2010 / 2011 School of Education

Academic and Student Resources

The School of Education is a very special community. Within the School itself, numerous academic resources enrich intellectual inquiry and provoke philosophical debate. There is a strong tradition for faculty to carry theory into community action through the creation of programs and centers that not only advance research and academic dialogue, but provide models for change and innovation.

Academic Resources

Education House
Located at 179 Bay State Road, Education House is a specialty undergraduate residence house opened in the fall of 1990. Education House provides a unique opportunity to 波士顿大学 students to address the future of education from the perspective of those who will be called upon to provide leadership. Students have opportunities to participate in education programs that provide a focus for the serious study of the educational profession.

Eligibility: 波士顿大学 undergraduates who are in good standing within the University community are eligible to apply for residence. The intention is to have a balance of students enrolled in programs sponsored by the School of Education, 波士顿大学 Dual Degree program students, and those who are enrolled in secondary education programs with a major in the appropriate discipline.

Undergraduate Student Government
Undergraduate students are represented within the School of Education and 波士顿大学 by an active undergraduate Student Government (SG). In addition to planning and providing educational and social functions, SG is the voice of undergraduate students at the School of Education. Undergraduates, through SG, are also active participants in the 波士顿大学 Student Senate and the School of Education Faculty Assembly.

Graduate Student Association Organized over 30 years ago, the School of Education Graduate Student Association (GSA) seeks to promote programming for the graduate students in the School of Education and 波士顿大学 Community. The GSA plans and sponsors events to assist School of Education graduate students to acclimate to the University, promote awareness of current issues in Education, and develop a sense of community.

Events sponsored in the past include:

WIP forums (research works in progress for faculty and graduate students)
Monthly research colloquia
Social and cultural events (Boston Red Sox games, Boston Symphony performances, Museum of Fine Arts guided tours, etc.)
Student/faculty social gatherings
Guest speakers
Fund-raising activities
Professional development workshops
Panel discussions
Intramural sports

Membership The GSA membership consists of current and former School of Education part-time and full-time graduate students. Meetings are scheduled periodically throughout the academic year. All current School of Education graduate students and alumni are welcome to participate in the GSA and the events sponsored by the group.

Instructional Materials Center (IMC) is a multimedia technology resource center for the SED community. At the IMC, students, faculty, and staff have access to various technologies and expertise that facilitate research, communication, collaboration, and the production of digital and paper-based educational resources. The center supports a wide range of instructional and communications aids, including extensive computing and printing resources; multimedia classrooms; telecommunications; scanning, digital video, and graphics.

The Kevin Ryan Library for Ethics & Education, which opened in the spring of 2001, houses a reserve collection of books in moral education and ethics, both classical and contemporary, a video library, and practical resources in character education. The library offers students, scholars, visitors, and area teachers a place to study, conduct research, participate in interdisciplinary roundtable discussions and lectures, and review the work of the Center for Character & Social Responsibility (CCSR). The library also provides professional instructional space for CAEC-sponsored seminars and institutes. The Ryan Library is located on the 4th floor of 621 Commonwealth Avenue.

The Center for the Study of Communication & the Deaf is devoted to both applied and theoretical research to benefit the Deaf and their families. Faculty and students have focused on three major research themes: the acquisition of signed languages, the impact of language on the education of the Deaf child, and the developmental assessment of bilingual approaches to the education of Deaf children. A variety of community services focus on projects assisting the hearing parents of Deaf children and on workshops and presentations to area agencies. The center has begun to create assessment instruments to determine ASL development in Deaf children.

The Microcosmos Project in the Science Education Program, available to students and faculty in both the School of Education and the larger University communities, advocates an interactive approach to teaching. The program integrates microbial life studies and innovative science-education pedagogy with the science methods courses, and includes a small study area, a pond and plant display, and gallery exhibits on important science content developed by current students. For more information, please contact Dr. Douglas Zook at 617-353-2030, or email dzook@bu.edu.

