Category: ECS 203 (Page 1 of 2)

ECS 203 was an amazing course and has provided me with an excellent understanding of curriculum and pedagogy. It was nice to discuss and work with other students through the entirety of the course. As I reflected on my blog posts, I realized that as I went on through the course, my blog posts included more of a personal connection to my understanding rather than just a summary of each reading or viewing. I find that all of my blog posts are important in their own ways, but the posts that I find to be my best written ones that demonstrate my learning, are the ones that I mentioned in my summary of learning video, which include “Blog Post 1: The Problem of Common Sense,” “Blog Post 7: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Place-Based Learning,” and “Blog Post 11: Queering the Curriculum and Sexuality Marking.” I also find that all of my comments on my peers’ blog posts have significantly aided my learning in this course. This includes having the opportunity to read through the comments left on my blog posts as well, which also helped me to see a different perspective of things at times. Similar to my blog posts, I see all of my comments on my peers’ blog posts as being significant, but the ones that I think are my best written include the one on Ireland’s blog post titled “ECS 203 Blog: Week 4” and the one on Brooklyn’s blog post titled “Queer and the Curriculum.” These comments gave me the chance to really think about others perspectives and share my personal relations or opinions. Overall, by listening and engaging in lecture and seminar, as well as completing each reading, viewing, blog post, blog comment, and assignment, I was able to gain a lot of knowledge that will definitely be helpful in the future. Within this video, I summarize my learning experience in ECS 203. I am very thankful to have gotten the opportunity to take this course as it has taught me some very valuable lessons!

In the reading “As a Sort of Blanket Term: Qualitative Analysis of Queer Sexual Identity Marking” by Kolker, Taylor, and Galupo, it discusses queer sexual identity marking and other forms of sexuality marking. It is stated that “sexuality marking serves as a way to assert one’s sexuality to others through language, behavior, aesthetics, and/or other non-verbal cues” (Kolker, Taylor, & Galupo, 2019, p. 1339). This is a term that I have never heard before, but I have always known that this concept existed and it is important to look into. We can see that there are many ways in which queer sexual identity marking is both similar to and distinct from other forms of sexuality marking. When it comes to heterosexual individuals, they “engage in heterosexual marking when their sexual identity is questioned, challenged, or suggested to be something other than heterosexual” (Kolker, Taylor, & Galupo, 2019, p. 1339). This involves making jokes that directly imply that they are not gay, which is definately something that I have witnessed people doing in the past. When we look into bisexual marking, we basically see the oposite of heterosexual marking. This involves acting against the negative stereotypes. Even though heterosexual marking and bisexual marking have different intents, they are both used to avoid having their identities misinterpreted. Now looking into queer identity marking, “because queer as a term has a unique history it is likely that queer sexual identity marking will also be unique” (Kolker, Taylor, & Galupo, 2019, p. 1340). It is stated that in their research, there were themes that came up regarding queer identity marking, including “(1) Using Queer as an Encompassing Label, (2) Using Queer to Avoid Explanation, (3) Using Queer Based on Who is Present and (4) Avoiding Using Queer” (Kolker, Taylor, & Galupo, 2019, p. 1346). In these trends, we see a similarity to both heterosexual marking and bisexual marking in the sense that queer identity marking happens when they want to remind people that they are non-cis and non-straight. An important idea is that “all forms of sexuality marking are used to inform others of a specific aspect of an individual’s identity, specifically their sexuality” (Kolker, Taylor, & Galupo, 2019, p. 1352). Unlike heterosexual marking and bisexual marking, queer marking is about belonging in a community and can be used to avoid defending their sexual identity.

In the article “Queering Curriculum Studies” by Sykes, it discusses the incorporation of queerness into the curriculum. It states that “a queering of curriculum studies has to deal with the White heteronormative imaginary that overpopulates curriculum studies and haunts queer studies” (Sykes, 2011, p. 29). This makes it evident that queerness in the curriculum “has to interrogate these logics of White supremacy so that it doesn’t slide into becoming merely the rehabilitation of White, Western lesbian and gay perspectives and bodies” (Sykes, 2011, p. 30). When it comes to integrating queerness into curriculum studies for me, I think this is very important to ensure that all students feel comfortable. I believe that this is not only about educating students on the topic, but it is also about the classroom environment itself. When it comes to my classroom, in terms of what this would look like, it could include having a pride flag in the classroom and moving away from separating students into groups according to the gender binary. For what this would sound like, language and terminology is very important. The students cannot be addressed using terms such as “boys” and “girls,” and instead, they can be addressed using terms such as “everyone,” “scientists,” or “mathematicians.” There would also be introductions using pronouns, by myself and the students, as well to expand on this, there would be meaningful discussions around this topic. In terms of what this would feel like, I would like it to be a welcoming space where everyone feels like they can be themselves. It will feel like a safe space where students should not be afraid to talk about their identities.

