Simon Fraser University
Sean Blenkinsop

Sean Blenkinsop Faculty Photo

Assistant Professor

Co-Director, Imaginative Education Research Group

 

 

Research Interests

Philosophy of education; imagination in teaching and learning; ecology; relational epistemologies; theories of place; existentialism; continental philosophy; educational theory and practice; experiential and outdoor education; care; gender theory; social/ecological justice; international issues; science education; drama education.

 

Email: sean_blenkinsop@sfu.ca

 

2004

Ed. D., Philosophy of Education

Harvard University

2000

Ed. M., Philosophy of Education

Harvard University

1996

MSc. Summa Cum Laude, Experiential Education

Minnesota State University, Mankato

1991

BScH, Biology, Philosophy, Drama

Queen’s University

Professional Positions

 

2005-present

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University

2004-present

Co-Director, IERG

Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University

2004-2005

Lecturer

Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University

2004-2005

Post-Doctoral Fellow

IERG, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University

2002-2004

Lecturer

Faculty of Education, Queen’s University

2001-2002

Adjunct

Department of Philosophy, Queen’s University

1998-2003

Director

Doctoral Student Orientation, Harvard University

2000

Lecturer

Graduate School of Education, Harvard University

 

 

Selected Publications

Books

Blenkinsop, S. (Ed) (in process)  The Imagination in Education: Extending the Boundaries in Theory and Practice. Cambridge Scholars Press.

 

Garrett, J., Blenkinsop, S., Box, B., & Madeja, J. 2003.  A Teaching Guide: Teaching Outdoor Educator Judgment through the Case Study Method.  CD ROM.  Garrison, NY: OBUSA. 

 

Refereed and Invited Journal Articles:

Blenkinsop, S. (under review) Six Actions we can take towards a more Ecological, Holistic, and Imaginative Education. International Journal of Holistic Education.

 

Rushmere, A. & Blenkinsop, S. (revised and resubmitted) Moral Crisis as Dis-Integration: New Realms of Knowing and Being through Place-Based Education. Interchange.

 

Beeman, C. & Blenkinsop, S. (in press) Might Diversity also be Ontological? Considering Heidegger, Spinoza, and Indigenity in Educative practice. Encounters on Education.

 

Blenkinsop, B. & Beeman, C. 2008. The Earth Charter, a Radical Document: A Pedagogical Response. In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice, 2(1), 69-87.

 

Beeman, C. & Blenkinsop, S. 2008. Dwelling Telling: Literalness and Ontology. Paideusis, 17(1), 13-24.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2007. Relational Distance Between Teachers and Students: What’s the Problem? Philosophy of Education Yearbook, 2006, 127-130.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. Seeds of Green: My Own Arctic Copper/Mine. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 11 (1), 157-165.

 

McKenzie, M. & Blenkinsop, S. 2006. An Ethic of Care and Educational Practice. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership, 6 (2), 91-105.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. Experiential Education: A Story about Transforming the Mainstream. Journal of Experiential Education, 29 (2), vi-ix.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2005. Martin Buber: Educating for Relationship. Ethics, Place, and Environment, 8(3). 285-307.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2005. Feature Article: Remembering Our Roots: Kurt Hahn – Taking Concerns 
to Action: A Challenge for Today. Special Issue: Best of the last Twenty Years of The Outward Bound Journal of Education, 9(1), 5-10.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2004. Martin Buber’s Education: Imitating God, the Developmental Relationalist. Philosophy of Education Yearbook, 2004, 79-87.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2001. Remembering Our Roots, Kurt Hahn: Taking Concerns to Action, A
 Challenge for Today. Outward Bound Journal of Education, 4(1), 15-20.

 

Refereed Book Chapters

Blenkinsop, S. (in press) Martin Buber's Philosophy of Dialogue: Relationship, the Other, and More-than Human World. In T. Smith & C. Knapp (Eds.), Beyond Dewey and Hahn. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing

 

Blenkinsop, S. & Egan, K. (in press). Three "Big Ideas" and Environmental Education. In M. McKenzie, H. Bai, P. Hart, & B. Jickling (Eds), Fields of Green: Restoring Culture, Environment, and Education. Cresskill, N J: Hampton Press

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2008. Imaginative Ecological Education: Six Necessary Components. In G. Judson (Eds), Teaching 360°: Engaging Learners Imaginations. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishing. 147-156.

 


Blenkinsop, S. & Fettes, M. 2007. Developing the Scientific Imagination: A Key to 
Sustainability? In D. Zandlviet & D. Fisher (Eds.), Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Environments. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishing. 37-47.  

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2007. Imaginative Science Education: Two Problems and a Possible Solution. In K. Egan, M. Stout, & K. Takaya (Eds.), Teaching and Learning Outside the Box: Inspiring Imagination Across the Curriculum. New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. The Curse. In P. Allison & T. Smith (Eds.), Outdoor Experiential Leadership: Scenarios Describing Incidents, Dilemmas, & Opportunities. Lake Geneva, WI: Raccoon Institute Publishing. 335-342.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2003. The Chinatown Incident. In J. Garrett, S. Blenkinsop, B. Box, & J. Madeja, A Teaching Guide: Teaching Outdoor Educator Judgment through the Case Study Method. CD Rom. Garrison, NY: OBUSA.

 

Blenkinsop, S.  2003. Lightning Strike: A Case Study. In J. Garrett, S. Blenkinsop, B. Box, &
 J. Madeja, A Teaching Guide: Teaching Outdoor Educator Judgment through the Case Study Method. CD Rom. Garrison, NY: OBUSA.

 

Other Academic Publications

Blenkinsop, S.  2007. Introduction to the Conference Guide for the Second Annual Research Symposium on Imaginative Education. July, 2007.

 

Broom, C., Fettes, M., & Blenkinsop, S. (Eds.). 2007. Refereed Proceedings of the First Annual Research Symposium on Imaginative Education. Vancouver, BC: IERG. 207 Pgs.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2007. Introduction. Refereed Proceedings of the First Annual Research Symposium on Imaginative Education. Vancouver, BC: IERG.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. Teaching Guide and Course Reader for EDUC 816 Online: Developing Educational Programs and Practices for Diverse Educational Settings.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. Introduction to the Conference Guide for the First Annual Research Symposium on Imaginative Education. July, 2006.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2004 When is a Place a Place?: A Response to the Search for Place-Based Education. Proceedings from the Queen’s Faculty of Education Graduate Student’s Society Annual Conference 2004.

 

Professional Publications (Non Refereed Journal Articles, Newsletters, Media)

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. A Very Short Story about Sean, Seeking, and Socks.  Gradnews.  August 2006, 5-6.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2006. The Mystery of Science: Imagination, Science, and John Dewey (?).  Imagine! The Newsletter of the Imaginative Education Research Group, 3(1), 7-9.
  
Blenkinsop, S. 2003. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Spring, 2003, 1.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2002. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Spring, 2002, 1.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2002. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Summer, 2002, 1.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2002. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Fall, 2002, 1.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2002. Gone to the Dogs.  The Kingston Whig Standard, Nov. 23, 2002, Companion Section, 6.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2001. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Spring, 2001, 1.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2001. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Summer, 2001, 1.

 

Blenkinsop, S. 2001. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Fall, 2001, 1.

 


Blenkinsop, S. 2000. Editor’s Notebook. Nor’Easter: Journal of the Northeast Region of the Association of Experiential Education, Fall, 2000, 1.

