• Attendance and Participation 10%
• Walkabout 10%
• Narrative of Educational Experience 20%
• Applied Project: Developing a Unit 30%
• Chapter Presentations 30%
• TOTAL 100%

NOTES:

*Please make sure that all files uploaded on Canvas or emailed to me are correctly labeled with your name, course #, and assignment.*

A. Attendance & Participation: 10 points

This constitutes not only attending class, but also the presence that you bring to class.  It will be expected that you will foster a deep attentiveness during the class, as this constitutes ways of knowing that are deeply engaged.  It will be expected that you have read the texts and are able to discuss them during class and engage, critique, and reflect on the readings.   It is encouraged to bring an open spirit and mind to this class, and ability to risk is valued in terms of your own educational growth. Most importantly, all TopHat quizzes and activities will be graded within this 10% of your total grade. Please remember that if you are absent on the day of TopHat activities, you will NOT be able to make these up except for extenuating circumstances.

B. Walkabout  10 points

For the walkabout assignment I'd like you to create banner on paper, or use prezi or powerpoint, that shows a timeline of the critical points in you life. You can include pictures and subtitles about what country you are originally from if not Canada; include pictures of your family; where did you go to high school-draw or include a photo of your school; draw a picture of what you do in your free time or use a photo or embed a video in a ppt or prezi; what did you want you want to be as an adult? For example if you wanted to be an astronaut you could include footage of the man who jumped out of a shuttle in space and broke the sound barrier!; you should show what your greatest accomplishment in life has been so far for you; show pictures of SFU now that you're here; let us know if anything great has happened while you've been at SFU; and anything else you can think of that will help everyone in the class get to know you better.This assignment is intended to show the importance of letting your own students know who you are as a person so that they see you are approachable and human! It's also important for you to reflect on your own life so that you can be 'present' for you students in a hypothetical classroom since you may share experiences that they have experienced.

C. Narrative of Educational or Curriculum Experience: 20 points

Write a narrative of a key/important/meaningful/incisive/profound educational or curriculum experience you have had at any time during your academic career. Focus on only one experience. It can be either a positive or negative experience. Describe it in as much detail as possible: who was involved, what kind of learning(s) was involved, how did it make you feel, what were the contexts/antecedents/attendant factors, what were the relational dynamics, what impacts did it have on you? Finish by exploring what we might learn about curriculum, pedagogy, and learning from your experience.

Length: 2-3 pages double-spaced + 1 page double-spaced for a reflection of your narrative.

You will write an initial draft. You will share this with a peer and receive feedback. After this second draft, copies of those who give consent will be shared with the class for analysis. All will then produce a final draft to be submitted. 

Essay structure: beginning, middle, end	3 points
Narrative is engaging: good storytelling.  Author explores meaningful educational themes, connecting the story to educational ideas	7 points
Reflection of the narrative; insightful, discusses personal and educational implications; what did you learn; what would you have differently; what could the other people have done differently; how could the situation be resolved differently.	7 points
Writing mechanics: grammar, spelling, APA protocols	3 points
TOTAL	20 points

D. Student Presentations: 30 points

Taught in a seminar format involving a wide variety of readings, discussions, and assignments, the course aims to develop a better understanding of the multifaceted nature of teaching and learning, schools and school systems. Part of the course is designed and taught by the students themselves, as a way of experiencing the nature of teaching first hand.

In groups of 3 or 4 you will be asked to present and engage the class in an idea, issue, or workshop that explores one of the chapters in our text. You are encouraged to integrate a variety of ways of knowing in communicating your research and findings.  Each person needs to hand in a page showing how he/she contributed to the group and what was important to the learning. Your group will plan and lead a 45-60 minute class on some educational question, and subsequently discuss the teaching choices you made. You will also be asked to include a practical activity that reflects the theory you discussed —for example, come up with a class activity to help us understand what the 'big ideas' in your chapter  ‘look like in practice.

E. Applied Project: Discussing an Issue from the Text that Would Add to a Curriculum of Study in the Classroom  30 points

Using the educational issues you have learned from the text, or elsewhere, discuss the topic from a curriculum perspective as to how it can enhance a child’s learning for school and for life. Try to address the following in your project:

1. How can learners be involved in curriculum development?
2. How can your topic be delivered to learners?
3. How can learners be involved in designing a course of study on your topic?
4. What are the instructional strategies that promote inclusion of all learners?
5. How does cross-curricular integration enhance learning?
6. What is the application of your topic to your practice/field of study?

Options:

• Essay format: essays should be approximately 12 double spaced pages and should be properly formatted and referenced, following APA guidelines. You can work in pairs if you wish to explore a topic jointly. 

Essay structure	5 points
Clear connection of theories to program, course, or lesson design (and to aims, curriculum, pedagogy, ethical and contextual considerations)	10 points
Solid integration of  areas of instruction with lessons—each informing and related to the other	10 points
Writing mechanics: grammar, spelling, APA protocols	5 points
TOTAL	30 points

• Reflective essay: this essay does not need to follow the same guidelines for a formal essay. This genre of writing will give you an opportunity to be more reflective in your exploration of your topic. Your reflection should be in response to something you read, a youtube video, a piece of music, etc. that allows you to relate the content in these media forms to an educational issue that has emerged in our class discussions or readings that you want to explore further. I would suggest you provide some references and factual information about your topic in the first couple of pages (like an essay) so that you provide relevance and rigor to your topic. Beyond, that you can focus on your own reflection, experiences and anything else that strengthens your argument about your topic. You can work in pairs or groups of 2 or more if you wish to explore a topic jointly.
• Media Reflection: this genre will allow to explore an curriculum topic by creating your own media for reflection. For example, you may create your own short film that brings to the fore an educational topic; it’s impact on education, students, teachers, administrators, etc. Your reflection should be part of the film in dialogue or documentary format. If you feel you are not able to reflect on the topic you are exploring in the film, please write a 1 double-spaced page reflection to hand in. You can work in pairs or groups of 2 or more if you wish to explore a topic jointly.

REQUIREMENTS:

ACADEMIC HONESTY
All members of the University community share the responsibility for the academic standards and reputation of SFU. Academic honesty is a condition of continued membership in the university community. Please review the policy at http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html  

ATTENDANCE Attendance and active participation in all classes is mandatory. Because all classes are participatory, a student must make arrangements with the instructor to complete readings/assignments to compensate for missed work. It should be noted that students who miss the equivalent of two or more classes may find that their final grade is impacted.  

A student who is unable to attend a class due to exceptional circumstances must notify the instructor before the class and also contact other students before the subsequent class to find out what was discussed and make up work missed.  

YOUR IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, AND THOUGHTS
I would like to create the optimum environment for learning. To achieve that end, I encourage you to be open and forthcoming about your needs, thoughts, and opinions. If you have questions or concerns about the content or organization of the course, please bring them to my attention. I will do my very best to address the situation and assuage any anxieties or frustrations. Please contact me as soon as you feel that an issue may exist. Oftentimes, remedies are quite simple, but if concerns are not shared, stress and frustrations fester and create a potentially volatile situation that can adversely affect teaching and learning. I would like to hear your feedback candidly and often.