Education Program (Bi-Co)
Department Website:
https://www.haverford.edu/education
The Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Department centers teaching and learning as fundamental to human life and growth, and intrinsically connected to struggles for understanding, liberation, and justice. With a primary focus on relationships, facilitation, and change as the heart of the study and practice of education, we address our students as past, current, and future stakeholders of public education systems, as participants in many other systems and structures, and as prospective teachers, school leaders, researchers, policy makers, activists, artists, and theorists. Defining teaching and learning as social, political, and cultural as well as personal activities, the Education Department challenges students to explore the relationships among schooling and other contexts of learning, human development, and social change as they gain knowledge and skills of educational theory and practice. Consult the Student Guidebook and the FAQs for detailed information about declaring a major or a minor in Education Studies.
Learning Goals
In keeping with the partnership ethos of the Education Department, the learning outcomes for students who pursue a major or minor in Education Studies are a combination of outcomes conceptualized by Education Department faculty and staff and outcomes identified by students for themselves, informed by College-wide learning goals.
Department commitments include supporting students in:
- developing skills for critical and contextual self-reflection
- integrating interdisciplinary theory and practical approaches to education study, research, and facilitation
- engaging in partnership and collaboration in different forms across different contexts
- transforming educational practice for deep learning, equity, inclusion, and justice
- pursuing, assessing/reflecting on (in the present), and committing to (in the future) deep learning in—and deep learning as—relational, pedagogical, and organizational processes
As they move through the course offerings, students will come to understand that:
- everyone is a teacher and a learner, and knowledge is co-created through experience, study, intervention/experiment, and reflection
- inequities are structured into educational systems as well as perpetuated by practices
- teaching and learning are fundamental to human life and fundamentally connected to struggles for liberation
- students have both agency in and accountability for making education inclusive and equitable
- strong and effective learning occurs in contexts ranging from formal to informal settings, and is well supported in circumstances that present high challenge and low threat
- people learn by connecting prior knowledge and experiences to new knowledge and experiences, through a recursive process of learning, unlearning, and recommitting
- education is woven into the history of individual development and also of the built environment and the social, political, and cultural frameworks of life
Across education courses, students will engage in:
- iteratively examining, affirming, and interrogating their educational experiences, past and present, in order to clarify how those inform their philosophical and practical commitments
- exploring a wide range of educational theories and traditions, including experiential and constructivist approaches (John Dewey), critical pedagogy (Paulo Freire), culturally sustaining practices (Ladson-Billings), education as the practice of freedom (bell hooks) and freedom dreaming (Fred Moten, Robin Kelley), anti-racist education (Bettina Love), decolonizing education (la paperson, Eve Tuck), and more to make informed choices about their practices
- distinguishing and describing varying purposes and standards for education, and practicing assessing and supporting those standards in partnership contexts
- building capacity to promote educational justice
- authoring numerous statements of educational purpose—as students within the BiCo, as aspiring educators, as community members
- developing a set of skills and commitments that facilitate individual and collaborative learning and align with their purpose
In capstone courses, students will, depending on the emphasis they choose, document in their final portfolios how they have met the outcomes above through their experiences studying and enacting research, policy, and practice in their chosen area of specialization
Haverford’s Institutional Learning Goals are available on the President’s website, at http://hav.to/learninggoals.
Curriculum
Students may complete a major or a minor in Education Studies. For students pursuing a major, specialization is required. Within the overarching frame of Research, Policy, and Practice, specialization options are Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Secondary Education with Certification, Higher Education, and Out-of-School Contexts. Alumnae may also complete the requirements for secondary teacher certification after they graduate through the Post-baccalaureate Teacher Education Program.
In the minor, students may choose between the minor in Education Studies and the minor in Education Studies leading to secondary teacher certification. In the minor, students can opt into a specialization within Education if it suits their goals.
Major Requirements
To satisfy the requirements for the major in Education Studies, students take a minimum of six courses within the Education Department: an approved entry-point course, four 200-level courses, and one 300-level capstone course. In addition, a maximum of five allied courses from outside of the Education Department are required, for a total of 11 major credits.
Community-engaged learning through placements/partnerships/field work is also a central requirement of the major. Thinking with and learning from this work is a strand of Education Studies woven throughout coursework and highlighted in the capstone process.
Below is a list of requirements for the major. Consult the Student Guidebook at hav.to/jnu for depiction of possible pathways through the major.
