Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to a small but representative sample of basic questions and issues in education. Students will examine questions relating to: the concept or idea of education; learning and the learner; teaching and the teacher; and more generally, the broader contexts of education. This course also introduces students to different ways of exploring educational questions and issues from philosophical and critical analysis, to historical and cross-cultural studies, to empirical research. Cannot be taken for credit by students with credit for 300 and 400 level education courses. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

COURSE TOPIC
Education is a central feature of all societies today and learning is an essential part of who we are: learning creatures. Through our classroom discussions, readings, and online explorations, we will create a learning community, collectively reflecting on and critically analyzing various dimensions of education: our own educational journeys, the various ways we learn, the “big questions” of education, different ways of looking at learning organizations in our society, what kinds of education are important in our increasingly complex and ever-changing societies, teachers and students, and what it means to be an educated person in an educated society.  

FORMAT
The course will be structured as a series of modules in which we explore various educational topics that relate to what it means to be Canadian. Each module is a separate exploration but, of course, all the various module topics are connected in some ways. Through our classroom discussions, readings, online explorations, we will create a learning community, collectively reflecting on and critically analyzing the purpose of education and being educated, the messages embedded in educational environments and to consider future possibilities for education.  

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.  

The course design will be partially responding to your interests, and you will actively take part in shaping the course. Emphasis will be given to engaging in your own inquiry as a way of investigating the relationship between the personal and the universal and growth and transformation.  

As a writing intensive course, it will provide opportunities for you to develop a number of writing genres. In these writing assignments, and throughout the course, an emphasis is placed on connecting personal experience, observation and belief with an understanding of broader philosophical, social and political issues in education.  

Through readings and other media sources, students will be asked to reflect on and critically analyze and discuss the purpose of education and being educated, the messages embedded in educational environments and to consider future possibilities for education. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on their own educational experiences and consider alternative ways that teaching and learning can occur. Information, questions and concepts will be shared through written and verbal exchanges, group discussions and presentations.


ASSIGNMENTS

(All assignment due dates will be determined with students).  

A. Attendance & Participation: (10%) 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. 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.  

B. Walkabout: (10%) In order to observe your own growth in your life and to help you identify a meaningful and defining learning moment in your life for the narrative you will write this semester, you will create a Walkabout (e.g., scroll, powerpoint, prezi, keynote) that will serve as a timeline of your life. You will identify critical junctures in your life that brought you to this class that had a profound effect on you and may even have changed your outlook on life.

C. Student Presentation in Groups (30%) In groups of 3 or 4 you will be responsible for presenting aspects of a chapter in our textbook to present and engage the class in an idea, issue, or workshop that explores an educational concern you are passionate about, and encouraged to integrate a practical activity as a means of demonstrating the theory you are teaching the class. Each person in the group needs to hand in a page describing how he/she contributed to the group and what was important to the learning for them. Your group will plan and lead a 45-60 minute class on a chapter in the text. You will also be asked to include a practical activity that reflects the theory you discuss in practice, and ideally relate the ‘big idea’ to education. The activity is an opportunity for the class to see what the topic you are teaching looks like in practice.  

D. Narrative of Educational Experience: (20%) Write a narrative of a key/important/meaningful/incisive/profound educational 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. Use of any course or other scholarly resources to explain your experience are encouraged.  

Length: 3 pages double-spaced.  

You will write an initial draft. You will share this with a peer and receive feedback. Once you feel comfortable with the final copy you will submit this for grading.

E. Final Paper/Project in connection to ways of knowing (30%) This final project is an opportunity for you to investigate a topic we discussed in class further or a topic we didn’t cover and you would like to explore. This could be related to curriculum, teaching or education generally. This is your personal opportunity to explore an area that has piqued your curiosity, and present it in a final project. I would encourage you to integrate arts-based ways of research, including narrative inquiry, poetic inquiry, visual, dance, movement, voice, text, and media as ways of supporting your work. Mid-way through the semester I will ask you to give me a paragraph of what you are doing for your project. You will be given a few options of how you would like to approach this project.  

Options:  
1. Essay format: essays should be approximately 12 double-sided pages and should be properly formatted and referenced, following APA guidelines. You can work in pairs if you wish to explore a topic jointly.
2. 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. You can work in pairs or groups of 2 or more if you wish to explore a topic jointly.
3. Media Reflection: this genre will allow you to explore an educational 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.; and a reflection that can be submitted separately from each group member. You can work in pairs or groups of 2 or more if you wish to explore a topic jointly.  

Materials

REQUIRED READING: