Overcoming Adversity

The big picture’s the focus,
[To heck with] being hopeless.
–  The Roots, “Glitches”

This section focuses on the influence of non-academic factors on academic success and how our understanding of them can help disadvantaged children succeed. Among the non-academic factors I am most able to help you explore are resilience, motivation, and the effects of impoverished extracurricular environments on learning and self-efficacy.

The main goals for the first (fall) semester will be (1) to gain a solid understanding of an issue within the general realm of students’ abilities to overcome adversity to succeed academically and (2) to design and propose an investigation based on your acquired understanding of your area and what more you would like to learn about it. Of course, your general idea and design must first be approved by me. You may form small groups of four or fewer students to work cooperatively on a project. Please keep in mind that I will expect a more sophisticated and well-reasoned product from a group than I would from an individual.

During the second semester (if not late in the first), you will complete your inquiry process and—with my help—analyze the outcomes. You will then draw conclusions from these analyses that advance your knowledge of the issue. The final product of the course sequence should demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of your area, and a well-reasoned and presented position that advances the field through the results of your inquiry.

Throughout both semesters, we will hold some classes that use traditional teacher-centered lectures to cover how and why science is done the way it is. We will also hold more student-centered classes in which you present and discuss your topics and designs with each other to help each other.

Information about the latest session of Dr. Samuels’ section of EDD 630 (the first semester) can be found here. Linked to through that page are, e.g., the syllabus, the schedule of course events and readings, expected course outcomes, and the current grading policy. Similar information about EDD 631 can be found through here.

Students who are interested should see Dr. Samuels during office hours on Wednesdays from 4:30 – 5:30 pm or contact him by email at el.samuels@csi.cuny.edu to set up an appointment.

You can learn more about Dr. Samuels’ background and interests here.

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