required readings

1. Reading Journal of Critiques: (40%). Best four out of five. For each major thematic area, select one of the required readings and prepare critique which outlines the author's argument, assumptions, evidence, implications for education/teaching, and your comments/reaction. Critiques should be turned in at the beginning of class into the critique box. You may also choose to substitute one designated video for one article. The best four out of five critiques will be used for the final marks on this assignment. Alternately, you may choose to do only four. NO LATE CRITIQUES will be accepted without a written medical excuse. This assignment should be typed or word processed and fit on the front and back of a 5x8" card. Limit each entry to 250 words, equivalent of one typed page, single-spaced or the front and part of the back of one 5x8" card. Due: Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 3, Feb. 24 and March 15.

Questions to guide your critique of the readings/videos:

They must contain all of the below listed elements but may be written in a way that flows for each of you. You may wish to treat the journal as a letter to a friend which contains each of the below elements.

Title: Proper bibliographic citation

Argument: What are the main points? Summarize the argument or thesis of the researcher/writer in three or four sentences. What are the major concepts used to express the argument? State the critical problem or issue with which the reading deals. Why is it important to the writer? What kind of educational process does the researcher/writer attempt to illuminate or explain?

Assumptions: In one or two sentences state the assumptions is the writer/researcher making? How valid are they? (Hint: You may have think about the researcher's assumptions in relation to other her/his arguments, evidence, and conclusions, before they become explicit). Did the author ignore or downplay a point you felt was relevant and important?

Evidence: In a three or four sentences, describe the evidence the researcher/writer presents to support her/his argument or to test the thesis/argument. Evaluate the manner in which data were collected, analyzed, and conclusions were drawn.

Conclusions and implications: In a few sentences, evaluate whether or not the conclusions drawn by the researcher/writer are consistent with the evidence presented and her/his purposes and assumptions. What are the educational implications of this work for school practice and societal consequences? What implications are there for gender equality in schools according to the researcher's arguments?

Comments: How does this reading inform your own practice as an educator/worker/and/or your own experience as a student/learner? Indicate your reactions to the work in a couple of sentences. Has the author/researcher changed your understanding of either feminism or gender equality? If so, please elaborate how.

A sample will be given on overhead in class and if need be, on a handout.

2). Midterm Exam (30%) In class exam will be based on ideas and arguments found in the readings and videos, or covered in class discussions. The exam will consist of short answer essays and matching and identification of key concepts.

Final Assignment: Option A: Interview/Research Assignment (30%). Working individually or with a partner, select a major theme or issue from this course with respect to challenging some form of major oppression through a teaching practice (e.g. how can I, along with others, create a gender-sensitive environment for my elementary classroom or secondary social studies classroom or, how can I, along with others, challenge racism and/or sexism, etc. in my class or subject-specific class (e.g. music education/arts education class?). You may also interview a teacher on their critical use of some form of popular culture vis-a-vis working for particular social justice pedagogical goal (e. g. antisexism, antiracism/critical multiculturalism, challenging homophobia/heterosexism or classism, creating options for a more socially just school and society). For this assignment, you will be gathering more information through two sources: library search and an interview. For the library search, identify an additional three sources on your topic (students are encouraged to search the internet as well). For the library research, identify and provide three additional bibliographic references for your topic. Submit your ideas for this assignment by Feb. 13th to the instructor. Due date: March 29th with presentations being given on March 29th and March 31st.

Interview Process: Contact a former teacher (of any legal adult age) or a teacher you know through various networks or whom you've met in your practicum experience who is currently teaching. Explain that the nature and purpose of your interview is to gain practice at asking open-ended questions and to learn something about the nature of their experiences teaching and their working conditions. Explain that you will be not only asking questions, but later analyzing and interpreting what they say for the purpose of developing critical reflection skills. Students may proceed with the interview only if after reading over the consent form and asking you any pertinent questions about your use of the interview data, they wish to sign it. Students will assure the interviewee that his/her name will not be used and that pseudonymns will be chosen instead, by interviewee, if she/he likes, for their given and last names as well as any identifying locations, such as schools, etc. Interviewees will also be reassured by the student researcher that they may terminate the interview at any time, should they wish to do so. Students will ask the interviewee to sign a copy of the consent form and arrange for the interview at a suitable location and time. A sample consent form will be distributed in class. Students will audio tape the interview only if given explicit written permission to do so and with the assurance that the audiotape and/or transcription of the interview will be sent to the interviewee.

In your written assignment discuss the following:

*the issue or question you are pursuing and why you have a passion for this topic;

*what you have learned from the literature search, including class readings and your additional library search (identify your sources);

*how you contacted your interviewee, established rapport and why you selected the individual;

*how this assignment might influence your future teaching practice.

When you submit this assignment, include two pages of transcript from the interview, plus a photocopy of the signed consent form (You Must BLOCK the name of the interviewee to maintain confidentiality);

The assignment should be five pages long, plus the transcription exerpt, for a total of seven pages, double-spaced, 12 font.

Class Presentation: On the date the assignment is due we will discuss the highlights of what you learned, how you came to know what knew from your interviewee and library research. You should come prepared to discuss ways of challenging one or more of the systemic oppressions discussed in this course through curricular and/or policy reforms. Prepare a one page handout for the class presentation with enough copies for the class and a poster which outlines some ideas you have learned about challenging one or more of the inter-related oppressions from your interviewee and/or library/internet search.

Criteria for evaluation: Your assignment will be evaluated on its clarity, reflexivity, comprehensiveness or depth, as well as its creative analysis and discussions for implications in your own teaching practice. The paper is worth 25 marks; the handout and poster are worth five marks. If you choose not to do a class presentation, the paper itself will be worth 30 marks.

Due date: March 29th or March 31st, depending on when you present. Sign up dates will take place the prior week.

Final Assignment-Option B: Short Essay-30 points. Criteria same as above (due date March 31st).

This essay, approximately five-seven pages (double-spaced, 12 font) in length, uses the course readings and videos to provide an informed and critical assessment of two articles on equity issues discussed in this course which appear in the Canadian popular press (i.e. Macleans, The Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun/Province, Saturday Night, Chatelaine, the Courier, the Georgia Strait) in the recent months. As we shall discover, such articles are readily on-line in the Education Library and elsewhere. You are encouraged to start your own clippings file on key eduational issues affecting students and teachers. Formal essay style, using the skills developed in your reading journals to identify underlying assumptions of the claims-makers will be expected. Also, you must submit with your properly footnoted and referenced paper, photocopies of the articles analyzed in your paper.

On both options A & B, extensions will not be granted without permission of the instructor and a written medical excuse.

Required Reading/Viewing

Course Reader, identified by author's last name (pkg. available through the Instructor).

Course videos--many are on two-three hour reserve under my name and the course title.

Additional readings TBA during the course as well as handouts given for exercizes etc. The instructor will collect $20.00 to pay for these and any other handouts. Cost will be adjusted (up or down) based on the total spent for the class per student.

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