Education
Lewis & Clark offers an education minor, including several courses for undergraduates who wish to explore the field of education. The minor includes required courses of study, and any students interested in pursuing the minor and a career in education are encouraged to seek advising time with the education minor advisor at the Graduate School. Required for the minor, but offered to any students interested in becoming educators, are ED 205 Education in a Complex Society and ED 446 Reimagining Teaching and Learning. Both courses are taught by faculty members in the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. ED 446 incorporates an off-campus experience in elementary and middle school classrooms in the Portland area.
Students interested in a teaching career in middle or high school are encouraged to choose an undergraduate major related to the subjects they wish to teach. Prospective elementary school teachers should take courses from many disciplines, including mathematics and science. In either case, students are encouraged to meet with faculty members from the graduate school as early as possible in the student’s undergraduate experience to learn more about teaching and discuss course choices. Contact the education minor advisor at the graduate school to be directed to the appropriate faculty member.
Lewis & Clark’s Career Center provides many opportunities for students planning to continue in this field, such as volunteer work with community-based educational organizations. The Teacher Pathways Program provides a community for all students interested in education careers and offers events, field trips, internships, and other opportunities for its participants. Students are also encouraged to attend events sponsored by the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, which oversees the College of Arts and Sciences education offerings.
Education Minor
The education minor is guided by the understanding that in order for teachers to meet the needs of K-12 learners they must be familiar with the systemic issues in schooling, be knowledgeable about theories of learning, and have appreciation for the cultures and contexts in which their students live. Educational systems cannot be separated from the humans within them, the communities in which they are embedded, or the sociopolitical contexts of our world. As such, the Lewis & Clark education minor is interdisciplinary, drawing on faculty and course offerings from across the College of Arts & Sciences. The education minor is designed to provide a practical, theoretical, and critical grounding that prepares students for teaching within the K-12 context or for entering the workforce in fields adjacent to education.
Courses are grouped into three themes: cognition, learning, and child development; communication and discourse; and cultures and context in contemporary education. It is recommended that you speak with your advisor about courses from themes that may be particularly helpful for your academic pursuits.
Minor Requirements
A minimum of 24 semester credits distributed as follows:
- ED 205 Education in a Complex Society
- ED 446 Reimagining Teaching and Learning
- a minimum of 16 credits from approved electives. No more than 8 credits can be from the same department.
Electives
Art
| Beyond Portraiture (Inside-Out) (cultures & context) |
Biology
| Introduction to Neuroscience (cognition, learning & child development) |
Economics
| Pacific Northwest Policy Issues (cultures & context) |
English
| Introduction to American Literature (cultures & context) | ||
| African American Literature (cultures & context) |
Ethnic Studies
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies (cultures & context) |
Gender Studies
| Gender and Sexuality in U.S. Society (cultures & context) |
History
| The United States in the 20th Century (cultures & context) | ||
| Histories of Indigenous Peoples in North America (Turtle Island) (cultures & context) | ||
| African American History Since 1863 (cultures & context) | ||
| Crime and Punishment in the United States (Inside-Out) (cultures & context) |
Latin American and Latino Studies
| Latin American and Latino Cultural Studies (cultures & context) |
Music
| Music and Social Justice (cultures & context) |
Philosophy
| Ethics (cultures & context) | ||
| Philosophy of Art and Beauty (communication & discourse) |
Psychology
| Thinking, Memory, and Problem Solving (cognition, learning & child development) | ||
| Infant and Child Development (cognition, learning & child development) | ||
| Introduction to Neuroscience (cognition, learning & child development) | ||
| Social Psychology (cognition, learning & child development) |
Religious Studies
| Food and Religion in America (cultures & context) |
Rhetoric and Media Studies
| Public Discourse (communication & discourse) | ||
| Argument and Social Justice (communication & discourse) | ||
| Digital Media and Society (communication & discourse) |
Sociology/Anthropology
| Introduction to Sociology (cultures & context) | ||
| Race and Ethnicity in Global Perspective (cultures & context) | ||
| Power, Privilege, and Inequality (cultures & context) |
Spanish
| Writing Justice in the Americas (Inside-Out) (cultures & context) |
Theatre
| Performance From the Inside Out (Inside-Out) (cultures & context) | ||
| Playing at the Border: Migration and Art (cultures & context) | ||
| American Drama: Performing Identities (cultures & context) |
World Languages
| Topics in World Literatures (Inside-Out) (cultures & context) |
Faculty
Elizabeth Denevi. Clinical assistant professor, educational leadership. PhD 2004 University of London. MA 1998 Columbia University. BS 1990 Northwestern University.
Alejandra Favela. Associate professor of education. Bilingual education and reform, culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy. PhD 2004 Claremont Graduate University/San Diego State University. MA 1994 London School of Economics and Political Science. BS 1992 University of California at Berkeley.
Cari Zall. Clinical assistant professor, teacher education. Teacher education, Social Studies education, critical pedagogy, ethic of care, teacher professional development, democratic education. PhD expected 2025 Simon Fraser University, MA 2013 Virginia Polytechnic University. MAT 2005 Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education & Counseling. BA 1999 George Mason University.
Courses
ED 205 Education in a Complex Society
Content: Exploration of educational reforms, pedagogical methods, and the sociopolitical issues that shape schools. Activities, readings, and assignments engage students in analysis of the systemic forces that shape schools. Students will critically examine personal and social values and educational practices to deepen their understanding of schools and the social project of equity.
Prerequisites: None.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
ED 446 Reimagining Teaching and Learning
Content: In-depth exploration and analysis of the current state and framing of teachers, teaching, and learning, as well as educational theory and reform efforts. Reflection on students' emerging beliefs about schools and teaching. Activities, readings, and assignments integrate theory with practice. Fieldwork in local schools advances understanding of the complexity and art of teaching.
Prerequisites: ED 205.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
ED 450 Philosophy and Practice of Environmental/Ecological Education
Content: Overview of current theories about the role of education in developing ecologically literate citizens. The origins of environmental education and consideration of "ecological" education. Focus on relationships between humans and the natural world, and among humans. Cultural factors that may bear on the causes and solutions of environmental problems. Students complete a 15-hour practicum in a community or school setting in which environmental or place-based studies is a central part of the curriculum. Sophomore standing required.
Prerequisites: ED 205.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing required.
Usually offered: Alternate Years, fall semester.
Semester credits: 4.
ED 455 Science Education in the 21st Century: Why, What, Where, and for Whom?
Content: Students will explore the role of science and scientific knowledge in a democratic society. Through readings, discussion, reflective writing, and experiences in the field, students will: identify factors that influence who chooses to study science in school and/or pursue a career in science and who does not, explore factors that influence who succeeds in science majors and careers, review a range of models for science teaching designed to meet the needs of a diverse population, and consider the role an understanding of science plays in the maintenance of a democratic society. Sophomore standing required.
Prerequisites: ED 205.
Restrictions: Sophomore standing.
Usually offered: Alternate Years, spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.