I'm currently a doctoral student in Arts Education at Simon Fraser University. 

My main areas of interest are Creative Writing, Literature, Literacy, Aesthetics and Philosophy of Education. 

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This website contains several different subject areas.  Please click on the underlined links to access other menus or specific webpages:

1.  Courses:  

      a)  Educ 8XX  -  Philosophy and Literature in Education  - a course I developed for Educ 901 at SFU (see details below)

        b)   Educ 473  -  Designs for Learning:  Reading -  a course I am teaching in Summer 2005, 2006 & 2007 at SFU

            2007:  Educ 473  and 2007 Reading Blog

            2006:  Summer semester - Educ 473a  course    

                      Summer session --   Educ 473b course   

             Reading teacher Resource page

             2005:  Educ 473

        c)   Educ 819 - a portfolio compiled for Educ 819 Teacher Student Interactions at SFU

        d)   Educ 412 - Designs for Learning:  Secondary Language Arts - a course I am teaching in Summer 2007 and 412 class Blog

        e)   FAL 099 - Foundations of Academic Literacy - Summer 2008 ( 2007 class Blog )

2. Conferences

3.  Writer's Workshop

        a)  IERG July 2005 workshop

4.  Papers

        a) Habermas - a summary of Communication and the Evolution of Society

        b) Aesthetics or Literary Theory:  How Shall We Teach Literature Today?

5.  Journal:   SFU Educational Review  - Founding Editor 2007

How this website began....

In Educ 902 with Dr. Suzanne deCastell in the Spring 2005 semester, I was asked to design a course in my field that also covered Contemporary Educational Theory.   It was my intention to bring together some important ideas from Literature and Philosophy and show how they have affected Education. 

Here are the criteria we have been given: 

    -  Design a course that will be useful for you, with a course proposal, outline and week by week syllabus that includes teaching "Contemporary Educational Theory" to students in your own area of specialization;

    -  Ensure that the detailed outline adequately represents a sense of what matters most about the texts we have read (in 902) and how that understanding is best imparted to the selected student group;

    -  Students in the course will engage with texts, do work that is practical and ethical, in the sense of "knowing, doing and being";

    -  Investigate and interpret values, meaning and purposes.  What distinguishes the study of human action?

    -  Class activities should be those of a guided apprenticeship; 

    -  Include a game

My intention

was to introduce and compare critical sections of philosophical and literary works which have shaped our consciousness and our concepts of education.  In many cases, one serves as a "corrective" to an extreme view in the other, or reinforces the same view.  I have chosen well-known works of writing to illustrate their enduring impact on our contemporary ideas, but I also hope students will enjoy the beautiful "hidden agenda" behind the website, which is to offer a parallel course in art history and the history of writing.

I invite you to have a look at the proposed "EDUC 8XX" and send me your comments. 

On going

Designing a course with an online component obviously has many benefits, not only as a way for students to check reading schedules and course requirements but also as a resource to direct students to other educational websites.  Judging from the feedback I've received, the visual element seems to have heightened student interest and enthusiasm.  As time allows, I hope to continue to develop the site.

(Last updated:  May 2008)