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EDST 498B: Critical Place–Based Pedagogy for Culturally Responsive Teaching
July 2 – July 19 (Tuesday to friday ) | 9:00 A.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Format: In-person
Through research-informed, transdisciplinary, and decolonization frameworks, participants will explore their sense of place and embrace multiple perspectives. This exploration is founded on the understanding of place-based education as an opportunity for rich engagement situated in context and as a way to build cultural competence. Through the recognition of all teaching as situated in place, this course aims to cultivate critical and engaged understandings of place as diversely experienced.
It will explore substantive topics (including but not limited to): Colonialism and decolonization, instructor positionality, and social, cultural, political, and economic contexts of place, with a focus on facilitating culturally safe and accessible place-focused learning.
This course will encourage participants to be self-reflexive and rigorous in their analysis of texts and teaching and learning strategies, and to direct applications to their current or future professional practice area. It will include in-person inquiry focused fieldwork and a curriculum design project.
By the end of this course, students will:
- engage in critical place-based learning (PBL), situated on the territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, acknowledging and decolonizing leadership and pedagogy as part of reconciliation for Canada’s histories of colonialism, systemic racism and inequities.
- recognize, adapt, and evaluate culturally responsive and place-based learning theories, methods, and concepts to enhance their skills as facilitators of critical place-based learning.
- use critical thinking skills to interrogate topics over time and place, with consideration to multiple perspectives, power structures, and social justice.
- reflect on their own positionality in place and demonstrate a respectful standpoint towards all peoples’ lived experiences of place.
- employ skills in culturally responsive pedagogy and inclusive curriculum (re)design, instruction, and assessment based on the design principles of PBL and Universal Design for Learning.
Leslie Finley
Leslie is privileged to live and work on the traditional ancestral territory of the Syilx Okanagan people. Her research and educational practice is focused on curriculum design for critical place-based learning, drawing on experiences learning and teaching in the Okanagan region. Leslie has developed and taught community-based environmental education programs and worked extensively with both local public-sector and non-profit organizations supporting initiatives for youth leadership in nature and ecological stewardship. Leslie is also a certified Park Interpreter and a Field Leader with the Outdoor Council of Canada. Leslie is particularly passionate about staying curious in the classroom and finding sustainable ways to support all students.
How to register
To register for courses, please visit the Student Service Centre (SSC).
Register for Term two (July/August) courses via the Student Service Centre (SSC). If you intend on taking a 400-level course, please ensure that you receive prior approval by your graduate supervisor using this form.
If you are looking to transfer a course into UBC Vancouver, or another institution, please confirm transfer credit will be approved prior to registering for a UBC Okanagan course.
*It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the course is accepted towards the completion of a program.
Register for Term two (July/August) courses via the Student Service Centre (SSC). You must have current Summer registration eligibility. If not, please email sie.education@ubc.ca.
If you are looking to transfer a course into UBC Vancouver, or another institution, please confirm approval of transfer credit prior to registration.
*It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the course is accepted towards the completion of a program.
To register for a course, you will first need to submit an online application via Education Planner BC portal.
- Sign up for your EducationPlannerBC Account and follow the instructions to complete your applicant profile.
- Select University of British Columbia as the institution you want to apply to
- Select the upcoming Winter Session: September – December
- Select “Access Studies”
- Under “Access Studies” section, indicate that your program of interest is the Okanagan School of Education’s Summer Institute in Education Summer Session May – August.
- Once all necessary fields are filled in, click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page.
- You will be prompted to review your EPBC application and pay an application fee.
Once you have paid the application fee, email nondegree.ok@ubc.ca if you want UBC to process it quicker. If not, it will take three to five business days for UBC to admit you.
Please contact sie.education@ubc.ca with your UBC student number and courses of interest.