This semester we have two associates who are available to assist you in your research and writing efforts. Unfortunately, the class time does not allow them to come to class during our normal class time, but I will ask that you attend one session where you can meet both of these students. The time for that meeting will be set so that all of you can be present.

The following information provides contact information for each of the Associates.

Research Associate: Sam Fulton samuel.fulton@trincoll.edu

Writing Associate: Jessi Streib jessi.streib@trincoll.edu

INTRODUCTION

This semester many of the students who were part of our fall semester course will be members of this semester’s course. In addition, we will have a few students joining us who were members of our partnered seminar with Professor Figueroa and a few students who were in other first year seminars.

Building on the content that we covered in the fall semester, we will become more involved in studying and examining Learning in the Urban Environment. I have selected a variety of readings that address issues of equity, segregation, poverty, funding, and access to education in urban environments. Whenever possible, we will compare and contrast the urban environment of Hartford with the urban environments focused on in the readings.

Through active participation in the discussions and completion of the reading and writing assignments, you will introduce yourself to material that may get you to rethink some previously held beliefs about learning in the urban environment. You may also be provided with new material that will support your ideas or challenge your ideas. This is what learning involves, the active construction of knowledge. Piaget described a state of constructive disequilibrium to identify how human beings move from one state of knowing to another. It is my hope that throughout this course, you will have opportunities to experience the state of constructive disequilibrium. While it may not be something we long for, it is something that reminds us that we are continuing to learn.

GRADING AND ASSIGNMENTS

CLASS PARTICIPATION, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Class attendance is mandatory for this class. The class will be conducted in a seminar fashion and each member of the class is responsible for being present and prepared to contribute to our discussions. Students will be asked to write summary responses and/or discussion questions to several assigned readings in the course. The readings will focus on: underperforming urban schools; statistics locally and nationally; graduation rates in urban areas; urban students and equal access to higher education; success in higher education. Be on time to class and ready to contribute.

Preparation, attendance and participation count 15% toward your final grade.

COMMUNITY LEARNING PROJECTS

In addition to our readings, discussions and writing assignments, you will be asked to participate in two community learning projects for this class.

Project One: The first project will be a project you design. You can decide to work with a partner or in a small team to address a particular need that you have identified and would like to work on. This project can involve the community at Trinity College and/or the community of Hartford. These projects can involve already existing outreach programs, or can involve the creation of new outreach programs, Be sure to discuss your ideas with the class so that we can offer suggestions on how you might go about designing and/or implementing your project. You will be asked to begin work on your first project at the beginning of the semester and continue working on it throughout the semester. Periodically I will ask you to provide an update on your project. You, or your team, will be asked to submit a project report twice during the semester. A team project report must identify all members of the group and the specific tasks that were completed by each member of the group.

Each report will count towards 10% of your grade for a total of 20% of your final grade.

Project Two: The second community learning project will involve working with 6^th graders at the Hartford Middle Magnet School located in the Learning Corridor. For the last several years HMMS has been partnering with Trinity College in a program called The Century Program. TCP works with several schools and colleges in Hartford on getting students to think about going on to college. Our work with the 6^th graders at HMMS will focus on goal setting, one of the key features of The Century Program.

Over the course of the semester, we will have four sessions with students at HMMS. The first set of sessions will introduce the idea of goal setting and get students to identify measurable goals that they might set for themselves. The second set of sessions will help students to evaluate their progress towards meeting their goals and ideas for setting additional goals. Tom Wolverton, the 6^th grade science teacher at HMMS will be our on-site coordinator for this project. Working with all 6^th graders means that we will be working with 200 students. Students will be asked to write reflective response papers to this experience. It is important whenever possible to link these reflections with information from previous readings whenever possible.

Four reflection papers, each one worth 5%, for a total of 20% of your final grade.

READINGS ASSIGNMENTS

With each set of readings I will ask you to create a series of questions that will form the basis of our class discussions of the readings. Over the course of the semester, the types of questions that you will be asked to submit will increase in difficulty.

Reading assignments will each count for 3%, for a total of 15% of your final grade.

RESPONSE PAPER

You will be asked to write a paper one of a number of assigned topics. Papers will be required to present a thesis on the topic and argue that thesis using sources that are properly cited in the text and in the bibliography. You may submit a draft of your paper to either our Writing Associate prior to submitting it to me. I would also suggest that you utilize the resource of our Research Associate in identifying appropriate resources to support your thesis.

Response Paper will count for 10% of your final grade.

RESEARCH PAPER

A final research paper is required at the end of the semester. Students will design a research paper topic that addresses an issue of importance regarding Learning in the Urban Context. The research paper will require presenting an issue, development of a thesis, an argument that supports the thesis. The paper must also utilize at least ten different references that will be used in the paper. The paper will also include a bibliography. All citations must follow MLA or APA style. The research paper will require a proposal that will receive comments and suggestions but will not be graded. The final hardcopy of your paper will be due by 4PM on May 8^th. .

The final research paper will be worth 20% of your final grade.

Grading: See Trinity College Academic Catalog.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

January

M 23 Introduction: Overview of the class, introduction of new students and their

experiences and discussion of ideas for learning projects and

organization of small project teams

M 30 Topic: Ideas for Individual or Group Community Learning Projects

Assignment: Based on our previous discussion, try to develop some ideas about what your first community learning project will be. Gather resources or links to people who will have information that may help your project along. Come to class ready to share your progress towards developing the project.

February

M 06 Topic: Hartford Data on Education

Reading: Kuzyk, I. (2003), A Hartford Primer and Field Guide pp.85-102. Hartford, CT: Trinity College.

Assignment: Continue to develop your community project. Be prepared to discuss your on-going progress towards meeting the goals of the project.

M 13 Topic: What Role Does Poverty Play in Promoting Educational Inequality?

Reading: Orfield, G. and Lee, C. (2005), “Why Segregation Matters: Poverty

and Educational Inequality.” Cambridge, MA: The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University,

Assignment: Compose six questions that you will bring into class and submit at the end of class. The questions should be designed to foster discussion and/or to aid in understanding the material.

M 20 Topic: Education of Junior High and Senior High Students

Reading: Alliance for Excellent Education (2003), “Investing in the Education of Older Students: A Summary of the Evidence.” Available on line at: www.all4ed.org

Assignment: Compose three questions based on this reading that include a context or framework for the question. Due at the end of class.

M 27 NO CLASS – Trinity Days

March

M 06 HMMS 6^th Grade Goal Setting Workshop

Assignment: Prepare the first report on your individual or group community learning project. Present your idea for the project and what you have done up until now to address your project. Whenever possible identify contacts that you have consulted with on the project. If you are working on a group project, each member of the team must be represented in the progress report. What are your next steps? DUE Thursday by 4PM—Hardcopy in the box outside my office.

M 13 HMMS 6^th Grade Goal Setting Workshop

Assignment: Write a three to four page reflection on your experience with the goal setting project. How did the project change for you from week one to week two? Did you recall any of your own middle school experiences as you worked with students? What do you remember about the students you worked with over these two weeks? Describe a few of the students you worked with on this project use rich description in your writing. DUE: Thursday 4PM Hardcopy

M 20 NO CLASS, Spring Vacation

M 27 Topic: Entering and Completing College—The Latino Perspective

Reading: Swail, W., Cabrera, A., Lee, C., and Williams, A. (2005), “Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline: Part III Pathways to the Bachelor’s Degree for Latino Students.” Stafford, VA: Educational Policy Institute. Available on line at: www.educationalpolicy.org

Assignment: Prepare three in-depth questions based on this reading. Establish the context for each of your questions from material in the reading. These are due at the end of the class.

TBA Library Session with Sam Fulton.

April

M 03 Topic: Hartford and Education

Visit with Mayor Eddie Perez and Tour of City Hall

Assignment: In preparation for our meeting with the Mayor, each student will develop at least three questions that have roots in the readings that we have done in the course. I suggest that you utilize data whenever possible in your questions. An excellent site for information and data on Hartford is the web site: www.hartfordinfo.org You might also check out the Hartford Courant for up to date stories that relate to education in Hartford for additional material.

Bring a hardcopy of your questions to be handed into me following our meeting with the Mayor.

F 07 DUE: Research Paper Proposal. Students must submit a one page write-up

of their proposed research topic in which they identify the topic, their rationale for choosing this topic, and a preliminary list of at least six resources they will use to address the topic. Resources must be sited properly. You must submit a hardcopy of this proposal. Proposals are due by 4PM in the box outside my office.

M 10 Topic: Meeting the Literacy Needs of Hartford Adults

Guest: Khaiim Kelly ‘03, Assistant Program Manager, Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford.

Assignment: Write a three page reflection on our meeting with the Mayor. What ideas did the Mayor present that are designed to address some of the issues we have discussed in class? What kind of commitment does the Mayor have to increasing educational excellence in Hartford? How successful will the Mayor be in implementing these ideas? What obstacles do you see that may prevent him from meeting his goals?

In preparation for our guest speaker, please visit the Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford web site: www.greaterhartfordreads.org Check the publication Take Action for Literacy: The Status of Literacy in Greater Hartford 2003 (November 2003). A link to the report can be found by clicking on the link to Publications.

M 17 HMMS 6^th Grade Goal Setting Workshop

Assignment: Prepare the final report on your individual or group community learning project. Provide a framework that describes where you began on this project. What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome them? Did your project change as you dealt with the issues and challenges that you faced? Remember that each member of your group must be represented in the final report. Is your project going to continue?

M 24 HMMS 6^th Grade Goal Setting Workshop

Assignment: Write a four page reflection paper on your experience working with the students at HMMS on the goals setting project. Provide rich descriptions of your experience. DUE: Thursday 4PM Hardcopy

May

M 01 Topic: Learning in the Urban Community

Assignment: TBA

M 08 Research Paper Due—You must submit a hard copy of your paper to my

office by 4PM.