 

 

 

 

Honours, Scholarships & Fellowships

  • Post-Doctoral Fellow, IERG, Simon Fraser University
  • Association for Experiential Education International Scholarship
  • The Magnus Flood Award
  • Soren Kierkegaard Fellowship, St. Olaf College
  • Merit Based Entering Scholarship, Israel Scheffler & Cotton Fellowships, Harvard University
  • Summa Cum Laude & International Student Scholarship, Minnesota State University
  • CJ Lorimer Memorial Award, Queen’s University

 

 

 

Research Grants

 

2008

International Imaginative Education

(Kieran Egan Principal Investigator with S. Blenkinsop, M. Fettes, & S. Popenici as Co-Applicants)

SSHRC - support for developing international research collaborations

$59,800

2008

International Conference Travel Grant

VP Academic's SSHRC SFU Conference Support Grant

$1,500

2008

The 1st Biennial Conference in Imaginative Education and Practice: Achieving Educational Goals with Imagination

VP Academic's SSHRC SFU Conference Support Grant

$2,000

2008

The 1st Biennial Conference in Imaginative Education and Practice: Achieving Educational Goals with Imagination

Faculty of Education: Research Opportunities Fund

$5,000

2007

The 5th Annual Conference in Imaginative Education

VP Academic's SSHRC SFU Conference Support Grant

$2,000

2006 - 2007

Developing the Ecological Imagination

(S. Blenkinsop, Principal Investigator)

Discovery Parks 4A, SFU $10,000
2006 - 2007

A  Strategic International Research Cluster in Imagination and Education

(M. Fettes, Principal Investigator, with S. Blenkinsop & K. Egan, Co-Applicants)

Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada $25,000
2006

4th Annual International Conference in Imaginative Education

(S. Blenkinsop, Principal Applicant)

Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada $28,000
2005 - 2007

In Search of the Ecological Imagination

(S. Blenkinsop, Principal Investigator)

President's Research Grant, SFU $10,000

 

 

 

 

Scholarly Service

 

 

Boards and Committees

2006-present

Imagine BC: Dialogue on Sustainability and Education

Invited Member

1999-2004

Philosophy of Education Working Group, Harvard

President

1998-2003

North East Regional Association for Experiential Education

Executive Board Member

1998-2002

Outward Bound Expeditionary Learning

Board Member

1998-2001

Harvard Outward Bound Project

Board Member

1998-2001

Advisory Council to the Chair, Graduate School of Education, Harvard

Student representative to the Board

1998-2002

Harvard Working Group of the Environment

Member

 

 

Journal Editorial Boards

2006-present

Editorial Board

Canadian Journal of Environmental Education

2005-present

Chair, Journal Advisory Committee

Journal of Experiential Education

2001-present

Journal Advisory Committee

Journal of Experiential Education

2004-present

Editorial Board

Outward Bound Journal of Education

2000-2003

Editor

Nor’Ester, Journal of NE Region for Association for Experiential Education

 

 

Ad Hoc Reviewer for Journals (last 5 years):

  • Journal of Experiential Education
  • Canadian Journal of Education

  • Paideusis, Journal of the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society

  • Canadian Journal of Environmental Education

  • Outward Bound Journal of Education

 

Conference Program Committees:

  • International Conference on Imaginative Education (2005, 2006, & 2007)
  • 
North East Regional Conference on Experiential Education (1999, 2000, 2001, &2002)

 

Conference Papers Reviewer (last 5 years):

  • International Research Symposium on Imaginative Education
  • International Conference on Imaginative Education
  • Association for Experiential Education International Conference

  • North East Regional Conference on Experiential Education

 

Faculty Service

2007-present

Coordinator, PhD in Curriculum and Instruction

2006-present

Appointments Committee

2006-present

Member, PhD in Philosophy of Education Committee

 

 

Community Service

2006-present

Board Member the Experiential Education Lexicon Project.

2005-present

Board Member/Director of Education, Adventure Incorporated

2004-2006

Board Member, World Youth Council

2000-2004

Board Member, Mulberry School, Waldorf Initiative

Last Updated November 25, 2008 FOE