IL 530A Student Area of Emphasis: Independent Study

Semester One
INT 560	Foundations of Integral Learning I	3 credits*
INT 562	Whole Systems Perspectives: Theory and Application to Learning	3 credits*
INT 563	Introduction to Qualitative Research	3 credits*
INT 570	Student Area of Emphasis I	3 credits*

Semester Two
INT 561	Foundations of Integral Learning II	3 credits*
INT 565	Perspectives on Human Change and Learning Communities	3 credits*
INT 564	Learning through Technology	3 credits*
INT 551	Student Area of Emphasis II	3 credits*

Semester Three
INT 575	Student Area of Emphasis III	3 credits*
INT 572	Practicum	3 credits*
INT 582	Masters Project	6 credits*
*As detailed in student's Learning Plan

Although you will see different course titles and descriptions listed in this document, the lines between courses dissipate as the program is clearly an attempt at integrating everything you experience over the three semesters

COLLOQUIUM-BASED READING

The colloquia are a unique blend of action and reflection, listening and responding, synthesis and integration. We invite each participant to be engaged with the process and require the following books as background to these experiences.

Bohm, David. On Dialogue. New York: Routledge, 1996

Briggs, John and Peat, David. Seven Life Lessons of Chaos. Harper-Collins. 1999

INT 560 Foundations of Integrative Learning I

Three (3) Credits

As we begin the twenty-first century, many of our institutions and professions are entering a period of profound change. We in education are beginning to recognize that the structure, purposes, and methods of our profession were designed for an historical period that is now coming to a close. The time has come to transform education so as to address the human and environmental challenges that confront us.

We believe that education for this new era must be holistic. The holistic perspective is the recognition that all life on this planet is interconnected in countless profound and subtle ways. The view of Earth suspended alone in the black void of space underscores the importance of a global perspective in dealing with social and educational realities. Education must nurture respect for the global community of humankind.

Holism emphasizes the challenge of creating a sustainable, just, and peaceful society in harmony with the Earth and its life. It involves an ecological sensitivity - a deep respect for both indigenous and modern cultures as well as the diversity of life forms on the planet. Holism seeks to expand the way we look at ourselves and our relationship to the world by celebrating our innate human potentials - the intuitive, emotional, physical, imaginative, and creative, as well as the rational, logical, and verbal.

Holistic education recognizes that human beings seek meaning, not just fact or skills, as an intrinsic aspect of their full and healthy development. We believe that only healthy, fulfilled human beings create a healthy society. Holistic education nurtures the highest aspirations of the human spirit.

Conclusion to Education 2000: A Holistic Perspective

Many futurists believe that the pathway out of the current planetary ecological crisis is through education - one that recognizes the strategic issues confronting humanity. These issues deal with the "what is" of the external world as well as the inner manifestations of thought and conditioning.

In emphasizing the influences of heart, mind and body, this study area becomes a group exploration for an integral social and philosophical framework in education. A focus on personal relevancy and practical application in a rapidly changing world facilitates an exploration of meaning, purpose and compassion in learner's lives and in the educational environments they create. This search for meaning and purpose is augmented by an examination of historical and contemporary contributions to educational thinking and research.

Context-setting becomes an integral part of this process. Students develop contextural matrices that emanate from essential questions. These matrices form the basis for reorganizing and restructuring learning strategies.

Students explore how integral learning, ecological literacy, contextural thinking, virtual communication, and dialogue create a new paradigm for teaching and learning.

In addition, the course examines the relationship between education and consciousness as well as teachers as agents of change. Areas of inquiry include: freedom and responsibility, the role of silence, nature as transformative experience, trust and the spiritual dimension of learning.

Required Reading

Gang, Philip Snow. Rethinking Education. Dagaz Press. 1989

Krishnamurti. Education and the Significance of Life. Harper & Row. 1953

Orr, David. Ecological Literacy. State University of New York, 1992

Orr, David. Earth In Mind. Island Press. 1994

INT 561 Foundations of Integrative Learning II

Three (3) Credits

Learning is a process that allows the individual to integrate formal knowledge, systemic understanding, and interaction with others into clear thinking and creative, effective action. Some critical dimensions of learning include: whole language approaches, cooperative and accelerated learning, transpersonal learning, multiple intelligences, transcultural learning, peripheral visioning, co-intelligence, and brain based learning. These are explored in order to establish patterns and insights for the application of learner centered curriculum.

This area also explores how conditioning affects individual and group behavior. How to break the limits of thought and conditioning become a core issue in critical learning. Additionally there is an exploration into meaningful assessment and evaluation.

