Interdepartmental programs in Education

Last updated: November 4, 2010 at 3:19 p.m.

Objectives

The Education Program offers several different undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduate students are able to select a path to pursue either education studies (major or minor) or teacher education (minor in elementary, middle, or high school teaching). For students who have already earned an undergraduate degree, the Brandeis Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program offers concentrations in elementary teaching (public or Jewish day school) or secondary—middle or high school—teaching (biology, chemistry, English, history, physics, or Bible/Tanakh). For a more complete description of the education program, please consult the program's Web site, www.brandeis.edu/programs/education.

Any undergraduate at Brandeis may begin fulfilling requirements of the major or minor at any time, without formal admission. However, it is strongly recommended that students who are considering the education program meet with an education program adviser during their first year in order to plan for program requirements. Permission, which is required to enroll in the education studies major or minor and the teacher education minor, should be sought no later than when a student has completed two education courses.

Undergraduate Education Studies Major
The education studies major is designed for students interested in the social, historical, and cultural contexts of education and the role of education in shaping policy, practice, learning, and identity. This major encourages students to think critically about such questions as: How do various political, economic, historical, psychological, and social forces shape education and public expectations for school? What does school teach us about society? How do K-12 schooling and higher education shape individual and communal identities and life opportunities? How can we better understand and guide learning in and out of school? What kinds of learning, schools, and teachers do young people need and deserve?

A Brandeis graduate with an education studies major will be prepared to pursue:

  • education policy, legislative, or nonprofit work;
  • careers in education-related fields such as school psychology, higher education, informal education, museum education;
  • graduate study and a career in teaching; and/or
  • graduate study and a scholarly career in education.

In addition to developing skills and habits of inquiry, critical thinking, and analysis associated with a strong liberal arts education, education studies majors will acquire a historical and comparative understanding of schooling, a deeper understanding of teaching and learning, educational research skills, and an understanding of the ethical dimensions of education.

Because candidates for the education studies major must complete nine courses, including a senior seminar, students should consult with an education studies adviser no later than the beginning of the junior year about the program requirements. No course for the major may be taken on a pass/fail basis. Students must receive a grade of C- or higher for any course to be counted as part of the education studies major.

Please note that the education studies major does not lead to a teaching license. Students interested in becoming licensed as teachers need to enroll in the teacher education program that leads to licensure.

Undergraduate Education Studies Minor
This minor gives students a chance to explore the impact of political, historical, psychological, economic, and social forces that shape education and public expectations for schools. The minor's interdisciplinary approach is suitable both for students interested in the broad social and cultural contexts of education and for those interested in educational careers.  

Students must receive a grade of C- or higher for any course to be counted as part of the education studies minor.  Please note that the education studies minor does not lead to a teaching license. Students interested in becoming teachers need to enroll in the teacher education program that leads to licensure.

Undergraduate Teaching Minor
The undergraduate education program leading to licensure is designed to prepare undergraduates for teaching at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level, and is taken in addition to the student's major. Those interested in this minor should meet with an education program adviser during their first year to develop a plan for teacher education courses (which begin in the sophomore year) and other required courses. Please see the education program Web site for specific course requirements. This minor is also valuable for those planning careers in related fields, such as special education.

Four central themes define the Brandeis teacher education programs. These themes are woven throughout our courses:

Knowing Students as Learners Good teachers work actively to know their students as individuals and learners. They use their knowledge of child development and learning, and their knowledge of individual students, to inform their planning and teaching.

Inquiry Effective teachers continually assess and reflect on their own teaching practices and stay aware of current resources and information related to teaching and learning. Teachers need to have a firm grounding in educational research, theory and practice, and understand the ways in which inquiry and reflection on research, including their own classroom research, can inform practice.

Teaching for Understanding Good teachers communicate high standards and expectations for student learning, and draw on an exploration of rich content and a repertoire of approaches, using instructional strategies to make knowledge accessible and interesting to diverse learners. Effective educators build on and extend students’ ideas, monitor their students’ intellectual engagement, and take steps to challenge or re-engage each student in learning.

Social Justice Issues of social justice and injustice affect schools. Effective teachers strive to narrow the achievement gap between students through their use of standards-based, learning-centered curricula. Teachers need to work toward greater equity and access to knowledge for all students, while creating multicultural, democratic classrooms that celebrate respect and diversity.

Candidates for the elementary or secondary teaching license must achieve a grade of at least B- in all required undergraduate teacher education courses. Satisfactory grades and permission of the education program adviser (elementary) or director (secondary) are required in order to proceed to the final semesters of the program (ED 101a and b, ED 105a, and ED 111e for elementary; or ED 102a, ED 104a, and ED 110e for secondary; or ED 112e for preschool).

Students who successfully complete the elementary, middle, or high school teacher education program, including the requirements set by the state of Massachusetts (including passing appropriate portions of the Mass. Test for Teacher Licensure—MTEL), may be recommended by Brandeis for initial licensure to teach in Massachusetts.  The state of Massachusetts has reciprocal licensing arrangements with more than forty other states. Information on licensure requirements may be found on the education program Web site, www.brandeis.edu/programs/education

Of the students who completed the Brandeis teacher education program and took the MTEL tests in 2008-2009, 96 percent passed the Communications and Literacy Skills test, and 97 percent passed the Subject Matter Knowledge tests.

Master of Arts in Teaching
In the MAT program, we conceive of teaching as practical intellectual work dedicated to enlargement of human capacity at the individual and societal level.  Successful completion of the program leads to the degree and (with the exception of the secondary Bible concentration) the initial license to teach in Massachusetts, which has reciprocity agreements with more than forty other states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. This is a four semester (summer, fall, spring, summer), 48 credit masters program.

The MAT in elementary education offers a choice of two concentrations: public elementary or Jewish day schools (the DeLeT program). The MAT in secondary education offers a choice of several concentrations: history, English, biology, chemistry, physics, or Bible/Tanakh. In all concentrations, a coherent one-year/four-semester course of study integrates sustained guided-teaching practice in area schools with challenging course work and analysis of educational problems and issues at macro and micro levels. In each concentration, a small cohort of students works closely with peers, mentors, and faculty in an atmosphere that is collegial and open to risk-taking. Inquiry is a theme across the year.  As the culminating project, students design, conduct, and report on a classroom-based, research project. All graduates are expected to demonstrate strong conceptual and practical command of the field; commitment to children as learners and thinkers; and habits of reliance on reason, evidence, and values in pedagogical decision making.

One exceptional feature of the MAT is the early career induction support provided to graduates who teach in the greater Boston area. Social support, reflection on teaching challenges, and individual advising are offered in monthly meetings and in one-on-one conferences.

How to Be Admitted to the Graduate Program

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, given in an earlier section of this Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to this program. Candidates for admission to the MAT program apply to either the elementary or the secondary MAT; in the application materials, they specify the concentrations of interest: public education (elementary) or Jewish day schools; or secondary history, English, biology, chemistry, physics, or Bible/Tanakh.

Strong liberal arts preparation with depth in an appropriate discipline and/or a record of professional accomplishment in an appropriate field is expected. Applicants to the Elementary MAT should be able to demonstrate possession of the knowledge necessary to teach the four subjects constituting the core of the elementary school curriculum: mathematics, literacy/English language arts, science, and the social studies. Applicants to the Secondary MAT must have an undergraduate major or other very strong academic background in the content area they wish to teach. Program faculty are available for consultation and transcript review prior to application with respect to this or other admissions criteria. Prospective applicants are urged to request transcript review, preferably in the summer or fall term prior to the desired term of entry.

Prior experience with children is strongly advised. Applications should include three letters of reference, the results of the GRE general exam, a transcript, a resume, and a statement of purpose explaining their reasons for pursuing this degree.

Further information about application processes and criteria, scholarship opportunities, and program requirements is available on the MAT Web site.

Faculty

Marya Levenson, Director
Teacher education. Education policy. Education studies.

Dirck Roosevelt, Director of the MAT/Assistant Director
Elementary education. Teacher education. Democracy and education.

Marcie Abramson
Mathematics.

Tara Brown
Race, class, and gender in education. Urban and alternative education.

Robin Dash
Arts and Education.

Helen Featherstone
Educational research. Elementary and mathematics teacher education

Sharon Feiman-Nemser
Elementary education. Jewish education. Teacher education.

Tom Heyman
Elementary science.

Robert Lange
Science teaching.

Jon Levisohn
Philosophy of education. Jewish education.

Susan Mayer
Teacher research.

Deborah Moriarty
Reading and literacy.

Joseph Reimer
Education policy. Informal education.

Edward Rossiter
Secondary curriculum and instruction.

Faye Ruopp
Mathematics.

Rachel Kramer Theodorou
Elementary education. Literacy education.

Affiliated Education Studies Faculty

Joyce Antler
(American Studies)

Joseph Cunnigham   
(Psychology)

Michael Coiner
(Economics)

Jane Hale
(Comparative Literature)

Melissa Kosinski-Collins
(Biology)

James Morris
(Biology)

Requirements for the Minors

Education Programs Leading to Licensure

Secondary
PSYC 36b (note that PSYC 1a is a prerequisite for PSYC 36b), ED 100b, and ED 102a are prerequisites for practice teaching. ED 104a and ED 110e are taken in the senior year. Students must consult the director of the program for other requirements, including recommended courses in their major. It is recommended that students take ED 100b in their sophomore year and ED 102a in their junior year. Students must pass the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills Test before enrolling in ED 110e (student teaching). 

Elementary
PSYC 33a (note that PSYC 1a is a prerequisite for PSYC 33a); ED 100a followed by ED 107a (sophomores who have taken ED 100a are advised to take ED 107a as juniors); ED 101a and b and ED 105a, always taken in the semester before student teaching; and ED 111e (student teaching); MATH 3a, unless waived upon education program and math department review. Students must consult the education program faculty adviser for elementary candidates regarding these and other program requirements. It is strongly recommended that, whenever possible, students consult the adviser during their first year. The education program Web site lists significant additional liberal arts courses required for licensure by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students must pass specified portions of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) before enrolling in ED 111e (student teaching).

Preschool
Practice teaching at the Lemberg Children's Center is possible (ED 112e). Prerequisites are PSYC 33a and ED 100a. These courses, plus two others, will fulfill the Department of Early Education and Care requirements for lead teachers in infant/toddler and/or preschool. For further information, consult the director of the Lemberg Children's Center.


Education Studies

A. Core course: ED 155b (Education and Social Policy).

B. A second core course to be selected from the following electives:

AMST 150a (History of Childhood and Youth in America)
AMST 180b (Topics in the History of American Education)
COML 165a (Reading, Writing, and Teaching across Cultures)
ED 158b (Looking with the Learner: Practice and Inquiry)
ED 159b (Philosophy of Education)
SOC 104a (The Sociology of Education)

C. At least four additional program electives, no more than two of which can be taken in the same department or interdepartmental program. Program electives are listed at the end of the education course listings.

Students may substitute successful completion of an essay, thesis, or internship, as described below, for the fourth elective course option:

  1. Essay: an approved research or honors essay, usually taken in the senior year. Students would receive credit for this essay through their department major, or ED 98a (Individual Readings and Research in Education), or an independent study or research course approved by the director of the education program.
  2. Honors Thesis: a senior thesis in the student's major that has an emphasis on some aspect of education.
  3. Internship: an internship (ED 92) approved by the director of the education program. (Students who are student teaching in the education program will also be eligible to receive internship credit if they are concurrently pursuing an education studies minor.) Students who choose this option will keep a journal about their experiences and produce a final paper.

D. Students must achieve a grade of C- or higher in each course taken for credit in the minor. Pass/Fail courses will not earn credit toward the minor.

E. Students may have only two cross-over courses that meet requirements for both the education (licensure) minor and the education studies minor.

Requirements for the Major

Education Studies Major

A.  ED 155b (Education and Social Policy)

B.  A second core course in which to study education from the perspective of a foundational discipline.  Students may choose their second core course from one of the following courses:

AMST 150a (History of Childhood and Youth in America)
AMST 180b (Topics in the History of American Education)
COML 165a (Reading, Writing, and Teaching across Cultures)
ED 158b (Looking with the Learner: Practice and Inquiry)
ED 159b (Philosophy of Education)
SOC 104a (The Sociology of Education)

C. At least six other program electives, no more than two of which can be used to meet the requirements of both the teacher education (licensure) minor and the education studies major.  As part of fulfilling the elective requirements, students must take three courses in either group 1 (Schooling, Policy, and Society) and one course in group 2 (Human Development, Learning, and/or Teaching), or vice versa (three courses in group 2 and one course in group 1).  We urge majors to choose for one of their electives a course that focuses on cross-cultural understanding, such as COML 165a, ED 158b, or see the listing of groups of electives listed below.

Please note that majors who intend to do an honors thesis involving empirical research are required to have completed a research course before their senior year.

Students may substitute successful completion of an essay or internship, as described below, for one of the six elective courses.

Essay: An approved research or honors essay, usually taken in the senior year. Students would receive credit for this essay, or ED 98a (Individual Readings and Research in Education), or an independent study or research course approved by the director of the education program.

Internship: An internship (ED 92) approved by the director of the education program. (Students who are student teaching in the education program will also be eligible to receive internship credit if they are concurrently pursuing an education studies major.) Students who choose this option will keep a journal about their experiences and produce a final paper.

D. ED 165a ( Reading (and Talking Back to) Research on Education) All education studies majors are required to enroll in this seminar during the fall semester of their senior year. 

E. Honors: Students who wish to be considered for honors in education studies will be required to complete a senior thesis. Students who intend to do an honors thesis must discuss their potential thesis topic with a faculty adviser in education studies during their junior year.  These students will have an opportunity to begin their research in ED 165a and will then enroll in ED 99b to complete their thesis. 

F. Pass/Fail courses will not earn credit toward the major.  Students must receive a grade of C- or higher for any course to be counted as part of the education studies major.

Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Teaching

The MAT is a full-time, in-residence, year-long, forty-eight-credit program running summer-fall-spring-summer consecutive terms.

Candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching – Elementary Education are admitted to one of two concentrations: public education or Jewish day schools (DeLeT).

Candidates for the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching – Middle or Secondary Education are admitted to one of the following concentrations: biology, chemistry, history, English, physics, or Bible/Tanakh.

Within a coherent, sequenced course of study, students examine theories and cases of human learning, study principles and practices of teaching specific subjects, and engage in some of the big questions and debates that characterize the field. Guided teaching practice begins in the summer and continues through a year-long internship in a nearby classroom. Working closely with an experienced mentor teacher, students gradually assume increasing instructional responsibility and begin functioning as junior colleagues in the school community. Over the course of the year, students learn principles and practices of inquiry-oriented pedagogy in the subject area(s). They study formal and informal methods of assessment, learn how to interpret and adapt curricular standards, and practice engaging families in meaningful conversation about children's educational accomplishments and needs.

Additional information about required courses, calendar, and other information about the program and the specific concentrations may be found on the MAT Web site, www.brandeis.edu/programs/education/MAT. Consult the department coordinator for section assignments.