In the reading “Posy-gay, Political, and Pieced Together: Queer Expectations of Straight Allies” by Forbes and Ueno, it talks about allyship and the importance of examining allies from multiple different angles, including from queer people’s perspectives rather than from straight allies. It is mentioned that “although straight people may claim that they would challenge queerphobia through actions such as confronting a person using discriminatory language, researchers found that they do not always do so when presented with the opportunity” (Forbes & Ueno, 2020, p. 160). This is something that is interesting to think about, being that it is common to occur with many other things as well. The general conclusion here is “that the idea of allyship is not fixed but can vary within a marginalized population, having different meanings for different people” (Forbes & Ueno, 2020, p. 173). In knowing this, I can think of many teacher implications for allyship. As mentioned by Forbes and Ueno, it is important to know what allyship is, but also what actions are considered as being thoroughly impactful. A student in this study mentions how it is not enough for a teacher to simply ask for pronouns in order to be considered an ally. It is significant to see that “these insufficient actions tended to focus on interactional exchanges” (Forbes & Ueno, 2020, p. 169). This results in the understanding that as teachers, implications for allyship must involve moving away from this focus on interactions. We must actually engage in understanding the students’ identities. This could involve simply asking how we can be an ally and then continuing to follow through with it in the form of an action.

References:

Forbes, T. D. & Ueno, K. (2020). Posy-gay, Political, and Pieced Together: Queer Expectations of Straight Allies. Interpersonal Relationships and Social Networks Formation, 63(1), pp. 159-176.

Kolker, Z. M., Taylor, P. C., & Galupo, M. P.  (2019). “As a Sort of Blanket Term”: Qualitative Analysis of Queer Sexual Identity Marking. Sexuality & Culture (pp. 1337-1358).

Sykes, H. (2011). Queering Curriculum Studies. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 29-31.

There are many things to consider when thinking about the way that our lenses shape the way we read the world. In Chapter 7 of the reading “Against Common Sense” by Kumashiro, he talks specifically about examples of challenging oppression by changing what is being read and how it is being read within English literature. It is common for people to want to read only certain stories, with these stories being the ones that reinforce their understanding of the world. We see that “when students read literature by only certain groups of people, they learn about only certain experiences and perspectives, especially those of groups that have traditionally been privileged in society” (Kumashiro, 2009, p. 71). When considering how my upbringing/schooling has shaped how I read the world, I have realized that this is something I have never really thought about before. I, a white settler, grew up and went to school my whole life in a small town in which a majority of the community members are white. I was not often exposed to much diversity and with this being said, many of us had the same way of reading the world, which was generally “suggesting that an entire culture or a group is ‘like this’” (Kumashiro, 2009, p. 71). Ukrainian culture is very prominent to my family and community, so this has also had a major effect on how I read the world. This included doing things in school such as decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs in art class and making perogies or other traditional Ukrainian dishes in foods class. This was something that I just assumed everyone did, but when new students began joining my class from different towns or cities, I realized they were not familiar with these types of things. The biases and lenses that I bring to the classroom have all changed as I get older. In the past, I found myself strongly believing in the traditional ways of the classroom, being that we “often use lenses that reinforce the status quo” (Kumashiro, 2009, p. 74). I had a lot of biases towards people of colour and different genders when I was younger. I also held a strong belief that students all learn the same way through the traditional notes and test method. This led to me being biased against any other methods, such as group work. Being that I was also mainly taught through a Eurocentric viewpoint, I was also biased against learning through other knowledge systems. This resulted in me viewing everything primarily through a Eurocentric lens. As I have moved forward, specifically in university classes, these biases and lenses have significantly changed. I now read the world through a lens that is considerate of all biases that might be out there. We can unlearn/work against these biases by educating ourselves so that going forward, things can slowly begin to change. We must be open to analyzing and interpreting things in different ways than we previously have. While school has a major factor in creating these biases, school must also become the place where we work against these biases and learn to read the world through different lenses.

In the video “The danger of a single story” by Adichie, she discusses how dangerous it can be to hear only a single story about a group. It is mentioned that we are impressionable and vulnerable to stories, especially as children. She goes on to state that “the single story creates stereotypes” (Adichie, 2009). In this sense, they are incomplete, but even though there are these stories that might break dignity, they can also repair it, as Adichie says. There were many single stories present in my own schooling. In general, when I again think about the prominent Ukrainian culture in our community, this is a single story in itself when it comes to our school as a whole. People often associate our school with Ukrainian culture and that culture alone. This is assuming that every student in the school has ties to Ukrainian culture, which is definitely not the case. I also find that a very prominent single story in my schooling had to do with race. In particular, a single story of Indigenous peoples was very common. Their story was often referred to from the viewpoint of Europeans. There was never much consideration when it comes to the Indigenous peoples as individuals rather than as simply a part of colonization. This single story ends up reinforcing stereotypes that we have previously come to know. Another single story in my schooling was that of the students who were a part of a lower class. This grouping was often based on appearance or their physical belongings that they had at school. Being that this is all they were seen as, it was never considered that they could potentially excel in school classes or other things such as sports. It was as if because they were of the lower class, people did not think they were capable of doing good in other areas of life. A similar case of a single story could have also been seen with upper class white settlers in my school, being that they were often assumed to have an amazing life with no problems, even though this was not always the case. When it comes to whose truth mattered, we see power as being the dominant factor. As Adichie mentions, “it is impossible to talk about the single story without talking about power” (Adichie, 2009). We see the truth of the white settlers being dominant, specifically those of the upper class as they are seen as having more power and those who hold higher positions in the school. This is because of the traditional ways we have learned to view the world.  It is also the truth of history that matters in all of these cases, but it is important to consider all aspects of history and not only those associated with the European worldview.

References:

Kumashiro, K. (2009). Examples From English Literature. Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice (pp. 71-79). Taylor & Francis Group.

Adichie, C. N. (2009, July). The danger of a single story [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

There are many different ways of interpreting the world, meaning forms of oppression and discrimination can be generated when these worldviews clash. Within the reading “Jagged Worldviews Colliding” by Little Bear, he discusses the difference between Aboriginal values and Eurocentric values, along with effects that colonialism has had on our worldviews. It is stated that colonialism is overall “suppressing the diversity of human worldviews” (Little Bear, 2000, p. 77). We see that there are many differences between the philosophy, values, and customs of Aboriginal cultures and Eurocentric cultures. When we come to understand this, we see how these worldviews clash and how the effects are present in education.

When it comes to my experiences of the teaching and learning of mathematics in terms of oppression and discrimation, as a white settler, I do not recall encountering any aspects that were oppressive or discriminatory towards me personally. My math classes definitely followed a more Eurocentric worldview. It followed a very linear system that is expected of traditional mathematics. There was always talk during math lessons about how math is satisfying because it typically has only one right answer. We had the traditional lesson where we would write notes, do an assignment, and then write a test. This method did not include much engagement or collaboration. With all of this being said about my previous math education experiences, it is possible that other students from diverse backgrounds who may require different learning approaches could have felt oppressed or discriminated against. When it comes to colonization, it attempted to destroy the Aboriginal worldviews, but instead it “left a heritage of jagged worldviews among Indigenous peoples” (Little Bear, 2000, p. 84). There are many different views that continue to try and take control. This is something that could potentially be seen in a math classroom. The Indigenous students potentially felt as if the ways we were learning and teaching math did not pertain to their values. My math classes never included any forms of actual experiences or storytelling and so it was often only the teacher who was responsible for our learning. By ignoring these aspects, this was a type of oppression and discrimination, being that Indigenous people believe that “education is a collective responsibility” (Little Bear, 2000, p. 81). There was the odd word problem that may have included aspects of the Indigenous culture, but this was just extra information stuck in the problem that was deemed unnecessary to solve the actual problem since all we cared about were the numbers. There were really no discussions or considerations in my math classes about how Indigenous people view math differently, or any culture for that matter.

It is very important to consider that mathematics looks different within other cultures. In the reading “Teaching mathematics and the Inuit community” by Poirier, there is a focus on Inuit mathematics and its many aspects. It is described that “mathematics is a cultural product that takes many different forms” (Poirier, 2007, p. 56). This is not something that we hear very often. The fact that I had very little to no previous knowledge about the different approaches to math says a lot in itself when it comes to this knowledge.

There are many different ways in which Inuit mathematics challenges Eurocentric ideas about the purposes of mathematics and the way we learn it. It is interesting that generally, we are often told that mathematics is a universal language, but now we see that this is being challenged, specifically we see this through understanding Inuit mathematics. Poirier states that “different cultures have developed different mathematical tools according to their needs and their environment” (Poirier, 2007, p. 54). Even though mathematics in all cultures might share similar general domains, each culture has its own way of approaching them. With this being said, after understanding a lot of detail about Inuit mathematics, we can see how it differs from Eurocentric ideas. One specific way that Inuit mathematics challenges these traditional ideas is seen within the purpose of math, being that their daily lives are completely separate from the math that they do in school. It is stated that “they do not perceive mathematics as something that can help them solve everyday problems” (Poirier, 2007, p. 55). In contrast, the Eurocentric ideas propose that math is directly related to our daily lives and we are taught that math will be used in our daily lives in the future. Another way that Inuit mathematics challenges the Eurocentric system is through their specific understandings of math, including things such as counting, localization, and measuring. They express numbers orally, they focus on developing a good sense of space, and their measurements are often done using body parts along with their calendar being based on natural events. These are all different from the Eurocentric ideas which are more linear and structured. Finally, another way that Inuit mathematics challenges Eurocentric ideas is through the teaching methods. It is said that “traditional Inuit teaching is based on observing an elder or listening to enigmas” (Poirier, 2007, p. 55). The traditional Eurocentric education system has a focus on note taking and practice done on paper rather than the ‘natural’ way Inuit children learn. After seeing all of these differences and how math can vary between cultures, we can see why it is important to stop viewing math as being a universal topic that is the same everywhere. We must find ways to demonstrate this to students.

