Degrees for Education

PROGRAM GOALS
To encourage the development of leadership in professional educators
To help practitioners understand and act upon an integration of theory and practice
To deepen and enhance professional capacity through research, repertoire, and reflection
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the EdM program is grounded in pedagogical approaches that are grounded in “constructivism” (the belief that individuals construct meaning for themselves based on their experiences and formal and informal educational opportunities). Children are understood to be active learners whose cognitive growth is nurtured by sensitive facilitation in a supportive socio-educational community emphasizing individualization, student inquiry based on personal interests, respect for diversity, and cooperation and collaboration.

The EdM program is dedicated to enhancing full democratic participation by life within the context of historical, socio-political, philosophical, and theoretical foundations. It emphasizes assisting school personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to forge learning communities that will facilitate the success of all students in K-12 classrooms. The program follows the guidelines of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). It also attempts to address the needs and priorities of Southwest Washington communities.

The WSU Vancouver approach to teacher preparation places great importance on the existence of systematic field experiences and the incorporation of partner relationships with K-12 schools as essential foundations to the existence and maintenance of quality preparation programs for educators.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission to the Master of Education program requires:
An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education
A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the most recent 60 semester credit hours of graded coursework as calculated by the Graduate School
Verification of prior certification as a teacher
ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Required application materials include all of the following:
Graduate School application (available online at http://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/howtoapply.htm) and $50.00 application fee
Program application (available from Academic Coordinator Jill Homme 360/546-9075 or jhomme22@vancouver.wsu.edu)
Three letters of recommendation that evaluate the applicant’s capacity for graduate work and/or the teaching profession
Professional statement outlining the applicant’s professional goals and aspirations (no more than two pages)
Statement of educational philosophy (no more than five pages)
Official transcripts from all colleges attended

A three-person selection committee (formed on an annual basis to serve one full-year term) reviews application materials. Individuals may be invited to an interview with the committee and/or asked to complete a timed writing assignment as part of the application process.
APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Fall admission: January 10th
Spring admission: July 1st
Summer admission: February 1st
COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The EdM degree requires completion of a minimum of thirty-seven semester credit hours including required courses and electives. To provide flexibility for those with concurrent school responsibilities, courses are offered in the evenings during the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Summer classes are scheduled after the public school year ends and often meet during daytime hours in compacted time periods. Students may take courses at their own pace but must complete the program within six years. (Most teachers finish the degree in two or three years.)

If the training: Masters Program in Special Education is addressed to you who are teachers in preschool, school or adult education or who otherwise has an interest in special educational matters. The program begins by noting that the ways in which educational activities are planned and implemented, creating different conditions for learning and development. A critical factor concerns the meeting between the business operators in respect of issues of inclusiveness. Another case of how to deal with different educational dilemmas, such as responding to individuals entitled to special support and the demands and expectations that exist in the educational environment for the rest. To achieve this requires a multidisciplinary approach, where the problem determines the choice of perspective.

As a student, you get the opportunity to evidence-based deepen your knowledge in the education sciences and prepare yourself for work in special education at a qualified level. You learn to identify and analyze problems related to educational activities and to apply the special pedagogical approaches.

EDUC 231A. Perspectives on Education: Writing Attentive. This course introduces students to foundational perspectives (anthropological, historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological) on education and their relations to the realities present in contemporary schools and classrooms. The essential question addressed by the course is: What should be the purpose of education in a democratic society? This first-level course is writing attentive: students write five five-page papers, and have the opportunity for special instruction, editing, and rewriting throughout the writing process. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 18. [W1] Normally offered every year. Staff.

EDUC 231B. Perspectives on Education. This course introduces students to foundational perspectives (anthropological, historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological) on education and their relations to the realities present in contemporary schools and classrooms. The essential question addressed by the course is: What should be the purpose of education in a democratic society? A thirty-hour field experience is required. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 28. Normally offered every semester. Staff.

