Graduate-Level Credit / Non-Credit Hours
3 Semester Credits or 45 Clock Hours
Course Description
Participants in this course will learn how to build a learning environment that embodies the goals necessary for teaching social tolerance and thoughtfulness. This course is intended to help navigate areas of social comprehension that are critical to the growth of today’s students and school communities. Participants will learn to design opportunities that will assist their students in recognizing and appreciating both their own identities and the identities of their peers. Self-reflection is a crucial step in realizing the need for anti-bias education, and it will inspire participants to take innovative steps toward doing so. Participants will also analyze how they and their school community can create inclusive and respectful learning environments.
Participants will learn to create a classroom that is free of prejudice and teaches children to celebrate the diversity of those around them. Participants will leave the course having learned to use teaching tolerance and thoughtfulness goals to build and solidify a socially responsive culture within their school community. Participants will develop a new understanding of educators’ role in the classroom, along with the latest tools, strategies, and techniques for cultivating students’ learning and a state-of-the-art teaching approach to meet their educational goals. Educational research in the course is based on renown psychologists, inclusive specialists, and educational leadership experts such as Julie Cuaston PhD., Joseph A. Durlak PhD., Allison B. Dyminicki PhD., Nancy Frey PhD., Ross W. Greene PhD., Paula Kluth PhD., Rebecca D. Taylor PhD., and Roger P. Weissberg, PhD.
Throughout the course, participants will engage in interactive dialogue through a variety of mediums to receive valuable feedback to reflect on from their instructor. All formative and summative projects are reviewed and graded, and feedback from the instructor will be provided allowing the participant to enhance their portfolio of educational tools/resources to impact their classroom or school community.
Global Outcomes/Goals of the Course
To deepen and/or apply the content and skills of the teacher’s existing professional knowledge base by meeting the following global goals of the course:
- To examine current research on creating inclusive environments where students can feel and safe and valued.
- To develop an understanding of the need for effective strategies to help students in recognizing and appreciating both their own identities and the identities of their peers.
- To promote compassion and belonging in students and communities.
- To build a classroom society in which to celebrate the diversity of humanity.
- To help every student reach a full version of their potential.
Related Reading:
March is Music in Our Schools Month