A new course is being offered to all UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduates in Spring 2012 that will count toward completion of a new Minor in Education.
The course, entitled “Schools, Societies, and Issues in Education Practice and Policy: Past and Present,” will be taught by Lynda Stone, professor of philosophy of education.
The course will examine why our nation’s schools are structured the way they are, exploring the societal, cultural, political and economic forces that shape our schools.
The course will be part of the new Minor in Education being offered by the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. The minor is intended to provide a thorough understanding of the landscape of education and the role of public education in a democratic society.
While enrollment in the minor officially opens in Fall 2012, students who plan to pursue the minor are being encouraged to enroll in the new course, which is listed as EDUC 496: Section 52. It will be offered on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. until 11:50 a.m.
NOTE: The course is listed by the Registrar’s Office as a variable-credit course, but students who wish to enroll in the course must sign up for three units.
Coursework will include readings and discussions of the texts, which will include two novels. Students will explore and describe their own schooling histories and will study a school and examine a contemporary schooling issue or problem as part of an individual project. The coursework will include an extensive experiential component in an educational setting.
More about the new Minor in Education
The Minor in Education is a sequence of five courses offered in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the School of Education that address a range of educational topics and issues. The courses include three courses offered by the School of Education, a course outside the School of Education, and a senior-year capstone course.
The Minor in Education is designed to provide grounding for students who wish to work in schools and other educational settings, such as through Teach for America or in nonprofits, governmental organizations, museums and community-based programs. It is also designed to appeal to students who want to explore the wide variety of professions in education, particularly the diversity of professional opportunities, and who want to investigate and become more knowledgeable about educational policy directions, including charter schools and vouchers, school reform models and private initiatives.
More information
For questions about EDUC496: Section 52, contact either course instructor Dr. Lynda Stone at lstone@email.unc.edu or Ms. Laura Gutmann, doctoral student and TA, at Gutmann@email.unc.edu.
For more information about the Minor in Education, see Kara GrawOzburn, assistant director of Student Affairs in Suite 103 or by email, kara@unc.edu.