SOCI V3225

The lectures were very dry and boring, but the reading was very interesting and you will learn a lot about Education in the United States. In spite of the boring presentation and too-long tests, I would recommend this class because the material is so important. The course will change (or at least make you think hard about) how you approach major issues.....and isn't that the point?

Not terrible, 2 papers, a midterm and a final. The exams aren't easy but there's nothing on them that you won't know if you haven't prepared. Papers have you argue about a course topic- magnet schools, etc and another one is more geared towards research.

Participation (show up to class, sign attendance sheet) Readings can be quite heavy sometimes. You can expect to read a book or selected chapters to prepare for the week's classes. Other times, she posts the readings on CourseWorks. Midterm and final - both take-home. If you do the readings, then you will be fine. Original research paper - this can seem daunting (I almost dropped the class because of it), but once you find your research question (e.g. something to do with tracking, or something to do with procrastination), it can be really fun. It's 8-10 pages. She announces it on the very first day of class, and it's due early December, so you'll have lots of time to think of a question and to conduct interviews.

Won't send you reeling....2 papers: 1 short and 1 long. Very flexible with submission tardiness. Final is not that tolling if you've done the reading. And even if you didn't do the reading during the semester, the material is accesible and interesting, so cramming the night before is a viable option for the lazy at heart!

2 short papers, a midterm, a final, and a good deal of reading

Weiss is a really nice guy, despite the 9am time slot, you (might) find yourself actually setting your alarm to go to this one. The class and subject matter was simple- leave it to sociologists to write an entire article on research of crowds in middle school -"from nerds to normals". Granted this is a private university and the majority of the students are from elite public schools and private schools and were confused by some of the seemingly basic concepts discussed ("students in public schools are TRACKED? and it's not their choice??"). But if you're one of the few who went to a run of the mill public school you'll have a much easier time. TA is a picky grader- this isn't an english course and she pays too much attention to grammar and structure of essays. Weiss has you buy 4 books and an overpriced coursepack, the books are somewhat useless.

Sharpe's teaching style is a standard lecture. She basically has a PowerPoint and talks about the readings. However, this class is also discussion-based, so she will elicit answers and responses from students about the readings. Personally, I found the class and subject material interesting. However, even if you are not studying sociology or education (or both), you can still succeed in the class. Furthermore, the concepts you learn in class are quite eye-opening and will probably explain a lot with regards to your schooling experiences.

Probably will be a big lecture, but she makes time for discussion, and if you're not shy, it's easy to get in an opinion. She doesn't mind being interrupted with questions as do some professors, which is nice. The material is spread out, and some may say spread thin, but I think for a survey course it does justice to the major topics...especially the sickly state of many public schools in non-suburban, non-white districts. It pays a lot of attention to inequalities and performance disparities. Lectures are on target. Neckerman is knowledgeable and capable professor.

If you are passionate about sociology, education, or LIFE, do not take this course because Professor Morest will in no way understand or reflect any of these passions. While some of the books assigned were extremely interesting and the TA's were always helpful, Professor Morest is the most boring lecturer I have ever had. She drones on and on about inconsequential topics and rarely gives any sense of her own experience or investment in the topic at hand. While clearly a very nice woman, she does not yet understand testing situations (we were given a midterm that few people finished) or how to relate to students in a classroom. The reading is important to do for success in the class, but only take this is you are prepared to sleep through every class

not bad. all articles or books = one's called "jocks and burnouts." 2 short papers, one midterm, one final. not a harsh grader