EDUC 363 - Cultivating Learning Communities: Exploring Models of Learning and Teaching

“Children as human beings, possess a hundred languages: a hundred ways of thinking, expressing, understanding, of encountering otherness through a way of thinking that weaves together and does not separate the various dimensions of experience.” (from Reggio Principles). This course explores a variety of educational models involving youth-driven contexts in preK-12 educational spaces, focusing on the nature of meaning making, play, communication, and collaborative inquiry.  Further, the models attend to the ways in which youth engage out-of-school in rich media landscapes, developing what is often referred to as “digital funds of knowledge.” Through cultivating learning communities, both learners AND teachers are supported in their personal growth, the development of social identities and capacities, and deep understanding of themselves, others, and the planet. The class itself will engage as a learning community, collaboratively inquiring into educational models such as Reggio Emilia, Knowledge Building Communities, and Game-Based Learning.

Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually/Bi-Annually