Internship
Intensive internships are an integral part of the MAT program. Duration ranges from two to five days a week; students are responsible for their own transportation. The program arranges placements in public or Jewish day schools, in districts such as Belmont, Boston, Framingham, Newton, and Waltham. The field experience is supported by regular mentoring from school personnel, observations and advisement by an assigned field instructor, and a weekly reflective teaching seminar that examines such topics as building and maintaining classroom culture, instructional planning, curriculum development, assessment, and emergent problems of practice.

Teacher Research
As a culminating project, students design, conduct, and report on a classroom-based inquiry project, often a form of "action research." Successful completion of the project is a requirement for the degree. In the second summer semester, students present their findings to faculty, friends, and colleagues.

Induction Year
MAT graduates whose initial teaching positions are in the greater Boston area are provided ongoing professional development in their first year. Social support, reflection on teaching challenges, and individual advising are offered in regular meetings and in one-on-one conferences.

Courses of Instruction

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

ED 92a Education Internship and Analysis
Usually offered every year.
Staff

ED 98a Individual Readings and Research in Education
Usually offered every year.
Staff

ED 98b Individual Readings and Research in Education
Usually offered every year.
Staff

ED 99b Senior Thesis
Prerequisite: ED 165a.
Seniors who are candidates for degrees with honors in education studies must register for this course in their final semester and, under the direction of a faculty member, prepare an honors thesis on a suitable topic. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

ED 100a Exploring Teaching (Elementary and Preschool)
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Three hours per week of field experience (participant observation in an elementary or preschool classroom), arranged by the education program, are required in addition to regular class time. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Examines the relationship of teaching and learning, the purposes of elementary schooling, and the knowledge requirements for elementary and preschool teaching. Through readings, analysis of videotapes, and guided observations, students investigate classroom culture, student thinking, and curriculum standards. Usually offered every fall semester.
Ms. Theodorou

ED 100b Exploring Teaching (Secondary)
[ ss wi ]
This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Not open to first-year students. Three hours per week of field experience (participant observation in a middle or high school classroom), arranged by the education program, are required in addition to regular class time. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Examines the relationship of teaching and learning, the purposes of secondary schooling and the knowledge requirements for middle and high school teaching. Through readings, analysis of videotapes and guided observations, students investigate classroom culture, student thinking, and curriculum standards. Usually offered every spring semester.
Ms. Levenson

ED 101a Elementary School Curriculum and Teaching: Literacy, Social Studies, and Other Topics
[ ss ]
Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Limited to students enrolling in ED 111e spring semester. Weekly field experience, arranged by the education program, is required in addition to regular class time. Contact the program for further information.
Focuses on principles and effective procedures for teaching literature and social studies in elementary classrooms. Emphasizes the cognitive, social, and cultural dimensions of literacy learning as well as strategies for reading and writing nonfiction and critical approaches to the teaching of social studies. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Moriarty and Mr. Roosevelt

ED 101b Elementary School Curriculum and Teaching: Arts, Multiculturalism, and Other Topics
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Limited to students enrolling in ED 111e spring semester.
Focuses on principles and effective procedures for teaching elementary students. Examines how art, creative drama, multicultural education, special education, and physical education affect teaching and learning. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Moriarty

ED 102a Secondary Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
[ oc ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. It is strongly recommended that juniors who are planning to student teach (ED 110e) in their senior year enroll in ED 102a in their junior year. ED 102a is a prerequisite for ED 110e. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Principles of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in secondary schools. Two hours per week of participant observation in a middle or high school classroom are required. Usually offered every fall semester.
Ms. Moyer

ED 103a Teaching Strategies for Early Childhood
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
Provides classroom experience, principles, and methods for teaching young children. Students plan and analyze early childhood learning experiences, based on current theory and best practices, as well as study positive approaches to classroom management and developmentally appropriate curricula. Related field placement required, once a week, at Lemberg Children's Center, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm or 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Usually offered every spring semester; not offered in 2010-2011.
Ms. Langer

ED 104a Secondary School: Theory into Practice
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Limited to students enrolling in ED 110e spring semester.
Principles and methods of teaching in specific subject areas in middle and high schools. Usually offered every fall semester.
Staff

ED 105a Elementary School Curriculum and Teaching: Mathematics and Science
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Limited to students enrolling in ED 111e spring semester. Must be taken concurrently with ED 101a in the fall semester.
Principles and strategies of teaching mathematics and science in elementary classrooms. Emphasizes understanding mathematical and scientific concepts needed by elementary teachers, effective teaching procedures, and recommended materials. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Abramson and Mr. Heyman

ED 107a Teaching and Learning Reading in Elementary and Preschools
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Summer session open only to MAT students. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Examines theories and methods of teaching reading and language arts to children in elementary and pre-schools. Emphasizes competencies necessary for developmental reading. Explores strategies for literacy, including the interrelated aspects of writing and spelling. Requires a field experience of fifteen hours. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Moriarty and Staff

ED 110e Practice Teaching: Secondary School
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisites: ED 100b, ED 102a (must be taken the fall semester preceding ED 110e), and ED 104a (must be taken concurrently with ED 110e). Enrollment limited to students in the education program. Students must pass the Communication and Literacy Skills Test before enrolling in ED 110e.
Full-time student teaching under supervision of qualified teachers; regular conferences to discuss and evaluate the teaching experience. Includes at least one after-school meeting most weeks, covering such topics as multicultural education, special education, and reading. Usually offered every spring semester.
Ms. Kish

