Introduction to Education: Understanding and Evaluating Education
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this introductory education course built around real K-12 classroom experience. Students spend time each week observing pre-college math and science classes, then bring what they see back into student-led discussions and activities. Topics include curriculum design and implementation, addressing the needs of a diverse student body, math and science standards, common student misconceptions, methods of instruction, the digital divide, teaching through different media, and student assessment. The course pairs classroom observation with structured reflection, asking students to evaluate what actually works in a teaching setting rather than just theorize about it. Materials include the syllabus, assignments, and readings from MIT's OpenCourseWare site, free to access under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered.