EDIS 2010

I heard this was a very easy class but Bennett was not an easy teacher...I did not do well on the midterm despite studying a lot and there is a weekly paper that someone in the group writes that other teachers don't do...if you take this class don't take it with Bennett!

Teaching as a Profession is a known easy/fun class which is totally true but DO NOT take this course with Bennett. He is actually a really cool guy but he bases the entire class around race discrimination in education which is definitely cool but he's really intense about the topic and is a pretty hard grader. His tests are 40 questions and an essay whereas the other section is maybe 5 multiple choice. Overall the class is fun and pretty easy but if you're actually looking for a class with no work, don't take it with Bennett

Way too much work. Have papers due every week and very harsh grader. Please, please do not take this class. You will see your friends in other EDIS 2010 classes have no work and get straight A's, and you will be jealous. Do me a favor and find a better class.

This course covers a lot of how education has come to be; most of the readings circle around policies and protocols in education. Professor Jake does an awesome job of constantly (both explicitly and affective) connecting these to the "real-world" by bringing in case studies and vice versa, by encouraging us to be aware of the things we observe in EDIS 2880. If you do the readings before class, you'll have a deeper understanding of the topic; although, Professor Jake does a fantastic job of framing the important points in his ppt in class. However, just keep in mind that he does talk fairly quickly! In addition to the midterm and final project, a bulk of the grade comes from writing a weekly paper within a group! The course isn't heavy at all, but you do need to invest time into it.

Definitely the best class of my first semester at UVA. Jake assigns really interesting readings that I actually enjoyed and he is very approachable. This class was hardly difficult and I learned a lot about relevant social issues that are applicable to more than teaching, if that's not what you're planning to do.

CHOOSE BENNETT! I read the other reviews after being enrolled in Bennett's class, and it made me extremely worried about the semester. Fortunately, I loved his class. He took out the tests from the coursework that the other reviewers referenced; the biggest grades are two group projects at the end of the semester. Each class you have a reading (majority of which are interesting & worth reading) and then a 700-word synthesis due at the end of the week. He only grades the first one harshly (meaning I got a B) so that you know what he is looking for (the rest I got As). He teaches a lot about how social issues and perspectives impact education, and it is all very eye-opening. I found this class extremely beneficial and very applicable to my future career as a teacher. Highly recommend!

Reading all the other reviews I got scared to take this course.....then I did. BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. There are no tests, midterms, or finals. The readings are a little dense but pretty cool and the lectures are super eye opening!! Would def recommend. Just keep in mind the weekly 700 word paper (super easy when you get the hang of it) and 2 group projects (which are literally your entire grade)

Prof. Bennett is the BEST!!!! Older reviews will probably say that the class was harder than other professors of this class, but he took out the tests, so there's no midterm or final, which means you can really listen to and participate in lectures without being paranoid about taking down all the notes. Participating in class discussions will really make this class worth it. Prof. Bennett was always super welcoming of other opinions and personal experiences, which made the class 10 times more enjoyable than most lectures. The readings each week can be a little long, but they're super interesting and he never assigns a reading that isn't directly related to what you'll be talking about. The weekly syntheses are actually pretty easy (they're only 700 words), and it gives you an opportunity to give your opinion about topics discussed that week. They aren't graded super harshly, but the feedback given is really helpful from week to week. The bulk of the grades (70%) happens in the last month of the semester, but you have plenty of time to get the projects done and they're both group assignments. If you want to really learn about and dig into multiple perspectives and the impact of social issues in education, I highly recommend taking this class with Prof. Bennett- you will not regret it!