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This course will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the arts-based research methods of performed ethnography and research-informed theatre. Performed ethnography, also known as performance ethnography and ethnodrama, involves turning the findings of ethnographic research into a play script that can be read aloud by a group of participants or performed before audiences. Performed ethnography can be seen as one kind of research-informed theatre. Other examples of research-informed theatre we will look at in this course include autobiographical theatre, community theatre, verbatim theatre, documentary theatre, tribunal theatre and history theatre.

Taking as a starting point a conception of pedagogy that centres relational encounters, this course seeks to consider the question of how to enter into relationships with others that seek to transform the very terms that define such relationships. The course explores how the concept of solidarity has been used to both explain the nature of social relationships between groups and individuals, as well as how it has been mobilized as a strategy for political work. In both counts, solidarity plays a key pedagogical role because it seeks to either sustain or challenge particular social arrangements. The course takes education and educational experience as a particular site for thinking through solidarity as both explanation and strategy, and considers a range of educational situations, including the classroom, to consider the complexities of solidarity as ethical encounters in pedagogical relations.

This course will examine the research of, and different approaches to, applied and socially engaged theatre. Practitioners engaged in forms of applied theatre, such as drama in education, theatre for development, Verbatim theatre, participatory theatre etc. often believe creating and witnessing theatrical events can make a difference to the way people interact with one another and with the world at large. The 'social turn' in theatre is understood politically, artistically, and educationally to be in the service of social change, although there is certainly no single nor consistent ideological position that supports the expansive use of theatre in classrooms and communities. Theatre has been consistently used in formal and informal educational settings as a way to galvanize participation and make learning more relational, or more a student/participant-centred rather than teacher/facilitator- centred proposition. In addition to exploring the educational value of applied theatre in a range of contexts and through a variety of interventions and intentions, the course will also contemplate the ethics and poetics of representation in performance and in research.

This course will focus on matters of equity, inclusion, and school reform as these pertain to differences of sexual orientation and gender identity among students in elementary and secondary schools. Course content and instruction will focus on understanding and addressing educational and schooling issues confronting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (LGBTQ) students. It will also explore strategies and resources for challenging homophobia, heterosexism, and transphobia in classrooms and schools. We will examine the ways homophobia, heterosexism, and transphobia intersect with multiple identities, other forms of oppression and our history of white settler colonialism. We will also examine curriculum materials and community support services that promote sensitivity, visibility and social justice.

This course examines how creative practices can be employed to generate innovative research in the humanities and social sciences. Course participants will analyze current debates on representation, rationale, and ethics, and in particular they will examine how arts-based practices/processes can move educational research towards more critical, democratic, and participatory forms of research by attending to issues of social justice and equity.

This course explores different approaches to the arts in urban schools, with a focus on how the arts might play a role in teaching for equity and social justice. Using a critical lens, students will explore the role that the arts might play pedagogically and in the curriculum in urban schools. Among other themes, students will explore how to incorporate the arts for teaching in non-arts classrooms, critical issues in curriculum and instruction in various arts disciplines, as well as non-curricular and community-based approaches to the arts in school related contexts. Students will have an opportunity to explore different artistic disciplines and consider how they might incorporate the arts as a strategy in teaching for social change.

The examination of current topics or problems in play, drama, and arts education as related to curriculum studies. Issues will be identified from all age levels of education as well as from dramatic play, each of the arts disciplines, and aesthetic education as a whole. Students will address one specific topic through self-directed learning and present the results in an appropriate form. Topics vary from year to year depending upon interests of course members.

This course examines the nature of spirituality. After exploring various conceptions of spirituality the course then examines how it can be part of the school curriculum in a non threatening manner. More specifically, the course explores the nature of the soul and how the soul can be nourished in the classroom through approaches such as imagery, dreams, journal writing, and forms of contemplation. The arts and earth education are also examined in this context. Finally the role of the teacher will be explored.

This course will focus on curriculum that facilitates personal growth and social change. Various programs and techniques that reflect a holistic orientation will be analysed: for example, Waldorf education, social action programs, and transpersonal techniques such as visualization and the use of imagery in the classroom. The philosophical, psychological, and social context of the holistic curriculum will also be examined.

It has been well documented that many adults experience mathematics anxiety, possibly due to the traditional way they have been taught math in their own schooling. This course utilizes a holistic approach in helping elementary teachers to reconstruct their foundational math knowledge and overcome their anxieties. Utilizing reform-based approaches, participants will work in small groups on selected mathematics problems and hands-on explorations at an appropriate level of difficulty. Journal writing, group reflection and guided visualization activities will be used to help participants become aware of, and start dealing with their emotional and cognitive blocks in relation to mathematics. Such work opens the door to accessing one's mathematical intuition and creativity. A discussion of how the strategies used in the course, or reported in the literature, can be adapted for mathematics-anxious students will also be included.

During this highly interactive course, graduate students will investigate in depth, current research on effective teaching strategies in elementary mathematics focusing on student communication and its implications for classroom practice. This course will also provide opportunities for graduate students to deepen their understanding of the research literature through hands-on activities, student work samples, and classroom-researched videos. We will examine the research related to student discourse and communication in order to explore not only students' understanding of mathematical concepts, but also the use of mathematical language and the social interactions that take place between students. No experience in teaching mathematics or previous coursework related to mathematics is required.