ED 111e Practice Teaching: Elementary School
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisites: ED 100a, ED 101a, ED 101b, ED 105a, and ED 107a. Enrollment limited to students in the education program. Students must pass the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills Test before enrolling in ED 111e.
Full-time student teaching under supervision of qualified teachers; regular conferences to discuss and evaluate the teaching experience. Includes at least one after-school seminar per week. Usually offered every spring semester.
Staff

ED 112e Practice Teaching: Preschool
[ ss ]
This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisites: PSYC 33a and ED 100a or ED 103a. Enrollment limited to students in the education program. Signature of the education program director required.
Teaching under supervision of qualified head teachers at the Lemberg Children's Center with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. Thirty-five hours per week includes thirty hours teaching, five hours planning and meeting time. Regular conferences to discuss and evaluate the teaching experience. Usually offered every year.
Staff

ED 155b Education and Social Policy
[ ss wi ]
Examines the various functions that schools perform in a community, with special attention to the intended and unintended consequences of contemporary policies such as special education, desegregation, charter schools, and the standards/accountability movement. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Levenson

ED 157b The Psychology of Student Learning
[ ss ]
Open only to MAT students.
How do children learn? Topics in this survey course include models of learning, cognitive and social development, creativity, intelligence, character education, motivation, complex reasoning, and learning disabilities. Course methods include contemporary research analyses, case studies, group projects, short lectures, and class discussions.
Mr. Reimer

ED 158b Looking with the Learner: Practice and Inquiry
This is an experiential learning course. Does not satisfy a school distribution requirement--for education studies core course credit only. Lab fee: $40.
Inquiry and exploration in the visual arts have the capacity to develop the creative problem solving essential to both teaching and learning. Students will work in different media, examine interpretations of art, reflect in journals, and teach children about contemporary art. Students will complete a twelve-hour practicum as part of this course. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dash

ED 159b Philosophy of Education
[ ss ]
Explores several major issues in philosophy of education through close examination and discussion of recent theoretical texts. Issues include the goals of education; the rights of the state to foster civic virtue; multiculturalism; moral education; the problem of indoctrination; education for autonomy, rationality, critical thinking, and open-mindedness. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levisohn

ED 160b NCLB and the Politics of Educational Reform
[ ss ]
Addresses the larger social and political contexts from which the reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have evolved and the effects on the educational landscape. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Tamir

ED 165a Reading (and Talking Back to) Research on Education
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: ED 155b. Open to education studies majors only.
In this required capstone course for education studies majors, students will review quantitative and qualitative research through disciplinary lenses. Students pursue some topic of inquiry by either reviewing and synthesizing educational research, or conducting some empirical research. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Brown

ED 170a Critical Perspectives in Urban Education
[ ss ]
Examines the nature of urban schools, their links to the social and political context, and the perspectives of the people who inhabit them. Explores the historical development of urban schools; the social, economic, and personal hardships facing urban students; and challenges of urban school reform. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Brown

ED 175a The Teaching of English Language Learners: Pre-K to 12
[ ss ]
Corequisite: Students are required to do an Experiential Learning component for this class.
This is an experiential learning course. Examines the intersection of culture and language, including issues such as testing, family involvement, and different challenges facing English Language Learners. While this course will be of interest to anyone working with English learners, teachers are now required to be teachers of English in addition to content teachers. (Upon completion, participants will have acquired the skills and knowledge base for Category 1 and 2 as defined in the MA requirements for teachers.) Usually offered every year.
Ms. Klein and Ms. Kramer Theodorou

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

ED 221b Readings in Education
Staff

ED 260a Special Education: Teaching for Inclusion
Open only to MAT students.
Examines specific learner characteristics of students with disabilities as well as modifications (program, instructional, environmental) and strategies that facilitate a more successful learning experience for these students. Usually offered every summer.
Ms. Elion

ED 261a Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Learning
Open only to MAT students.
Focuses on the learning and exploration of scientific concepts and strategies needed to teach inquiry-based science in elementary classrooms. Usually offered every year.
Staff

ED 262a Teaching Mathematics in Elementary Classrooms
Open only to MAT students.
Focuses on the learning, discovery, and exploration of the skills and strategies needed to teach mathematical concepts and skills in elementary school classrooms. Usually offered every summer.
Ms. Ruopp

ED 263b Reflective Teaching
Open only to MAT students.
A weekly seminar closely coordinated with the Field Internship (ED 265b). Students explore and evaluate approaches to classroom organization and management, instructional planning, and assessment. They form habits of critical colleagueship and develop skills to study their teaching and their students' learning. Students also assemble a teaching portfolio that documents their learning in relation to program standards. Usually offered every spring.
Ms. Pearlmutter and Staff

ED 264a Foundations of Education
Open only to MAT students.
Explores philosophical, sociological, historical, and political contexts of schools in the United States, including legal issues and concerns, teaching concerns, and current issues and trends. Emphasizes curriculum theory and the link between the developing child and instruction. Usually offered every summer.
Ms. Levenson, Mr. Roosevelt, and Staff