EDUC 235. Teaching Math and Science: Curriculum and Methods. This course provides students with a basic foundation for teaching mathematics and science. Students examine curriculum, instruction, and assessment techniques in these disciplines, and compare and contrast national, state, and local standards in math and science. They explore various pedagogical approaches for engaging students in learning and diverse strategies for assessing their progress. Students discuss current educational issues, develop and teach a unit, and assess the degrees to which their students meet the objectives of the unit. A thirty-hour field placement in a local school is required. Recommended background: math or science majors preferred. A previous education class is recommended. Enrollment limited to 18. Normally offered every year. G. Feiss. Concentrations.

AC/ED 238. The Public Work of Academics. This course explores how academic work matters in the world, using various kinds of academic tools, both conventional (historical texts, critical essays, films, and literary work) and experiential (community-based learning or research). Topics include the history of U.S. higher education, questions of academic responsibility to the public welfare, images of academics in film and literature, the vocation of the intellectual, and forms of public scholarship or civic engagement. The course is reading- and writing-attentive and requires thirty hours of community-based learning/research. Enrollment limited to 20. [W2] Normally offered every other year. A. Bartel. Concentrations.

EDUC 240. Gender Issues in Education. This course considers education, especially classroom teaching, in relation to recent theory and research on gender. In addition to providing a feminist philosophical perspective on education, the course explores the implications of gender, race, class, and sexual orientation on ways of knowing, developing, and interacting for K–12 curriculum and classroom practice for both males and females. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Normally offered every year. H. Regan. Concentrations.

ED/SO 242. Race, Cultural Pluralism, and Equality in American Education. Through historical, political, and philosophical lenses this course explores the question: What would equal educational opportunity look like in a multicultural society? The course compares divergent approaches to the education of distinct racial/ethnic groups within the United States—African Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. In light of contextual perspectives in educational thought, the course confronts contemporary debates surrounding how the race/ethnicity of students should affect the composition, curriculum, and teaching methods of schools, colleges, and universities. Specific issues explored include bilingual education, college admissions, curriculum inclusion, desegregation, ethnic studies, and hiring practices. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Recommended background: Education 231. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Normally offered every other year. Staff. Concentrations.

EDUC 245. Literacy in Preschool and Elementary Years. This course examines how literacy is defined and developed through a child’s early and elementary years from a variety of perspectives: social, educational, political, and linguistic. Students connect these theories with practice by exploring various methods and materials that foster literacy development in elementary students and by doing fieldwork in local schools. Working collaboratively with classroom teachers, students design and implement literacy development strategies and projects with elementary students. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Recommended background: Education 231 and Education/Psychology 262. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Offered with varying frequency. A. Charles. Concentrations.

EDUC 250. Critical Perspective on Teaching and Learning. This course examines and critiques shifting historical and contemporary notions of good pedagogy, curriculum and assessment through the lens of critical theory. Particular emphasis is given to the ways teaching can contribute to social justice, i.e., teaching that critiques and transforms, that is culturally relevant, and that engages in activism. A thirty-hour field placement is required. Recommended background: Education 231. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Offered with varying frequency. H. Regan. Concentrations.

ED/PY 262. Action Research. Action research often begins with a general idea that some kind of improvement or change is desirable. For example, a teacher who is experiencing discipline problems in a classroom may seek an understanding of this issue with the help of trusted observers. In this course, students collaborate with local teachers or service providers on research projects that originate in their work sites. Class meetings introduce design issues, methods of data collection and analysis, and ways of reporting research. Prerequisite(s): Psychology 218 or Education 231. Enrollment limited to 15 per section. [W2] Normally offered every year. G. Nigro. Concentrations.

DN/ED 265. Teaching through the Arts. This course provides students an opportunity to explore teaching in and through the arts. The class addresses education theory and policy, practical aspects of using the arts as teaching practice, and considers career options. Class sessions include large and small group work, participatory experiences, lectures, group discussions, and student-led activities and presentations. Through a thirty-hour field placement in community schools, students experience the challenges and delights of using the arts in teaching. Enrollment limited to 18. Offered with varying frequency. N. Salmon. Concentrations.

