LSU Curriculum Camp Highlights the Importance of Diversity and Interdependence

March 2, 2018

Baton Rouge, LA – LSU Curriculum Camp, an annual international graduate student conference, returned to LSU’s Campus on February 16-17, 2018.

Curriculum Camp is organized and hosted by LSU graduate students enrolled in the Curriculum Theory Project (CTP) under the guidance of CTP co-directors Dr. Petra Hendry and Dr. Roland Mitchell, as well as the College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE).

This year’s conference had 37 attendees, representing five states: Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Indiana.

The camp is designed to showcase the work of graduate students engaged in research on a host of subjects, such as curriculum theory, gender, race, culture, higher education research (K-20), policy analysis, political and/or intellectual thought (including but not limited to narrative, feminisms, postmodernism, poststructuralism, queer theory, chaos, and complexity theory).

This year’s Fireside Chat Speaker was Dr. Nina Asher, who led the discussion of recognizing the importance of interdependence rather than dualistic thought. Her paper, Emerging from dualisms, embracing interdependence, and seeking possibilities in education: A contemplation, focuses on “how we might emerge from dualisms, in the present-day context of globalized capitalism, in order to address inequities and silences across race, gender, class and nation.”

Dr. Asher holds an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College at Columbia University, where she also obtained a Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching. Her background also includes a Master of Arts in Social Work (Family and Child Welfare), from Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Bombay, India. Dr. Asher taught at LSU from 1999-2011 and served as Coordinator of the Holmes Elementary Education Program (2007-2011) and Co-Director of the Curriculum Theory Project (2007-2010).

One participant said the conference created a “comfortable, welcoming environment that sparked great conversation.” Another attendee praised Dr. Asher for her devotion to the group as she made sure to speak with each individual personally.

LSU Curriculum Camp allows graduate students to present their research in a communal environment much like a retreat: attendees eat, socialize, and network together to encourage a comfortable environment for all.

Students were able to present their research as an individual academic paper with 20 minutes to read or make a presentation, followed by a question and answer session, or as a panel or roundtable, in which several individuals explored one topic in depth and then open the floor to discussion and questions from other attendees.

About Curriculum Theory Project

The Curriculum Theory Project is an interdisciplinary program in the College of Human Sciences and Education at Louisiana State University. The Curriculum Theory Project is comprised of internationally recognized scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds whose primary goals are to research the role education plays in a democratic society and participate in the future of curriculum theory nationally and internationally.  Curriculum Theory aspires to understand educational practices within broad social and cultural frameworks, focusing on what counts as knowledge, and what knowledge is most valued, by whom, at what time, and for what purpose. 

The Curriculum Theory Graduate Collaborative is an organization of graduate students who study in the Louisiana State University Curriculum Theory Project. 

About SOE
The LSU School of Education (SOE) offers graduate and undergraduate programs in Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership and Research, and Counseling, including two completely online master’s programs. SOE offers a range of professional and academic degree programs that focus on preparing students for careers in education, research, policy formation and implementation, as well as program oversight. The School’s mission is to prepare P-12 educational professionals to be leaders, practitioners, and scholars knowledgeable in contemporary educational issues. SOE is part of the College of Human Sciences & Education.  

Visit the School of Education at lsu.edu/chse/education.

About CHSE
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, the School of Library & Information Science, the School of Social Work, and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs, 18 graduate programs, and 7 online graduate degree and/or certificate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,120 graduate students. The College is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed to improving quality of life across the lifespan.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education at lsu.edu/chse.