Teaching & Learning (TCHL-UE)

Inquiries I explores two themes: Learners and Learning and Teachers and Teaching. Students are introduced to teaching and learning by reconstructing, critiquing and sharing their own educational histories, and by reading and responding to the autobiographies and memoirs of learners and teachers of diverse backgrounds, needs, and experiences. The course focuses on way to promote and assess learning, support learners' interests, foster effective communication, honor diversity, create democratic learning environments, and enable teachers to fulfill their responsibility to self, others, school and community. By applying relevant professional literature to their micro teaching and their observations in school settings, students examine how the classroom context shapes the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, and skills.

This course is designed to introduce prospective teachers to the broad and diverse array of institutions that educate children and youth. Working in pairs or small groups, students visit and observe in two or three sites such as museums, settlement houses, schools, child care centers, and volunteer social service programs

This course introduces students to the purposes, theories, & methods of a family of approaches to social science research variously called ethnographic, qualitative, case study, naturalistic, or interpretive. Throughout this course, we will draw on resources in anthropology & sociology to explore issues that are central to understanding the epistemology & methodology of interpretive inquiry. The purposes of this course are to: (a) examine the nature, purposes, theories, & methods of qualitative inquiry; (b) introduce several approaches to qualitative inquiry; & (c) learn how to assess the quality & trustworthiness of qualitative inquiry.

This course provides students with background on the historical & sociological foundation of education in the United States. It examines the role that education has played in advancing civil & human rights I it explores the ways in which education continues to be implicated in the maintenance of social inequality in American society. Through readings, lectures, films & class debates, students will gain an understanding of some of the most complex & controversial issues confronting education today including: affirmative action, Bi-Lingual Education, Special Education, the achievement gap, school choice & vouchers, & the role of race & culture in student achievement.

It should be noted that independent study requires a minimum of 45 hours of work per unit. Independent study cannot be applied to the established professional education sequence in teaching curricula. Each departmental program has established its own maximum credit allowance for independent study. This information may be obtained from a student’s department. Prior to registering for independent study, each student should obtain an Independent Study Approval Form from the adviser.

This course offers students the opportunity to discuss trends in technology and learn about the changing nature of work. Students explore the accelerating rate of technological development by doing independent research on forthcoming innovations and sharing their discoveries through class presentations and Socratic discussions. Students analyze how we view work as a society, what work means to us as individuals, and explore possible solutions to mass unemployment and automation. Guest speakers join us for class discussions and all classes are recorded and shared.

Students will explore the first and second language acquisition process and their implications for the development of literacy skills in multicultural settings. Particular focus will be on both remedial and development processes for acquiring advanced reading and writing skills across the curriculum in middle childhood and adolescence. Emphasis is also placed on the varieties of language and literacy acquisition processes and the role of culture, family, and society in learning.

This course is a seminar for students pursuing Honors Research in Teaching and Learning. It will guide students through the processes of selecting an area of educational inquiry, developing research questions, choosing and implementing appropriate methodologies, building outlines, developing bibliographies, writing literature reviews, and preparing drafts. During the first semester this seminar will meet regularly, as students develop their projects. During the spring semester students will work independently on their projects under the direction of individual faculty supervisors, with whom they will hold regular meetings.

Seminar for students pursuing Honors Research in Teaching and Learning. Guides students through the processes of selecting an area of educational inquiry, developing research questions, choosing and implementing appropriate methodologies, building outlines, developing bibliographies, writing literature reviews, and preparing drafts. During the first semester, this seminar meets regularly, as students develop their projects. During the spring semester, students work independently on their projects under the direction of individual faculty supervisors, with whom they hold regular meetings, and then come together with their classmates for give scheduled meetings.

This umbrella course is designed for students interested in learning about using creativity, entrepreneurship, and future studies in formal and informal educational settings. Special topics courses both explore technological progress and notions of futurism to better prepare students for a fast-paced world, and offer opportunities for students to create tangible and useful educational material and to exercise their creativity and entrepreneurial muscles in educationally significant ways.

Students study creativity and the science of engaging learning environments and use their findings to brainstorm low-cost solutions for improving classroom atmosphere. Students generate Do It Yourself’ ideas that teachers can use to transform the physical space of their classroom on a budget to help students enter the proper mindset for learning. Students aggregate and edit their ideas into an eBook as an inspirational resources for teachers around the country.

Course explores the question of what is creativity through a set of practices that can be integrated into professional and personal lives. Students will answer this question through an exploration of three themes: creativity and identity (everyone has creative potential), rules and limits (do they limit and/or foster creativity), imagination and possibilities for action. At each course meeting, students will highlight creative thinking tools, exercises, and strategies to think through various challenges in their particular fields.

What is the value of an idea? How do we frame ideas to convince others of their value? Students explore methods of fundraising for educational projects, including grant writing, crowdfunding, and community engagement; analyze successful grant proposals, Kickstarter campaigns and events; and discover ways technology has enhanced small-scale fundraising. Students craft their own fundraising pitch around a new creative product, project or need. This course offers a fun and engaging way to gain experience in educational fundraising—a crucial skill for any future educator.

This course is designed for students interested in learning about using creativity and future studies in formal and informal educational settings. Students explore technological progress and notions of futurism to better prepare students for a fast-paced world. The course offers an opportunity for students to create tangible and useful educational material and to exercise their creativity muscles in educationally significant ways.

An introduction to the role and responsibilities of teachers, school administrators, and pupil personnel staff in the coordinated school health programs. Course content covers mandated health subjects, e.g., recognition and prevention of substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, child abduction; child abuse recognition (2 hours), safety education, including fire and arson prevention, and violence prevention (2 hours). Meets NYS Education Department certification requirements for instruction in school violence prevention, identification and reporting of child abuse. Fulfills training required for certification/licensure under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).