ED 265a Field Internship
Open only to MAT students.
Supervised teaching internship designed to help connect theory and practice. Students gradually build proficiency in teaching, adding responsibilities and skills over time. Students have guided opportunities to observe, plan, and teach core subjects, to manage classrooms, to get to know students and families, and to participate fully in the life of the school. Interns receive regular mentoring from school and university personnel. Usually offered every fall.
Staff

ED 265b Field Internship
Open only to MAT students. Corequisite: ED 263b.
Supervised teaching internship designed to help connect theory and practice. Students gradually build proficiency in teaching, adding responsibilities and skills over time. Students have guided opportunities to observe, plan, and teach core subjects, to manage classrooms, to get to know students and families, and to participate fully in the life of the school. Interns receive regular mentoring from school and university personnel. Usually offered every spring.
Staff

ED 266a Teacher Research
Open only to MAT students.
Students design and carry out a systematic investigation addressing a question or problem arising in their practice. Students explore principles and methods of classroom-based research and review examples of published teacher research. Students present their inquiry projects to fellow students, mentor teachers, and faculty in a teacher research colloquium at the conclusion of their second summer session. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Brown, Ms. Feiman-Nemser, or Ms. Mayer

ED 267a Fundamentals of Teaching
Open only to MAT students.
Central seminar taught in conjunction with the Field Internship (ED 265a). Explores and evaluates approaches to instructional planning, formative and summative assessment, classroom culture and management, and emergent issues. Also policy and regulatory issues at national, state, district, and building level as they impinge on daily practice. Reflective practice, inquiry, and critical colleagueship are themes. Portfolio requirement.
Ms. Featherstone, Ms. Pearlmutter, or Mr. Rossiter

ED 267b Fundamentals of Teaching
Open only to MAT students.
A continuation of ED 267a, the central seminar taught in conjunction with the Field Internship (ED 265b).
Ms. Pearlmutter, Mr. Roosevelt, or Mr. Rossiter

ED 268a Pedagogy of English
Prerequisite: ED 264a. Corequisite: ED 267a. Open only to MAT students in the secondary English concentration and seniors student teaching in secondary school English.
This course prepares teachers of secondary English language arts to effectively plan for and assess student learning in three primary areas of instruction: writing, reading, and speaking. The following are emphasized: methods of engagement with literature, content-specific assessment and discussion techniques, writing process instruction, reading strategy and vocabulary instruction, and methods for reaching a diverse group of learners. An underlying goal of this course is for teachers to approach their chosen profession with a spirit of reflection, continuous improvement, and collaboration. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Blais

ED 269a Pedagogy of History
Prerequisite: ED 264a. Corequisite: ED 267a. Open only to MAT students in the secondary history concentration and seniors student teaching in secondary school history.
This course supports the aspiring secondary school history teacher as he or she prepares for the student teaching experience. Emphasis is placed on building a content-specific personal resource library, planning for cohesive lessons and units, teaching a variety of history content to students of diverse personal backgrounds and academic abilities, and developing collegial relationships in the teaching profession. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dunne

ED 270a Pedagogy of Science
Prerequisite: ED 264a. Corequisite: ED 267a. Open only to MAT students in the secondary sciences concentrations and seniors student teaching in secondary school sciences.
Provides students with an overview of trends, issues, strategies, and resources specific to the teaching of secondary school science. Focuses on the following key concepts as they relate to teaching secondary science: inquiry, teaching for understanding, knowing students as learners, strategies and resources to support science teaching, successful laboratory activities, professionalism, and social justice. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Quinlan

ED 271a The Pedagogy of Tanakh
Prerequisite: ED 264a. Corequisite: ED 267a. Open only to MAT students in the secondary Bible concentration.
This course is designed to provide opportunities to develop the intellectual and pedagogical skills needed for teaching Tanakh. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Tanchel

Education Program Electives: Schooling, Policy, and Society

AMST 150a The History of Childhood and Youth in America
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Examines cultural ideas and policies about childhood and youth, as well as child-rearing and parenting strategies, child-saving, socialization, delinquency, children's literature, television, and other media for children and youth. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Antler

AMST 180b Topics in the History of American Education
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This is an experiential learning course. Examines major themes in the history of American education, including changing ideas about children, childrearing, and adolescence; development of schools; the politics of education; education and individual life history. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Antler

ANTH 61b Language in American Life
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This is an experiential learning course. Examines the relations between language and some major dimensions of American social life: social groupings (the structures of ethnic, regional, class, and gender relations); social settings (such as courtrooms, workplaces, and homes); and social interaction. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. McIntosh

ANTH 75b Politics and Culture of Literacy
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Explores social dimensions of literacy acquisition and literate behavior, taking a cross-cultural comparative perspective. Examines multiple case studies within a cross-disciplinary framework (e.g. anthropology, cognitive science, linguistics, education), focusing on making connections to contemporary social issues. Special one-timer offering, spring 2010.
Ms. Chaudhuri-Brill

ANTH 109a Children, Parenting, and Education in Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Examines childcare techniques, beliefs about childhood and adolescence, and the objectives of school systems in different areas of the world, in order to illuminate cross-cultural similarities and differences in conceptions of personhood, identity, gender, class, race, nation, and the relationship between the individual and society. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

