The material on this page is from the 2000-01 catalog and may be out of date. Please check the current year's catalog for current information.

Visiting Associate Professor Dodd, Chair; Assistant Professors: Smith and Kumashiro; Ms. Makris Education, in the largest sense, is the process of continuing the human race. We are all born uneducated. Human infants are immature, and they only become fully human as they take on knowledge, skills, and dispositions from others. So, for the human race to continue, one generation must pass on to the next the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that make us human. Because education is so fundamental, many academic disciplines study it. The curriculum in education at Bates introduces students to the anthropology, history, philosophy, politics, psychology, and sociology of education. Education, however, is more than an academic discipline. It is also a practice that goes on — formally and informally — throughout the College and the surrounding community. The Department of Education offers students opportunities to participate in a variety of educational activities. Almost all education courses include an internship in a local school, so that students can integrate theory with the practice of education. The department's faculty want students to become engaged by teaching actual students. And they also want them to reflect systematically on the larger questions that their experiences raise. The Department of Education offers courses for students who want to include educational studies as part of their general pursuit of liberal arts at Bates, for students who want to explore the possibility of teaching, and for students who already know they want to teach after they graduate from Bates. The study of educational issues can add breadth and depth to students' study in another field. Through fieldwork with children, students can obtain direct experience as they explore the idea of teaching or a career in a related human-services field. By becoming more knowledgeable about any aspect of education, all students will be better prepared to fulfill their future roles as citizens and parents. The skills and knowledge gained from education courses also have a wide application in many other occupations and professions. Moreover, students who enter graduate study in any discipline often teach as graduate assistants. The department offers a program approved by the Maine State Board of Education leading to Maine certification as a public school teacher in several disciplines in grades seven through twelve. Maine currently enjoys certification reciprocity with approximately forty other states. Certification is not required for teaching in a private (independent or parochial) school, but students who complete the program will be better prepared for the challenges they will face when they enter a classroom on their own for the first time. Although the department does not offer all the courses necessary for certification at the elementary level, except in modern languages, it can help students who wish to teach in the lower grades plan a program to meet state requirements for later certification. It may be possible for some students to take the additional courses necessary during the summer at other institutions. Students who wish to become special-education teachers can also benefit from taking courses at Bates, but they, too, need to enroll in a program at another institution after graduation to complete the requirements. In both cases students should consider graduate programs that offer both certification and a master's degree. Students who wish to become certified or to pursue a secondary concentration in educational studies (without student teaching) should begin planning their course schedules no later than the sophomore year. With early planning they will be able to meet all of the requirements for a major and for certification/secondary concentration, and to spend some time abroad during the junior year. Students also need to think about how to manage the demands of student teaching with other courses and work on a thesis during the senior year. Students must apply for formal admission to the program by completing an application form before February break of their junior year. Secondary Concentration in Teacher Education. Current requirements for the College's recommendation for certification in Maine as secondary-school teacher include: 1) Education 231 or s21; and all of the following: Education 343, 362, 447, 448, 460, 461, including field experience in conjunction with each of these; 2) a major in an appropriate teaching field, although some fields may require additional courses; 3) fulfillment of the College's General Education and other degree requirements. Note that licensing of teachers is a state function; requirements differ from state to state, and change frequently. Courses and experiences other than those offered at Bates may be required. Students interested in certification should consult with a faculty member as early as possible to plan for required coursework. Secondary Concentration in Educational Studies. The department also offers another option for a secondary concentration in education. Required courses are Education 231, 343, and 362 plus four other courses, including at least one that includes a semester-long experience in a school. No more than two of the seven courses may be taken outside of the Department of Education. Students must submit a plan for department approval, and they are strongly advised to complete an application and preliminary plan before the beginning of the junior year and must do so before February break of the junior year. Application forms for both secondary concentration options are available from any member of the department. Pass/Fail Grading Option. Pass/fail grading may be elected for courses applied toward the secondary concentration. General Education. Education 231 or s21 and any other Education course (not unit) may serve as a department-designated set. No education courses fulfill the quantitative requirement. Courses 231. Perspectives on Education. This course introduces students to theories about education and their relationships to the realities present in contemporary schools and classrooms. Students consider several large questions: What should be the purpose of education in a democratic society? What should be the role of the school? What should be the ideal of an educated person? Should this be the same for all students or differentiated in some way for particular individuals or groups of students? Who should participate in making decisions about schools? Students explore these questions through reading, writing, and discussion and also by spending at least thirty hours observing and assisting a teacher in a local school. Not open to students who have received credit for Education s21. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff. 233. Environmental Education. An intensive consideration of philosophy and methodology, this course explores the historical roots of environmental education, its recent evolution from several fields, and possible futures. Students survey contemporary programs, curricula, and research, and consider the role of formal education in generating environmental awareness and responsibility in light of ecological crisis. Students develop and teach lessons related to social and environmental problems of their concern. Extensive writing, curriculum development, teaching, and interacting with professionals in the field are expected. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff. 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. Extensive reading and writing and fieldwork in a school are expected. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. A. Dodd. 242. Race, Cultural Pluralism, and Equality in American Education. Through historical, judicial, 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 — namely 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, ebonics, ethnic studies, hiring practices, and tracking. A thirty-hour field experience is required. Recommended background: Education 231. This course is the same as Sociology 242. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. S. Smith. 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 a practice by exploring various methods and materials that foster literacy development and growth of 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. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 or s21. Recommended background: Education 343, 262, or Psychology 262. Enrollment is limited to 25. H. Gurney. 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. Prerequisite information updated 11/8/00. This course is the same as Psychology 262. Enrollment limited to 15 per section. G. Nigro. 316. Teaching Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom. This is an intensive course designed to provide students with background in educating students with special needs in the mainstream classroom, as well as an introduction to major theories of learning, including those of Skinner, Piaget, Vygotsky, and the results of recent research on how students learn. Special education topics include an overview of state and federal laws and regulations governing special education, eligibility for and the process for obtaining support services, the characteristics of exceptional students, learning styles/instructional strategies, classroom management, and parental involvement. Students learn how various learning theories, teaching methods, curriculum modifications, school-support services, and other strategies have helped or could help individual students with diverse needs learn in the regular classroom. This course includes extensive writing and fieldwork. Because this course covers content from Education 343 and Education 362, it is not open to students who have received credit for either of these courses. It will satisfy the requirements for students choosing the Educational Studies option for a Secondary Concentration in Education. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 or s21. Recommended background: Psychology 101 and 240. Enrollment is limited to 25. This course is the same as Education s31. A. Dodd. New course for 2001-2002. 343. Learning and Teaching: Theories and Practice. Students explore learning and teaching in the contemporary classroom with an emphasis on reflective practice. The course presents several theories about learners and the learning process including those developed by Skinner, Piaget, and Vygotsky. Students develop an understanding of how various learning theories affect the roles of both students and teachers. They come to recognize that their teaching philosophies are bound by the views they adopt about human nature and the intellectual, behavioral, and ethical growth of children. Throughout the course students consider how theories of learning connect to curriculum and classroom practice. Each student spends thirty hours observing and assisting a teacher in a local school. Recommended background: Psychology 101. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 or s21. Enrollment limited to 25. M. Makris. 350. Anti-Oppressive Education. This advanced-level seminar examines the multiple forms of oppression playing out in schools and society, especially those based on class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and other social markers. Drawing on writings from critical, feminist, multicultural, queer, and postmodernist educators, this seminar explores four primary approaches to working against oppression in schools. Students spend a substantial amount of time observing and participating in a local classroom, and conclude the semester designing and teaching their own anti-oppressive lessons. Recommended background: Education 231, 240, and 242. Written permission of the instructor is required. Enrollment is limited to 15. K. Kumashiro. 360. Independent Study. The student undertakes an individually developed project under the direction of a faculty member. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Written permission of the instructor is required. Staff. 362. Basic Concepts in Special Education. An introductory course for students who wish to understand the characteristics of children who require special consideration in order to learn. The course considers the ethical bases and the legal requirements for educating students with special needs. It explores ways all children can be helped to succeed in the mainstream or regular classroom despite their learning differences and abilities; physical impairments; emotional/behavioral disorders; cultural, social, racial, and ethnic backgrounds; or gender. It includes fieldwork and extensive writing. This course meets the particular requirement of a course in special needs established by the State of Maine for certification. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 or s21. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. M. Makris. 365. Special Topics. A course or seminar offered from time to time and reserved for a special topic selected by the department. Staff. 370. Practicum in Foreign-Language Teaching. This course is intended for foreign-language students who are interested in teaching at the secondary-school level or above. The course focuses on current issues in foreign-language pedagogy, with emphases on oral proficiency, authentic texts, and learner-centered instruction. Students design course syllabi and daily lesson plans, compose exams, review textbooks and related instructional materials, observe various levels of instruction at Bates and other schools, and teach practice sessions to other members of the class. Prerequisite(s): at least one year of a foreign language at Bates beyond the second-year level. D. Browne. 380. Education, Reform, and Politics. The United States has experienced over three centuries of growth and change in the organization of private and public education. The goals of this course are to examine 1) alternative educational philosophies, practices, and pedagogies and 2) contemporary issues and organizational processes in relation to the constituencies of schools, learning, research, legal decisions, planning, and policy. The study of these areas includes K–12, postsecondary, graduate, and vocational schools, as well as home schooling. Examples of specific study areas are school choice (e.g., charter schools, magnet schools, and vouchers), school funding, standards and assessment, teacher effectiveness and accountability, and parental involvement. A research-based field component is required. Recommended background: one or more courses in education and sociology. This course is the same as Sociology 380. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. Not open to students who have received credit for Education/African American Studies/Sociology 280. S. Smith. 447. Curriculum and Methods. This course presents the concepts needed to understand curriculum design and program evaluation. It also helps students develop the skills needed to design and teach curriculum units in their subject area. The course emphasizes methodological perspectives on education; many approaches are discussed in theory and modeled in practice. Throughout, the course is both conceptual and practical. 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 students 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 343. Corequisite(s): Education 448 and 461. A. Dodd, S. Smith, K. Kumashiro. 448. Senior Seminar: 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, environmental education, and interdisciplinary approaches — and helps students incorporate these into their teaching. Prerequisite(s): Education 231, 343, 362, and 460. Corequisite(s): Education 447 and 461. Written permission of the instructor is required. A. Dodd, S. Smith, K. Kumashiro. 460. Student Teaching I. This is an intensive field experience in secondary education. Students begin by observing a host teacher in their academic field, spending one or two class periods each day in the high school. Soon they begin teaching at least one class per day. In regular, informal meetings, they are guided and supported by their host teachers, a supervisor from the Bates Department of Education, and other members of a supervisory support team. Students also meet weekly at Bates to address conceptual matters and to discuss problems and successes in the classroom. These weekly seminars include workshops in content area methods and extensive informal reflective writing. Students begin to move toward proficiency in four areas of practice: curriculum, instruction, and evaluation; classroom management, interactions, and relationships; diversity; time management and organizational skills. Prerequisite(s): Education 231, 343, and 362. Written permission of the instructor is required. A. Dodd, S. Smith, K. Kumashiro. 461. Student Teaching II. This course continues and deepens the experiences and reflection begun in Education 460. Students spend four or five class periods each day in a local high school observing, teaching, and becoming fully involved in the life of the school. Students continue to meet regularly with their host teacher, College supervisor, and others on their supervisory support team. Although there are no weekly meetings for this course, students spend extensive time planning their classes and reflecting in writing on their experiences. Prerequisite(s): Education 231, 343, 362, and 460. Corequisite(s): Education 447 and 448. A. Dodd, S. Smith, K. Kumashiro. Short Term Units s21. Perspectives on Education. An alternative and intensive version of Education 231. Not open to students who have received credit for Education 231. Enrollment limited to 25. Staff. s22. Teaching: Stories and Research. This unit explores education and K-12 schools through the perspectives of teachers as they are revealed in fictional and nonfictional accounts by and about teachers at different times in different settings. Through course texts, fieldwork in local schools, and independent reading and research, students examine the professional lives of teachers, the art of teaching, current issues, and continuing dilemmas. How do particular sociocultural contexts and practical and philosophical differences affect the challenges teachers face and the decisions they make? What might an analysis of teachers' stories suggest about ways schools could be improved for all students? What further research is needed? Recommended background: a course in education. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 25. A. Dodd. s23. Educating for Democracy. Voter turnout and civic participation in the United States are at an all-time low. 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 unit explores the relationship between education and democracy and various approaches to civic and citizenship education. Students will participate in a service-learning field experience (at least thirty hours) in order to investigate and inform education for democracy in local communities. Recommended background: Education 231. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 15. S. Smith. s24. Redesigning the American High School. Students learn why and how educational reformers think the traditional American high school must be reconceptualized. They also have the unique opportunity of using this knowledge to assist local educators in making decisions for a completely new high school. Each student collaborates with someone in Poland, Maine, to design and complete a traditional or action research project regarding some aspect of the new school. In addition to learning about the recent history of the American high school, students explore such topics as curriculum, instruction, and assessment; school culture and environment; and using technology in schools. Prerequisite(s): a course in education. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. A. Dodd. s26. Practicum in Foreign Language Teaching. This unit is intended for foreign-language students who are interested in teaching at the K-12 level. The unit focuses on current issues and methods in second-language acquisition, with emphasis on oral proficiency, authentic texts, and learner-centered instruction. Students design course syllabi and daily lesson plans, review textbooks and related instructional materials, and teach practice sessions to other members of the class. Students must be available for 10-15 hours during Short Term for internships in the public schools. Prerequisite(s): At least one year of a foreign language at Bates beyond the second-year level. Recommended background: At least two years of college-level foreign language. This unit is the same as Foreign Language s26. Not open to students who have received credit for Education 370 or Foreign Language 370. D. Browne. s31 Teaching Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom. This is an intensive course designed to provide students with background in educating students with special needs in the mainstream classroom, as well as an introduction to major theories of learning, including those of Skinner, Piaget, Vygotsky, and the results of recent research on how students learn. Special education topics include an overview of state and federal laws and regulations governing special education, eligibility for and the process for obtaining support services, the characteristics of exceptional students, learning styles/instructional strategies, classroom management, and parental involvement. Students learn how various learning theories, teaching methods, curriculum modifications, school- support services, and other strategies have helped or could help individual students with diverse needs learn in the regular classroom. This course includes extensive writing and fieldwork. Because this course covers content from Education 343 and Education 362, it is not open to students who have received credit for either of these courses. It will satisfy the requirements for students choosing the Educational Studies option for a Secondary Concentration in Education. Prerequisite(s): Education 231 or s21. Recommended background: Psychology 101 and 240. Enrollment is limited to 25. This course is the same as Education 316. A Dodd. New unit for 2001-2002. s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the department only after the student has submitted a written proposal and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the department. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.