Restriction(s): Students must be enrolled in a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Instructional Teaching Certificate (CRI) or Master of Education (MED). This course examines how teachers, teaching, schooling, & curriculum can foster student learning from diverse socio-economic, linguistic & cultural backgrounds. Students explore foundational learning theories & how they inform curriculum & assessment; the ways socialization shapes perceptions of oneself & others; reflect on their own beliefs about their sociocultural identities & how those have been shaped by experience. The course provides prospective teachers with knowledge & skills for evaluating & understanding student learning across diverse educational settings, including an introduction to the design & evaluation of curriculum for how it provides students with learning opportunities. Students consider assessment practices from the learners' point of view and analyze local & national assessment policies & practices in order to maximize student performance. They learn to develop assessments that meet the needs of diverse learners & are aligned with curricular learning goals. Mutually exclusive with EDFD 509.