EDUC 270. Educating for Democracy. Troubling voter turnout rates and levels of civic participation in the United States raise questions about the health of our democracy. Youth, in particular, express a sense of alienation from government and formal political processes. What does this say about education for democracy? If education is vital to the success of democratic governance, what might be done in schools and other educational institutions to better engage young people in public life? This course explores the relationship between education and democracy and various approaches to civic and citizenship education. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Recommended background: Education 231. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

ED/WS 280. Globalization and Education. We live in an era characterized by global flows of ideas and information, commodities, and people. In this course students examine the impacts of globalization upon educational policy and practices. Students explore how these transformative forces influence the educative process in different geographical, national, and cultural contexts. Topics address a set of concerns with enduring resonance to the field of educational studies, including social inequity and change; relations of power; and constructions of race, gender, and social class. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 28. [W2] Normally offered every other year. P. Buck. Concentrations.

EDUC 320. Community Education/Community Action. Education at its best builds on the strengths and actively addresses the needs of communities and neighborhoods. This guiding philosophy is manifested in the development of full-service community schools, after-school programs, adult and cooperative learning programs, and grassroots efforts to educate for social change. This course offers an introduction to the theory and principles of community education as well as engagement in community capacity building through service-learning projects. The course is well-suited to students committed to service-learning and centers on partnerships with schools and a variety of organizations in the community. A thirty-hour field placement is required. Enrollment limited to 15. Normally offered every year. P. Buck.

ED/WS 330. Gender, Power, and Leadership. This course examines classic and contemporary conceptualizations of gender, power, and leadership; the interactions among them; and the implications of these interactions for the practice of leadership in education and other fields of student interest. A thirty-hour field placement is required. Prerequisite(s): a combination of any two courses from education, politics, sociology, or women and gender studies. Not open to students who have received credit for Education/Women and Gender Studies s29. Not open to students who have received credit for ED/WS s29. Enrollment limited to 18. [W2] Offered with varying frequency. H. Regan.

EDUC 343. Learning and Teaching: Theories and Practice. Students explore learning and teaching with an emphasis on reflective practice. They consider various theories and research on learning and motivation, educational philosophies, and current issues, such as the standards movement and standardized testing. This knowledge serves as a basis for critically examining curriculum development, classroom practice, and the roles of teachers and students in today’s schools. Students apply what they learn by creating and teaching a mini-curriculum unit in a local classroom. The teaching fulfills part of the required thirty-hour field experience for the course. Recommended background: Education 231, Psychology 101. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. Staff. Concentrations.

EDUC 355. Adolescent Literacy. This course examines various perspectives on and issues in adolescent literacy in today’s middle and high schools, focusing primarily on sociocultural frameworks for the study of current practices and beliefs. Topics include not only “what” we mean by literacy, but also “how” youths today make meaning within various discourse communities and contexts. Topics include multiple literacies, literacy across the curriculum, the influence of complex technologies, diverse learners, and current policies and paradigms influencing instruction. This course interweaves theory with practice through a required thirty-hour field placement in a local middle or high school. Recommended background: Education 231. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Offered with varying frequency. A. Charles. Concentrations.

EDUC 360. Independent Study. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.

EDUC 362. Basic Concepts in Special Education. Students learn the legal requirements (IDEA, ADA) for providing special services to and the characteristics of students who need additional support to learn. They explore a variety of strategies and modifications teachers can use to help students with various learning differences, styles, and abilities succeed in the mainstream classroom. They critically examine how differences in students’ gender, cultural, socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds affect the quality of the education they receive. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Because this course is required for certification as a teacher in Maine, it is also required for Bates students pursuing the minor in Teacher Education. Recommended background: Education 231. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Normally offered every year. A. Dodd. Concentrations.

EDUC 365. Special Topics. A course or seminar offered from time to time and reserved for a special topic selected by the department. Staff. Concentrations.

