Assignments

For ED253, School and Society, there are four primary assignments including a final course Learning Experiences, Current Connections, History of the Present timeline, and a Service Learning project. 


History of the Present | What could possibly be the significance of the study of educational foundations to teachers responsible for educating our nation’s students?  This semester, students in ED253 will produce a “history of the present” timeline based on their research of a pressing issue germane to the field of education studies.  A history of the present is less concerned with understanding the past than with developing a critical understanding of the present. A history of the present endeavors to achieve this understanding by disclosing the historical, economic, political and/or cultural circumstances through which a current issue has emerged and by identifying those circumstances upon which that issue still depends. Follow this link for more information.  Follow this link for more information.


Current Connections | Throughout the semester, we will engage in many small group discussions and essay writing. One of these regular discussions will focus on connections between current events in the field of education and the foundational topics and issues we are reading about and discussing in class. This project also entails writing brief essays to synthesize assigned reading with your selection of a recently published newspaper or magazine articles. Follow this link for more information.


Service Reflection & Analysis | ED253 includes mandatory service to the greater Cleveland community.  Throughout the semester, you will engage in some type of weekly educational service of your choosing.  The goal for the service learning experience is to synthesize your service experiences with our studies of foundational issues in the field of education. To realize this goal, in-class discussions are combined with an essay writing assignment.  Follow this link for more information.


Learning Experiences | Throughout the semester, we will engage in many small group discussions and a variety other types of learning experiences.  While I will lead many, so you will have opportunities to design and lead experiences as well. The ED253 class is divided into four (4) learning communities responsible for planning and engaging the whole class in three (3) learning experiences (~30 minutes) based on the assigned reading(s) for that week. Readings will be assigned from the selection of the eReadings. The Schedule for these learning experiences is available under the Learning Communities tab on the ED253 Course website.  Follow this link for more information.