References:

Little Bear, L. (2000). Jagged Worldviews Colliding. In M. Batiste (Ed.), Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision (pp. 77-85). UBC Press.

Poirier, L. (2007). Teaching mathematics and the Inuit community. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 7(1), p. 53-67.

When it comes to Treaty Education, unfortunately it is not often seen as being very important in terms of the incorporation of it in the classroom. This has been the case for a while now, being that Indigenous ways of knowing are often ignored or forgotten. Although, as we progress in education, we do see many improvements when it comes to Treaty Education. Within the readings and viewings, we can understand just how important it is to include these topics and forms of knowledge. This inclusion of Treaty Education and First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Content and Perspectives is necessary as a way of honouring the treaties today. In my past experiences in elementary and high school, there was often some kind of incorporation of Treaty Education, but the purposes of this were unclear to us at the time. We very rarely did a territorial acknowledgement, but if it was ever done, not many students knew the importance of it because it was just stated without any background information. The recognition of treaty territory and territorial acknowledgement is important not only for Indigenous people, but also for all of us who are settlers. This is why we, as educators, must make it a priority to efficiently deliver Treaty Education and Indigenous perspectives to all of our students.

This topic can be hard to approach, but the purpose of teaching Treaty Ed or FNMI Content and Perspectives where there are few or no First Nations, Metis, Inuit peoples is important to recognize if you are having a difficult time addressing this with students. In the video, “On What Terms Can We Speak” by Dwayne Donald, he describes how the situation we are in now should involve educators teaching Indigenous perspectives, but he states that teachers “are in a situation where they really don’t know anything about them” (Donald, 2010). This is only a small part of the problem seen today when it comes to Treaty Education. Donald also mentions how people rarely ever know what traditional territory they are on, which just emphasizes why there is the need to include these topics for the development of a better understanding. He says that there are still people who believe that Indignenous people need to “just get over it.” With this being said, there is also the “idea that aboriginal students don’t do very well in school because of culture” (Donald, 2010). This is because their success rates are often based on their culture. In the video, “ECS 210 8.2 – Claire Intro” by Claire Kreuger, she makes a similar point and says that “we need to stop making racism and colonialism our underlying curriculum” (Kreuger, 2017). It is as if there is the inability to comprehend Indigenous issues today. Upon understanding all of these problems that still exist in society today, Indigenous perspectives are seen as a curricular and pedagogical imperative. In this sense, it is important for non-Indigenous students to be aware of their position within it all as well. As explained by Kreuger, a majority of her students are white, so many educators took this as a way of avoiding Treaty Education because they didn’t see it as necessary if there were little to no Indigenous students, which is similar to what you are experiencing. I agree with Kruger, as she takes this situation of few to no Indigenous students as one that needs more effort into the cultural programming, teaching histories, and building relationships. With most of her students being settlers, they know very little about the concepts of Treaty Education, like your students. The Indigenous students are the ones who already have knowledge about their culture, so it becomes important for non-Indigenous students to understand this as well. This is something that you must do with great amounts of enthusiasm and detail to ensure students understand. This is the only way that we can see Indigenous peoples relations with non-Indigenous peoples progressing as we go forward, like Donald mentioned.

In terms of what it means for my understanding of curriculum that “we are all treaty people,” I see this phrase as holding a lot of importance. This statement is something that I have heard often in the past few years and it makes it clear that Treaty Education is not only important for Indigenous students, but it is important for everyone. It shows that we all have treaty rights and responsibilities which is what you need to introduce to your students. They must become aware of the role that they play in working towards a better future. It is important that you and I take the responsibility of understanding all aspects of Canada’s history so that as educators, we can continue to educate people on this topic. In regards to the curriculum, we cannot skip over the aspects that tend to Indigenous perspectives because instead, we must dive deep into it, no matter the cultural background of our students. In your situation, it is also important to help fellow educators understand the concept that “we are all treaty people” if they might have the wrong ideas to begin with. In the reading “We Are All Treaty People: The Contemporary Countenance of Canadian Curriculum Studies” by Cynthia Chambers, she states that “the treaties are a story we share” (Chambers, p. 29). I find this idea to be a good way of showing students how history and Treaty Education is important for us all to be aware of, being that it is something we share. Chambers mentions how we must listen to each other’s stories and learn from each other’s experiences to not lose the importance of concepts that are a part of Treaty Education. This is not only the history of Indigenous peoples, it is the history of all of us.

References:

Chambers, C. “We Are All Treaty People”: The Contemporary Countenance of Canadian Curriculum Studies, pp. 23-38, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RpFQAVShNlNLA9u6aXv7udGnzTGk5LNN/view

Claire Kreuger. (2017). ECS 210 8.2 – Claire Intro. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWY_X-ikmaw

Dwayne Donald. (2010, September 24). On What Terms Can We Speak? [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/15264558

There are many things that must be considered when thinking about student success in the classroom. In the reading “Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverse English classrooms: A case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism and agency” by Lopez, the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy is highlighted. It is stated that “given this social reality, it is imperative that teachers engage in teaching approaches that are effective in educating today’s diverse student population” (Lopez, 2011, p. 75). This is something that I strongly agree with being that all students learn differently. Culturally relevant teaching involves students experiencing and engaging in solving higher-order problems, students identifying the strengths within their identities and cultures, and students developing a critical consciousness in order to analyze the norms associated with social inequities. When it comes to what culturally relevant pedagogy will look like, sound like, and feel like in my future classroom, there are many different approaches that I could potentially take. In relation to how I would like my classroom to look, I want it to be a safe space where students can open up about their feelings in a cooperative manner, even if it might be hard to talk about. As the teacher, I am responsible for recognizing the many different identities and cultures in the classroom so that these can be incorporated into lessons. In terms of what this will sound like in my classroom, the voices of the students are of utmost importance and are what will be heard the most when it comes to the discussion of topics that could potentially tie into their identities. This type of pedagogy “offers students opportunities to speak from their point of view and on behalf of those who are often silenced or marginalized” (Lopez, 2011, p. 78). When talking about what this will feel like in my classroom, the main goal is for students to feel comfortable and confident in discussing their experiences in the classroom. There should be no negative behaviours or judgment towards anyone discussing feelings of discomfort as to not cause emotional harm. With my future classroom being high school science or math, it could potentially be more difficult to include culturally relevant pedagogy, but I believe that this for me will involve the use of other types of knowledge, such as Indigenous knowledge, rather than just focussing on scientific knowledge. Similarly to how the case study in the reading involves using culturally relevant pedagogy in an English class through the use of performance poetry, I could have students look deeper into the history of science or math concepts and how they have been altered with respect to different cultural viewpoints, while also making connections with their personal lives and communities. This takes into consideration the curriculum content that is important to be taught and the success of all students in multicultural classrooms.

The idea of place-based learning has always been something that is considered significant when it comes to forming connections with local environments, which also includes the importance of considering cultural differences. Within the reading “Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program” by Brook, it looks into how music education can develop or deepen the students’ sense of place. When it comes to place-based education “our educational system should facilitate the development of positive relationships with the land as well as with others” (Brook, 2013, p. 293). In the case of music education, we see that this involves a connection with the community as a place where they can make and perform music, which is how it creates a sense of place. We see specifically that “students were able to contribute to their communities in authentic ways that were valued by all and were embedded with the cultures of the communities” (Brook, 2013, p. 301). When it comes to how I, as the teacher, will contribute to the sense of place for my future students, it will be a little different compared to music education. I will ensure that they always feel welcomed and that their values are accepted. Again, keeping in mind that my future classroom will be high school science or math, there are multiple options for creating a sense of place. The most general way that I can achieve this sense of place for my students would be to go on field trips to places close by that will help them engage with their environment and enhance their learning. This would have them become involved with their local diversity and traditions. When it comes to other ways of achieving this, there is always the option of simply going outside within the community and doing a science experiment that involves the use of the natural environment. There are many opportunities in science lessons to go out and learn about topics in relation to your local community. This could also include making real world connections in math by having students directly relate certain concepts of math with things in their community. Another way I could do this would be to bring people into the classroom from the community to share and discuss their stories on certain topics. Being that place-based education also recognizes how important diversity is within the community, these ways of creating a sense of space also have students in culture, rather than just learning about it. By making all of these connections to the community and environment, the students will generate a better understanding of their place, allowing them to feel like they belong.

References:

Lopez, A. E. (2011). Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverse English classrooms: A case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism and agency. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(4), 75-93.

Brook, J. (2013). Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program. Music Education Research, 15(3), 290-303.

In the reading “Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis” by Akom, he discusses a teaching strategy referred to as Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy (CHHP). He states that “this approach attempts to address deep-rooted ideologies to social inequities by creating a space in teacher education courses for prospective teachers to re-examine their knowledge of hip hop as it intersects with race, class, gender, and sexual orientation” (Akom, 2009, p. 52). I see this type of approach as being very effective as a tool when it comes to social justice since the youth already have strong relations to the hip hop culture. With this being said, it is clear that youth have an interest in hip hop which means there is a good chance they will show interest in school related activities revolving around hip hop. This is important being that “it challenges the role that schools play in reproducing social inequality” (Akom, 2009, p. 63). This type of pedagogy is something that I have never heard of prior to reading this article, but with the topic of oppression being discussed in class, I understand why Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy is a functional way for students to recognize and take action against this oppression seen within education. 