AN/ED 378. Ethnographic Approaches to Education. This course provides an introduction to fieldwork for those planning to conduct qualitative research for a thesis in the social sciences. Ethnography focuses on the daily lives and meaning-making processes of people who associate regularly in local networks, institutions, or communities. Ethnographers observe, interview, and participate in the routine activities of the people they study. They also explore the connections between locally situated activity and broader realms of symbolic meaning and social organization. This course introduces students to interpretive methods with which to examine the webs of meaning that give shape to educational spaces. Through active engagement in empirical research in educational settings across the Lewiston-Auburn community, students grapple with theoretical assumptions, procedures, and standards of quality in ethnographic research. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] Normally offered every year. P. Buck. Concentrations.

ED/SO 380. Education, Reform, and Politics. The United States has experienced more than three centuries of growth and change in the organization of public and private education. The goals of this course are to examine 1) contemporary reform issues and political processes in relation to the constituencies of school, research, legal, and policy-making communities and 2) how educational policy is formulated, implemented, and evaluated. The study of these areas emphasizes public K–12 education but includes postsecondary education. Examples of specific educational policy arenas include governance, school choice (e.g., charter schools, magnet schools, and vouchers), school funding, standards and accountability, and parental and community involvement. A research-based field component of at least thirty hours is required. Recommended background: one or more courses in education and sociology. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. Offered with varying frequency. Staff. Concentrations.

EDUC 447. Curriculum and Methods. This course continues study of the concepts needed to understand curriculum design and program evaluation, and helps students develop the skills needed to design and teach curriculum units in their subject area. The course is part workshop: students plan, develop, teach, and evaluate their own curriculum units. At the same time, students read about and reflect on classic questions in curriculum and instruction, such as: To what extent are teachers responsible for developing their own curriculum? Should curriculum and instruction focus on transmitting established knowledge, developing individuals’ talents, or preparing successful members of society? Can teachers assess students’ knowledge in ways that allow them to learn from the assessments? What particular teaching methods are appropriate for the different disciplines? Students develop a repertoire of methods to use in student teaching and in future teaching. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 and 460. Corequisite(s): Education 448 and 461. Normally offered every year. A. Charles, A. Dodd.

EDUC 448. Senior Seminar in Teacher Education: Reflection and Engagement. The seminar helps students reflect on and engage with their experiences as teachers. Students are encouraged to develop their own philosophies of education and to use these philosophies in planning and teaching their classes. The seminar also addresses three areas of practice—technology, community-based, and interdisciplinary approaches—and helps students incorporate these into their teaching. Prerequisite(s): Education 231, 362, and 460. Corequisite(s): Education 447 and 461. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every year. A. Dodd, A. Charles.

EDUC 450. Seminar in Educational Studies. Required of all students in the educational studies minor, this seminar helps students to reflect upon and synthesize their previous education courses, courses in related fields, and their field experiences. Students produce and present a culminating project. A thirty-hour field placement is required. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 and three additional courses in education. New course beginning Fall 2009. Normally offered every year. H. Regan.

This 2-year route is designed for students who already have 120 level 1 credit points and 120 level 2 credits points. The course is particularly relevant as a ‘top up’ to students who have successfully completed a Foundation degree in Early Years and transferring from other degree courses (such as Childhood Studies or Primary Education).

The course is offered as a full-time route or as a part-time route. Although based on Years 3 and 4 (level 3) of the 4-year BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education, it has a more flexible structure to take account of the different entry profiles that students arrive with.

The course is designed to train teachers to work with pupils aged 3-7 (Foundation stage and Key Stage 1). Modules include:

Year 1: Working together with Children, Inclusion, Pedagogical Approaches and Critical Examination of Teaching, Learning and Assessment.

Year 2: Current Issues in Early Childhood, Developing Subject Knowledge, and a Dissertation.

In addition students will undertake placement in schools and a range of other Early Childhood settings each year in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.

The Education Department infuses Bowdoin College’s spirit of inquiry and commitment to the common good by connecting the history of schooling, educational theories, and pedagogical approaches to the dilemmas facing schools and teachers today. The curriculum broadens and deepens students’ understanding of contemporary issues in education, educational foundations, and teaching and learning. Courses at all levels involve a variety of field experiences that engage students in schools and classrooms.