Childhood Education: Teaching & Multicultural Competence (ISI)
Course Info:
- Department: Liberal Arts
- Area: Childhood and Art Education
- Credit Hours: 3, Contact Hours: 45
- Course Number (SRISA): EDUC 3701
- Course Number (Maryville University): TBA
Course Description:
Students will teach English in a kindergarten or primary school under the supervision of experienced teachers. Students will also teach some lessons on their own as well as lessons that they themselves have designed. The seminar meets once a week, and is based on the students’ Journals about their work, readings and discussions. Readings and activities in the seminar will guide students through the issues involved in teaching a multicultural classroom, as well as to the peculiar features of the Italian school system. The seminar will focus specifically on the challenges posed by old and new diversities to teachers and traditional teaching methods. The aim of this practicum is to make it possible for students to participate in a real and significant teaching environment in Italy, and to introduce them to the challenges posed to the traditional school system by a diverse, multicultural society.
This is a hybrid course that meets 1.5 hours a week as an afternoon seminar class alongside the practical teaching elements: 30 hours in an early childhood classroom* alongside a teacher, plus 10 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring throughout the semester.
*Placement may not be in the city center. Students wishing to complete the practicum should be comfortable with potential train or bus travel outside of Florence.
This course runs through SRISA's external partners at ISI. SRISA students may take up to 1 course through an external partner.