[SSC] SSC curriculum stuff -- to the wider group

[Peter Somerville]

I think these are really useful notes. I'm only sorry that I cannot
attend on 30 June.

I think the issues identified here (soul/spirit, praxis, autonomy,
critical learning, language and hidden curriculum) need to be integrated
into the 'curriculum framework'. I also think this curriculum framework
actually looks more like a framework for the SSC project as a whole.

I have made this point before but I also think that, at least when it
comes to the learning process, we should be distinguishing only between
teaching and learning, not between 'teacher-scholars' and
'student-scholars'. We will be expecting students to be taking on
teaching roles and also expecting academics to take on learning roles. I
think this is the key thing that distinguishes the SSC from other
educational projects.

The point about language is a good one and I still feel that some of the
language we use is not accessible enough or perhaps not clear enough.
For example, why say 'problematics' when we could just say 'issues'? Or
what do we really mean by being 'critical'? Zoraida and I decided that
probably what we mean is 'increasing awareness of our journey and of how
we move forward in that journey'. Or again: are 'content' and 'process'
really two dimensions? I think not. What does it mean to 'become
otherwise'? What are 'scholarly literacies'? I do not know the answers
to these two last questions.

I think the concepts/themes of culture, economy, power and society are
too broad to act as suitable foci. Gender, race, class, sexuality, age,
the body are better. But why not just start with issue-based themes, as
also suggested - poverty, unemployment, climate change, homelessness,
debt, solidarity, etc?

I think the correct term is 'spirit' rather than 'soul'. 'Soul' refers
to the inner world of perceptions, feelings and will, whereas 'spirit'
is what links this inner world with the outer world of the body. Spirit
is about hope and a sense of purpose and direction and possibly also of
communion or solidarity, as in the expressions 'community spirit' and
'team spirit'. The spirit of the SSC is what drives us forward (hence
the term 'inspiration'), enabling us to keep body and soul together.

Hope this helps

Pete


-----Original Message-----
From: Zoraida Mendiwelso-Bendek 
Sent: 27 June 2012 15:01
To: Peter Somerville
Subject: FW: SSC curriculum stuff -- to the wider group

 

Fly

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah at socialsciencecentre.org.uk
[mailto:sarah at socialsciencecentre.org.uk]
Sent: 27 June 2012 14:49
To: botlenyanahughes at yahoo.co.uk; Helen Farrell (Tourism);
pappaskelley at mac.com; sara.motta at nottingham.ac.uk;
hopkins668 at btinternet.com; Zoraida Mendiwelso-Bendek;
sandiestrat at phonecoop.coop; davidmcaleavey at virginmedia.com;
miketodd143 at gmail.com; Darryl Baker; Gordon Asher
Subject: SSC curriculum stuff -- to the wider group

Hi all!

I'm very sorry if you have already received an email like this, but it's
been pointed out that I was using the list of only people who came to
the meeting on Friday and not the wider group of everyone who's
expressed an interest in being involved in curriculum development (so to
speak). Let's use this list to keep in touch and please forward to
anyone you think is not on it but should be. Thanks in advance for your
patience; steps in learning how to work together.

I'm sending a copy of the notes from last Friday's meeting, which I will
also post to the SSC website for others to see, and a suggestion for
Saturday's workshop. The latter has been revised after some really
thoughtful comments from Zoraida and Peter Somerville, around (1) the
importance of recommending a starting point in learners' expectations
and social concerns, (2) the importance of clarifying what we mean by
'themes', and (3) the importance of highlighting questions about
evaluation (of learning journeys and of our own practices of working
cooperatively). 

I'm planning to send this out to the whole group by Friday, unless I
hear otherwise, and it can be revised until then!

The workshop will involve smaller group discussions - does anyone else
fancy facilitating or co-facilitating one?

All best,
Sarah





On Wed 13/06/12 15:45, "Heather Hughes" botlenyanahughes at yahoo.co.uk
wrote:
> Sorry all; got Sarah's details wrong, so please use this list as the 
> accurate one... Heather
> 
> 









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