This course engages students in observations, interactions, reflections, and analyses of critical and contemporary educational issues based on their historical and philosophical underpinnings. Students will investigate issues influencing the social and political contexts of educational settings in Georgia, including national and global perspectives. Against this backdrop, students will reflect on and interpret the meaning of education, schooling, and use of technology in a diverse culture and examine the moral, legal, and ethical responsibilities of teaching in a democracy. Students complete a 10 hour field placement and a criminal background check.

Given the rapidly changing demographics in our state and country this course is designed to focus on 1) the nature and function of culture and social class in schooling; 2) ethical strategies for observing, analyzing, and comparing differences related to ethnicity, race, class, persons with exceptionalities, gender and sexual identity, religion, and language; 3) the influences of culture on learning, development, and pedagogy, and 4) ways to develop a culturally responsive classroom. Students complete a 10 hour field placement and a criminal background check. This course may include a Signature Experience component.

This course is designed to provide the student with an overview of theories and research findings in the field of educational psychology with an emphasis on learning. Students will compare and contrast neurological research and various learning theories (e.g., Behaviorism, Social Learning, Cognitive Learning, Constructivism, and Information Processing) as they apply to classroom practice. Attention will be paid to the role of individual differences in learning, including development, and on ways to promote learning for all students through effective use of instructional design, technology, academic language, and assessment. Students complete a 10 hour field placement and a criminal background check.

Pregnancy, birth, and parenting; fatherhood and motherhood in a social and historical context.

This course will engage teacher candidates in the principles of child growth and development from conception through early childhood with a particular focus from birth to 5 years of age. The course will cover the major theories, principles, and research concerning the physical, cognitive, intellectual, emotional, and social aspects of development in children including typical and atypical developmental expectations. This course may include a Signature Experience component.

This course focuses on educating students of diversity: (cultural/ethnic, language, gender, religious, socioeconomic, and ability/disability) in urban settings and the equity issues involved in educating all children. Major emphases include understanding the role of educators’ expectations, knowledge and pedagogy on student expectations and learning; and on the development of viable interpersonal communication, and instructional techniques for diverse urban classrooms. Cities Scholars Course.

Students develop knowledge of the human learning and development field through interdisciplinary engagements and considerations of disciplines and careers associated with human learning and development. Topics include interdisciplinarity and the interdisciplinary research process and creation of professional resources (e.g., resume, Portfolium); This course has been identified as a Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) course.

Modern communication technologies have increasingly made the countries of the world more interdependent. This interdependency can be either positive or negative. This course seeks to provide students with a global perspective on education and society, and its impact on both culture and world affairs. This course will concentrate specifically on the educational system and customs of the host country. Lectures and class discussions, utilizing the student’s first hand experiences, will be directed toward cultural analysis of the host country with special focus on how educational systems help shape national consciousness. Global Scholars Course. This course may include a Signature Experience component. Cross-listed with EDUC 7777.

This course centers the documented need for teachers to be self-aware of their positioning in society and reflective of their work as educators. As a foundational course in the Endorsement of Urban Education, this course centers the self in relation to society and structures of power toward helping the learner best engage their current and future students–and anyone they will come to teach. Students use an ecological identity development theory to afford a nuanced view of how our “self” is constructed socially, culturally, politically and historically–all through a decolonizing lens, one that allows us to name and work toward undoing oppressive histories. This course satisfies Strand 1 of 3 in the Urban Education Endorsement.

This course blends blend history, theory and practice for understanding and implementing culturally and historically responsive educational practices in classrooms and communities. Students critically reflect and engage in issues of culture, identity, equity, inclusion, and criticality in education for teaching and learning.

This class is an introduction to the field methods of educational research, with a focus on ethnographic observation and interviewing. The methods of data collection, the social role of the field worker, the ethics of research and qualitative methodology will be addressed through a workshop approach. Students will design a proposal as the final research project for the course. Cities Scholars Course. This course may include a Signature Experience component.

A minimum grade of “S” is required. Internship in a discipline associated with Human Learning and Development (Behavior and Learning Disabilities, Child Growth and Development, Counseling, Educational Psychology, Learning Technology, Physical Activity and Health). The course can be repeated. This course may include a Signature Experience component.

The purpose of this course is to provide for extended clinical experience beyond the student teaching or practicum requirements included in a teacher preparation program.

This course provides opportunities for students to complete an inquiry project focusing on an issue in urban education. Students experience hands-on involvement in research through close participation with an experienced faculty researcher. Cities Scholars Course. This course may include a Signature Experience component.