After reading the article, “The Problem with Common Sense,” we follow the experiences of a teacher who was offered a job with the American Peace Corporation to be a teacher in Nepal. The common theme in this article is why common sense is an issue, especially concerning education and curriculum. After reading this article, we gain knowledge of common sense in our curriculum and what other countries’ common sense looks like elsewhere. Kumashiro defines common sense as a set of practices individuals of a particular culture routinely act on without thinking about it. An example presented to us from the article is when Kumashiro explained that when children misbehaved, classmates prompted her to discipline the child physically, something that is common sense in their classrooms but something we would not do in North America. Children in Nepal classrooms expect that if they misbehave, there is a chance of being physically punished, whereas children in America expect other consequences; this shows us that common sense is formed around what we expect in our everyday cultural norms. 

After establishing that everyone lives under the assumption of common sense, Kumashiro further analyses the difference in curricular models between America and Nepal. To better comprehend why understanding common sense is essential, a quote from the article states, “It seemed that students and faculty already had clear ideas about what it meant to teach and learn, and my attempts to teach differently simply did not make sense” (Kumashiro, Pg.3). Everyone gets accustomed to what they experience daily, that we often forget we do not share common sense with everyone. My reality may not be the same as what others experience, and we must remain aware of this, especially as future educators. Kumashiro explains that they often exercise a lecture practice exam approach in Nepal. Lessons are centered around government-issued textbooks; teachers often teach a section of the book daily to keep on track to finish the book by the end of the year. Children in Nepal write government-issued tests to move to the next grade; tests resemble textbook questions and are often comprehension based. Children attending school in Nepal also study daily; They spend two hours on each subject and usually have 1-2 instructors in a group with them; children are also often separated by ability, gender, and age. It is clear that our views of common sense and curriculum are different, but there is no “right way” to educate students; each curricular approach is working towards a bright future for students. In Nepal, they value the curriculum as a product approach; they often measure students’ progress by tests on textbook information to ensure they comprehend what they need to move to the next grade. The curriculum as a product approach heavily favors measuring progress and tends to overlook all the learning between units; this process has set learning objectives, and any other teachings are seen as having little to no educational value.

In Canada, we demonstrate a praxis approach in education. Upon reading the article titled “Curriculum, Theory, and Practice,” there is a quote that made me believe that Canada practices this approach; the passage states, “Critical pedagogy goes beyond situating the learning experience within the experience of the learner: it is a process which takes the experiences of both the learner and the teacher and, through dialogue and negotiation, recognizes them both as problematic… [It] allows, indeed encourages, students and teachers together to confront the real problems of their existence and relationships…” (Smith, Pg.9). This quote further explains that both students and teachers realize their biases, encouraging us to work together to learn and grow alongside each other. I also believe we practice this approach because we value the curriculum guidelines but use multiple pedological processes to teach our students. We assess students on their learning while also working at each of their paces to help them feel confident when the time comes to move up a grade level. 

Resources;

• The problem of common sense (From Kumashiro. (2009). Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice, pp. XXIX – XLI). 
• Smith – Curriculum Theory and Practice