11 Total Credits, consisting of:
- Minimum of 6 Education Program courses
- Entry point course
- Elective course 1
- Elective course 2
- Elective course 3
- Elective course 4
- Capstone course
- Maximum of 5 allied or non-program courses
- Allied course 1
- Allied course 2
- Allied course 3
- Allied course 4
- Allied course 5
Minor Requirements
Six credits are required for the minor in Education Studies without certification:
- 1 "exploratory entry point" course
- 4 200-level education courses, from which:
- At least two must be offered by Education Program faculty
- Up to two may be offered by faculty in other departments, pending submission of the petition form and approval from major/minor advisor.
- One may be taken at Swarthmore, Penn, or while studying away.
- 1 300-level capstone course, selected from the following:
- EDUC 311: Theories of Change in Educational Institutions
- EDUC 301: Curriculum and Pedagogy Seminar
- EDUC 310/SOWK 676: Making Space for Learning in Higher Education
Secondary Teacher Certification Path
The Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Program is accredited by the state of Pennsylvania to prepare undergraduates and alumnae for certification in the following subject areas: English; languages, including French, Latin, and Spanish; mathematics; the sciences, including biology, chemistry, and physics; and social studies. Pursuit of certification in Chinese, German, and Russian is also possible but subject to availability of student teaching placements. Students certified in a language have K-12 certification.
To qualify for a teaching certificate, students must complete an academic major in the subject area in which they seek certification (or, in the case of social studies, students must major in history, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, or Growth and Structure of Cities and take courses outside their major in the other areas). Within their major, students must select courses that help them meet the state standards for teachers in that subject area. Students must also complete the secondary teacher certification track of the minor in education, taking these courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC B200/H200 | Community Learning Collaborative: Practicing Partnership | 1.0 |
| PSYC B203 | Educational Psychology | 1.0 |
| EDUC B210/H210 | Perspectives on Special Education | 1.0 |
| EDUC H275 | Emergent Multilingual Learners in U.S. Schools | 1.0 |
| EDUC H301 | Curriculum and Pedagogy Seminar 1 | 1.0 |
| EDUC B302 & EDUC B303 | and Practice Teaching in Secondary Schools 2 | 3.00 |
- 1
(fall semester, prior to student teaching)
- 2
These courses are taken concurrently for three credits.
Students preparing for certification must also take two courses in English and two courses in math, maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and pass a series of exams for beginning teachers (state requirements). To be admitted to the culminating student teaching phase of the program, students must earn a grade of a 2.7 or higher in both EDUC 200 (Critical Issues in Education) and EDUC 301 (Curriculum and Pedagogy) and be recommended by their major department and the director of the Education Program. To be recommended for certification, students must earn a grade of 2.7 or higher in EDUC 302 (Practice Teaching Seminar) and a grade of Satisfactory in EDUC 303 (Practice Teaching).
Note: Students practice-teach full time for 12 weeks in a local school during the spring semester of their senior year. Given this demanding schedule, students are not able to take courses other than the Practice Teaching Seminar and senior seminar for their major.
Graduates may complete the requirements for secondary teacher certification at Bryn Mawr in a post-baccalaureate program.
Title II Reporting
Title II of the High Education Act (HEA) requires that a full teacher preparation report, including the institution’s pass rate on assessments as well as the state’s pass rate, be available to the public on request. Students may request a report from Kelly Gavin Zuckerman at kzuckerman@brynmawr.edu.
Concentration Requirements
Students majoring in mathematics or physics at Haverford may declare an Area of Concentration in Educational Studies. For the Concentration, students take four courses in the education program:
- EDUC B200/EDUC H200 (Critical Issues in Education)
- Two education courses (must be courses offered by Education Program or affiliated faculty (A. Cook-Sather/ V. Donnay/D. Flaks/A. Lesnick/K. Rho/ C. Wilson-Poe/K. Zuckerman)
- One of the following as a culminating course: EDUC H311 (Theories of Change in Educational Institutions), EDUC H301 (Curriculum and Pedagogy Seminar), SOWK B676 (Making Space for Learning: Pedagogical Planning and Facilitation), or an intensified version of EDUC B295 (Advocating Diversity in Higher Education).
In addition to these education courses, students take two courses in their major field of study. A unit of Independent Study within the major may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Mathematics Majors
To complete the concentration in educational studies, mathematics majors must:
- Earn credit for MATH H460 in two different semesters, one half-credit each; and
- Choose the Mathematics Education option of the senior thesis, as outlined in the Standards for the Mathematics Senior Thesis.
