EDUC 547 - Elementary Teaching and Learning in Diverse Classrooms: Investigating and Designing Transformative Learning Environments

(Same as EDUC 547B.) Prerequisites, this course is for students who have been given admission to the Teacher Credential and/or Masters of Arts in Teaching program. This course prepares prospective elementary (K-6) teachers with general foundational, pedagogical, and research tools. It provides a foundational study of the historical, political, and ideological context that have shaped schooling systems and teachers’ unions in the United States. Major curriculum traditions will be explored and critically analyzed. The focus will be on designing collaborative, democratic, and culturally-responsive classroom environments grounded in critical pedagogy (Freire) and progressive education (Dewey), with an emphasis on lesson design, interdisciplinary curriculum development, formative and authentic assessment, and the social organization of learning. Up to 10 hours of fieldwork for this class is optional for completion. (Offered every year.) 3 credits