratic citizens or producing workers for a stronger economy?

EDL 318 Teacher Leadership and School Organization (3)

This course is designed to challenge and shape students’ conceptions of educational organizations and cultures; their professional development as teachers and/or educational staff members; as well as the acts of teaching, curriculum development, teaming, and leadership. The course encourages the development of personal and professional theoretical frameworks and practical tools for enhancing awareness of and action in educational roles as decision-maker, curriculum-creator, inquirer, community member/ builder, democratic citizen, team member, teacher, and leader.