Buffy / Growing up Canadian / Blogs

Day 1 introduced the course and provided an opportunity to see and hear Buffy Sainte-Marie.

re Buffy: Your comments are posted on your blogs, so I will not repeat any of that here. I wrote down several of her comments, relevant to our course.
First "I do things differently." A useful manifesto, which allows us to explore beyond the obvious. It is, I assume, meant to be a manifesto for creativity.

Second: "Taking tradition to tomorrow." I really like that one. It links the past to the future. These days we are losing our historical knowledge and our historical context. Which is why I began with "Growing up Canadian." It reminds me of the mission statement for the Aboriginal Television Network, which used to be posted all over on billboards: "Telling our stories to all Canadians." We cannot just tell our stories to ourselves; we need to tell our stories to all. I like that.

Third, and along the same vein, "North American people have a history, a presence and a future."
Perhaps she is talking about North American First Nations peoples, but that can easily be extended. All peoples have a history, a presence and a future. So does the field of education.
It is a good guide for a course on 21st century curriculum. We must look at schooling from its history, its presence and its future. That was one of the things I said at the beginning of this course: that I cannot define what 21st curriculum means. Is it the past eight years? Of course. Is it the present? Of course. Is it the future? Yes, but not too far into the future. Perhaps we can reasonably think ten years ahead. Certainly, we cannot plan for the end of the 21st century into the years 2090 and beyond.

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Over to blogs. Don't let the technical side get you down. Blogs are about communication and about content. Don't get the wrong idea. The first time you got a new ... anything... you had to give time to get adjusted to it. So, don't give up on blogs just yet...

21st Century Curriculum: Course Syllabus

Course: EDUB 7340
University of Manitoba
Dr. Denis Hlynka
Dr. John Wiens

(Photo: Alex Colville. Horse and Train. 1954)

To articulate a curriculum vision for the 21st century within prescribed limitations of school division, province or country is no easy task. And yet, such is the underlying challenge of this course. A vision suggests future and progress. The implication is that we are moving from a less progressive state to a more progressive, rational, and democratic ideal. The title “21st century curriculum” implies the same image.

On the other hand there are some dark clouds on the horizon. A significant portion of futuristic literature has always been distopian and not utopian. It is a concern which must engage us in our deliberations.

To articulate a vision for the future implies a solid knowledge of the present and of the past. We need to ask: What does it mean to be educated, and to educate, in the world of digital communication? What is the role of knowledge in the 21st century? What knowledge is required to be effective citizens of the Canada of the 21st century? How do we teach our students to decode the contemporary texts… whether print, visual, or digital … that inform the world in which we live? Are there forces that will change irrevocably the way we teach and the way we learn? As McLuhan and Postman have so eloquently pointed out, not only do we need to ask what is gained, but we also need to ask what is lost as we move from one method to another, one philosophy to another, one technology to another. How do we recognize when we are headed down the right path, and not moving into a cull-de-sac, or dead end? In short, what counts as knowledge in the 21st century, and what is our role as teachers?

Context
This course positions itself as a Master’s level course in a cohort program. A first step is to determine what can we reasonably hope to accomplish in 12 weeks. A series of hands-on workshops? A set of practical tools to take back into your classroom, resulting in immediate improvement? Probably neither of these aims belong to this course. The term praxis is sometimes evoked to imply practice informed by theory. The distinction between theory and practice is a classic dichotomy that is foundational to the entire domain of education. Action research, on the other hand, grounds not only theory but research in direct purposeful practice. Action research challenges the traditional model of research on many levels, not the least of which is the idea that teachers as researchers can work in an environment which is based on critical assessment and combination of research and practice.

Course Philosophy
Always under construction.

Tentative Course Questions
Note: A linear educational model uses the term "performance objectives". Instead, you are presented here with a series of questions, which are only tentative and attempt to bring out concepts of value, theory, practice and reflection.

