Critical Questioner: Students will express a critical, questioning perspective (i.e., identify, describe, and analyze) about diverse theoretical paradigms about teaching, learning and school reform, including those generated by marginalized groups, which situate schooling in a larger historic and political context.  This means that:
 

• Students use broad undergirding epistemological perspectives (i.e., positivism, phenomenology, narrative, emancipatory knowledge) to critically interpret what people say about teaching, learning, and school reform.
• Students compare and contrast "mainstream" perspectives about teaching and learning with those generated by members of marginalized groups.
• Students use their own personal and professional experience as a foundation to articulate their own perspectives about teaching and learning issues.
• Students situate (identify, place, and interpret) specific school issues in larger sociological contexts defined by complex historical and contemporary relations of race, ethnicity, language, social class, and gender.

Criteria and standards for evaluation:
 
 

	Depth of understanding	Evidence of own voice	Significance of the issues	Broad contextualization
Exemplary	Makes direct application of theory to practice; explains theories in own words, making real life connection; uses analysis and synthesis; offers unique examples	Advocates a position; negotiates between own perspective and those of others; clearly acknowledges own assumptions, beliefs and values	Articulates importance and  relevance of action thesis in a way that resonates with personal passions and experience as well as moral and broad societal implications for change; challenges what has been taken for granted or accepted	Clearly situates action thesis within different theoretical traditions and paradigms, and/or political, social, historical, and economic contexts
Satisfactory	Occasionally offers direct applications and examples; explains, paraphrases, summarizes theory in own words	Identifies and articulates own position; may negotiate between own perspective and those of others; acknowledges own assumptions, beliefs and values.	Articulates some reasoning for the importance and  relevance of one's topic in a way that reflect both personal experience and broader societal implications	To some extent, situates action thesis within different theoretical traditions and paradigms and/or political, social, historical, and economic contexts
Has not yet met the Outcome	Doesnít explain theories, literature, focus in own words or make connections to own life and work	Rarely speaks from own experience, doesn't acknowledge own assumptions, beliefs and values	Selects a focus without articulating its importance and  relevance	Does not situate action thesis  within a theoretical, social, or historical context