Curriculum & Instruction: Queer Studies in Education

See Schedule of Course for specific titles.

Online asynchronous course

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EjZNDXPZoKLhmNBYda-0mVeeVrr3ML5kx_aUgu4Wlfo/edit?usp=sharing

This course is designed for educators, administrators, school staff, counselors, and others interested in queer issues in education. Readings will primarily come from birth-12 education, but there are also options to study higher education issues. There will also be opportunities to engage in ungraded discussions and resource sharing with your classmates and instructor. Additionally, with your permission, materials created in this course will be posted for other education professionals to use in their own settings. This course is rigorous and will likely challenge your thinking. Queer studies in education will give students an overview of three topics related to queer studies in education: 1. The history of LGBTQ+ people and topics in education in the US. We will cover legislation against and in support of LGBTQ+ classroom teachers, as well as LGBTQ+ topics. Contemporary examples will also be discussed to critically examine how our past continues to impact our present, and consider how we can support LGBTQ+ colleagues, students, families, and ourselves. 2. Including LGBTQ+ people and issues in curriculum, policies, and other school material. We will look at examples and frameworks for including LGBTQ+ people in the curriculum. This inclusivity can encompass classroom policies, indicating to LGBTQ+ families and students they are welcome, teaching about LGBTQ+ issues (civil rights, healthcare, family structures, etc.) and/or LGBTQ+ figures (historical figures, activists, etc.). 3. Using a queer pedagogy framework to rethink your professional approaches and materials. Queer pedagogy is an approach to teaching and education that questions norms, boundaries, and structures. It can be used to frame lessons on LGBTQ+ people, but it can also be used to rethink any topic taught in your classroom. This unit will include conceptual readings on queer pedagogy as a concept, and examples of it in practice. 4. Supporting LGBTQ+ people in educational settings using the theoretical framework of queer cultural capital. This includes teachers and other education professionals, students, families, and communities.