Physics Majors
Students take the following courses:
- PHYS H459, typically in the second semester of the junior year; and
- PHYS H460, typically in the first semester of the senior year.
All senior physics majors prepare and present to the department a talk and paper based on independent work. Education concentrators have the option of choosing a topic related to physics pedagogy for their research.
Faculty
Alison Cook-Sather
Mary Katharine Woodworth Professor of Education and Director, Peace, Conflict and Social Justice concentration and Director, Teaching and Learning Institute, Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges
Alice Lesnick
Chair and Term Professor in the Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Program and Associate Dean for Global Engagement
Chanelle Wilson
Assistant Professor of Education
Kelly Gavin Zuckerman
Visiting Assistant Professor
Affiliated Faculty at Haverford
Ana López Sánchez
Associate Professor of Spanish
Zachary Oberfield
Professor and Chair of Political Science
Affiliated Faculty at Bryn Mawr
Kimberly Wright Cassidy
President
Victor J. Donnay
Professor and Chair of Mathematics on the William R. Kenan Jr., Chair
Gail Hemmeter
Senior Lecturer in Literatures in English and Director of Writing
Marissa Martino Golden
Associate Professor of Political Science on the Joan Coward Chair in Political Economics
David Karen
Professor of Sociology
Courses at Haverford
EDUC H200 COMMUNITY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE: PRACTICING PARTNERSHIP (1.0 Credit)
Alison Cook-Sather
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Designed to be the first course for students interested in pursuing one of the options offered through the Education Program, this course is also open to students exploring an interest in educational practice, theory, research, and policy. The course examines major issues and questions in education in the United States by investigating the purposes of education and the politics of schooling. Through fieldwork in an area school, students practice ethnographic methods of observation and interpretation. Lottery Preference(s): Not open to first semester first year students
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC H225 TOPICS: EMPOWERING LEARNERS (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This is a topics course. Course content varies. Praxis course. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor
EDUC H266 GEOGRAPHIES OF SCHOOL AND LEARNING: URBAN EDUCATION RECONSIDERED (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This course examines issues, challenges, and possibilities of urban education in contemporary America. We use as critical lenses issues of race, class, and culture; urban learners, teachers, and school systems; and restructuring and reform. While we look at urban education nationally over several decades, we use Philadelphia as a focal “case” that students investigate through documents and school placements. Fieldwork is required. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 200 or instructor consent
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC H270 MEASURING EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Matthew McKeever
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This course explores contemporary political movements to measure learning outcomes in educational institutions. It covers such topics as NCLB legislation, standardized testing for college admissions, assessment of college education, and development of online learning tools. Crosslisted: Sociology, Education
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC H275 EMERGENT MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS IN U.S. SCHOOLS (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This course focuses on educational policies and practices related to language minority students in the U. S. We examine English learners’ diverse experiences, educators’ approaches to working with linguistically diverse students, programs that address their strengths and needs, links between schools and communities, and issues of policy and advocacy. Fieldwork required. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 200 or instructor consent Lottery Preference(s): 1. EDUC majors and Certification students; 2. EDUC minors; 3. then by seniority
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC H301 CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY SEMINAR (1.0 Credit)
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
A consideration of theoretical and applied teacher preparation related to effective curriculum design, pedagogical approaches and related issues of teaching and learning leading to the creation of an extensive professional and reflective portfolio. Fieldwork required. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 200 or instructor consent
EDUC H302 PRACTICE TEACHING SEMINAR (1.0 Credit)
Jody Cohen
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)
Drawing on participants’ diverse student teaching placements, this seminar invites exploration and analysis of ideas, perspectives and approaches to teaching at the middle and secondary levels. Taken concurrently with Practice Teaching, and open only to students engaged in practice teaching. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 200, EDUC 301, and additional coursework in teacher certification program; or instructor consent
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC H308 INQUIRIES INTO BLACK STUDY, LANGUAGE JUSTICE, AND EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Alice Lesnick
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Growing out of the Lagim Tehi Tuma/”Thinking Together” program (LTT), the course will explore the implications for education in realizing the significance of global Black liberation and Black Study/ies—particularly in relation to questions of the suppression and sustenance of language diversity and with a focus, as well, on Pan-Africanism—by engaging with one particular community as a touchstone for learning from and forwarding culturally sustaining knowledge. Prerequisites: Two courses, at least one in Education, with the second in Africana Studies, Linguistics, Sociology, or Anthropology; or permission of the instructor.
