Syllabus310

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Jay Roberts Office: LBC 321 Office Hours: Monday’s 10-12n; Friday’s 10-12n; or by appointment Phone/Email: 983-1327/roberja@earlham.edu

“Curriculum planning and schooling in general need not always be single-minded in their pursuits, forever focusing on objectives that are by definition always out of reach. Purposes need not precede activities; they can be formulated in the process of action itself.” -Elliot Eisner

“Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.” –Kierkegaard

“Be anything you like. Be madmen, drunks, and bastards of any shape and form, but at all costs, avoid one thing: success.” –Thomas Merton

Course Description: Experiential Education will explore the historical, theoretical, and practical elements of using experience and experiential methodology in the curriculum. Emphasis will be placed on gaining a firm foundation of the field’s roots-- placing it within the context of the larger movements within education-- in addition to exploring the various strands of its growth and development.

Course Objectives:

• To gain a firm grounding in the various constructions of experience in the curriculum • To compare/contrast a variety of curriculum traditions and how they inform experiential theory • To critically examine modern organization of the curriculum and compare to experiential conceptualizations from various authors • To experience the class itself as a model for placing experience at the center of the educational endeavor- what are the challenges, possible advantages? How does it impact the student-teacher relationship? How does it force us to reconsider school more systematically? • To understand what “experiential” education is, where it comes from, and how it fits into the larger discourse on education today

Readings: A variety of readings will help fuel this exploration. Please purchase the following:

Required: Lee, Dorothy Valuing the Self, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1986 Dewey, John Experience and Education, Kappa Delta Pi, 1938 Freire and Shor A Pedagogy for Liberation, Massachusetts: Bergin and Garvey Press, 1987 Roberts, Jay Experiential Education Course Reader (available in the Social Science office- 2nd floor LBC).

Optional (but must choose ONE- we will clarify in class) Sobel, David Place Based Learning, Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society, 2004. Daloz, Keen, Keen, and Parks Common Fire, Boston: Beacon Press, 1996 Barth, Roland Learning By Heart, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2001

It is my expectation that each of you will have your own personal copy of each of the required texts (and one of the optional texts). Please be sure to have these on hand for the days we will be discussing them in class (see syllabus dates for more information).

Assignments:

Student-Led Discussions Each student will be responsible for co-leading a discussion day with a peer (see syllabus for dates). The discussion days will focus specifically on the assigned text for that day. Discussion leaders will be responsible for designing the class from start to finish including providing background material or exercises/activities that are pertinent to the text and material we are exploring. More details and specific expectations will be forthcoming.

Student-Led Expeditions Drawing from the work of many experiential theorists, this course will place a good deal of emphasis on the process of “co-constructing” the curriculum. That is, we will set about to discern topics, problems, and/or areas of future study that we would like to explore together in groups (these will not be independent research projects). This “doing” will become part of our curriculum in a very real sense. We will talk more about these “expeditions” as we get into the semester.

Trailmarkers Trailmarkers are a series of assessments given throughout the semester to help discern your progress with the course. You will have the chance to self-evaluate on a series of questions which I will read and provide feedback on. These are intended to help you figure out where you are in the class in relationship to the course expectations and your own goals. While you will receive feedback, a letter grade will not be assigned.

Evaluation/Assessment As this is an upper-level seminar course, I will be making several assumptions: 1.) That you will come to class regularly and on-time, 2.) That you will make honest efforts to be prepared to discuss in class by completing the assigned reading for that day, 3.) That you understand how to budget your time and will not need extensions on assigned work, and 4.) That you come to class ready to do “real work” together, with the understanding that education is an active rather than passive process. Please know that I will operate and evaluate based on these assumptions for the semester.

Part of my job is to help you grow and stretch as a learner/citizen by providing timely, specific feedback on your work both in-class and out of class. Some of this feedback will involve grades. To help you know my expectations and grading “style,” you should know that a “C” to me means that the student has met the minimum expectations of the assignment or work. An “B” means the student has, in some way, met the expectations of the assignment and, in some areas, exceeded them. An “A” means the student exceeded the expectations of the assignment in most if not all areas. Any work lower than a “C” will not be graded but will be handed back for re-working. I will commit to making my expectations as clear as possible regarding each assignment and there will be opportunities (within reason) to re-submit work after feedback is given should that be desired.

The following assignments/work will be graded and weighted accordingly:

Assignment/Work Weight of Total Grade (out of 5 stars) Student Led Classes ** Expedition POL **** Engagement **** Trailmarkers **

Expedition Itinerary (subject to change!)

Week 1

R 8/25 Trip Preparations Syllabus handout and Expectations

Week 2

T 8/30 The Map-Dominant Pedagogies Read: Nash, Roderick “Unguiding”in The High Country News. Begin: Tyler, Ralph W. 1957. “What Educational Purposes Should The School Seek to Attain?” in Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. Suggested: Kolb, Darl. 1992. “The Practicality of Theory” Journal of Experiential Education, Vol. 15, No. 2.

R	9/1	The Map-Dominant Pedagogies 

Finish: Tyler Read: Shubert, W.H. 2002. “Chapter One: Curriculum Literature in Context: Curriculum Books handout for context 1861-1909” in Curriculum Books

Week 3

T 9/6 The Territory- Foundations of Experiential Education Begin: Dewey Experience and Education (chapters 1-2) Read: Rousseau’s “Emile”

R 9/8 The Territory-Foundations Continue: Dewey (chapters 3-4) Read: Minnich, Elizabeth. 1999. “Experiential Education: Democratizing Educational Philosophies”in Liberal Education, Vol. 85, I. 3. Suggested: Garrison and Neiman. 2002. “Pragmatism and Education”in The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education.

Student Led Discussion #1

F 9/5 Highly Recommended Cornell West lecture, “Democracy Matters” 7:30pm, Goddard

Week 4

T 9/13 The Territory-Foundations Continue: Dewey (chapters 5-6)

R 9/15 The Territory-Foundations Finish: Dewey Read: West, Cornell. 1989. “Coming of Age of American Pragmatism: John Dewey”in The American Evasion of Philosophy.

Student Led Discussion #2

TRAIL MARKER

Week 5

T 9/20 Well Worn Paths- The Hahnian Legacy Read: Sakofs, Mitch. 1998. “Only Mtn Worth Climbing: The Search for Roots” in Into The Classroom; and, Kalisch, Kenneth. 1979. “Role of the Instructor in the Outward Bound Educational Process.”

R 9/22 Well Worn Paths- The Hahnian Legacy Read: Richards, Anthony. 1990. “Kurt Hahn” in Adventure Education, Priest and Miles, eds.

Student Led Discussion #3

Week 6

T 9/27 Detours- Radical Experience Read: Freire and Shor, Pedagogy for Liberation through chapter 2. Suggested: Blake and Masschelein. 2002. “Critical Theory and Critical Pedagogy” in The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education.

R 9/29 Detours- Radical Experience Continue: Freire and Shor, through chapter 4. Read: Apple, Michael. 2004. Chapter 4 in Ideology and Curriculum.

Student Led Discussion #4 Week 7

T 10/4 Detours-Radical Experience Finish: Freire and Shor

R 10/6 New Trails- Modern Applications of Experiential Ed Read: Joplin, Laura. 1995. “On Defining Experiential Education”; and, Chapman, McFee, and Proudman, “What Is Experiential Education?” in The Theory of Experiential Education. Suggested: Itin, Christian. 1999. “Reasserting the Philosophy of Experiential Education as a Vehicle for Change in the 21st Century ”in the Journal of Experiential Education, 22:2.

Week 8

T 10/11 New Trails- Modern Applications of Experiential Ed Read: Klein, Doc. 1997. “Beyond The Wilderness” in About Campus Jan-Feb. 1997; and, Knapp, Clifford. 2005. “The I-Thou Relationship, Place Based Education, and Aldo Leopold” in The Journal of Experiential Education, V27:3; and, Perrone, Vito. (2001). “Learning For Life- Where Do We Begin?” in Taking Sides: 11th ed. Suggested: Adkins and Simmons. 2002. “Outdoor, Experiential, and Environmental Education: Converging or Diverging Approaches?“in ERIC Digest, EDO-RC-02-1.