What might the phrase "21st century curriculum" encompass?
What are the contemporary trends in curriculum theory?
Which curriculum theorists do you find compatible with your own ways of thinking about teaching and learning?
Is there a unique Canadian discourse dealing with curriculum theory? If so, how does it fit within constructs such as globalization?
What is social justice and why is it important?
What values do you hold about 21st century curriculum?
What practical implications are there for such a focus as this course offers?

A Comment on Method
I teach through critical examination and deconstruction of cultural texts. I define "text" broadly and semiotically. Semiotics, "the science of signs and sign systems" defines text as anything which can be read or interpreted. Of course this means printed text, but it also means visual text, television text, audio text, and even the text of clothing/dress, and the text of artifacts such as automobiles, computers, and the food we eat. In short, text is anything that we can read, analyze, and interpret.This course will use more than readings, although readings will provide a fulcrum.

We shall also sample popular film and video, listen to songs and music, and use whatever is relevant. You should treat these texts seriously, and where possible record titles, sources, dates, and whatever bibliographic information you record for any traditional texts. Interestingly, this is a very solid theoretic approach. For example, structuralist philosopher Roland Barthes in his book Mythologies (1957) examines common cultural phenomena as he examines the role of myth. Marshal McLuhan's famous Understanding Media (1964) is described as "an inventory of effects", where each short chapter examines one phenomenon of the electric age. And Umberto Eco, in his philosophic musings, focuses on the artifacts of popular culture as the basics of his own project. In other words, popular culture texts are as significant as academic and philosophic texts.

Such cultural texts may not seem to be directly curriculum texts. A narrow interpretation of a curriculum text might be defined as any book or reading about curriculum theory. But curriculum theory is everywhere. While the ubiquitous curriculum guide may provide the explicit curriculum (what is supposed to be taught), there is also a taught curriculum (what is actually taught), the hidden curriculum (what is subtly taught), and the null curriculum (what is not taught). With this in mind, what constitutes a curriculum text becomes very broad indeed.

The final four classes will be a unit by Dean John Wiens. Dr. Wiens will explore questions dealing with 21st century curriculum and democracy. In particular, Dr. Wiens will raise these questions: (1) What is education and what is educational about curriculum systems? (2) What does education for democratic participation mean for curriculum writ large? (3) How do globalization and cosmopolitanism as humanistic concepts affect our notions of curriculum relevance?

Course Evaluation
1. Prepare a weekly blog which interacts with course content. Blogs (short for weblogs) are meant to be personal “diaries” which allow the individual to react to content. Some blogs are informal, some provide opportunities for venting, still others are very personal. This course will experiment with the idea of a kind of an academic blog which will focus on content and discussions within the course. You are not expected to summarize each daily session, nor to use this as a forum for what you like or dislike. This is your chance to select those issues which arose from each class and to expand with informed and thoughtful commentary. Blog entries should be at least 100 words. Short entries such as “Today we discussed Baudrillard” are clearly insufficient. Your blogs should be open to all class members to read, and will be accessible through the course management website at www.nicenet.com2. Each student will access all assigned readings. Students will be responsible to report on and lead the discussion of one reading to the entire class. Students will be paired for this exercise. Each pair will have ten minutes to present their assigned or chosen paper and will lead a discussion (approximately 20 minutes).

2. Each student will access all assigned readings. Students will be responsible to report on and lead the discussion of one reading to the entire class. Students will be paired for this exercise. Each pair will have ten minutes to present their assigned or chosen paper and will lead a discussion (approximately 20 minutes).

3. A paper will be assigned related to Dr. Wiens' unit of the course. Details to follow.



Major Course Readings (from Questia)

Davies, Brent, Linda Ellison, and Christopher Bowring-Carr. (2005) School Leadership in the 21st Century: Developing a Strategic Approach. 2nd ed. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Ellsworth, Elizabeth. (2005). Places of Learning: Media, Architecture, Pedagogy. New York: Routledge. Chapter 1.

Garrison, D. and Anderson, T. (2003). E-Learning in the 21st century: A framework for research and practice. New York: RoutledgeFarmer.

