Education, Culture, and Society: Master's Capstone
By Hongyang Zhao
Annotated Transcript
This section details the courses I have taken as part of the ECS program. For each course, I provide a general description, discuss my takeaways, and show its connection to my capstone.
Fall 2023
EDUC 5490 School and Society
Dr. Kathleen Hall
In this course, I learned about the social, historical, and anthropological underpinnings of education across different contexts. I was particularly interested in our cross-national discussions of the experiences of Chinese students both in China and foreign countries. These discussions allowed me to be more informed of my identity as a Chinese international student and gain a nuanced understanding of differences among Chinese students who choose to either take the Gaokao or seek an international education.
I also familiarized the mental health challenges associated with high-stakes testing in China, which prompted me to examine the potential of SEL interventions in addressing the mental health crisis among Chinese children and adolescents. The result is a website on the history, current status, and future of SEL in Chinese elementary schools.
Me and Professor Hall at the ECS End-of-Semester Party (Spring 2024).
EDUC 5780 History of American Education Reform
Dr. Jon Zimmerman
In this course, I learned about the ways in which America designed and implemented education reforms based on the needs of the times. We investigated different topics that cover the accomplishments and pitfalls of American education reform. Through these topics, I gained a better understanding of how the current controversies around education reforms came to be, especially the attack on Affirmative Action by Asian American students and families. To investigate this matter further, I authored a paper on the relationship between meritocracy and the Asian American "preoccupation" with the great education myth.
Me and Professor Zimmerman at the ECS End-of-Semester Party (Fall 2023).
EDUC 5428 Participatory Action Research
Dr. Sharon Ravitch
In this course, I learned about how participatory action research can be an equalizing and empowering agent in modern research. Through our class discussions, I became cognizant of the need to listen to the voices of the researched and get them actively involved in the research process. That aligns with the justice-based framework that I have envisioned for my portfolio. For this course, I worked collaboratively on a research proposal that examines the effectiveness of the Innovative Teacher Support Package (ITSP) through the lens of digital literacy based on the T-PACK framework.
From the class slides on ITSP and COT in Punjab, Pakistan.
Spring 2024
EDUC 5562 Personality and Social Development
Dr. Xinyin Chen
This course provided me with the foundational knowledge of the history, theories, and application of personality studies across different contexts. It explores topics under socioemotional functioning, social withdrawal, social competence, and social relationships. In relation to my portfolio, this course inspired me to think about the relationship between SEL interventions and the challenges confronted by adolescents during personality development. The inspiration prompted me to write a paper on the potential of SEL in addressing the internalizing and externalizing challenges faced by adolescents.
The CASEL Wheel for social-emotional learning
EDUC 5912 Math Tutoring at an Urban Elementary School
Dr. Caroline Ebby & Dr. Joy Anderson
This course provided me with the opportunity to combine theories in early math education with the practical application of effective tutoring strategies. It has been a gratifying experience to be my tutee’s math friend and I have learned a lot about being an effective math tutor from her. In this class, I learned theories on the development of number sense and additive reasoning among K-2 students. Moreover, I learned about effective pedagogical practices that helped me tap into my tutee’s potential to be a strategic mathematician. In my portfolio, I included my family engagement project to illustrate my journey with my math friend.
Me tutoring my math friend at the Powel School in West Philadelphia.
EDUC 6101 Curriculum Design & Enactment
Dr. Janine Remillard
This course provided me with a solid foundation in the theories and processes of curriculum design and enactment. We engaged with frameworks such as UBL, backward design, and the ecology of curriculum enactment. We looked at goal-setting, question-framing, aligning activities, evidence of learning, and assessment. We also delved into the constraints and challenges that confront curriculum design and enactment, which are moderated by external and internal factors on multiple levels. For the final project in this class, I co-designed a curricular module on one of the five SEL competencies under the CASEL framework: Social Awareness based on relevant research and course readings.
Curriculum enactment process framework from Remillard & Heck (2014)
EDUC 6910 Classroom Discourse
Dr. Abby Reisman & Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath
This course delves into the philosophical underpinnings of classroom discourse and the constraints and affordances around its implementation. We looked at what constitutes effective classroom discourse and the respective agency of teachers and students in conducting classroom discourse. We also evaluated examples of classroom discourse through a variety of lenses and frameworks such as the Science Discourse Instrument (SDI) and epistemic progress. The artifacts from this course are not directly related to my capstone. However, it offers a unique perspective from which I can discern the desirable practices to facilitate meaningful classroom discourse.
EDUC 6940 Master's Seminar in Education, Culture, and Society
Dr. Alex Posecznick & Dr. Leigh Graham
This two-part seminar that spans from Fall to Spring has been a place for intellectual growth and collaborative learning. I was able to receive constructive feedback and much-needed support from my peers and the instructors in this close-knit community. This seminar specifically helped me build my reflective essay, conceptual framework essay, and recommendations. We have also used several class periods in the media lab to develop our own websites. The absence of fixed deadlines has allowed me to really pace myself and reflect consistently on what worked and what did not. This rewarding process enabled me to refine my work based on timely feedback and valuable criticism. The whole seminar culminates in the completion of the website that you are reading. I genuinely appreciate the love and support that I received throughout this journey.
The portfolio crew at the end of the spring semester (2024).