Student-Centered Learning; Emerging Curricula; Systemic and Self-Organizing Learning; Ecological Literacy and Sustainability; Continuous Learning; Cross-Disciplinary Projects; Behavior, Discipline and Love in the Learning Environment; Contextualizing Curricula; Questioning; and, Teacher as Learner, Learner as Teacher; are some of the topics that may be covered during this course of study.

We also examine philosophies of innovative educational leaders in the field and the implications of contrasting viewpoints. Students are encouraged to apply what they learn to their practicum.

At the end of this course of study students prepare an oral presentation integrating their area of emphasis and the overall aims of the degree.

Required Reading:

Dewey, John. Experience and Education. Macmillan. 1938

Friere, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Preface, Introduction and Chapters One and Two). New York: Continuum. 1984

Miller, John. The Holistic Curriculum. OISE. Toronto. 1996

INT 562 Whole Systems Perspectives: Theory and Application to Learning

Three (3) Credits

Systems thinking gives us a holistic perspective for viewing the world around us, and seeing ourselves in the world. It is a way of organizing, or perhaps reorganizing, our knowledge in terms of systems, systemic properties, and inter-system relationships

Ervin Laszlo

Our conception of ourselves and our place in the universe is deeply rooted in our perception of our relationship to nature. Thus many scientists and non scientists alike for the last 300 years have found their personal philosophies, their own senses of identity, and their notions of how they relate to the world and to other people colored by the dominant mechanistic world view.

A growing movement in science, mathematics, philosophy and the arts provides a metaphor for new ways of seeing and organizing experience. This metaphor can be experienced in the context of new processes and relationships that build community and provide insight regarding learning. These processes may lead to actions that are based on systemic awareness, interdependence and compassion.

In this course we explore "first principles" of organization, change and transformation. We look at change from the macro perspective of evolution. As we follow the evolutionary path we come to the emergence of human beings and begin to explore human systems.

To accomplish this it is necessary to examine elements of living systems as well as the evolution of the biological and physical sciences. A common experience of this study is a shift in worldviews for the individual and the community of learners.

Required Reading:

Briggs, John and Peat, David. Seven Life Lessons of Chaos. Harper-Collins. 1999

Capra, Fritjof. The Web of Life. Anchor-Doubleday. 1996

Laszlo, Ervin. System View of the World: A Holistic Vision for Our Time. Hampton Press. 1996 [Recommended, not required]

Swimme, Brian and Berry, Thomas. The Universe Story. Harper. 1992 ISBN 0-06-250826-1

Swimme, Brian. The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos. Video available from Center for the Universe Story 1-800-273-3720.

Sahtouris, Elisabet. Earthdance: Living Systems in Evolution. Santa Barbara, CA: Metalog Books. 1996

INT 563 Introduction to Qualitative Research

Three (3) Credits

This course will show educators how to systematically pursue their passions

through qualitative research. We will begin this exploration of research

strategies that are most appropriate to educators by first identifying

passions. Then each student will seek to frame a guiding research question

or purpose that is in alignment with his/her passion. We will study

research design, experientially learning about strategies for data

collection that include participant/observation and interviewing. We will

practice working with data in the form of field notes, interview transcripts,

and other documents. Then we will explore data analysis which will include

practice with coding. Finally we will explore creative review of literature

and then look ahead to the writing up of the research.

This inquiry begins during the entrance Colloquium.

Required Reading:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Fourth

Edition) (1994) American Psychology Association, Washington DC. ISBN

1-55798-241-4

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Josephe Gibaldi) ISBN 0-87352-565-5

Braud, William and Anderson, Marie. Transpersonal Research Methods for the Social Sciences: Honoring Human Experience. Sage Publications. 1998

Hubbard, Ruth, et al. Living the Questions: A Guide for Teacher-Researchers, Stenhouse Publishers, 1999

INT 564 Learning through Technology

Three (3) Credits

This course is an experiential learning process held during the first semester. Students learn by doing as they develop the skills required to navigate the virtual campus. Some of the skills that are taught include:

Posting to the various conferences on campus.

Weaving or "braiding" responses to postings.

Uploading and downloading files to/from campus.

Navigating the Internet for resources.

Searching ERIC databases.

Linking responses to web pages.

In addition to learning these skills, students become adept at the process learning how to learn in a virtual community. This process brings to awareness the role of facilitation, mentorship and curriculum design in integrative learning.

Resources:

Handouts

INT 565 Perspectives on Human Change and Learning Communities

Three (3) Credits

In this course, we aspire to discover the universal characteristics of being human while also searching out what is unique in all of us. To accomplish this we will explore some of the innate tendencies that all humans have at birth and attempt to reflect on our own life transitions. We will look at personal transformation as it pertains to growth and development.

