Aug+28

11:10 - 11:30 - Introduction to the course
Course Goals:
 * Exploring teaching as a career (including service learning component)
 * Understanding of the history and philosophy that has shaped American education
 * Becoming familiar with current policies and issues affecting schools today
 * Gaining awareness of the social context of education (Who are the students you might teach?)
 * Professional standards for educators

Technology
 * Wiki
 * GoogleDocs

Course Policies Textbook

11:30 - 11:55 - The State of American Education?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bFmWlyBcrs&feature=related - Two Million Minutes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uem73imvn9Y - Race to Nowhere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTfaro96dg - Waiting for Superman [|www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2EPsGTX0O0] - Unschooling

11:55 - 12:05 - Closure
__Assignment for Tuesday, 9/4 - Educational Autobiography__ Think back to a few years of your childhood/adolescence. Choose these years based on the age of students you would like to teach in the future. For instance, if you hope to teach 6th grade, think back to when you were about age 11; if you hope to teach high school some day, think about your high school years. Answer each question in one or two paragraphs. I anticipate that in total, your responses will consist of about 3 pages. This should be typed on your GoogleDocs journal.
 * 1) Describe the building where you went to school. (What did the building look like? How old was it? Describe the neighborhood where it was located. What were the classrooms like? What resources were available in the building to students and teachers?)
 * 2) Describe your favorite teacher during this time period. (Why did this teacher make an impression on you? What do you remember about his/her teaching style? What was your learning experience like?)
 * 3) Describe the nature of your parents’ involvement in your education during this time. (How did they support you? What did they expect of you in terms of school?)
 * 4) At your school, what did a student do or not do in order to be successful? About what percent of students do you think were “successful”?
 * 5) Do you consider yourself a successful student during this time period? Why or why not?
 * 6) At the time, what motivated you to achieve in school?
 * 7) Describe the general characteristics of the student body at your school during this time period. (Among other characteristics, consider racial, cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity.)
 * 8) Recall an experience from this time period when you felt you or another student had been treated unfairly. What were the circumstances surrounding that event? Why did you feel it was unjust? How did you respond? Were any adults involved? How did they respond?