Director, Associate Professor Mark Tappan

Professor Terry Arendell (Sociology); Associate Professors Lyn Mikel Brown (Education and Human Development) and Tappan (Education and Human Development); Assistant Professors Karen Kusiak (Education and Human Development) and Tarja Raag (Psychology); Visiting Assistant Professor Karen Barnhardt

The goal of the Education and Human Development Program is to provide students with an opportunity to explore theory, research, and practice in education and human development from a rigorous interdisciplinary perspective. The program links the study of education and the study of human development, a link that is based on the assumption that the primary aim of education should be to promote individual development—intellectually, emotionally, socially, and morally. Thus, a consideration of the ways in which human beings grow and develop over the course of the life-cycle must inform the theory and practice of education.

Moreover, the program is explicitly committed to promoting social justice, both in schools and in society at large. Faculty and students work together (1) to consider the values and politics that pervade education, as well as the more technical issues of teaching and organizing schools; (2) to ask critical questions about how conventional thinking and practice came to be, and who in society benefits from them; and (3) to attend to inequalities associated with race, gender, social class, culture, disability, and other social categories and to look for ways to redress these inequalities.

The program enables students to study, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, the ways children and adolescents learn and develop; the dynamics of the teaching-learning process; and the psychological, philosophical, historical, social, and cultural dimensions of human development and education. It also provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their own educational experiences and to think critically and creatively about the process of education and its place in society. In addition, students in the program participate in field experiences and practica, working with children and adolescents in various school and community settings.

The program provides the opportunity for able and motivated students to prepare for employment in public and private schools. Colby believes that the best preparation for a teaching career is two-fold: (a) a strong background in the liberal arts, including intensive study of the subject to be taught, and (b) appropriate course work and practica in education and human development.

Three minors are offered under the auspices of the program:
The education minor encourages a wide-ranging liberal arts exploration of educational theories, issues, and practices. Students focus primarily on the psychological, philosophical, historical, social, and cultural foundations of education and gain practical experience working with children and/or adolescents in a variety of classroom contexts. It provides preparation for graduate study in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special education, as well as for careers in private-school teaching.

The human development minor encourages an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human growth and development. Students consider a variety of perspectives on the study of human development; examine the relationship between individuals and the social, cultural, and historical context in which they live; and gain practical experience working in an institution or agency devoted to fostering human development and improving human lives. It provides initial preparation for careers in education, social work, human services, and/or social policy, as well as for graduate study in a number of different fields and disciplines.

The professional certification minor is approved by the Maine State Board of Education. It enables students to earn secondary certification (grades 7-12) in English language arts, foreign language, mathematics, life science, physical science, and social studies. This certification is valid in Maine or in one of the 23 other states with which Maine has agreements of reciprocity.

Students interested in professional certification should apply to the program in the spring of their junior year. Candidates must have at least a 3.0 average in their major subject area and have completed the appropriate prerequisites for the student teaching sequence. In addition, candidates for the Maine secondary certificate must perform with satisfaction on the "core battery" of the National Teacher Examinations and complete a teaching portfolio.

A ninth semester program is also available to qualified students. Students in the program return to Colby after graduation to complete the Senior Student Teaching sequence (Education 433 and 493) by working full-time in a local school. Students admitted into the 9th semester program will not be charged tuition, but will pay a small administrative fee. Students will also be responsible for finding their own housing off-campus. Students interested in the ninth semester program should apply to the program in the spring of their senior year.

Additional information about the professional certification and ninth semester options is available from the program faculty. Early consultation with program faculty and careful planning of the student's course of studies is essential for a successful completion of the minor. This is especially important for students studying abroad.

Finally, students may also pursue an independent major in human development under the auspices of the program. Requirements for this major typically include coursework in education and human development, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. A formal proposal for such an independent major must be submitted to the Independent Study Committee. For further information please contact the program chair.

Requirements for the Minor in Education
Education 231, 434, and five electives in education and human development.

Requirements for the Minor in Human Development
Education 215, 318, 332, 434, one field experience, internship, or practicum, and two electives from other departments, to be approved by the program chair.

Requirements for the Minor in Professional Certification
(1) A major, and at least a 3.0 average, in the subject to be taught. Requirements vary by endorsement area; additional courses may be required for certification other than those required for the major. Early consultation with program faculty is essential.
(2) Education 231, 257, 374, 399, one practicum (351 or 355), the Senior Student Teaching sequence (433, 435, 493), and one elective in education and human development.

COURSE OFFERINGS

215s    Children and Adolescents in Schools and Society    A focus on understanding the experiences of contemporary children and adolescents, using case materials, literature, film, and autobiographical reflection to consider gender, racial, class, and cultural differences, and the ways in which theories and approaches from various disciplines help interpret the phenomena of adolescence. Students work with childern in the after-school program at the Waterville Area Boys and Girls Club/YMCA. Four credit hours.  S, D.    TAPPAN

231fs    The Craft of Teaching    A critical exploration of the theory and practice of teaching. Issues include the ethical dimensions of teaching; difference and diversity in the classroom; general principles of curriculum planning and instruction; the use of instructional technologies; grading and evaluation; and school reform and restructuring. Students serve as assistant teachers in an elementary or middle school. Responsibilities include tutoring, working with individual students, and preparing and presenting lession plans to the whole class. Four credit hours.  S.    TAPPAN

235f    Revolutionary Multiculturalism    An introduction to the critical tradition in education, particularly to the work of revolutionary multiculturalists and critical theorists. This work calls into question the Western, patriarchal, capitalistic structures of modern society and its attendant institutions, and through an emphasis on post-colonial, neo-Marxist, feminist, and social theory it attempts to uncover how the Western-European foundations of American schooling have privileged some and marginalized others. Critical educators have worked to maintain the link between the struggle for critical knowledge and the struggle for democracy. The course provides a forum for students to analyze these basic assumptions and continue the struggle for transformative knowledge and a critical democracy. Four credit hours.  S, D.    BARNHARDT

257f    Educational Psychology    Listed as Psychology 257 (q.v.). Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Four credit hours.    RAAG

298s    Cultural Foundations of Environmental Education    Environmental education programs in U.S. public schools can be understood as projects aimed at two distinct goals: to raise public awareness of local, national, and global environmental realities, and to inspire young people to become caring and compassionate citizens who are reflective, committed, and responsible caretakers of the earth and of each other. The cultural (i.e. philosophical, historical, socioeconomic, and political) foundations of these environmental commitments in education will be studied, focusing on four themes: Rethinking the School Within an Ecological Framework; Environmentalism, Economic Justice, and the School; Feminist Interventions into Environmental Education; and Building Effective Environmental Education Coalitions with Existing Community Resources. Four credit hours.    BARNHARDT

318f    Moral Development and Education    How do moral understanding and ethical sensibility develop over the course of the life span? What is the relationship between human values and educational practice? What role should schools play in fostering and facilitating moral development in children, adolescents, and adults? These questions are explored by considering various classical and contemporary theories of moral development, their philosophical, psychological, and sociocultural premises, and their implications for education. Prerequisite: One of the following: Education 215, 231, Psychology 255, 257. Four credit hours.    TAPPAN

[332]    Women, Girls, and the Culture of Education    The psychological and social development of girls and young women. The ways in which education imparts lessons about gender, race, class, and sexual identity, and how such lessons affect girls' and women's sense of self, relationships, and interactions with the world around them. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours.  D.    

336s    American Education: Historical and Philosophical Foundations    Beginning with the conquest and colonization of American Indians, working through to the central educational issues of the present, the course examines the sociocultural and historical evolution of the public school as a reflection of the evolution of American society. The history of American Indian education, from mission and boarding schools to tribally controlled schools, serves as a template by which other struggles for self-determination are examined. Modern issues such as the debates over school choice, a national curriculum, standardized testing, environmental education, multicultural education, integration, and affirmative action are analyzed through this historical framework. Prerequisite: Education 231. Four credit hours.  H.    BARNHARDT

337s    Childhood in Society    Listed as Sociology 337 (q.v.). Four credit hours.    ARENDELL

351fj    Practicum in Education    Serving as assistant teachers in an elementary, middle, or junior high school, students will tutor, work with individual students, and prepare and present lesson plans to the whole class. Students write critical essays relating assigned readings to the practicum experience. Meeting weekly in seminar with College supervisor. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Three credit hours.    BARNHARDT, TAPPAN

355j    Urban/Multicultural Practicum    Students serve as assistant teachers in an elementary or middle school in an inner-city environment or in an alternative school program. Each student will tutor and later present several lesson plans to the whole class; four critical essays comparing assigned readings with classroom experiences are required. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Three credit hours.  D.    BARNHARDT

374s    Teaching Students with Special Needs in Regular Classrooms    Approximately 10-15 percent of students in public schools in the United States qualify for special education services. Many of these students receive most, if not all, of their instruction in regular class settings. Exploring the skills and attitudes necessary for teaching students with special needs in regular settings and examining the roles and responsibilities regular educators have for teaching students who qualify for special education. Consideration given to the psychological, philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education. In addition, students are required to spend a minimum of 20 hours over the course of the semester working in a practicum setting with a special needs teacher. Prerequisite: Education 231. Four credit hours.    KUSIAK

399f    Senior Seminar in Curriculum and Methods    The focus is an advanced consideration of the cultural, historical, social, and political foundations of the curriculum in American schools. General methods, curriculum design, and evaluation will be analyzed from a critical perspective. Students are asked to consider questions such as: whose interests are served by the standard curriculum, standard evaluative measures, and the predominant teaching methods employed in classroom settings? More substantial focus on methods as applied to each student's respective discipline will be explored outside of class with assigned mentor teachers. Limited to, and required of, students fulfilling the certification minor. Three credit hours.    BARNHARDT

433f    Student Teaching Practicum    Students will serve as student teachers in a local secondary school, working under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. Emphasis on curriculum planning and instruction. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Education 231, 351 or 353 or 355, and permission of the program and the instructor; 3.0 (or better) average in the major, which must be a commonly taught secondary-school subject in which Colby offers certification. Concurrent enrollment in 493 is required, and enrollment in 435 is expected. Four credit hours.    KUSIAK

434s    Senior Seminar in Education and Human Development    A critical examination of selected topics and issues in the contemporary study of education and human development. The focus will vary from year to year but will typically entail an in-depth consideration of the psychological, philosophical, social, cultural, and/or historical dimensions of education and human development. Open only to senior minors in education or human development. Four credit hours.    TAPPAN

435j    Student Teaching Practicum    Students serve as student teachers in a secondary school, helping adolescents to learn and working with cooperating teacher(s) and support personnel. The student teacher is expected to assume full responsibility for full-time teaching, including planning and presenting unit and daily lesson plans and evaluating student performance. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Education 231, 433, 493, and permission of the instructor. Three credit hours.    KUSIAK

491f, 492s    Independent Study    Independent study of advanced topics and areas of individual interest. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours.    FACULTY

493f    Student Teaching Seminar    A focused seminar designed to accompany the student teaching practicum. Deals with practical issues such as lesson plan preparation, communication and discipline in the classroom, special class projects, and student evaluation. Analysis of, and reflection on, teaching through a daily journal and readings. Nongraded. Corequisite: Enrollment in Education 433. Two credit hours.    KUSIAK