Education and Development

This course is of particular relevance for graduate students interested in Indigenous education and epistemology, and for educators serving Native American students. The course is organized around a series of international video courses with participating cohorts in Hawaii, Alaska, New Zealand, Canada and Arizona. Students will have an opportunity to join and engage with a community of international Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars in a comparative study of and dialogue on the historical and contemporary issues associated with the education of Indigenous peoples and communities. The goal of the course is to understand and recognize the role of language and culture within the contemporary context of Western education through Indigenous perspectives and Indigenous epistemology. The exploration of Indigenous epistemologies and thought are recognized as integral and critical in the quest for self-determination.  Each site will utilize technology to facilitate interactions and presentations for participants across sites.

Addresses the dynamics of immigration and its consequences for education.  An introduction to issues and research in immigration and education, with the goal of learning about the multiple aspects and relationships of these complicated phenomena

Historical, theoretical, methodological, and practical/pedagogical foundations of the field of educational anthropology. Explores the relationships among culture, education, and identity, with a focus on learning in cross-cultural contexts both inside and outside of schools. Ethnography as a mode of inquiry is emphasized. Research projects required.

This course will explore innovative ways to teach and learn with new media within and beyond classrooms. Using a socio-cultural lens and media and literacy frameworks, learners will examine the new media that surround us in the digital age and explore ways media are made and shared. Course content will address instructional design, connected learning, and participatory culture. Course projects will provide opportunities for learners to create and collaborate across disciplines using new media and a range of digital tools. Diverse forms of media analysis and production will be addressed along with implications for instruction, assessment and research.

Foundations of the legal, social, historical, cultural, and political contexts of public education with a specific focus on marginalized student populations and the potential to develop a more socially just educational system.

A critical examination of Mexican American culture as portrayed in the social sciences. An assessment of the social, political, and economic factors influencing representations of Mexican Americans.

Introduction to aspects of language and culture that affect education, particularly in reading, writing and the language arts; discussion of social and political concerns.