Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

COURSE DETAILS:

We are grateful to be learning on the shared territories of the Coast Salish people.   “Knowledge that does not heal, bring together, challenge, surprise, encourage or expand our awareness is not part of the consciousness this world needs now.” (Meyer, 2008, p. 221)  

Meetings dates: Tuesdays May 5th – June 9th; July 6-10th, plus individual check ins; Comprehensive papers due by July 15th; Comprehensive presentations July 28th-31st   

Description: In this final course in the MEd in Educational Practice program, we will focus on developing, explicating, synthesizing, validating, and sharing key insights, and deepen our understanding of our work as educators. Through engagement with scholarship, dialogue, writing, and other forms of inquiry, including Land-based pedagogical practices, we will extend and expand the themes of our learning, and reflect on the development of our personal and professional capacities.   Together we will explore methodological and pedagogical themes such as relational accountability, spirit-driven research, trustworthiness, inquiry-as-stance, holism and interdependence, care-taking and leading, and knowledge sharing. Collectively we will envision what it means to be/coming practitioner-scholars, teacher-leaders and change makers.  

What to expect: We come together to study our practice as educators during an unprecedented and uncertain time. It is my hope that our inquiry work, the gift of learning, and our community of committed and caring educators, will help to sustain us and support us in navigating the pedagogical and personal challenges we currently face. We will engage in Land-based inquiry practices, not only to advance our scholarship, but also to ground us and connect with something larger than ourselves.   Our class will be offered remotely, enabling us to continue with our learning journey, while practicing social isolation. Learners will require a computer or ipad and an internet connection to complete the course. Please let me know if this is a concern for you.  I am mindful that many of us have heightened and unpredictable familial responsibilities at this time. Consequently, we will reduce the time typically allocated to synchronous learning activities, and supplement this with asynchronous group work and individual learning.   Consistent with face-to-face offerings of this course, learners can expect approximately 10 hours of course work over 13 classes (roughly 5 hours of structured learning, and 5 hours of preparatory work and unstructured learning), plus work on end-of-term assignments.  

Responsibilities: “(E)ach person is responsible for his or her own learning, for finding and taking advantages of all opportunities to learn, and maintaining openness to learning. Each person must find their place in the community, and offer what knowledge and expertise they have to benefit the communal work being carried out” (Stanford, Williams, Hopper, & McGregor, 2012, p. 24). From: Indigenous Principles Decolonizing Teacher Education https://ineducation.ca/ineducation/article/view/61   Drawing upon Lil’wat pedagogical principles (Stanford, Williams, Hopper, & McGregor, 2012), all members of our community are responsible for their own learning, as well as assume a shared responsibility for supporting the learning of others. Diverse contributions to our community are welcome, and you are encouraged to share your unique gifts with our cohort.   As our learning is process-oriented and embodied, active and engaged participation in our shared and individual curricula, is a programmatic requirement. Please let me know if you encounter challenging or unforeseen circumstances. As this is a difficult and uncertain time, the university has various support measures in place if learners are struggling to continue with their studies.   Simon Fraser University is committed to creating a scholarly community characterized by honesty, civility, diversity, free inquiry, mutual respect, individual safety and freedom from harassment and discrimination.   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/content/sfu/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html More information can be found on the Student Learning Commons website: http://learningcommons.sfu.ca/strategies/academic-integrity  

Learning Goals: Learners will…
·      engage with programmatic and course themes and continue to deepen programmatic capacities;
·      develop a regular writing practice and activity participate within a community of writers;
·      develop a Land-based inquiry practice to extend and deepen learning.
·      come to appreciate writing and other forms of (re)representation as part of the inquiry process;
·      render and complexify stories that guide teaching, and theorize one’s own professional practice;
·      synthesize their learning journey and capacity development through drafting a paper and presentation;
·      envision new ways of knowing/doing/being as educators, practitioner-scholars, teacher-leaders and change makers

Programmatic Capacities:
The M.Ed. EP program aims to develop teachers-learners’ capacity to:
·      Deepen and extend a disposition of inquiry, ethical practice, critical and creative reflection and responsiveness to learners as well as communities
·      Develop their own inquiry practice through the investigation of multiple educational theories, philosophies, paradigms, and methodologies
·      Inform and articulate their scholarly understanding of various world views and orientations in relation to their educational perspectives 
·      Develop a relational disposition, a humility, and an ability to listen deeply to others
·      Critically and creatively engage in learning communities to situate, further develop, and align their inquiry practice within personally relevant and related paradigms
·      Develop the disposition of a teacher-leader and enable an active voice and presence within and beyond the classroom ·      Theorize their practice and contribute to professional conversations, both written and oral  

Assessment:
·      60% Draft of final paper: Rough draft of comprehensive paper addressing all or most aspects of criteria to some extent. Due by July 10th
·      40% Doing the work of the course: Engaging in the readings and resources, contributing to teaching and learning conversations, partaking in learning activities, supporting the learning of others, and participating in and documenting inquiry practices.

Doing the work of the course will be evident within our oral contributions, online posts, and inquiry journals, and will be self-assessed.   Due July 12th Educ 811 is an ungraded (satisfactory/unsatisfactory course).  

Readings: Readings for each class will be provided electronically on canvas.  

Draft Syllabus Please note that as this is a draft syllabus, readings may shift based on recommendations and emergent trends. If you are reading ahead, the readings listed here will be honoured in light of any potential changes.