When thinking about how hip hop can be used as a tool to promote social justice and youth activism in the classroom, it is important to see that hip hop is more than what people typically see it as, which is simply as a genre of music or a type of dance. It has roots “in the long history of the Black freedom struggle and the quest for self-determination for oppressed communities around the world” (Akom, 2009, p. 53). When looking at hip hop in this context, it is easy to see how there are many activities and lessons that could be used in the classroom to promote social justice and youth activism. As seen within the work of hip hop artists, there can potentially be engagement and open discussions that evolve from the hip hop culture. This promotes awareness and allows for the removal of the norms that often silence students. It is a tool that reveals “problems of poverty, police brutality, patriarchy, misogyny, incarceration, [and] racial discrimination” (Akom, 2009, p. 54). This revelation will produce an environment in which students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts on the past issues to allow them to consider ways in which they can create a better future in terms of social justice. With this pedagogical approach being student-centered, there is the opportunity for the problems that students of colour face to be identified through hip hop, allowing for the cause to be analyzed and a solution to be found. It is suggested that students should analyze data within the hip hop culture such as “field notes, video footage, photo-voice, web research, artifacts of popular culture, interviews, archival research, oral history, and surveys” (Akom, 2009, p. 55). Upon doing this research, students can then use their findings and link them to their community issues that must be solved. I can see hip hop being used as a tool to form school work that explores social justice and that has direct ties to the curriculum, which can be done by taking an issue from hip hop culture and engaging students in how they can seek social change. I believe that all of this allows for genuine questions, and even answers, to be generated by the students, leading to more youth activism. 

The relationship between hip hop culture and the development of critical consciousness amongst students is essential for students to make connections to their own lives. The origins of hip hop can be defined as being very complicated, but Akom describes it in a broader way in which it “has multiple elements, histories, origins, and births” (Akom, 2009, p. 52). Hip hop culture involves a language that dominates amongst the youth and is where theory can be merged with practice. In order for students to form critical consciousness, they must have a deep understanding of their world, meaning they must be exposed to social issues and be able to act against these issues. This generally cannot be done in this case without first looking into hip hop culture. There is the need for students to understand and, in a way, experience the issues that correlate with hip hop before they can even begin to develop a critical consciousness. This relationship is all about the students having the freedom to form their own opinions in order to build this critical consciousness that is needed to act on the social justice issues that are portrayed within the hip hop culture. In particular, the marginalized youth are able to gain this critical consciousness through observing the hip hop culture and how their personal experiences have been shaped by something much larger. I believe that it is important for each student to develop their own unique critical consciousness relating to social justice, which can only be done through the presentation of hip hop culture in the classroom.

References:

Akom, A. A. (2009). Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 52-66.

The curriculum in education is something that holds a lot of importance, but can be viewed and discussed in many different ways being that there are so many details within it. It is comprised of those things which students are expected to know and do by the end of the school year. This is something that has been around for a very long time and with this being said, there is the need to update and alter it every so often in order to continue a beneficial education within our changing society. There is a lot of controversy involving the curriculum and its contents due to how decisions are made or who gets a say in making these decisions involving curriculum development. There are so many different considerations to be made when it comes to the curriculum, specifically what should be included and what should not be included. I have never truly considered how difficult the process of forming and developing the curriculum can potentially be, due to the simplistic view that I have always had of it.

Within the reading “Curriculum Policy and the Politics of What Should Be Learned in Schools” by Levin, he discusses curriculum decisions and the relations to politics. There is the main idea that “curriculum decisions and choices are shaped in large measure by other considerations – ideology, personal values, issues in the public domain, and interests” (Levin, 2008, p. 22). After understanding the general idea of public policy and politics in terms of government, it became easy for me to see the connection these things have with curriculum decisions. They are very similar in many ways, including the idea of how not everyone can be pleased by each of the decisions made, in both government politics and curriculum politics. There is also a lot of pressure and responsibility seen within both of these types of politics. They must focus on the priorities and only consider the demands that are reasonable, which shows me how hard this can become. It is described that “because schooling is seen as so fundamental to the development of our children, it can turn into a battleground for wider social disputes” (Levin, 2008, p. 15). This is why it makes sense for there to be a lot of debate within curriculum decisions. These debates are about things such as what should be included in each subject or at what grade level certain things should be implemented. There are many disagreements that come up when mentioning certain topics being included in the curriculum, such as sex education, and after discussing this in class, I know how serious these debates can be. There is the idea that policy involving education should be derived from experience or knowledge according to educators, but politically, “evidence and experience are not enough to drive decisions, and they may be among the less important factors” (Levin, 2008, p. 13). This is something particular that I find hard to believe because evidence proves something to be true and is usually preferred to alternative methods. This is an interesting way to look at curriculum and explains a lot about how certain things become so extended within education, showing specifically why there are people who agree with the curriculum and some who don’t.

In the reading “The Saskatchewan Way: Professional Led Curriculum Development” by the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF), we see that the curriculum can be complicated and is not as easy as it may seem. It is said that “the degree of success of curriculum reform and implementation depends upon the depth and genuineness of the involvement of teachers” (STF, 2016, p. 2). I can see why there is the belief that it is important for educators to be a part of this curriculum development, because I do agree. The teachers are the ones acting upon the guidelines of the curriculum through their pedagogical methods, which is why I see it to be crucial for them to have a say in what the curriculum involves. The teacher involvement was meant to assist the students’ experiences with the curriculum, but it also had more benefits such that “it allowed teachers to see curriculum as something dynamic and relevant, not an immutable imposition from above” (STF, 2016, p. 5). This is something that I did not think of when it comes to teacher involvement, but it is important since teachers often think poorly of the curriculum. They also go on to mention how it is important to include a variety of other parties in curriculum renewal, such as educational partners, parents, students, and the community. This is important to recognize because these voices are the ones being directly affected by these decisions and are the ones who hold all of the experience and knowledge. With this, it is important to consider that “as you delve deeper and consider everything that is taught and learned in a classroom, curriculum becomes much more involved” (STF, 2016, p. 3). I believe that The Saskatchewan Way lays out a process for the curriculum to be beneficial, and even though it still may involve some disputes, it can ultimately be successful in the end.

As these readings have shown, there are a lot of things to consider when thinking about the curriculum. We can see a difference in what people believe is the best way to approach curriculum development. Within Levin’s writing, there is a focus on the importance of curriculum decisions being “part of a much larger public debate that often extends beyond education to larger questions of public goods” (Levin, 2008, p. 22). This recognizes that there is an importance in having the say of educational expertise, but that this alone could result in decisions failing, which is why they bring in the importance of politics. In contrast, the STF has ideas that revolve around the necessity for teachers to lead the way in curriculum development, while still being assisted by other parties. It is stated that there is “the importance of teachers being deeply involved at all levels and in all aspects of curricular change if education is to change for the better and, ultimately, if students are to benefit” (STF, 2016, p. 8). There are so many different things that people would like to see included in the curriculum, but there is only so much time, which is why it is so important to create a curriculum that aims to efficiently benefit the students.

References:

Levin, B. (2008). Curriculum Policy and the Politics of What Should Be Learned in Schools. In F. Connelly, M. He & J. Phillion (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of curriculum and instruction, pp. 7-24. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

The Saskatchewan Way: Professional Led Curriculum Development. (2016). Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, pp. 1-8. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FwQqfod6RqG_c73DP7a2kZGttSjDwghP/view

When looking into what it means to be a “good” student according to the common sense, we see a lot of limitations. In general, a “good” student seems to be the complete opposite of M and N in the reading “Preparing Teachers for Crisis: A Sample Lesson” by Kumashiro. The idea of a “good” student comes from the fact that “mainstream society often places value on certain kinds of behaviours, knowledge, and skills” (Kumashiro, 2010, p. 22). This involves students “behaving and thinking in only certain ways” (Kumashiro, 2010, p. 21). A “good” student is one who is to always follow instructions and listen to the people who are seen as superior to them, such as the teacher. They do not challenge the mainstream approaches to learning that are being used in the classroom. When it comes to M and N, we see that they do not conform to these ideas of what it means to be a “good” student because rather they are seen as a stereotypical “bad” student. M is a student who would not participate in the scheduled class activities, struggled to listen, and would speak out of turn. These are all only seen as bad behaviours because of what society has set out to be the good behaviours in the traditional learning environment. This goes the same for N who often questioned why they learned the way they did or why the teacher taught a specific way. They had a different idea of what it meant to learn. There is also the idea that “good” students are associated with those who meet the expected learning goals and can show that they have reached these goals through the standardized method of assignments and tests. A “good” student will not hesitate to follow the traditional approach to learning that is set out for them, which includes lectures, note taking, assignments, and tests. With this said, “the closer a student got to saying the right things in the right ways, the higher that student’s grade would be” (Kumashiro, 2010, p. 21). They are also able to effectively use this method to understand new concepts and overall achieve good grades.

It is obvious that there are certain types of students who are privileged by this definition of a “good” student. We see that M and N are not privileged by this definition, being that they were unable or unwilling to be the students that society expected them to be. It is the students who are able to efficiently learn under these structured circumstances that are privileged by it, with these circumstances being those falling under the common sense understandings. These are the students who learn best with the traditional memorization method and who do not need any more than what they are being provided, meaning they are the students who learn as they are expected to. There seems to be a pressure on teachers “from schools and society to produce this type of student” (Kumashiro, 2010, p. 21). It is interesting to think about the idea that even if a student has excellent grades, they still might not experience privilege since being a “good” student in this case mainly depends on behaviour in regards to learning. Those who require or desire unique or different learning approaches are the ones who are typically seen as the “bad” students and will not be able to benefit like others can. In general, it can be observed that those students who are able to learn in these ways come from a privileged background where they are used to being exposed to the common sense. It benefits those students who are not oppressed in any way.

