Before reading Kumashiro’s article, The Problem of Common Sense, I was told by several people that the term ‘common sense’ means solving any issue or having a skill without having any prior knowledge of it. However, after this reading, I realized that ‘common sense’ means much more. More specifically, Kumashiro’s has many definitions. For example, the author defines ‘common sense’ as a belief or custom that is commonly practiced within a specific society. He even defines this term as the information that all individuals should have in order to succeed in life. 

Common sense is important because it enables us to become more open-minded. For example, throughout my elementary years, I was extremely shy, close-minded, and quite dependent on others. When I entered high-school and university, I engaged myself in extra-curricular activities including part-time work, volunteering, and joining clubs. As I was constantly participating in these activities, I had the opportunity to learn and learn and socialize with others. This supported my common sense because it enabled me to be more open-minded and enabled me to think critically. Therefore, common sense is an extremely important topic to focus on because it will make you independent and support your decision-making process. 

During the course, we have learnt numerous forms of curriculum. For example, a formal curriculum consists of a binder that includes outcomes and indicators that teachers need in order to teach their students. Furthermore, the hidden curriculum consists of common sense information that teaches students about what is happening in the school. These types of curriculum are important because they help teachers to understand what concepts they need to complete during the academic year. As a student, I have multiple common sense understandings of curriculum and pedagogy to bring in this course. From my perspective, curriculum can also consist of the courses and requirements for graduating elementary, high-school, or even a university degree. For example, these requirements can involve the number of courses and credit hours that a student has to successfully complete. Another method of curriculum I have is the methods for teaching a course. For example, these methods can include providing the student with slideshows, note packages, or even in-class discussions. This method of curriculum is helpful because students learn in different ways and it is important for teachers to be compatible with every learning style.