EDFN 2010

Course: Social & Demographic Landscapes of Urban Schooling (EDFN 2010) 

Professor: Alfredo Nova

This course prepared students to use digital technology and resources to locate, retrieve, and examine population characteristics (i.e. demographics) related to educational outcomes and issues of social equity in urban schools and their surrounding communities. Students utilized relevant databases to retrieve and examine social and demographic data relevant to the analysis of urban educational spaces to describe the landscape of Urban Schooling in Los Angeles and related social equity outcomes. These include but are not limited to federal Census data reports, state of California Department of Education and Department of Toxic Substance Control open databases. Students learned how to describe the processes of socialization and identity formation in specific sociocultural spaces (as defined by census data for differing social and demographic characteristics), emphasizing respectful, reciprocal relationships that both support and empower families. Students learned how to synthesize and critically apply data retrieved from multiple databases for an investigation of the educational spaces of contemporary urban populations served by specific urban schools and/or community/educational agencies. Students identified the critical geographies and underlying theoretical perspectives informing contemporary urban schooling in the U.S. Students described and provided examples of the intersectionality of race/class/gender/sexuality and its implications for knowledge and learning in urban schools.

Student Projects

Survey on I Learn America's Impact
Araceli Gastelum, Daniel Alvarado, Maritza Morales & Howard Kwan

Speak Your Past
Victoria Medina, Leslie Martinez, Mariana Ramirez, Roberto Madrigal

Community Crimes in Relation to Trauma in Children
Gisselle Aguirre, Daisy Buena, Diane Murtha, Phoebe Wong

Air/Environmental Pollution and trauma in Lennox Community
Israel Chaidez-Hernandez, Jessica Banuelos, Karen Garcia, Griselda Victoria

Motherhood Matters
Ashley Ruiz, Brandy Torres, Paola Sevilla, & Kery Rodriguez

Verifying data from the Maternal Mental Health Resource Directory
Priscila Estrada, Lorena Lemus, Veronica Banuelos, Jessica Rios

My Community, My Home
Evelyn Vasquez