There are several ways in which the “good” student is shaped by historical factors. We are able to understand how we have come to this common sense understanding of a “good” student in the reading “A History of Education” by Painter. He describes the function of education in the past as being something in which “the processes of physical and mental growth must be assisted and directed during the formative periods of childhood and youth” (Painter, 1886, p. 2). The term directed is something that we see when it comes to a “good” student because they are the ones who are seen as being able to follow this strict direction method of learning. This is similar to the statement that “education is not creative” (Painter, 1886, p. 5). A “good” student is not associated with any forms of creativity being that they conform only to what they are told to do. When it comes to the end results of education within history, there seems to be a focus on preparing the students for a future that is already laid out for them, including things such as work. There was the idea that “education does not aim to develop a perfect man or woman, but to prepare its subjects for their place in the established order of things” (Painter, 1886, p. 9). With this comes the need of being good at listening and following instruction, much like we see within a “good” student. The traditional methods of learning and teaching is also a factor that can be seen as something that has historically shaped this idea of a “good” student. The students back then were seen as being good if they could learn something and then prove that they learned it, much like we see with this definition of a “good” student. We also learn that in the past, people endured oppression and did nothing to challenge it. This is still being seen today within the ways we think about learning as we look into what being a “good” student is all about.

References:

Kumashiro, K. (2010). Against Common Sense. Chapter 2- Preparing Teachers for Crisis: A Sample Lesson, pp. 19-33.

Painter, F. V. N. (1886). A History of Education, pp. 1-21.

I have always found the hidden curriculum to be an interesting topic when it comes to the many aspects of the curriculum in general, which is why I chose to look further into it. The article “Is the Hidden Curriculum a Relevant Issue in Educational Processes” by Patarroyo, Díaz, and Barreto de Quintero interested me because it talks about how the hidden curriculum can have positive or negative effects in education. They define the hidden curriculum as something that “refers to all the actions or situations developed in class unconsciously” (Díaz et al., 2004, p. 163). This is something that the students are never aware of because it includes behaviours that they learn through simply the experience of going to school. The article states that there are strategies that teachers can use to incorporate the hidden curriculum into their pedagogical strategies so that the benefits can be seen. Even though there are these problems highlighted within the hidden curriculum, it is still mentioned that it holds a lot of importance, being that it has a strong influence on student learning. This article talks about how “there are some specific social aspects highly affected by the hidden curriculum such as gender equality, social classes, racial differences and so on” (Díaz et al., 2004, p. 163). We often don’t even notice that these aspects are the products of the hidden curriculum and can affect how students approach their learning. These aspects also create problems for how students see each other, which in turn alters their behaviour towards others to be negative. The article specifically talks about how the hidden curriculum brings about ideas that complicate how students see gender differences, as seen in the example that “girls must behave better than boys” (Díaz et al., 2004, p. 164). These are typical issues that simply arise from the students just going through school without noticing what they are actually experiencing, apart from noticing the formal curriculum objectives.

With these issues arising from the hidden curriculum, the article explains some ways for the teacher to get around these. It is first necessary for the teachers to recognize when the hidden curriculum is causing negative effects on students. This will allow them to determine what actions are needed in order to guide the actions of a curriculum in a way. They must be careful how they approach this as to not be too demanding when they are addressing these things to the students. They want to instead address this in a way that is meaningful to the students and their thinking behaviours. The article recommends that in order to step away from stereotypical views of social skills, “they must make the hidden curriculum explicit to students” (Díaz et al., 2004, p. 164). This means that the students need the aspects of the hidden curriculum to be clear to them. These include observation techniques such as diaries, videos, peer modelling, and teacher modelling. This then allows the teachers to correct any negative patterns they see occurring from the hidden curriculum along the way. The other tool that they mention is the use of a portfolio, which allows students to collect all of their physical thinking and work. Through this they can see for themselves what areas they excel in and what areas may need some improving. I noticed that the observation method of approaching the hidden curriculum from a positive way has a focus on the teacher witnessing what the students are experiencing in the classroom, which doesn’t truly allow for the students to notice it. When looking at the portfolio method, I can see that this focuses on what the students notice in their behaviours from the hidden curriculum. Each method allows for the management of these issues that are considered to be of great relevance in teaching-learning processes, which results in a more efficient education.

As I move forward into examining the topic of the hidden curriculum for assignment one, there are some important next steps that I must take. I have to first find a couple more articles that tie into different aspects of the hidden curriculum. These must be readings that have a few connections with my first article, which could talk about the issues seen from a social standpoint or the things that teachers can do to allow for the hidden curriculum to have positive impacts. The readings must also differ from my first article so that I am able to broaden the overview of the hidden curriculum. This could include looking more into the positive benefits that it could have on students. Being that my first article covers the general idea of the hidden curriculum, I would need to find articles that go deeper into the impacts of both these positive and negative aspects of the hidden curriculum on the students’ lives and society. I have noticed that the hidden curriculum is something that I have not really heard about in the past, so I am wanting to do further research into the background of it and how it can be seen in the classroom. From here, I would have enough information on multiple areas of the topic in order to use all three pieces of reading to write my critical summary.

References:

Díaz, J., Patarroyo, E., & Barreto de Quintero, S. (2004). Is the Hidden Curriculum a Relevant Issue in Educational Processes. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 5(1), 162-165.