COML 165a Reading, Writing, and Teaching across Cultures
[ hum wi ]
This is an experiential learning course. Contemporary literary representations of literacy, schooling, and language from a cross-cultural perspective. Students also analyze their own educational trajectories and experiences with writing and reading. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hale

COML 166b Literacy, Language and Culture
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This is an experiential learning course. Considers emergent literacy in cultures where different languages are spoken at home and school. Students will work directly on projects in Haiti and Lesotho designed to develop picture books for young children in their home languages. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hale

ECON 59b The Economics of Education
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Prerequisite: ECON 2a.
An introduction to economic analysis of the education sector. Topics include the concept of human capital, private and social return to investment in education, cost-benefit analysis of special educational programs, and issues in the financing of education. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Coiner

ED 159b Philosophy of Education
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Explores several major issues in philosophy of education through close examination and discussion of recent theoretical texts. Issues include the goals of education; the rights of the state to foster civic virtue; multiculturalism; moral education; the problem of indoctrination; education for autonomy, rationality, critical thinking, and open-mindedness. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levisohn

ED 160b NCLB and the Politics of Educational Reform
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Addresses the larger social and political contexts from which the reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have evolved and the effects on the educational landscape. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Tamir

ED 170a Critical Perspectives in Urban Education
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Examines the nature of urban schools, their links to the social and political context, and the perspectives of the people who inhabit them. Explores the historical development of urban schools; the social, economic, and personal hardships facing urban students; and challenges of urban school reform. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Brown

HIST 65b College 101: American Higher Education in Historical Perspective
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May not be taken for credit by students who took HIST 109b in fall 2009.
This seminar studies one of the most important institutions in modern America: the university. Students examine the current organization and orientation of higher education in historical and sociological perspective, using nonfiction accounts, memoirs, and fiction about the college experience. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Engerman

HIST 153a Americans at Home: Families and Domestic Environments, 1600 to the Present
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This survey of nonpublic life in the United States explores the changing nature of families and the material environments that have shaped and reflected American domestic ideals during the last four centuries. Major topics include gender roles and sexuality; production, reproduction, and material culture in the home; conceptions of the life course; racial, ethnic, and regional variations on the family; the evolution of "public" and "private" life; and the relationship between the family and the state. Usually offered every fourth year.
Ms. Kamensky

HSSP 192b Sociology of Disability
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In the latter half of the twentieth century, disability has emerged as an important social-political-economic-medical issue, with its own distinct history, characterized as a shift from "good will to civil rights." Traces that history and the way people with disabilities are seen and unseen, and see themselves. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Gulley

NEJS 170b Jewish Education in Modern America
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An examination of Jewish education from the perspective of learners and teachers. Through fieldwork, reflection, readings, and discussions, students gain a deeper understanding of changing purposes, practices, and outcomes of Jewish education in different times and settings. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Feiman-Nemser

NEJS 235b Philosophy of Jewish Education
What should Jewish education be? What are its legitimate goals? What are the competing visions of an educated Jew, and how do these influence educational practice? How is Jewish education similar to and different from other kinds of religious education? Addresses these and other questions from a philosophical perspective, through the close reading and analysis of theoretical texts. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levisohn

PHIL 148b Philosophy of the Humanities
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Prerequisite: PHIL 1a or PHIL 66b or one course numbered PHIL 35a through PHIL 38b.
Explores the nature of the humanities, their methods and goals, with a particular focus on the discipline of history. Is history a "science," and should it be? What is the nature of the claims to knowledge that historians (and other humanists) make? How does one know a narrative? How does one know an interpretation? And what is the role of power in legitimating the claims to knowledge advanced by scholars, teachers, and students of history? Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Levisohn

SOC 104a Sociology of Education
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Examines the role of education in society, including pedagogy, school systems, teacher organizations, parental involvement, community contexts, as well as issues of class, race, and gender. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Rockenmacher

SOC 108a Youth and Democracy
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Examines the roles that youth play in public problem solving and social action in schools, communities, universities, politics, NGOs, and a range of other institutional settings. Can be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Sirianni

SOC 154a Community Structure and Youth Subcultures
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This is an experiential learning course. Examines how the patterning of relations within communities generates predictable outcomes at the individual and small-group level. Deals with cities, suburbs, and small rural communities. Special focus is given to youth subcultures typically found in each community type. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Cunningham

Education Program Electives: Human Development, Learning, and/or Teaching

ANTH 75b Politics and Culture of Literacy
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Explores social dimensions of literacy acquisition and literate behavior, taking a cross-cultural comparative perspective. Examines multiple case studies within a cross-disciplinary framework (e.g. anthropology, cognitive science, linguistics, education), focusing on making connections to contemporary social issues. Special one-timer offering, spring 2010.
Ms. Chaudhuri-Brill

BISC 7a The Biology and Culture of Deafness
This is an experiential learning course. Does NOT satisfy the school of science requirement. Does NOT meet requirements for the major in biology.
An exploration of the biology, sociology, and language of the deaf. Looks at mechanisms of hearing and different causes of deafness. Medical models of deafness are compared with sociological and cultural concepts of deafness. The course also introduces students to the language of the deaf community in the United States, American Sign Language (ASL). Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Morris