Personal and group transformative process are explored through he window of dialogue. We will also look at the process of creativity and process-oriented work habits may lead to such concepts as personal vision, personal mastery and shared vision. In the learning community we work to discover meaning, learn to learn together and create strategies for action from their learning.

A study of "human change" must also consider one's perceptions on justice, economics and the relationship of race and gender to global well-being.

Throughout the program students are required to participate in an on-line community journal and general meeting place. The rich communicative environment we intend to establish offers the opportunity to communicate many things: about the program, personal matters, interpersonal issues, social concerns. Since this program concerns education, students are encouraged to raise difficult issues that arise in their work as an educator, and share approaches to problems that they feel have been successful.

A major assumption of this work is that participation in a learning community supports and expands personal and academic possibilities.

Required Reading

Fouts, Roger. Next of Kin: What Chimpanzees Have Taught me About Who We Are. William Morrow and Company. 1997

Lillard, Paula Polk. Montessori Today (Chapter One). New York: Schocken Books. 1996

Metzner, Ralph. The Unfolding Self. Origin Press - Novato, Ca. 1998

Waring, Marilyn. Who's Counting. Video. Bullfrog Films. 1-800-543-3764 (www.bullfrogfilms.com)

Wheatley, Margaret. Leadership and the New Science. Berrett Koehler. 1992

INT 570 Student Area of Emphasis I

Independent Study

Three (3) Credits

Each student develops an individualized learning plan for the completion of this independent study during the first, second and third semesters. Among other things, the plan includes:

1. A description of the special emphasis field of focus

2. A rationale for studying this area including driving questions, professional significance of the study, and objectives

3. A detailed accounting of potential resources --

a. Description of reading areas and bibliography

b. Workshop/seminars

c. Courses at other institutions

The learning plan also includes a description of the Practicum and Culminating Project which is detailed in the syllabi for INT 572 and INT 574

INT 551 Student Area of Emphasis II

Independent Study

Three (3) Credits

Continuation of INT 570

INT 575 Student Area of Emphasis III

Independent Study

Three (3) Credits

Continuation of INT 570 and 551

INT 572 Practicum

Three (3) Credits

This program emphasizes the experiential aspects of learning. Your learning plan includes a blueprint for the implementation of a practicum experience.

In the learning plan students indicate any practica or internships, experiments, teaching, archival research, interviews with specialists in your field, projects, or other forms of applied work you propose as the experiential component of your program.

If your ongoing employment is your practicum, remember that it is not possible to study every aspect of your responsibilities. In this case please indicate what particular function, problem, or project you will concentrate on for the purposes of your Masters work, as well as any changes or improvements you anticipate in your work as the result of your study.

Whether you are using a current job or a special internship or practicum as the laboratory for your learning, it is important that your applied learning be guided by a competent supervisor. Please indicate in your learning plan who will provide this supervision and what kinds of assessment will be used to evaluate your work.

A. Describe the work experience, practicum, internship, or experiential learning you will include in your study.

Where will it take place?

What will your responsibilities entail?

What supervision will you have?

How many hours per week, over what period of time?

B. Describe additional practical learning experiences such as site visits, interviews, and surveys. In addition to readings and practica, we can also learn from the current experience of other professionals. Please consider individuals you might interview-- e.g., at agencies, institutes, or other special places where people are doing the sort of work you are investigating.

C. Skill development. If you are changing fields, it is particularly important to focus on new skills you want to learn. Please indicate what you want to learn to do, or to do better, and how you plan to learn it--e.g., workshops, seminars, training programs, apprenticeships.

INT 582 Final Project

Six (6) Credits

At the conclusion of the program each student submits a substantial, critical, analytical, graduate-level study which we call the "Final Project" to differentiate it from more rigidly defined thesis of traditional programs. The final project may in fact closely resemble a traditional thesis, or it may take a different form, incorporating art work, slides, audio or video tapes, creative writing, journal entries, etc. in addition to the scholarly paper.

A formal proposal for the final project is submitted prior to the second colloquium.

During the entry colloquium and as part of the learning plan you state your tentative ideas for the final project and how you propose to investigate those ideas. We expect that these early thoughts may develop and change as a result of your studies. To help focus on your topic, please consider the following questions in describing your preliminary ideas in the learning plan:

A. What is the major question you wish to investigate?

B. Why is this question important for your field or the larger community?

C. What methodology do you propose to use in investigating the question? What kinds of evidence do you propose to introduce in support of your investigation: books, interviews, primary documents, statistical data, questionnaires, videos, case studies?

D. How will your practicum relate to your final project?