United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Open Pedagogy Fellowship
Your Choice Presentation
Amanda D. McPherson M. A. Ed., Pima Community College (Arizona)
Erin Woodford, Thompson Rivers University (BC, Canada)
2021-2022
Introduction:
You are a part of a collegewide effort to increase access to education and empower students
through "open pedagogy." Open pedagogy is a "free access" educational practice that places you
- the student - at the center of your own learning process in a more engaging, collaborative
learning environment. The ultimate purpose of this effort is to achieve greater social justice in
our community in which the work can be freely shared with the broader community. This is a
renewable assignment that is designed to enable you to become an agent of change in your
community through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). For this work, you will integrate the disciplines of Early Childhood STEAM and
Communication or Journalism to achieve SDG #4: Quality Education. Focusing on Target 4.4: By
2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including
technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship and Target 4.4:
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills,
including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe educational theories and global perspectives.
2. Discuss factors that affect education availability.
Purpose/Rationale:
This active learning practice is designed to improve your academic skills, increase community
connections, and improve social justice for our community.
Instructions:
Introduction:

Have a class discussion about the factors that affect education availability, before introducing this
assignment. This will give them a sample topic to explore.
This presentation offers the opportunity to explore an education topic of interest. The intent is for
you to select a topic from which you can learn and directly apply to your personal or professional
life. There will be different format options from which to choose. All the formats focus on
creative ways to present topics. The act of creating something, using what you have learned, is
one of the highest forms of cognitive processing. This presentation brings together your
knowledge and creativity, in order to process the topic through higher order thinking.
Your first step is to pick a topic. It can be on any concept which relates to education, and it should
be specific. Any level of education is fine to consider. Look over the course and textbook for
ideas. You are welcome to choose a topic which is not directly covered in the course material, as
long as it relates to education.
What is meant by a specific topic? For example, instead of presenting on early childhood
education, you might narrow it down to an area such as:
* Benefits of learning a second language
* How to make preschool or college accessible to all
Your topic must be something you want to explore further, in order to use that knowledge in your
personal or professional life. Part of this presentation will involve your reflection on how you will
apply your learning in relationships.
Directions:
The steps for the Education presentation are as follows:
Choose a topic and be specific. Consider the format in which you want to present (see options in
the next section).
Write a summary of what you intend to do and submit it for the instructor’s approval. This must
include the topic choice, the format in which you want to present, and a brief description of what
content you will focus on and how it will be useful to you. Upload the summary in the
presentation folder. See the Schedule of Work for the due date.
Note: If you skip this step and do not submit for approval, you will not earn the 10 points. You
still must communicate via email with the instructor about your presentation plan, but the 10
points will not be awarded after the approval deadline. Any non-approved presentations posted in
the presentation folder will already reflect the 10 point loss in the grade book.
Once your topic is approved and the instructor provides feedback, research it. You must use at
least three (3) literary or research-based sources on the topic to inform you. Even though the

presentation formats are artistic, you still need good foundational knowledge of the topic so what
you share is accurate and represents reliable information.
Design your presentation, following the directions for your format option.
Upload your final presentation and narrative description Presentation folder. In the title line,
indicate the topic and format (i.e., infancy attachment – video). See the Schedule of Work for the
deadline.
Review at least four (4) presentations in the discussion tab under Education Presentation. See the
Schedule of Work for the deadline. The intent of this review is for you to gain awareness and
insight on a topic, and to find meaningful ways to connect to it. The review is not intended to
provide feedback to the presenter. For each presentation you look at, reply to the post (response
should be at least 200 words) and reflect on the following:
Something new you learned about the topic, or a different perspective you are taking away.
What did you find to be meaningful about the presentation? Be specific.
How might you use this information professionally and/or personally? Be specific.
Format Requirements:
Choose ONE of the format options below for your presentation:
•

Option 1 – Video

Create your own video on the topic. The video is one you create and is not one you find on the
Internet. You can do any type of video (animated, real people) and use any "actors" in the video
you want. It can include animals, nature, other people, you, etc. The video should either
demonstrate the concept or share it through dramatic enactment. Think of it as a commercial or
skit on the topic. It should NOT be you simply talking or explaining the topic. Keep it short (less
than 5 minutes) and upload it through You Tube, as an MPG or MP4, or through the course Video
Note tool - Video Note Directions. If you use children (under 18 years) in the video, be sure they
are either your own children or ones you have permission to include, as the entire class will have
access to viewing the video.
In addition to the video, submit a narrative which includes the following:
A description of the content you focused on in the video, and why you chose that area of focus (at
least 200 words).
What you learned about the topic from doing this video (at least 150 words).
How you will use this information in your personal or professional life. Be specific (at least 150
words).

List of at least three (3) references you used for your research.
•

Option 2 – Picture Story

Take photos of things which represent your topic. Use your own photos versus downloading
images from the Internet. This allows for deeper exploration on the topic, and it also avoids
copyright issues. Arrange seven to eight (7-8) photos on a document/template, with the title of
your presentation at the top of that page. If you use photos of children (under 18 years), be sure
they are either your own children or ones you have permission to include, as the entire class will
see them.
In addition to your picture page, submit a narrative which includes the following:
Tell the story behind your photos. Explain what each photo represents/symbolizes, in relation to
your topic (at least 250 words).
What you learned about the topic from creating this picture story (at least 150 words).
How you will use this information in your personal or professional life. Be specific (at least 150
words).
List of at least three (3) references you used for your research.
•

Option 3 – Poem

Write your own poem on the topic. There is no specific length, just be sure it captures the essence
of your topic.
In addition to your poem, submit a narrative which includes the following:
Talk about the concept behind your poem and why you chose that topic (at least 200 words).
What you learned about the topic from writing this poem (at least 150 words).
How you will use this information in your personal or professional life. Be specific (at least 150
words).
List of at least three (3) references you used for your research.
•

Option 4 – Visual Art

Draw, paint or make something which you can scan (.pdf) or take a photo of (.jpg) and upload
into the discussion folder. The art should represent/symbolize your topic.
In addition to your artwork, submit a narrative which includes the following:

Describe what your artwork means. Provide details for each part of the artwork, so it is clear to
the viewer what the artwork signifies about the topic (at least 250 words).
What you learned about the topic from creating this piece of art (at least 150 words).
How you will use this information in your personal or professional life. Be specific (at least 150
words).
List of at least three (3) references you used for your research.

Your Choice Presentation is licensed by Amanda D. McPherson M. A. Ed., Pima Community
College (Arizona) and Erin Woodford, Thompson Rivers University (BC, Canada) under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY)