Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - EDUC 820 G032

Current Issues in Curriculum and Pedagogy (5)

Class Number: 4578

Delivery Method: Online

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Thu, 4:30–9:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Sean Blenkinsop
    sblenkin@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-6863
    Office Hours: By appointment

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Focuses on educational issues, trends and practices which impact teaching and learning in schools and other educational settings.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course aims to introduce teacher-learners to some current issues in the curriculum and pedagogies of PNBEL. The hope is that the course will increase teacher-learners' understanding thereof and engagement therein. It will prepare teachers to extend practices into and outside of classrooms, with communities, local First Nations and the natural world, and in this way, hopefully, positively impact the educational experiences of students. It will also seek to deepen understanding of the theories of experiential learning that influence much of this work. Lastly, this course hopes to support teacher-learners as they expand and deepen their relationships with place and the natural world such that they better understand nature as a co-teacher and are supported as they work towards the development of civic responsibility in the context of environmental and social justice issues.

Potential Topics/questions include:

  • What has been my relationship with place, nature and experiential learning? How has that influenced my practice and where are areas of growth?
  • In what ways am I currently incorporating local Indigenous perspectives and worldviews and the Land into my teaching and how might I develop this?
  • What are some of my interests, dilemmas, and questions concerning place and nature-based and experiential learning?
  • How have place-based, nature-based and experiential learning been defined and applied historically and currently?
  • In what ways might my developing understanding of these fields influence the daily life of my classroom?
  • What am I learning through my relationship with a ‘microsite’ in the natural world? What are the educational implications?

Grading

NOTES:

These will be offered and discussed with the extended course outline in our first meeting.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

These will be offered by the instructor during our first meeting and on an ongoing basis as the course progresses.

REQUIRED READING:

These will be offered by the instructor during our first meeting and on an ongoing basis as the course progresses.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.