Seminars and Curriculum

The three components of the delivery model – content, methods of teaching, and pedagogy – are deeply interlinked in the theory and practice of the program.  The content comprises an exploration of cultures and paradigms; the pedagogy involves a deep investigation of the social context of education; and under methods of teaching, interns explore ways of integrating the cultural material into the school curriculum.

The Content of the program is a study of political, economic, social and educational paradigms.  These systems are studied from a viewpoint of historical legacies and current practices.  The development of school systems is examined.  The administrative and financial foundation of schooling is critically explored.  Links are made to world cultures and to the particular historical legacies and contexts that give rise to present school systems in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Interns come to the program with subject matter specializations (i.e., English, Social Studies, Science, Math), typically attained through undergraduate areas of major study.  Interns learn Methods of Teaching content from knowledgeable mentor teachers, discussions in seminars, specialty lectures and workshops, presentations by program faculty, and guest lectures.

With a focus on teaching for social justice, seminars on methods of teaching include the following: 

• Lesson planning that meets specific objectives or learning outcomes.
• Assessing learning by matching objectives with assessment strategies.
• Facilitating discussions.
• Discovery learning and other authentic learning experiences.
• Building a community of learners within the classroom.
• Managing a democratic classroom.
• Cooperative skills and cooperative learning.
• Service learning.
• Teaching for social responsibility, including responses to stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice.
• Mapping cultural contexts
• Teaching about controversial issues.
• Social activism and social change.

The study of Pedagogy includes an examination of education in the context of History, individual Lifespan Development, and learning of Language and Literacy.  Interns are asked to reflect on the process of their own education and their intellectual past.  They are expected to employ “best practice” methods of teaching and draw on their content area expertise in developing innovative ways to link the cultural material to their work with students.  The intrinsic goal is to integrate a multicultural perspective into the teaching of all subject areas.