Outside the School Box: History, Policy and Alternatives

Catalog description

So, we all know that we've been educated by many factors -- schools, family, media, community organizations, religious institutions, employers, health agencies, social movements, and so on. Yet when we speak about "education," we often collapse it instantly into "schooling." What if we didn't? This discussion-based course takes on that challenge. What if we look at education as it actually happens, in ways inclusive of but reaching well beyond schooling? What if we step outside the school box into which we're often putting education? What are the implications for how we think about education, about particular configurations of educating institutions in any current educational ecosystem, about public and private purposes, and about what it means to be a professional in education? How do we wrap our arms around "education" when it suddenly encompasses, well, all of those entities that intentionally educate us? Viewing education more broadly than schooling, we will pursue a conversation between historical and current challenges, toward understanding the present implications -- for practice, for policy, for professions -- if we were to make such a basic shift conceptually and operationally. Students will explore several historical case studies, conceptual frames, current models in the field, and policy challenges, culminating in a related research project of your choice.