Writing Intensive Course Designs
Education Specialties

The School in a Diverse Society
Developed by Stefani Pautz

For most students, this is the first course they take for their major. The students vary in degree specialization from Early Childhood, to Secondary Biology, to a double major in Nursing and Special Education. Unlike other “Intro” courses that may have students from a variety of majors, the students in this course are, with a few exceptions, committed to a degree in education.

The course content exposes students to the wide range of issues in the field. We explore the history of education and education reform, some of which is revealed through an ongoing study of school law. As the course title suggests, we spend a great deal of time discussing student diversity, and students begin to explore how diversity impacts pedagogy. Students begin to build an understanding of learning styles, modalities, and special needs. We also explore how student life impacts education, and discuss issues of poverty, bullying, assimilation, and at-risk behaviors. We also examine the “logistics” of schools: how standards, curriculum, and assessments are formed, school finance and governance, and teacher evaluation and tenure. In class, we explore these issues using strategies that demonstrate K-12 pedagogy (scaffolding, cooperative learning, literacy development).

One of the hallmark experiences in this course is the development of the student’s philosophy of education. This is a common assessment for all EDUC 210 courses, and is assessed with a common rubric. Through this, and through the study of issues in the field, this course helps students determine the type of teacher they want to become. This becomes a part of their professional portfolio, the creation of which is begins in this course.

Students are gaining much of their new knowledge through textbook reading and class discussion/in-class activities. However, this is only one element of the course. The true process of discovery takes place through their field experiences. Students observe in a local school for a minimum of twenty hours. To make meaning of this experience, students keep a field experience journal (a standard for the course, although not a common assessment). I also require students to complete Field Placement Reflective Activities, a collection of five self-selected artifacts and reflections that address INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) standards.

Through these lessons and experiences, students gain the knowledge, understandings, and skills needed as foundations for their pre-professional program.

Formal Writing Assignments, Response Plans, and Grading Rubrics
Professional Knowledge & Dispositions Statement
Meeting the Needs of a Diverse Population: A Professional Development Workshop

Informal Writing Assignment
A Letter to Your Students' Parents / Reflection on Application of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences