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Back to School: A Peek at Student Learning in HFA Classrooms

August 23, 2023 Academics

Content

Teaching music

Curious what faculty are teaching inside HFA classrooms? Head back to school with these stories about a modernized music theory class; how the classics meet computer science in Italy; why philosophy students are taught to ‘Question Everything’; and how architecture department is making the field more accessible.  

Music Theorist Jason Hooper Revamps Curriculum to Be More Inclusive 

Jason Hooper
Jason Hooper, senior lecturer II and music theorist in the Department of Music and Dance, working with students in his Music Theory I course.

When it comes to music theory, how do we create a curriculum that reflects what our students are doing? How can we make music theory easier to access and understand? And what does that look like inside the classroom?  

These are questions Jason Hooper, senior lecturer II and music theorist in the Department of Music and Dance, asked himself as he reworked the curriculum of his Music Theory I course to make it more inclusive and accessible for incoming music students. 

“Music theory has undergone some rapid changes. There’s been a lot of consciousness raising,” Hooper explained. “I’m trying to take myself out of the role of authority figure and act more like someone who’s guiding students to do their work in the way they want to do it. For me, this is about showing what students in the music program are capable of doing together.” 

Learn more.

Classics Meets Computer Science in Italy 

Poggio Civitate
Photo Credit: poggiocivitate.com

Anthony Tuck, professor and chair in the Classics Department, and Michelle Trim, CICS informatics program director, received $90,000 in Public Interest Technology University Network grants to lead a project that combines classics with computer science. 

Together, Tuck and Trim will develop a study abroad data science course, co-located and integrated with the curriculum of the Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School in Tuscany, Italy.  

“We hope to use this grant to develop curricular partnerships between Classics and Informatics through archaeological data science,” said Tuck. “Poggio Civitate is a perfect example of undergraduate research, where students get hands-on experience, so the goal is not just to bring students out into the field, but to help pull students from siloed environments together.” 

Learn more.

Philosophy Program Invites High School Students to ‘Question Everything’ 

Professor of Philosophy Julia Jorati and Ned Markosian work with a student during the summer 2022 Question Everything program.
Professor of Philosophy Julia Jorati and Ned Markosian work with a student during the summer 2022 Question Everything program.

Question Everything is a residential summer program led by co-directors for the Center for Philosophy and Children and professors of philosophy Julia Jorati and Ned Markosian. Now in its second year, the program aims to make philosophical concepts and college more accessible to high school students from Holyoke and Springfield, Mass.  

Thanks to a new, $250,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation, the Center’s outreach will expand its efforts to bring educational and intellectual opportunities to area children and their teachers, inspire them to curiosity, and awaken their philosophical talents. 

“High school is an age where students are questioning everything. They’re trying to figure out who they are, their place in their world. They're thinking about big notions like social justice, and big, philosophical questions," explained Jorati. “In school, they don’t get as many opportunities to explore these concepts, so it’s nice to give them a chance to think about these questions with like-minded peers.” 

Learn more.

Architecture’s Erika Zekos Strives to Make Field More Accessible 

 black and white map of Springfield, MA with multi-color sticky notes
Students identified areas of familiarity within the city such as their neighborhoods, schools, shops, city center, parks, and other locations to begin a discussion about the nature of their built environment.

At Springfield's High School of Science and Technology, teens can get a glimpse into what life could be like as an architect thanks to the Future Architects Club, a six-session architecture workshop run by Erika Zekos, senior lecturer and undergraduate program director in the UMass Amherst Department of Architecture, and My-Ron Hatchett, senior project manager for the Department of Capital Asset Construction for the City of Springfield.   

The workshop is held after school and open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in Springfield public schools. It introduces students to the field of architecture and the construction industry. Created with a spatial justice lens, it also invites students to analyze and discuss equitable distribution of space and resources in their city in a program that combines theory with advocacy and action.    

“Our goal with this is tied into two things: a longstanding interest by the Department of Architecture and its faculty to do outreach to the next generation of college students, and the intention of making this field—and our degree—accessible to everyone,” said Zekos.  

Learn more.

Article posted in Academics for Prospective students and Alumni

Related programs

  • Architecture
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Classics

Related departments

  • Classics
  • Music and Dance
  • Philosophy
  • Architecture

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