Student Led Discussion #5

R 10/13 No Class- Mid Semester Break

Week 9

T 10/18 Set-up Learning Expedition In class work- developing your curriculum What are you going to do? How are you going to do it? What do you hope to learn? How are we going to give you feedback?

R 10/20 No Class (Expeditions)

Week 10

T 10/25 No Class (Expeditions)

R 10/27 In-Class Check-In and Reflection Read: Neill, A.S.. 1960. “Summerhill- A Radical Approach to Child Rearing.”

Student Led Discussion #6

TRAILMARKER

Week 11

T 11/1 No-Class (Expeditions)

R 11/3 No Class (Expeditions) Jay Out (AEE)

Week 12

T 11/8 No-Class (Expeditions)

R 11/10 In-Class (expeditions conclude) Begin: Lee Valuing The Self (through pg. 27)

Week 13

T 11/15 Re-Thinking Experience Continue: Lee (through pg. 49)

Student Led Discussion #7

R 11/17 Re-Thinking Experience Finish: Lee

Week 14

No Class- Thanksgiving Break

Week 15

T 11/29 Perilous Terrain? Critiques of Experiential Theory Read: Bell, Martha. 1995. “What Constitutes Experience? Rethinking Theoretical Assumptions” in Experiential Education Theory; and, Wichmann, Theodore. 1995. “Babies and Bathwater: Two Experiential Heresies” in The Theory of Experiential Education. Suggested: Fenwick, Tara. “Experiential Learning: A Theoretical Critique from Five Perspectives” in ERIC, ED-99-CO-0013.

Student Led Discussion #8

R 12/1 Perilous Terrain? Critiques of Experiential Practice Read: Gass and Seaman. 2005. “Service Learning and Outdoor Education: Promising Reform or Future Relics?” in The Journal of Experiential Education, V27:N.1; and, Brookes, Andrew. 2003. “A Critique of Neo-Hahnian Outdoor Education Theory”in the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, Vol. 3(2). Suggested: Warren, Karen. 2002. Preparing the Next Generation: Social Justice in Outdoor Leadership Education and Training” in The Journal of Experiential Education. Vol. 25(1).

Presentation#1

Week 16

T 12/6 Perilous Terrain? Suggested: Roberts, Jay. 2005. “Disney, Dewey, and the Death of Experience in Education”in The Journal of Culture and Education.

Presentation #2

R 12/8 Last Class- Wrap-Up and Evaluations

Presentation #3 TRAILMARKER

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE COLLEGE: "Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact Academic Support Services and the instructor at the beginning of each semester. Accommodation arrangements must be made during the first-two weeks of the semester."

IMPORTANT SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION FROM THE EDUCATION OFFICE: Every year, at the Spring Awards Convocation, Earlham College is able to award the Jay Scholarship to Quaker students who plan to enter the field of teaching. Teaching is broadly defined to range from the private to the public and from the classroom to outdoor education. The amount of award varies, depending on the number of recipients and the amount of income the account has earned.

Are you potentially a candidate? To be eligible for the Jay Scholarship you must:

1. be a sophomore, junior, or senior next academic year. 2. have financial need; the award is in addition to any current financial aid that you may be receiving. (We will check with the Financial Aid office and know that you are a recipient of financial aid so you need not do anything about this condition.)

If you are interested in being considered for this scholarship, then please obtain an application from Cheri Gaddis. Applications are due in early Spring.

At the same time as the Jay Scholarship, Earlham College awards the Janice Beard and Charles Kem Award in Education. According to the donors, "This award is made to a rising senior who plans to become a teacher of secondary or elementary education. The criteria include academic merit, teaching potential, as well as the demonstration of personal qualities of good character that will strengthen the teaching

profession. This award is based solely on merit." The award is $1000. and goes to only one student.

Are you potentially a candidate? To be eligible for the Beard-Kem Award you must:

1. Be a senior next academic year. 2. Plan to become a teacher in secondary or elementary education. 3. Be academically strong, plan to teach, and demonstrate good character.

If you are interested in being considered for this scholarship, then please obtain an application from Cheri Gaddis. Applications are due in late Feb.