<p></p>
<h2>EPFR 563 Selected Topics in Foundations of Education: Schooling and Pop Culture (Summer 2011)</h2>
<p></p>
<h3>Overview:</h3>
Do not miss your chance to sign up for the hippest Education course this summer! What is a teacher to do in our modern world of Twitter, FaceBook, reality TV, iPods, smart phones, and video games ? Are these and other aspects of pop culture best ignored, or is there a way to harness the power of pop culture to enhance student learning?<br /><br /> Students in EPFR 563 will examine:
<ul>
<li>What impact pop culture has in the classroom.</li>
<li>If pop culture should be ignored and controlled or integrated into the curriculum.</li>
<li>How pop culture can affect teaching and learning</li>
</ul>
<p>Course format is partially online and is scheduled from June 13th - July 22.<br />Face to face meetings will be held on June 13, 15, and 22 and July 5 and 14.<br />Other course activities will be facilitated by Blackboard tools.</p>
<p>Interested students should contact their advisors to enroll A.S.A.P.<br /><br />Contact <a href="mailto:wnelson@siue.edu">Dr. Wayne Nelson</a> for additional information.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Course Outline (Summer 2011)</h3>
<strong><br />Course Description:</strong> <br /><br />The interrelationships between schooling and popular culture will be examined, and experiences will be provided to further inquiry about the societal contexts in which schools operate and ways in which the goals of schooling might be subverted.
<p><strong>Course Objectives:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Observe patterns of treatment of schooling in pop culture forms<br /></li>
<li>Judge the levels of influence of both schooling and popular culture on students’ lives<br /></li>
<li>Consider both positive and negative influences of pop culture on young people,<br />particularly with regard to representations of cultural diversity such as race, gender, etc.<br /></li>
<li>Treat opposing views on the worth of pop culture with due consideration<br /></li>
<li>Identify aspects of pop culture appropriate for classroom use</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Course Topics</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The historical background of pop culture trends<br /></li>
<li>Distinctions between pop culture and “high” culture<br /></li>
<li>Opportunities and strategies for counteracting detrimental effects of pop culture on schooling<br /></li>
<li>Opportunities and strategies for incorporating pop culture in the classroom<br /></li>
<li>Icons, artifacts, and examples of pop culture phenomena<br /></li>
<li>Corporate influences on schooling<br /></li>
<li>School as a force in societal change</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Course Activities:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Consuming and analyzing popular culture (e.g., listening to music, watching movies, viewing television programs and advertisements, examining pop publications and web sites, playing video or online games, researching and analyzing social networks)<br /></li>
<li>Producing media artifacts to communicate ideas (e.g. podcasts, digital stories, video diaries, blogs, wikis, etc.)<br /></li>
<li>Organizing and participating in debates<br /></li>
<li>Making presentations of findings and opinions<br /></li>
<li>Develop lesson/unit plans that integrate pop culture into the curriculum OR write an essay explaining ways to limit the effects of pop in schools</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Course Requirements and Grading Criteria</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Attendance, punctuality and participation<br /></li>
<li>Demonstrated understanding of uses and limits of pop culture in schools through successful completion of assignments and presentations<br /></li>
<li>Small group participation in debates, discussions and other activities</li>
</ul>