ED 100a Exploring Teaching (Elementary and Preschool)
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This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Three hours per week of field experience (participant observation in an elementary or preschool classroom), arranged by the education program, are required in addition to regular class time. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Examines the relationship of teaching and learning, the purposes of elementary schooling, and the knowledge requirements for elementary and preschool teaching. Through readings, analysis of videotapes, and guided observations, students investigate classroom culture, student thinking, and curriculum standards. Usually offered every fall semester.
Ms. Theodorou

ED 100b Exploring Teaching (Secondary)
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This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Not open to first-year students. Three hours per week of field experience (participant observation in a middle or high school classroom), arranged by the education program, are required in addition to regular class time. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Examines the relationship of teaching and learning, the purposes of secondary schooling and the knowledge requirements for middle and high school teaching. Through readings, analysis of videotapes and guided observations, students investigate classroom culture, student thinking, and curriculum standards. Usually offered every spring semester.
Ms. Levenson

ED 103a Teaching Strategies for Early Childhood
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This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
Provides classroom experience, principles, and methods for teaching young children. Students plan and analyze early childhood learning experiences, based on current theory and best practices, as well as study positive approaches to classroom management and developmentally appropriate curricula. Related field placement required, once a week, at Lemberg Children's Center, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm or 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Usually offered every spring semester; not offered in 2010-2011.
Ms. Langer

ED 107a Teaching and Learning Reading in Elementary and Preschools
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This is an experiential learning course. Yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation. Summer session open only to MAT students. A $10. fee is payable at the start of the semester to offset transportation costs.
Examines theories and methods of teaching reading and language arts to children in elementary and pre-schools. Emphasizes competencies necessary for developmental reading. Explores strategies for literacy, including the interrelated aspects of writing and spelling. Requires a field experience of fifteen hours. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Moriarty and Staff

ED 158b Looking with the Learner: Practice and Inquiry
This is an experiential learning course. Does not satisfy a school distribution requirement--for education studies core course credit only. Lab fee: $40.
Inquiry and exploration in the visual arts have the capacity to develop the creative problem solving essential to both teaching and learning. Students will work in different media, examine interpretations of art, reflect in journals, and teach children about contemporary art. Students will complete a twelve-hour practicum as part of this course. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dash

ED 175a The Teaching of English Language Learners: Pre-K to 12
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Corequisite: Students are required to do an Experiential Learning component for this class.
This is an experiential learning course. Examines the intersection of culture and language, including issues such as testing, family involvement, and different challenges facing English Language Learners. While this course will be of interest to anyone working with English learners, teachers are now required to be teachers of English in addition to content teachers. (Upon completion, participants will have acquired the skills and knowledge base for Category 1 and 2 as defined in the MA requirements for teachers.) Usually offered every year.
Ms. Klein and Ms. Kramer Theodorou

HBRW 236a Teaching and Learning in Jewish Classrooms
Open to undergraduate juniors and seniors with permission and signature of instructor. As there is a field component, students should consult the instructor prior to enrolling.
Explores the intellectual, moral, and practical requirements of good teaching in Jewish classrooms. Through reading and writing, observations and investigations in the field, and practical experiments, students will develop skills to study and improve their teaching. Usually offered every year.
Staff

LING 197a Language Acquisition and Development
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This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisite: LING 100a or permission of the instructor.
The central problem of language acquisition is to explain what makes this formidable task possible. Theories of language acquisition are studied, and conclusions are based on recent research in the development of syntax, semantics, and phonology. The overall goal is to arrive at a coherent picture of the language learning process. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

MATH 3a Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
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This is an experiential learning course. An in-depth exploration of the fundamental ideas underlying the mathematics taught in elementary and middle school. Emphasis is on problem solving, experimenting with mathematical ideas, and articulating mathematical reasoning. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

NEJS 170a Studying Sacred Texts
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This is an experiential learning course. What does it mean to study a sacred text? What are the problems with doing so? What is sacred about a sacred text? How is studying a sacred text similar to and different from studying other texts? How do different religious traditions study texts differently? Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levisohn

PHYS 22a The Science in Science Teaching and Learning
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Does not meet requirements for the major in physics.
General science concepts and scientific inquiry will be studied in depth using direct instruction, student projects, and discovery learning. This laboratory-based course is especially relevant to future elementary school teachers. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Svacha

PSYC 33a Developmental Psychology
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Prerequisite: PSYC 1a.
An examination of normal child development from conception through adolescence. Course will focus on theoretical issues and processes of development with an emphasis on how biological and environmental influences interact. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Watson

PSYC 36b Adolescence and the Transition to Maturity
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Prerequisite: PSYC 1a.
Examines the core issues (identity, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, etc.) that define development during adolescence. Heavy emphasis is placed on the integration of research and theory in understanding adolescence. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Wright

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
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Prerequisites: PSYC 1a, 33a, and permission of the instructor. Seniors and juniors have priority for admission.
Issues of theory, research, and practice in the areas of child and family psychopathology and treatment are reviewed in the context of normal developmental processes. Usually offered every fall.
Mr. Cunningham