Master of Arts (M.A.) Focus Area in Holistic Education

Educating the Whole Person: Holistic Education in the 21st Century and Beyond

In response to a rapidly changing world, faculty in the College of Education and Human Ecology have developed a Focus Area in Holistic Education (K-12), in the School of Teaching and Learning Master of Arts. The new Focus Area in Holistic Education is now open for enrolment; however, students should be aware that this Focus Area is still in an experimental phase. The core courses offered in the Holistic Education Focus Area are available on campus through the School of Teaching and Learning and off campus through the Office of Outreach. Students who are interested in taking individual courses are welcome to take the courses offered in the Holistic Education Area of Focus.

Who will it serve?

• Students who are interested in pursuing an M. Arts with a focus in Holistic Education.
• Students who are pursuing their M. Arts in other areas of focus, and who wish to take individual courses in Holistic Education.
• K-12 teachers who are interested in a new field of study for professional development.
• Professionals in such fields as education K-12, counseling, social work, youth advocacy, and related others.

Why an MA with a focus in Holistic Education?

At the heart of holistic education is the basic premise that education addresses the whole person – the intellectual, affective, physical, aesthetic, and spiritual aspects of the individual (Miller, 2000). Holistic education is a systemic response that can address a world which is increasingly concerned with the long-term effects of emphasis on individuals as no more than cogs in economic and political wheels. Holistic education is also concerned with the effects of the disconnect between mind, body, heart, and spirit apparent in people's increasing inability to cope with continued alienation from themselves as well as from others. Holistic education is essentially proactive in its core belief that a pedagogical model that integrates the whole person in the context of a supportive community, curriculum, and organizational structure, results in caring, inclusive, responsible citizens who understand the interconnectedness of all life on the planet. Learning is "viewed as an experiential, organic process, and knowledge building through inquiry are seen as integral to all forms of education and life itself" (Skarsten, 2005).

Core courses projected for this program will include: the historical roots and evolution of holistic education, theories and pedagogical practices in holistic education, compassionate teaching, and transdiciplinary approaches to teaching and learning through the arts; courses that address in practical ways the reading and writing of poetry and our relationship to the natural world (Ecopsychology); as well as courses that address the transformative aspects of education, the relationship between language, thought, and behavior, and the realities we live.

If you are interested in pursuing a degree in this Focus Area or taking courses that could count as electives but are enrolled in another graduate program, please send inquiries to Dr. Lucila T. Rudge at rudge.5@osu.edu. Also check regularly our website for updates.

Core Faculty: Dr. Anna O. Soter (on sabbatical 2009-2010) soter.1@osu.edu
Visiting Faculty: Dr. Lucila T. Rudge rudge.5@osu.edu

• Program Sheet
• How to Apply
• Contact an Advisor
• Graduation Procedures

Course Descriptions (please contact Dr. Rudge to know when these courses will be offered)

Philosophical Foundations of Holistic Education – This course examines the historical roots and the evolution of holistic education, its philosophical foundations, the theories, epistemologies, and philosophical orientations underpinning contemporary holistic education, and the current trends of the movement. The goal of this course is to provide students with a foundation of the field of holistic education.

Pedagogical Foundations of Holistic Education – This course explores: the pedagogical practices of various school movements that follow a holistic orientation to education, individual initiatives of teachers committed to holistic thinking, and the curricular possibilities for implementing a holistic approach to teaching. The aim of this course is to provide students with a foundation of the pedagogical practices involved in holistic education.

The Power of Poetry: Connecting and Reconnecting to Self, Other, and the World Around Us – The emphasis in this course is on teachers and other service-oriented professionals as readers and writers of poetry, and to experience through the curious blend of the emotional, intellectual and aesthetic appeal of poetry, its power to bring about transformation, to inspire, uplift, and comfort, to experience anew, our relationship with ourselves, with others, with nature, and the world we inhabit in all its dimensions.

Language, Thought, Realities: Understanding the Relationships in Educational, Social and Cultural Contexts – This course explores parallels between philosophical, metaphysical, healing, and educational literature about the relationship(s) between language, thought, behaviors, and lived realities. It examines the notion of the “power of language” and how it impacts our own lives as well as the lives of others. The view taken of language in this course, is that it constitutes a “field of energy,” that it is an “energy force” that over time, through constant articulation of unexamined thought, either reinforces realities already being lived, or becomes a vehicle for personal and communal transformation toward positive ends.

Ecopsychology: Exploring the Human-Nature Relationship – This course provides a basic introduction to the field of ecopsychology – the effort to understand, heal, and develop the psychological dimensions of the human-nature relationship (psychological, bio-social-spiritual) through connecting and reconnecting with natural processes in the web of life. Students will be invited to explore their relationship with the natural world and to discover the healing aspects of this relationship.

Transformative Practice in Education and in the Community – This course focuses on personal transformation through a combination of mindfulness meditation, reflections, readings, and discussions. The aim of this course is to further self-knowledge and self-awareness as well as interpersonal awareness. This course will also help participants get in touch with themselves, wake-up to the life experiences around them, and find peaceful moments in their lives. The readings will contribute to further participants’ understanding of meditation practices and will invite them to explore different views of interpreting reality, living systems, and the human self.

Compassionate Teaching and Service: Understanding the other from within – This course is a continuation of Transformative Practice in Education in the sense that its focus is also on the inner transformation of the individual. The emphasis, however, is on opening our hearts to understand and embrace the other. The central themes of this course are: love-kindness, compassion, openness, listening, inclusion, and diversity. Meditation and mindfulness will continue to be used as regular practices in this course.