International Symbiosis Society Located in the Science Education Program, the International Symbiosis Society is made up of biology researchers and educators from around the world. The society fosters learning and sharing about the importance of symbiotic systems, including coral reefs, lichens, and forest communities. For more information, contact Dr. Douglas Zook, president, International Symbiosis Society, 617-353-2030, email dzook@bu.edu, or access his web page, http://people.bu.edu/iss.

The Journal of Education Founded in 1875, the Journal of Education is the oldest continuously published educational journal in the United States. Since 1952 it has been published by the 波士顿大学 School of Education. Addressed to both scholars and practitioners, it includes essays and reviews on a wide range of topics. For further information or to arrange a subscription, please contact the Journal at 617-353-3230 or by email at bujed@bu.edu.

Community Service

The 波士顿大学 School of Education has a long tradition of community service that grows out of the vision of its founders in 1918. Dr. Arthur H. Wilde, first dean of the School, wrote, “Our policy has been to keep in as vital touch with the everyday work of the schools as we could—to know the needs of the teachers and of the school officers and to give immediate satisfaction to those needs, yet with a view to the broader education of these teachers and officers.”

The 波士顿大学/Boston Public Schools Collaborative is the administrative organization at the University that oversees more than a dozen programs created in support of the Boston Public Schools. In 1975, court-ordered school desegregation in Boston stimulated an unprecedented commitment by Boston-area colleges, universities, and businesses to help the city’s schools and children. 波士顿大学 has been and continues to be an active participant. University resources contribute to the support of a full-time director who initiates and seeks funding for new programs which involve faculty and students in serving the needs of Boston schoolchildren.

The 波士顿大学 Initiative for Literacy Development (BUILD) is a collaborative effort enjoying the support and contributions of the School of Education, and the 波士顿大学 Financial Assistance and Student Employment offices. With federal Work-Study funds made available by 波士顿大学 in support of the federal America Reads and local Read Boston programs, 150 literacy tutors provide assistance in one hospital, eight after-school, and six in-school programs serving elementary schoolchildren in Boston and Chelsea. For eligibility information, contact the Work-Study Manager at 617-353-2387. For information about the program, please write to Ruth Shane; email: rshane@bu.edu or visit the BUILD website.

波士顿大学 School of Education Consortium In 1977, the 波士顿大学 School of Education and a selection of Boston-area school districts, social service agencies, and overseas universities came together to form a consortium for the mutual exchange of expertise and training. Since that time, Consortium school systems and social service agencies have provided SED students with a variety of settings in which to pursue student-teaching, school-based counseling experiences, and administrative internships. For more information, contact Jo-Anne Richard, 617-353-3239, email: jrichard@bu.edu. Website: www.bu.edu/sed/consortium.

Step UP 波士顿大学 is one of five universities involved in Step UP, an unprecedented collaboration with the Boston Public Schools and the City of Boston to help ten local schools. Step UP was formed in the fall of 2006 and provides comprehensive, coordinated services aimed at improving student performance. 波士顿大学’s two partner schools are William Monroe Trotter Elementary School in Dorchester and English High School in Jamaica Plain. Based on the needs identified by each partner school, BU aims to help the Trotter and the English make improvements in areas such as instruction and tutoring, after-school support, student wellness and safety, and family and community engagement.

International Programs

波士顿大学 and its School of Education have a history of offering a variety of programs abroad and to students from around the world. Faculty from the School of Education have led programs in more than a dozen countries on six continents.

A degree from 波士顿大学 is well-recognized and highly respected throughout the world, and the University continues to broaden its international activities. The School of Education attracts many international students to several of its programs. Of particular interest is our Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program, which is one of the most sophisticated of its kind in the country. The Physical Education, Health & Coaching Program has brought students from many parts of Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa to study at the School. The EdM in International Educational Development (IEDP) trains mid-career professionals—including those returning from the Peace Corps—in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of development projects. All of these programs are described in detail in this website.

Since 1985, the School of Education has implemented a student-teaching program as part of a larger International Initiative. This program has promoted opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad in Australia, Ecuador, and England.