Drew University Moodle

General Drew Seminar Course Description:
The Drew Seminar introduces students to the intellectual life of a liberal arts education. Led by a faculty member dedicated to working with first-year students, the seminar provides a stimulating introduction to rigorous, college-level work that centers on the exploration of a particular topic or subject area, and includes development of critical thinking, information literacy, and writing skills, as well as oral and interpersonal communication skills. Activities include formal and informal writing, discussion of readings, oral presentations, and writing revision.

Specific DSEM Course Description:
FROM APHRODITE TO LADY PINK: WOMEN AND ART

This seminar will explore the evolving role of women as patrons of art, makers of art, and as subjects of art. Through a series of case studies and a variety of media, we will explore the visual arts, both past and present, as a means to better understand the role of women in past cultures and in our modern society. Some of the topics covered will include: prominent, powerful women of the past such as Queen Christina of Sweden; ancient images of Venus/Aphrodite will be discussed in connection with their Renaissance reincarnation and modern images of the nude. In addition, we will question the emergence of the female artist in the sixteenth century and the role of women today as award-winning architects, street artists, and women whose work is in major museums around the world.

In this course, we will focus on the process of writing fiction. We will read as writers and consider discrete element of craft, including character development, plot, dialogue, point of view, and setting. We will compose short pieces and full-length stories. Since good writers are attentive, critical readers, we’ll also examine a range of stories by contemporary writers. The workshop-style seminar depends on active participation, in-class and take-home writing, and commitment to the process of revision.

This course introduces students to the study and practice of social movements. Students will engage with theories of social movement mobilization, focus on the development of movement strategies and aims, and assess the impact of movements on the American social, political, and policy landscapes. The course is anchored by an examination of the African American Civil Rights movements of the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as the contemporary Movement for Black Lives. Particular attention will be paid to the status of the rights afforded to each group before its collective mobilization and in the aftermath of its political activism.
Successful social movements are collaborative projects that secure the participation and buy-in of a membership base. In the spirit of modeling the participatory nature of effective movement building, this course invites students to actively engage in designing the course. Students will also take an active role in shaping the course through their case study presentations during the final weeks of the semester. These movements might include: Farmworkers and the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, Gay Rights (ACT UP) and/or Marriage Equality, Industrial Workers of the World and/or Occupy Wall Street, the Watts Riots and/or the Ferguson uprising, the Women’s Rights Movement and/or the #MeToo movement. Readings for these movement case studies will be selected in collaboration with the professor.


All of the assigned course readings and assignments relate to questions of identity, diversity, and difference. Throughout the course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the place of diversity and identity in American politics as they examine how responsive (or nonresponsive) American legislative, juridical, and social institutions are to rights-based claims-making.

“Vital Worship in the 21st Century for United Methodists” is an online asynchronous course that examines the history, theology, and practices of Christian worship through an ecumenically-minded United Methodist lens. The main goals of the class are to: (1) introduce the discipline of liturgical studies; (2) develop historical, theological, and practical foundations for vital worship leadership; and (3) foster theological/pastoral reflection and evaluation of the liturgical life of faith communities.

HIST-215: History by the Numbers, is a course in quantitative history. The course objectives are twofold: to develop students' understanding of important problems in contemporary U.S. society using historical quantitative data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other quality online sources. Second, the course aims to increase students' skills and confidence in using quantitative information, and of processing this information using basic statistical and presentation methods.

The Black Christ(s) and Their Descendants
January Term 2024

This course follows the history of the development of racialized Christologies in the 20th and 21st century America. It begins by examining the various articulations of a “Black Messiah/Christ” that emerged as the Civil Rights Movement came to an end, and offers reflections on the cultural and intellectual contexts that made these images important. We then discuss how these images “aged” in the decades following the Civil Rights movement, giving special attention to the appraisal of these images made by a subsequent generation of antiracist thinkers and theologians—especially, womanist theologians, as well as cultural and religious critics. We next move to trace how these appraisals opened up the imaginative space for what is now called “Critical Race Theory,” and examine how 21st century theologians have attempted to reimagine the “Black Christ” (e.g. as a “Mulatto Christ”) so as to bring it line with the advances made by Critical Race Theory. Finally, we will look at where this history has brought us, and discuss the future of racialized Christologies.

This is a lecture course that meets in a hybrid format during the January term, with readings and assignments to be completed in the weeks following classroom time.

This introductory course provides a foundation for the profession of teaching, addresses professional expectations of future practitioners, and introduces the topics of regular and special education to teacher candidates. We examine the foundations of education from a philosophical perspective, including introductory knowledge of lesson planning, classroom management, generic teaching methods, inclusive teaching practices, child development, legal and ethical issues, culturally responsive teaching, and the significant role of reflection in teaching. Considering multiple perspectives, we explore current issues such as charter schools, teacher evaluation, Common Core standards, equitable access to education and the roles of local, state, and federal governments in regulating public education. As a way to connect theory and practice, teacher candidates conduct twenty-five hours of classroom observations coordinated by the instructor and assess their own abilities in relation to the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers. Additionally, teacher candidates assess their dispositions as caring professionals and develop an educational philosophy. They learn and apply skills that will allow them to write successfully for multiple audiences in the profession (students, families, colleagues, and administrators).

This seminar accompanies the student teaching internship and meets on a weekly basis for discussion and reflection of the interns’ clinical experiences. Students will examine the student teaching experience, analyze problem situations, and learn how to affect change. Professionals from local schools will be invited to discuss how to get a job and how to live as a teacher. The course will bring together content knowledge, professional dispositions/caring, instructional methods, assessment strategies, collaboration, diversity, classroom management, and technology. It is a senior capstone course. MAT 900 will utilize prior course assignments and assessments to assist candidates in developing their edTPA portfolio. MAT 900 is a seminar in which students will reflect on teaching and their plans for future learning, finalize their performance/professional portfolio.