An Educated Society

REVISED

Spring 2012 quarter

Faculty

Stephanie Kozick human development , Leslie Flemmer teacher education, critical pedagogy

Fields of Study

education, history, literature, outdoor leadership and education, psychology and writing

Preparatory for studies or careers in

education, human development, expressive arts, community development, and sociology.

Description

This is an inquiry-based program structured as a collaborative effort to engage authentic questions about the process of learning. What is an educated society and what does it mean to become educated within a society? Whose ways of knowing count in such educational pursuits assumed to ultimately achieve happiness and personal fulfillment? Can one be considered “educated” if one lacks educational credentials, cultural knowledge of the arts, political awareness, or social and economic connections? And, to what end and in what means must we even consider these questions? In this program, we will inquire about the role that educators, artists, authors, and the environment play in guiding us toward a more vibrant and holistic outlook. This comprehensive inquiry requires an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to employ dialogue and the arts in an examination of what is meant by the term “education.” The program will include student-centered learning activities of readings, discussions, talks, film, and expressive projects.

Students who are curious about paths to knowledge, the field of education, social justice, and cultural and historical considerations can join us in a wide-ranging examination of our diverse society. Students can expect to work collaboratively to think, learn, and interpret how individuals form, interact in, and become participants in an educated society while engaging topics that include critical pedagogy, arts and humanities, and the construction of knowledge through social networks and cultural practices. Motivated, open-minded students willing to work with others in critical discussions of readings, to experiment with the arts and writing projects, and to closely observe the contributions of others will gain new perspectives about what matters when contemplating an educated society. At quarter’s end, students will be able to identify their own and others efforts to understand what it means to be educated. Some of the authors who will have contributed to that understanding are: Virginia Woolf, Paolo Freire, William Ayers, James Baldwin, John Dewey, Terry Tempest Williams, Sherman Alexi, Gerald Durrell, and Maxine Green.

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Enhanced Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Offered During

Day

Program Revisions