Core Values & Foundations
Core Values & Foundations offered a survey of the foundations of the education field and the core values of the M.Ed. program. We were introduced to seminal topics, foundational texts, and scholarly routines and began to build a community of learners together. We engaged in reading, discussion, observation, journaling, interviews, critical analysis, and digital portfolio construction while recording and tracking emerging questions of theory and practice. We applied a critical, self-reflective social justice lens to our work, with careful attention to multiple perspectives as we addressed the GSE program learning outcomes regarding inquiry and reflection, design, and leadership.
The context for the course was the High Tech High New Teacher Odyssey, a seven-day orientation for all teachers new to High Tech High. We were participant observers in selected Odyssey activities, documenting our observations, conversations and reflections in our Inquiry Journals. We also prepared and delivered a Presentation of Learning (POL), including selected observations and analysis of the Odyssey experience, connections to the course readings, and a preliminary Personal Learning Plan (PLP).
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
The context for the course was the High Tech High New Teacher Odyssey, a seven-day orientation for all teachers new to High Tech High. We were participant observers in selected Odyssey activities, documenting our observations, conversations and reflections in our Inquiry Journals. We also prepared and delivered a Presentation of Learning (POL), including selected observations and analysis of the Odyssey experience, connections to the course readings, and a preliminary Personal Learning Plan (PLP).
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- How do school organizations cultivate a shared vision centered on core values?
- How can educators work together with colleagues to create equitable, rigorous learning environments?
- What are scholarly dispositions and habits, and how can they contribute to our understanding and effectiveness as practitioners and leaders?
- What questions emerge as we observe, and become immersed in, a learning organization?