The idea that learning is a journey is not new. Nor is it revolutionary to draw on metaphors of travel to describe a learning process. John Dewey, in his How We Think, describes the “forked road situation” as the seat of critical, reflective thought. Dewey notes that when we come to a forked road, we have a choice to make. And we often inform our choice by attempting to investigate our options. You might stroll down each direction a bit before you choose your path. You might climb a tree and try your best to see what lies ahead in each of your options. In the end though, you can’t know exactly what to expect — and so the journey begins with a choice and a critical awareness that you carry on your journey.
This is all to say that this course is a journey — specifically, a road trip — with lots of roads to choose from. Our course syllabus and schedule are the “maps” that we’ll use as a way of getting up in the trees that Dewey describes — for a better view of what roads/options are out there for us! At the same time, we’ll make the road by walking, completing planned (mapped) activities and creating others together.
Map 1: Syllabus
Map 2: Itinerary/Schedule