This course will focus on the holistic nature of wellness, through a phenomenology of practice. Phenomenology of practice is an approach that concentrates on the study of consciousness and the objects of direct experience and relates to the meaning and practice of phenomenology in professional contexts, as well as the practice of phenomenological methods in the context of everyday living. In this course, phenomenological reflection, using aspects of multimedia, will be employed in a concentrated effort to engage with the complexity of the topic of wellness. The course begins with questions relating to the meaning of “wellness,” by exploring philosophical and historical orientations towards wellness. Seminars will survey concepts, issues and approaches associated with wellness and educative practice. Theoretical and practical problems will be examined through themes such as sources of self, reality constructions, human agency and awareness.

This course explores the theory and practice (praxis) of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in school and community settings. Students will investigate the historical roots, theoretical foundations and pedagogical traditions of ESE from personal and organizational perspectives, contextualizing these in recent developments in research, policy, and practice in Canada and internationally. The praxis of ESE will be situated in relation to equity, social justice, Indigenous ways of knowing, health and wellbeing, and transformative learning. Students will use this as a starting point to explore and develop practices in ESE in classrooms and community settings as a means to better position and integrate ESE in their own work as educators and researchers.

This course examines what mathematics should be taught, how to define and increase students' understanding of mathematics, classroom discourse and student engagement in elementary mathematics. The intent of the course is to provide a grounding in mathematics education.

This course involves a study of theories of learning in the context of science education, a survey of research relating to children's understanding of concepts in science, and an exploration of strategies for more effective science teaching.

A detailed study of issues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science that have significance for science education, an examination of the philosophy underpinning the STS movement, and a consideration of some of the theoretical and practical problems surrounding the implementation of science curricula intended to focus on environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and moral-ethical issues.

The course focuses on the design of effective strategies for exploring students' personal frameworks of meaning in science and addresses issues of contemporary international debate about science and technology education, including the ''Science for All'' movement, the ''new'' psychology of learning, the language of science and technology education, politicization of science and technology education, the role of laboratory work, computers in science education, and issues in environmental and health education.

This course will address some key issues in the philosophy and the sociology of science and their implications for science education at the elementary and secondary levels. Attention will also be directed towards (i) a critical appraisal of the role of the history of science in science education , and (ii) a consideration of pseudosciences and their role, and the distortion and misuse of science for sociopolitical goals. Course members will have the opportunity to explore ways in which lab work, computer-mediated learning, language activities and historical case studies can be used to present a more authentic view of science, scientific development and scientific practice.

This course deals with issues of gender bias, Eurocentrism and other forms of bias and distortion in science and science-technology education. It seeks a generalized approach to equity issues and examines ways in which border crossings into the subcultures of science and science education can be eased for all those who currently experience difficulties.

This course will focus on theoretical and practical perspectives and current research on teaching and learning science and technology in school and non-school settings. Consideration will be given to classroom environments, as well as science centres, zoos, aquaria, museums, out-door centres, botanical gardens, science fairs, science hobby clubs, and media experiences. In particular, the course will focus on the nature of teaching and learning in these diverse settings, representations of science and technology, scientific and technological literacy, and socio-cultural interpretations of science and technology.

This course will focus on the role of the teacher leader in developing the teacher as learner in the context of science, mathematics and technology education. Topics will include the nature of teacher's work, the construction of teacher's knowledge, forms of teacher inquiry and reflection, providing feedback on teaching and the social organizational conditions of schools, which support teacher leadership and learning. During the course, participants will be required to interview a colleague, and to arrange access to a classroom or instructional setting to conduct some action research on their own leadership by observing and providing feedback to another teacher, instructor or colleague.

This course focuses on curriculum issues associated with integrating school science, mathematics and technology. Participants will examine the contemporary literature on curriculum integration. Topics include the history of curriculum integration and school subjects, theoretical and practical models for integration, strategies for teaching in an integrated fashion, student learning in integrated school settings, models for school organization, and curriculum implementation issues. During the course, participants will be required to interview a colleague, and to arrange access to a classroom or instructional setting to conduct some action research on their own integrated teaching practices.

This course explores the fundamentally cultural nature of all learning, but specifically learning of mathematics, science, and technology disciplines. The course is roughly split into three major sections. We begin with a brief overview of cultural-historical approaches to understanding learning and cognition. These theoretical frameworks begin with the assumption that cognition is fundamentally social and cultural, always grounded in activity, practices and communities. Secondly, we will focus on empirical research on mathematical, scientific and technological thinking in various contexts, ranging from elementary school mathematics classes to grocery shopping to carpet laying to theoretical physics. Finally, using the theoretical and empirical work as a foundation, we will study approaches to instruction based on the assumption that all learning is cultural.

Various approaches to making mathematics meaningful for, and accessible to intermediate and senior level students will be examined in the light of recent developments in the field and the Ontario mathematics curriculum guidelines. Throughout the course, we will focus on the question 'making mathematics meaningful for whom,' so an equity focus will pervade each week's readings and discussions. Topics may include: Streaming and school structures, the use of open-ended problems, identity issues, building on community knowledge, classroom discourse, and assessment.

This course is an introduction to sociocultural theories of learning, including both historical and contemporary views on how culture, society and history influence the nature of learning. We will begin with Vygotsky and activity theory, and then consider a broad spectrum of current views that draw on this work.