Full Course Title:
Issues in Education: Stories of Teachers and Students
What is the primary purpose of education? Is it to promote social justice, to maximize individual liberty, is it merely to create and disseminate knowledge, or are there other purposes? What is your purpose for being here? This course will invite students to engage in conversations about issues facing schools, teachers and students using works of literature to understand such lives. We'll think and talk about the purpose and goal of education, including our own reasons for earning a college degree. Through the reading of provocative texts and a few short films that showcase the experiences of college students, youth and children, we'll practice the habit of civil discourse and respectful argumentation around issues in education as we engage in service. The course will improve the student's ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize complex ideas in the context of current issues in education.