Kincheloe, J. (2005). Critical Constructivism Primer. New York: Peter Lang

Horn, R. (2004). Standards Primer. New York: Peter Lang.

Kanpol, Barry. (1999) Critical Pedagogy: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.

Longworth, Norman. Lifelong Learning in Action: Transforming Education in the 21st Century. London: Kogan Page.

Reynolds, W. (Ed). (2004). Expending Curriculum Theory: Dis/positions and Lines of Flight. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum.

(See Hardt and Negri reference re "empire" in Intro; paper by Ferneding.)

Heyting, F.(2001). Methods in Philosophy of Education. London: Routledge. Chapter 9.

Biesta, G. (2001). Derrida and Education. London: Routledge.

Other required course readings

Baudrillard. Simulations and Simulacra. Available online. http://www.egs.edu/faculty/baudrillard/

Bassett, P. (2005). Re-engineering schools for the 21st century. Phi Delta Kappan, V. 87. Available through Questia.

Hansen, D. (2004). A poetics of teaching. Educational Theory. V54 #2.

Ben-Peretz, M. The concept of curriculum potential. Curriculum Theory Network. 5:2. Available online through JSTOR at U of M.

Jones, Beau. (1991). Thinking and Learning: New Curricula for the 21st Century. Educational Psychologist. V26, #2, Pp129+ Available through Questia.

Humphrey, B. (2000). The 21st Century Supervisor: Nine Essential Skills for Frontline Leaders. San Francisco: Josey Bass.
Video
Growing Up Canadian: Schools

McLuhan's Wake (2003)

Special Presentations
Buffy Sainte Marie. (September 10), 2008. University of Manitoba.

Gert Biesta. (October 15) University of Manitoba. (Tentative.)

Class Schedule
September 10. Orientation and Special lecture by Buffy Sainte Marie.See www.cradleboard.org for details on her cradleboard project.

September 17. (Hlynka) First formal class

September 24 (Hlynka)

October 1 (Hlynka)

October 8 (Hlynka)

October 15 Guest presentation: Gert Biesta (Tentative)

October 22 (Hlynka)

October 29 (Hlynka)

November 5 (Hlynka)

November 12 (Wiens)

November 19 (Wiens)

November 26 (Wiens)

December 3 (Wiens) Last class.


Grading
Letter Grade Grade Point Level of Achievement Percentage Range

A+ 4.50 Exceptional 95 and above
A 4.00 Excellent 90-94
B+ 3.50 Very Good 85-89
B 3.00 Good 80-84
C+ 2.50 Satisfactory 75-79
C 2.00 Adequate 70-74
D 1.00 Marginal 60-69
F 0.00 Failure Below 60

General
This course subscribes fully to all aspects of the University of Manitoba ROASS document as found in the general calendar.

PLAGIARISM: Student attention is drawn to statements in the University calendar regarding academic dishonesty including plagiarism and cheating of any kind. Plagiarism or cheating is a serious office.

EVALUATIVE FEEDBACK: As much as possible, formative evaluative feedback will be provided before the voluntary withdrawl date. However, due to the project nature of this course, such feedback may not always be forthcoming. Students are therefore urged to contact their professor before the VW date, if in doubt.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS POLICY: Late assignments will be permitted if and only if students have discussed the issue with the instructor before the due date. Students will NOT be allowed to re-write papers to raise their final grade.

ATTENDANCE: In keeping with faculty of education regulations, the regular and complete attendance of students is necessary and will be monitored. In cases involving exceptional (i.e. medical or compassionate) circumstances, you may have your absence excused, but only if you have communicated directly with the instructor. Any other absences will be considered unexcused. As the General Calendar states, an instructor may initiate procedures to debar a student from attending classes and from final examinations where unexcused absences exceed 3 hours of scheduled classes in any one term.

Welcome

Hello, everyone. This is the first entry for edub7430, 21st century curriculum. The purpose of this blog space will be to summarize weekly activities.