Rural Education: Education at the Edge of the Map, Robinson, Spring 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S10
Instructor:	Sean Robinson, Ed.D.
Location:	Online
Dates and Times:	February 02, 2026 - Mar 27, 2026. Video meeting on February 2, at 6 pm. The remainder of the course takes place in an asynchronous format. Office hours are provided upon request.
Credits:	3 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	$1,195

Course Description

Rural schools are more than educational institutions—they are the social, cultural, and economic centers of their communities. Rural Education: Education at the Edge of the Map introduces educators to the study of rural education through the lenses of place, policy, and practice. Students will explore how geography, demography, and local culture intersect to shape educational opportunity and identity across rural America.

Drawing from interdisciplinary readings in sociology, history, and educational leadership, the course examines themes such as teacher recruitment and retention, rural poverty, equity and access, place-based pedagogy, and the relationship between schools and community resilience. Through case studies, reflective writing, and applied research, students will develop a foundational understanding of rural schooling as both a unique challenge and a vital context for innovation in public education.

Audience: Public school educators and administrators with a Bachelor's Degree

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals:

Provide a historical and theoretical framework for students to understand the evolution of rural education as a field of study.
Reflect on personal identity and pedagogy to consider how educators develop and broaden their practice in the rural context.
Gain a deeper understanding of the rural student identity, their needs, and how those needs intersect structures of power, presenting unique needs to support.

Course Objectives:

Identify the basic history and theoretical framework of rural education as it applies to the American education system.
Deepen existing pedagogy to consider rural education, place-based education, and the development of social capital inside their practice.
Gain foundational understanding to support the unique rural learners through advocacy and understanding.

Course Schedule

Course Schedule:

Week 1 - Intro to Rural Ed

Week 2 - Rural Students

Week 3 - Rural Educational Leadership

Week 4 - Who I am / Where I am

Week 5 - Hollowing Out the Middle

Week 6 - Rural & Other Identities

Week 7 - Rural Education & Social Capital

Week 8 - Reflect and Present

Instructor

Sean Robinson. Ed.D., grew up with his grandparents in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, working at his family's Bed and Breakfast. From an early age, school wasn't his thing--he graduated 14th in a class of 33 and went to college part-time. From the beginning, Sean had an interest in the place around him--what had once been a Mill town and transformed into a tourist destination. After coming to education roundabout through social work, he's worked in rural communities on both sides of the Connecticut River, focusing on supporting the unique needs of rural learners. He holds a EdD in Education with an emphasis on rural education and community development.

Required Readings/Resources

Cost for required readings, if any, are not included in the course tuition.

Aldrich, D. P. (2012). Building resilience: Social capital in post-disaster recovery. University of Chicago Press.

Azano, A. P., Biddle, C., & Eppley, K. (Eds.). (2021). The Bloomsbury handbook of rural education in the United States. Bloomsbury Academic.

Carr, P. J., & Kefalas, M. J. (2009). Hollowing out the middle: The rural brain drain and what it means for America. Beacon Press.

Donehower, K., Hogg, C., & Schell, E. E. (2007). Rural literacies. Southern Illinois University Press.

Eppley, K. (2015). “Hey, I saw your grandparents at Walmart”: Teacher education for rural schools and communities. The Teacher Educator, 50(1), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2014.975061

Hadley, G. R. L. (2025). The rural affinity advantage: Reimagining schools as entrepreneurship incubators. The Rural Educator, 46(1), 95-100.

Parmar, P. (2021). Who am I? Cultural identity in rural schools. In B. Reynolds (Ed.), Forgotten place: Critical studies in rural education. Peter Lang.

Paperny, T. (2016, October 11). How lobsters are keeping students in school. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/10/how-lobsters-are-keeping-students-in-school/503642

Reynolds, B. (Ed.). (2021). Forgotten place: Critical studies in rural education. Peter Lang.

Theobald, P. (1997). Teaching the commons: Place, pride, and the renewal of community. Westview Press.

United States Country Life Commission. (1909). Report of the Country Life Commission. Government Printing Office.

Biddle, C., & Azano, A. P. (2016). Constructing and reconstructing the “rural school problem”: A century of rural education research. Review of Research in Education, 40(1), 298–325. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X16667700

For additional course information

Sean Robinson

(603) 290-2349

For additional registration information

Center for Schools Team

(802) 468-1325