Curriculum Encounters

At the end of season 2, Jackie and Sarah look back at their practice of encountering curriculum everywhere: through wandering, slowing down, and following their observations and inquiries to consider what kind of knowledge might be important here.  A key takeaway from this episode —and the season as a whole—is to encourage listeners to keep their own field journal to inspire regular observing, feeling, and attending to the social, spatial, and sensory knowledge that we are always carrying with us. Image 1: Studio Recording with Jackie Simmons and Sarah GerthImage 2: Studio Recording with Billy Collins, Jackie Simmons and Sarah Gerth\Episode 5 Field Guide WorksheetThe views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this episode, Sarah and Jackie take a walk through Brooklyn, where they sit on the stoop of Jackie’s former building and discuss how stoops become sites of belonging, memory, and recognition that shape our sense of who we are and where we fit. Come along to consider what your “stoop” is and how questions of belonging play out in curriculum decisions in your neighborhood and classroom spaces.  Image 1: View from Sarah and Jackie’s neighborhood walkImage 2: A classic NYC stoopEpisode 4 Field Guide WorksheetThe views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this episode, Jackie and Sarah meet up at a ferry terminal, where standing on the dock prompts new perspectives. Listen in to hear the helicopters, the seagulls, and absorb the movement of commuters… Through slowing down, attending to the sensations, and sketching the scene, they talk about the potential for curriculum in overlooked details and what can be discovered by shifting our relationship to the familiar.Image 1: Sarah’s sketchbook drawingImage 2: Jackie’s sketchbook drawingImage 3: Photo of Wall Street PierImage 4: View from Wall Street Pier Episode 3 Field Guide WorksheetThe views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this episode, Sarah and Jackie wander through a grocery store to explore how everyday choices about food connect to family histories, memories, and identities. Join them as they discover how the array of options in grocery aisles mirrors the curriculum design process – making choices about what to include, what to leave out, and why. Tune in to learn how grocery shopping for your eight-year old self or trying something off your usual grocery list can help you reflect on the habits and values that shape your teaching and curriculum decisions. Image 1: The items Sarah and Jackie selected for each other – a box of S&B Golden Curry cubes and bottle of Firelli Italian Hot Truffle Sauce (9:45)Episode 2 Field Guide WorksheetThe views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In season 2 of Curriculum Encounters, hosts Jackie Simmons and Sarah Gerth take the practices of experiential learning out into the world. These encounters explore family history and culture at the grocery store, new perspectives at a ferry terminal, and feelings of belonging at a sidewalk stoop. Jackie and Sarah pose thought-provoking questions that will inspire educators, students, and just about anyone hoping to challenge conventional thinking about curriculum. At the same time they talk listeners through creative field activities and practices to rethink the spaces where education can thrive. Grab a field journal and tune in — follow the show and be part of the conversation that explores knowledge, wherever you find it!Episode 1 Field Guide WorksheetThe views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In case you missed it, tune in for this special episode recorded back in February when Sarah and Jackie were guests on Pop and Play, the spectacular podcast about play and popular culture hosted by Haeny Yoon and Nathan Holbert from the Digital Futures Institute. They share a broader definition of “curriculum” as their conversation touches on the playful aspects of curriculum design and how curriculum encounters offer simple opportunities for play while paying attention to the world around them.The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

A key takeaway from this episode—and the season as a whole—is the idea that curriculum is not just a set of prescribed knowledge, but a social, spatial, and sensory process. Learning happens everywhere, not just in formal educational settings. Jackie and Sarah encourage educators to recognize the importance of these informal, sensory, and embodied forms of knowing and to consider how they might be integrated into curriculum design to create more engaging and holistic learning experiences.Curriculum Encounters is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this episode, Sarah and Jackie visit the library, cafe, and cafeteria at Teachers College to consider what kind of curriculum they encounter in the social spaces on campus. By attending to design choices and observing how people actually use these spaces, they consider possibilities for learners to co-create curriculum encounters.Curriculum Encounters is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this episode, Jackie and Sarah take listeners to “hidden” spaces on campus, including an old gym track that was converted to academic offices and a closed-off pool in the basement of Teachers College. Through the emotions and memories that arise in these encounters, they consider the impact of curricular “ghosts” and possibilities for personal histories and feelings in curriculum.  To learn more about the history of the hidden spaces mentioned in this episode, check out these articles from the archives of the Teachers College Newsroom:Sweating the Details. Published February 9, 2012 by Patricia Lamiell. A brief history of physical education at Teachers College. Available at: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2011/october/sweating-the-details/Come On In, The Water's Fine, Published August 20, 2007. A brief history of the Teachers College swimming pool. Available at: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2007/august/come-on-in-the-waters-fine/ Caverns, Corners, Connections. Published by Digital Futures Institute. A website documenting Teachers College’s physical spaces. Available at: https://cavernscornersconnections.weebly.com/place.html A special shoutout to Professor Emerita Nancy Lesko who inspired this episode and continually provokes our encounters with the hidden curriculum.Curriculum Encounters is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this episode, Sarah and Jackie explore newly renovated classrooms and traditional academic hallways around Columbia University’s Teachers College campus. Join them as they encounter curriculum in the aesthetics of these spaces and how design choices affect what we know about being a student and learner. Stay tuned to imagine ways of intervening in the design elements in your curricular spaces. Curriculum Encounters is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. 

In this introduction to Curriculum Encounters, hosts Jackie Simmons and Sarah Gerth van den Berg invite you to embark on a provocative journey through the world of experiential learning. As curriculum design experts at Columbia University’s Teachers College, Jackie and Sarah have reimagined the Black Paint Curriculum Lab, bringing it back in an exciting new format that promises to challenge conventional thinking about curriculum. Season One explores aesthetics and academic spaces, memory and hidden spaces, sensory inquiry and social spaces. Join them as they explore the concept of learning inside and beyond classroom walls. Whether you’re an educator, a student, or simply someone curious about the nature of knowledge, this podcast is designed for you. Jackie and Sarah will pose thought-provoking questions about what we know, how we come to know it, and the implications for teaching and learning in today’s dynamic world.Tune in to discover how to cultivate a richer, more inclusive learning environment and to rethink the spaces where education can thrive. Don’t miss out—follow the show and be part of the conversation that explores knowledge, wherever you find it!Curriculum Encounters is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University. Click here to view the transcript.