Course Syllabus

Class Description

This will be a 2 credit course that will expand on my research last quarter entitled, The Classroom as a Body without Organs. I will look at more philosophies and implementations of this idea of teaching and learning that has a similar framework to Deleuze and Guattari's analysis of The Body without Organs. Some things I will include in the course are the Montessori method, Brian Massumi's writings, taking a closer look at another D & G concept, and the philosophy of ELOB schools (Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound). I would like to visit Thornton Creek Elementary in Seattle and observe the teaching style there. My main objective with this course is to gain a better understanding of teaching styles already in practice that follow a similar philosophy to The Classroom as a Body without Organs. I would like to be able to look at these philosophies critically and compare and contrast. I would also like to implement another D & G philosophy into the classroom as well as one of Brian Massumi.

The readings in this class will be short essays by Deleuze and Guattari and Brian Massumi. I will also read mission statements and statements of philosophy of both Montessori and ELOB schools and I'll take a closer look at lesson plans from some of those schools as well.

The most difficult part of this course will be staying within the 2 credit guideline. To make up for classroom time and outside of classroom time for a typical 2 credit course I will commit to spending about four hours/week on this course.

Assignments

For each week I will choose a keyword from my readings, dissect it and look at its meaning further. I will post blog entries that will present my insight with each reading. For mid-quarter I will present one 2-3 page paper that will expand on some of my keywords and look more in depth at ideas that have been expressed. For the last week of the course I will visit Thorton Creek Elementary - an ELOB school in Seattle - and observe how they are implementing concepts and using ELOB effectively or not. For a final display of what I have gained, I will write a 4-5 page paper that will encompass my findings throughout the course and how they relate to my observations at Thornton Creek.

Revised Syllabus

April 26 - May 2

Focus: ELOB
Dissect ELOB's mission statement and philosophy, find examples of lesson plans
Keyword: Active Pedagogy

May 3 - 9

Focus: D & G
Read excerpt from Deleuze and Guattari's, A Thousand Plateaus.
Implement a piece of this philosophy into the classroom
Keyword: TBD

May 10 - 16

Focus: Montessori
Read mission statement and philosophy of Montessori
Find lesson plans used in the Montessori classroom
Keyword: TBD

May 17 - 23

Focus: Massumi
Read excerpt from Massumi's, Parables for the Virtual
Implement and idea of Massumi's philosophy into the classroom
Keyword: TBD

May 24 - 30

Focus: Classroom visit
Compile findings throughout course and prepare plan for visit to Thornton Creek Elementary
What will you be looking for in the classroom?
Observe Teachers and Students
Actions and Reactions

May 31 - June 6
Focus: Final
Record observations from classroom visit and make connections with insight gained throughout this course.
Final paper due June 10th