Syllabus

While surfing on the website of my new school, I found a syllabus of a course I was thinking of taking next semester. Well, it was a syllabus for the same course when it was offered last semester, so there could be some changes, but there wouldn't be a major change, as it would be offered by the same professor, same course format, same description, and so on. I was just thinking of emailing that professor and asking what the course load would like, so it was just the good timing.

The description is just what I expected. An overview of social theories in education for doctorate students, covering about 5-7 major thinkers in the sociology of education. Great. I need to have a good grasp of these thoughts to do research and write papers! And the writing assignments seem interesting and engaging. Reflecting back on and theorizing my own experience in education, gradually integrating ideas from the reading. Interesting. It will help me understand the theories so I can convey in my own words and that'll help me use the theories in my own research.

Then came the reading list part of the syllabus. Some weeks are fine, but this is a lot of reading. It's about 50-100 pages per week, and I guess that's normal for graduate level seminars. BUT there are weeks where a whole book of a great thinker (some hundred pages!) is assigned. I take three courses like this and also teach!?

Luckily there seem to be a copy of the main textbook and one recommended textbook at the UH library, so I will check them out and start reading it. If I like the textbook that may be a good sign too!