Course Description
Explores how middle grades educators can develop an inquiry stance in their practice to engage with real-time problems of practice in middle grades classrooms.
Athena Title
Equity Inquiry Stance in EDMG
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EDMG 7300E
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will be able to: - Articulate how sociopolitical, contextual, and developmental factors impact challenges in middle grades classrooms. - Design specific and focused questions about themselves, their practice, their students’ learning, school culture, and the network of systems that impact schools and communities. - Describe and reflect on their own and others’ assumptions in an effort to consider alternative interpretations for problems of practice. - Synthesize and practice using an inquiry-based stance for culturally responsive and sustaining teaching. - Use data to inform their interpretations and actions.
Topical Outline
In relation to middle grades education, grades 4-8: Equity-oriented teacher inquiry Sociopolitical, contextual, and developmental factors that impact challenges in middle grades classrooms Research on inquiry as a stance Influence of teacher beliefs and thought patterns on how they respond to problems of practice Identifying proximal dilemmas vs. distal dilemmas Use of data to inform teaching decisions (e.g., observation field notes, surveys, student work)