This spring, Loyola University Maryland’s School of Education will present “Contemporary American Education: A Deep Look at Broad Themes,” a series of colloquia devoted to exploring the foundations of learning, teaching, and schooling and the role these often-overlooked themes of education play in the success of schools today. The series begins on Thursday, March 18 and continues through April 15.
“When education leaders consider the challenges and opportunities in today’s schools, they tend to narrow the focus too quickly,” said Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D., founding dean of Loyola’s School of Education. “This series asks us to back up a little bit, to examine the deep foundational themes to better understand the issues that influence education. We’ve invited four leading scholars to not just present lectures, but to stimulate a deeper conversation on these important topics.”
These key subjects include the history of education in America, comprehensive human development, spirituality, and social justice.
In addition to each guest lecturer’s keynote address—each of which will be free and open to the public—participating scholars will also engage in a variety of other activities on campus, from roundtables to lunches with students and faculty to class visits.
The speakers and keynote address details are:
- Thursday, March 18: “Enriched Environments, Activity-Based Learning, and Higher-Order Cognitive Functions: The Neurological Case for Montessori Education,” presented by Steven D. Hughes, Ph.D., director of education and research for the TOVA Company and assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
- Thursday, March 25: “Educating an Exceptional Empire, 1865-1905: The Federal Government, Schooling, and the Legacies of American Colonial Rule,” presented by Sarah Manekin, Ph.D., a lecturer in the expository writing program at Johns Hopkins University.
- Wednesday, April 7: “Child Abuse: Real vs. Fiction,” presented by Wendy Smith, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of teacher education at Loyola University Maryland.
- Thursday, April 15: “Educating as a Bodhisattva: Aware of the Self, Engaged as a Leader,” presented by Deborah Schussler, Ed.D., associate professor of education and human services at Villanova University.
All presentations take place from 6:30– 8 p.m. on the University’s North Charles Street campus. The March 25 event takes place in the 4th Floor Program Room; all others take place in McGuire Hall East. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Additional information about related events open to the public will be made available. For more information on this series, please visit www.loyola.edu/urbaned or call 410-617-5550.
For more information or questions regarding this story, contact Media Relations Manager Nick Alexopulos at nalexopulos@loyola.edu or 410-617-5025.