This introductory foundations course in education will examine the quest for equality of educational opportunity in today's society. The school is seen as a social system which transmits culture, encounters external forces, and fosters social change. Students explore the foregoing in relationship to the historical and philosophical roots of education in today's democratic society.
Course includes an early field experience.
The mission of the Education Department is to empower its students to create learning environments that ensure belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. Our mission is grounded in a philosophy that integrates the best of Western educational thought with the wisdom of the indigenous Native American Culture of the region and emerging research on positive youth develoment. There are four overarching values embodied in a model of positive youth development called the Circle of Courage. The central premise of this model is that a set of shared values must undergird a community of learners including public education and teacher training institutions. Those shared values include belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.