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC H311 THEORIES OF CHANGE IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): A: Meaning, Interpretation (Texts)
Drawing on students' weekly fieldwork, this seminar will explore how educational practice reflects and informs theories of change and pathways of action. Students their own theory of change; analyze the theories of change underlying their field sites; and develop skills and strategies for persisting in creative independence and interdependence with institutions. Areas of focus include teacher research and academic research, business models, network and relational models, mindfulness and listening, journalism, social media, museum studies and artistic expression. We bring these considerations to a reading of a current education reform initiative, The Baltimore Algebra Project, as a means of exploring the intersections of personal and structural growth. Prerequisite(s): Limited to students completing the minor in Educational Studies, or instructor consent
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC H480 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1.0 Credit)
Alison Cook-Sather, Kristin Lindgren
Division: Social Science
This course allows individual or a small group of students to work with a faculty member to design an independent study in Education. Prerequisite(s): EDUC 200 or instructor consent
(Offered: Spring 2024)
Courses at Bryn Mawr
EDUC B200 COMMUNITY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE: PRACTICING PARTNERSHIP (1.0 Credit)
Eshe Price
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Designed to be the first course for students interested in pursuing one of the options offered through the Education Program, this course is open to students exploring an interest in educational practice, theory, research, and policy. The course asks how myriad people, groups, and fields have defined the purpose of education, and considers the implications of conflicting definitions for generating new, more just, and more inclusive modes of "doing school". In collaboration with practicing educators, students learn practical and philosophical approaches to experiential, community-engaged learning across individual relationships and organizational contexts. Fieldwork in an area school or organization required
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC B210 PERSPECTIVES ON SPECIAL EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Eshe Price
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
The goal of this course is to introduce students to a range of topics, challenges and dilemmas that all teachers need to consider. Students will explore pedagogical strategies and tools that empower all learners on the neurological spectrum. Some of the topics covered in the course include how the brain learns, how past learning experiences impact teaching, how education and civil rights law impacts access to services, and how to create an inclusive classroom environment that welcomes and affirms all learners. The field of special education is vast and complex. Therefore, the course is designed as an introduction to the most pertinent issues, and as a launch pad for further exploration. Weekly fieldwork required.
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC B217 LESSONS IN LIBERATION: REJECTING COLONIALIST POWER IN EDU (1.0 Credit)
Staff
Formal schooling is often perceived as a positive vestige of colonization, yet traditional practices continue a legacy of oppression, in different forms. This course will analyze education practices, language, knowledge production, and culture in ways especially relevant in the age of globalization. We will explore and contextualize the subjugation of students and educators that perpetuates colonialist power and implement practices that amplify the voices of the marginalized. We will learn lessons in liberation from a historical perspective and consider contemporary influence, with a cross-continental focus. Liberatory education practices have always existed, often on the margins of colonial forces, but present nonetheless. This course will support students’ pursuit of a politics of resistance, subversion, and transformation. We will focus on the development of a critical consciousness, utilizing abolitionist and fugitive teaching pedagogy and culturally responsive pedagogy as tools for resistance. Students will engage with novels, documentaries, historical texts, and scholarly documents to explore US and Cape Verdean education as case studies. In this course, we will consider the productive tensions between an explicit commitment to ideas of progress, and the anticolonial concepts and paradigms which impact what is created to achieve education liberation.
EDUC B220 CHANGING PEDAGOGIES IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE (1.0 Credit)
Victor Donnay
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This Praxis course will examine research-based approaches to teaching mathematics and science. What does research tell us about how people learn? How can one translate this learning theory into teaching approaches that will help all students learn mathematics and science? How are these new approaches, that often involve active, hands-on, inquiry based learning, being implemented in the classroom? What challenges arise when one tries to bring about these types of changes in education? How do issues of equity, discrimination, and social justice impact math and science education? The Praxis component of the course usually involves two (2) two hour visits per week for 8 weeks to a local math or science classroom.
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC B225 TOPICS: EMPOWERING LEARNERS (1.0 Credit)
Alice Lesnick
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This is a topics course. Course content varies. Praxis course. Prerequisite: EDUC B200 or permission of instructor.
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC B240 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH (1.0 Credit)
Division: Social Science
This course teaches students to use and interpret observation, survey, interview, focus group, and other qualitative methods of educational research, as well as to read and write about such research. In addition to class meetings, research teams will meet regularly.
