Course Syllabus

Course Description

This course considers pedagogical, planning, and assessment choices in relation to place and Indigenous contexts, the specific knowledges and situations of learners, subject learning and relational curriculum-making, social and ecological justice, and Indigenous education priorities. Holistic, experiential, and Indigenous inquiry-based pedagogical methodologies will be examined and experienced. This course addresses integrated methods content in language arts, science, social sciences, and mathematics, and appropriate adaptation, assessment, and evaluation.

Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): Students pursuing the B.Ed. Direct Entry Program must complete EFDT 101.3; ECUR 163.3

or ECUR 164.3 or ECUR 165.3; EFDT 265.3 or ECUR 265.3; EPSE 202.3.
Note: Students with credit for EDUC 313, EDUC 315, or EFDT 315 will not receive credit for this course.

 

Land Acknowledgement

As we gather here today, we acknowledge that the Saskatoon campus of the University of Saskatchewan is on Treaty Six Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nation and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. We recognize that in the course of your studies you will spend time learning in other traditional territories and Métis homelands. We wish you safe, productive and respectful encounters in these places

 

Instructor Information

Ashley Shaw (she/her)

Room 11, McLean Hall

106 Wiggins Road

(306) 934-2203

Ashley.shaw@usask.ca

 

Office Hours

Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Instructor Profile

Taanishi Kiiyawow? My name is Ashley Shaw. My family is from Batoche, Duck Lake, and Prince Albert. Our ancestors are from the traditional Metis homeland of Red River. I live in Saskatoon with my spouse and two very active boys. We enjoy spending time at the lake, traveling and doing winter activities in the mountains.

I have a bachelor's of education degree (Usask) from the Gabriel Dumont Institute (SUNTEP) from which I taught grades 1-5 at St. Michaels Community School in Saskatoon. I am currently working with the Gabriel Dumont Institute as a student advisor and instructor. I completed a Master of Educational Administration in the Spring of 2021. My research focuses on the recruitment and retention of first-generation Indigenous students in higher education.

Kishchi Maarsii!

 

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of this course, students will be expected to:

1. Articulate why and how place matters in education;

2. Investigate local land and community issues with a focus on Reconciliation;

3. Demonstrate understanding of how to use holistic, experiential, inquiry-based teaching and learning / assessment strategies related to place;

4. Incorporate community- and land -based and virtual resources in designing learning

activities within the context of Saskatchewan Ministry of Education curriculum: Indigenous (FNMI) perspectives; Broad Areas of Learning; Cross-Curricular Competencies; Subject Area Aims, Goals, and Outcomes; Understanding the Conceptual Foundations; Identifying the Big Ideas; Assessment and Evaluation.

 

Place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and other subjects across the curriculum. Emphasizing hands-on, real-world learning experiences, this approach to education increases academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhances students’ appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens. Community vitality and environmental quality are improved through the active engagement of local citizens, community organizations, and environmental resources in the life of the school.

 

Sobel, David. (2004). Place-based Education: connecting classrooms and communities. The Orion Society. Great Barrington, MA.

 

Course Overview

Each class will begin with a Community Meeting, which will facilitate dialogue, reflect on decisions and create discussions. The Community Meeting will be a safe and supportive environment for students to express their thoughts and ideas. The course content and resources will be posted to the Canvas page for your reference. Due to the nature of a placed-based class, you need to be prepared for transportation and outdoor elements. You will need to coordinate carpooling with your fellow peers and plan to arrive on time for all excursions. Arrive to class prepared with the required materials, field journal, nametag, outdoor clothing, and footwear for our ever-changing learning environments. A $20 student fee to cover admissions and activity expenses is payable to the SUNTEP Office.

 

Class Schedule EFDT 313_Course Schedule-1.pdf 

See the course schedule (separate document posted on Canvas). The nature of the course requires that we be flexible, which is excellent preparation for your careers as teachers. Updates to the course schedule will be posted through Canvas and notifications by e-mail will be sent.

 

Required Activities Outside of Class Time

Students will be required to participate in Professional Development Certification in Project Wet and an Introduction to Risky Play.

Project Wet (date/time - TBD)

The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 Training is an interactive workshop for educators. The Training gives educators information about Project WET and leads them through activities. At the completion of the workshop, educators will receive a print copy of the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 and certification as a Project WET educator.

Introduction to Risky Play

**Online – Complete by the last class

The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada has a free Introduction to Risky Play Workshop which provides the research, tools and language you need to support risky play with confidence. Topics include Understanding Risky Play - What It Is and Why Does It Matter?, Quality Practices in Risky Play - The Tools, Quality Practices in Risky Play - The Strategies and more. Certificate of completion!

https://childnature.ca/courses/test-course/

 

 

Evaluation Components

Place-Based Unit Plan

Value:             30% of final grade

Due Date:       Monday, Dec. 12^th, 2022  

*Students have the option to submit a Draft of the Unit Plan for Feedback by Friday, Nov. 18^th @ 4:00 PM                                                                                                       

Type: Students will develop a Cross-Curricular Unit Plan focused on Place-Based learning utilizing local locations, Indigenous Worldview, and align the outcomes with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education Curriculum.

Description:   The Place-Based Cross-Curricular Unit Plan will consist of 10 lesson plans. Since the Unit Plan is Cross-Curricular, the outcomes can be from various subjects, but the grade level MUST remain consistent. You can choose any grade level from K-8.

Each lesson should include a Place-Based aspect and any other references you used. The Unit Plan MUST utilize the UbD Unit Planning Template which can be found on the College of Education website (Re: Field Experiences).

 

Participation

Value:             10% of final grade                                                                                                              

Due Date:       Monday, December 12^th, 2022

Type: Students will participate in Professional Development through completion of teacher training in Project Wet and an Introduction to Risky Play. Students will submit their certificates of completion to the assignments file on Canvas. Students will each need to lead a community meeting at the beginning of class and introduce the topic of discussion.

 

Field Journal

Value:             30% of final grade                                                                                                        

Due Date:       Every Thursday at 4:00 PM, Room 11, MCLN

Type: Your field journal will document your experiences in this course and your learning.

Description: You should include pictures (either or both photographs or drawings), maps, reflections, poems, and perhaps some small 2-D items that can fit into your journal. The field journal will include your reflections and observations from in-class experiences, but may also be used to collect ideas, community resources, references, inspiring quotes, ect.

 

Call to Action: Capstone Project

Value:             30% of final grade                                                                                                             

Due Date:       Tuesday, Dec.6th, 2022                                                                                                       

Type: Students will analyze, research, and develop a Capstone project based on a Call to Action as outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation report.

Description:   Individually, students will develop an inquiry-based presentation to share with their peers. The Capstone Project is motivated by your own interests within our community and must address a TCR Call to Action. You will identify an issue within our greater community and develop a plan to solute a problem and raise awareness. You will have to consider the current policies that affect your topic, organizations to form partnerships, public awareness, research and resources to support.

You can choose how to present your project (PowerPoint, documentary, essay, exhibit, interview, scrapbook, blog, podcast, etc)

Submitting Assignments

Assignments will be submitted in the ‘assignments’ tab in the Canvas course page. Assignments submitted electronically (word, page or pdf documents) must be saved using the following format:

LastName_FirstName_ECUR313_AssignmentTitle

Late Assignments

All assignments are required for course completion and assignments will not be accepted more than 3 days after the due date. There will be 10% taken off for each day the assignment is late up to a maximum of 30%. After 3 days assignments are still required to be handed in but will receive a mark of zero.

 

Attendance Expectations

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each scheduled class. It is your responsibility to contact me as soon as possible should you be absent.  Students who are absent without providing a valid reason will receive a written reminder. Unexcused absences that amount to 4 hours (over 10%) of course time will result in the possibility of the student being required to discontinue and take the course over. You may be asked to provide appropriate evidence if necessary. 

**Please send me a message prior to class flagging an absence and the reason for the absence.  If you need to leave class early, please discuss this with me at the beginning of class.       

 

Experiential Learning

Since we will be with students, we will be looking for opportunities to engage with the community when permitted. These opportunities will be outdoors, therefore, it is essential that you have the proper clothing and footwear for winter conditions.