Faculty of Education

Graduate Studies Program

07.752 (NT1) Overview of Educational Issues

Regular Session 2015-2016 Term 1

Instructor: Alysha Sloane B.Ed.; M.Ed.; PhD Candidate

Email: SloaneA@brandonu.ca
Office: Room 220 (Education Building)
Phone: 204-727-9676
Text: 204-918-5797

Office Hours: Please email or call me to set up a meeting or conferencing time.

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to broaden and deepen one’s
understanding of some of the complex issues that challenge educational
systems. Students will be encouraged to examine multiple perspectives and to
critically reflect on their own assumptions in relation to a broad range of
educational issues.

Fall Term: September 9th, 2015 – December 9th, 2015

Prerequisite: Approval by the Chair of the Graduate Studies Program, Faculty of

Education

Required Texts:

1. Hare, W., & Potelli, J.P. (Eds.). (2013). Philosophy of Education:

Introductory Readings, 4th edition. Edmonton, AB: Brush Education Inc.

2. APA Publication Manual 6th Edition

Facilitation of the Course:

• On Tuesdays I will post a lecture and an activity related to the lecture
topic. (Week 1 will be an exception. I will post on Thursday, September 9th
during week 1.)
 Students will be required to complete a short response or activity each
week.

Connectivity
• The Moodle should provide a rich and interactive online space.
• Assignments A and C will create opportunities for connection and
collaboration.
• I will organize some videoconferences over the term. Students will be
notified through Moodle about videoconferencing opportunities. These
notices will be posted in the News section of the Moodle.

Course Topics/Issues:
• We will address a number of compelling issues in education.
• The selection of issues has been/will be determined by:
o A recent study that surveyed educational leaders across Manitoba
about the most pressing issues facing educational systems today.
o Political flashpoints.
o Your areas of interest.
• Some of the issues we will discuss are:
o Funding Disparities between Different Educational Systems in
Manitoba
o The Roles and Responsibilities of the Teacher/Administrator in
Social Media Spaces
o The Medical Model of Education: The Seductive Qualities
Entangled in the Diagnosis of Difference

Learning Objectives:

Students will:
• Increase their understanding of some of the key challenges facing
educational systems.
• Enhance their capacity to make judgments about complicated
educational issues.
• Critically reflect on their own assumptions and experiences in
relation to the diverse perspectives expressed in the literature and
by their colleagues.
• Synthesize and demonstrate their learning using a variety of media.
• Actively contribute to intellectual debates within a learning
community that is grounded in curiosity and compassion.

ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment A (20%)
Complete the weekly lecture activities/responses.
Assignment B (20%)
Due: September 30th, 2015
“Mapping an Issue that Matters to You”
Select an issue or a “wicked problem” (Rittel, 1973) in education that matters to
you.

i) Create a detailed mind map that:

• Outlines the complexity of the issue.
• Describes why the issue matters to you.
• Illustrates some of the ideological assumptions that inform the issue.
• Highlights some of the key “power with” and “power over” relationships
that surround the issue.
• Contains words and images.
• Utilizes “map space” creatively. You are submitting the mind map online
therefore you are not limited by the physical size of a piece of poster
paper!

ii) Write a 500 - 750 word analysis of your mind map.

• What do you notice about the relationships between the words and
images on your mind map?
• Were any of your assumptions challenged as you completed the
assignment?

Post the completed mind map and your analysis to Moodle.

The intent of the assignment is to:

• Co-construct what topics will be emphasized in the course.
• Analyze a complex web of tensions that are enmeshed in an educational
issue that matters to you.
• Combine the power of images and words to represent your ideas.

Assignment C (20%)
“Facilitating Difficult Conversations in Spaces Deemed Educative”
i) During week 2 of the course you will be matched with a partner.
Each pair will be assigned a week. You and your partner will select
and read one essay from Part 2 OR Part 6 of the required text -

Hare, W., & Potelli, J.P. (Eds.). (2013). Philosophy of Education:

Introductory Readings, 4th edition. Edmonton, AB: Brush Education Inc.

- and engage in a week long blog conversation with your partner on the
Moodle during the assigned week. (10%)

Note: You cannot select an essay that has already been chosen by
another group of students. Please notify me ASAP regarding the essay
you and your partner would like to discuss.
 The blog should unearth some of the key points and tensions in the essay.
You and your partner must make a combined total of 8 blog entries. Each
entry should be approximately 250 words in length. It is expected that you
will:
• Respond thoughtfully to the ideas generated by your partner. (Think
of a tennis match as opposed to posting separate monologues.)
• Address a number of the key points raised in the essay.
• Weave in at least 4 other quotes/sources (2 per person) that
support or challenge the author’s or one of your points of view.

ii) At the end of the week, the rest of the class will be expected to
“blog in” to your discussion by contributing one 100-200 word entry.
These entries should extend the arguments/ideas generated by you
and your partner. (10%)

The intent of this assignment is to:

• Think deeply about the dynamics that surround tough conversations in
educative spaces.
• Increase the connectivity between you and your colleagues.
• Develop and extend your arguments.
• Create an opportunity for everyone to take the lead in an intellectually
stimulating conversation within a scholarly space.

Assignment D (40%)
“Critical Democracy and the Role of Education”
Due: December 2nd, 2015
Write a photo-research paper between 13-15 pages in length that thoughtfully
critiques the tenets of “critical democracy” and the role of education in building
critical democracies. You may find that Laura Elizabeth Pinto’s essay “The Case
for Critical Democracy” is a solid starting point. Include between 4 and 5 photos
in your paper. The photos should be your own and represent key ideas in your
paper.

Please provide me with a copy of your outline approximately 3 weeks before the
paper is due so I can provide you with feedback.

Use APA and provide a list of references at the end of your paper. Your paper
should reference at least 8 research articles.

The intent of the assignment is to:

• Develop a well-researched argument on the tenets of critical democracy.
• Make judgments about the worthiness of using the theoretical framework
of critical democracy as a means to respond to “wicked problems” in
education.
 • Enhance one’s capacity to see the relationships between educational
issues and wider social issues.

More information about the assignments will be posted on Moodle.

Course Evaluation:

Minimum grade requirement for graduate program: B

Grade Equivalencies: A+ 96-100 B- 70-74

A 90-95 C+ 65-69
A- 85-89 C 60-64
B+ 80-84 D 50-59
B 75-79 F Under 50%

Academic dishonesty will cancel out all the calculations above and result
in a final grade of F-AD (Fail-Academic Dishonesty)
(refer to the Graduate Calendar, section 4.2.2)

Instructor / Course Evaluation:

The anonymous course evaluations will be completed online. All students are
expected to complete the evaluation. Dates of the evaluation will be
communicated by the instructor through the Graduate Studies Office.

Attendance at Lectures and Practical Work:
(Please refer to the Graduate Calendar, section 4.2.1.)

1. All students are expected to be regular in their attendance at lectures and

labs. While attendance per se will not be considered in assessing the final
grade, it should be noted that in some courses participation in class
activities may be required.
2. For limited enrolment courses, students who are registered but do not
attend the first three classes or notify the instructor that they intend to
attend may have their registration cancelled in favour of someone else
wishing to register for the course.
3. Students who are unable to attend a scheduled instruction period because
of illness, disability, or domestic affliction should inform the instructor
concerned as soon as possible.
4. Instructors may excuse absences for good and sufficient reasons.
Statement on Accommodation:
Brandon University values diversity and inclusion, recognizing disability as an
aspect of diversity. Our shared goal is to create learning environments that are
accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all students. The Student Accessibility
Services (SAS) office works with students who have permanent, chronic, or
temporary disabilities. SAS will provide and/or arrange for reasonable
accommodations. If you have, or think you may have, a disability (e.g. mental
health, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, medical, or temporary), you
are invited to contact Student Accessibility Services to arrange a confidential
discussion at (204) 727-9759 or email magnussonm@brandonu.ca . If you are
registered with SAS and have a letter requesting accommodations, you are
encouraged to contact the instructor early in the term to discuss the
accommodations outline in your letter. Additional information is available at the
Student Accessibility Services website.

Contact me by email, text, telephone, or through Moodle if you need assistance.

I wish you much success this term!

Cheers,

Alysha Sloane