ISLS 4130
Foundations of Education: Issues and Challenges
Course Description
This course focuses on further developing writing and critical and analytical thinking skills, as well as fundamentals of research. Regarding content, the purpose of this course is to identify and discuss some of education's defining issues and challenges. Students will consider teaching and learning from multiple perspectives, analyze and discuss key issues in education based on professional and personal knowledge, and speculate about possible consequences of educational policy decisions. Topics will include: definitions of curriculum, philosophies of educational practice, separation of church & state, school attendance, character education, multicultural education, role of the federal government in education, high-stakes assessment & education, the role of public schools in society, vouchers, charter schools, inclusion of students with disabilities, school size, bilingual education, school violence, technology, teacher retention, and alternative certification programs. Students will demonstrate skill in research by completing a longer research essay.