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC B260 RECONCEPTUALIZING POWER IN EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Staff
The systematic critical exploration of the influence of power in education requires attention and re-conceptualization; this course investigates the following question: how can power be redistributed to ensure equitable educational outcomes? We will examine the production of transformative knowledge, arguing the necessity for including creativity and multi-disciplinary collaboration in contemporary societies. Supporting students’ pursuit of a politics of resistance, subversion, and transformation will allow for the rethinking of traditional education. We will also center the intersections between race, class, gender, sexuality, language, religion, citizenship status, and geographic region, assessing their impact on teaching and learning. Weekly fieldwork required.
EDUC B266 GEOGRAPHIES OF SCHOOL AND LEARNING: URBAN EDUCATION RECONSIDERED (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
This course examines issues, challenges, and possibilities of urban education in contemporary America. We use as critical lenses issues of race, class, and culture; urban learners, teachers, and school systems; and restructuring and reform. While we look at urban education nationally over several decades, we use Philadelphia as a focal “case” that students investigate through documents and school placements. Weekly fieldwork in a school required.
EDUC B295 EXPLORING AND ENACTING TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION. (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
As institutions of higher education embrace and even seek greater diversity, we also see an increase in tensions born of differences across which we have little preparation to communicate, learn, and live. This course will be co-created by students enrolled and the instructor, and it will provide a forum for exploration of diversity and difference and a platform for action and campus-wide education. Extensive, informal writing and more formal research and presentations will afford you the opportunity to craft empowering narratives for yourselves and your lives and to take research and teaching beyond the classroom. Two to three hours of campus-based field work required each week.
(Offered: Spring 2024)
EDUC B301 CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY SEMINAR (1.0 Credit)
Jody Cohen
Division: Social Science
A consideration of theoretical and applied issues related to effective curriculum design, pedagogical approaches and related issues of teaching and learning. Fieldwork is required. Enrollment is limited to 15 with priority given first to students pursuing certification and second to seniors planning to teach.
(Offered: Fall 2023)
EDUC B303 PRACTICE TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS (2.0 Credits)
Staff
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Supervised teaching in secondary schools (12 weeks). Two units of credit are given for this course. Open only to students preparing for state certification.
EDUC B308 INQUIRIES INTO BLACK STUDY, LANGUAGE JUSTICE, AND EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Alice Lesnick
Growing out of the Lagim Tehi Tuma/”Thinking Together” program (LTT), the course will explore the implications for education in realizing the significance of global Black liberation and Black Study/ies—particularly in relation to questions of the suppression and sustenance of language diversity and with a focus, as well, on Pan-Africanism—by engaging with one particular community as a touchstone for learning from and forwarding culturally sustaining knowledge. Prerequisites: Two courses, at least one in Education, with the second in Africana Studies, Linguistics, Sociology, or Anthropology; or permission of the instructor.
EDUC B310 REDEFINING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE: MAKING SPACE FOR LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Kelly Zuckerman
A course focused on exploring, developing, and refining pedagogical conceptions and approaches appropriate to higher education contexts. Three hours a week of fieldwork are required. Enrollment is limited to 20 with priority given to students pursuing the minor in educational studies.
EDUC B403 SUPERVISED WORK (1.0 Credit)
Alice Lesnick
Division: Social Science
(Offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2024)
EDUC B425 PRAXIS III: INDEPENDENT STUDY (1.0 Credit)
Alice Lesnick
Praxis III courses are Independent Study courses and are developed by individual students, in collaboration with faculty and field supervisors. A Praxis courses is distinguished by genuine collaboration with fieldsite organizations and by a dynamic process of reflection that incorporates lessons learned in the field into the classroom setting and applies theoretical understanding gained through classroom study to work done in the broader community.
Education Courses
EDUC H308 INQUIRIES INTO BLACK STUDY, LANGUAGE JUSTICE, AND EDUCATION (1.0 Credit)
Alice Lesnick
Division: Social Science
Domain(s): B: Analysis of the Social World
Growing out of the Lagim Tehi Tuma/”Thinking Together” program (LTT), the course will explore the implications for education in realizing the significance of global Black liberation and Black Study/ies—particularly in relation to questions of the suppression and sustenance of language diversity and with a focus, as well, on Pan-Africanism—by engaging with one particular community as a touchstone for learning from and forwarding culturally sustaining knowledge. Prerequisites: Two courses, at least one in Education, with the second in Africana Studies, Linguistics, Sociology, or Anthropology; or permission of the instructor.
(Offered: Fall 2023)