Kumashiro defines common sense as a culturally based idea of everyday norms. Not standing too close to people in an elevator, driving on the right side of the road, wear clothes in public; these are all examples of “common sense.” However common sense varies depending on where you grew up, your culture, and life experience. Kumashiro explains in his article that when he left the United States to teach in Nepal, he quickly learned that the things he did not know were considered common sense to the locals. An example he gave in the text was that he was taught that education was not completely curriculum based, and not all about standardized testing; however the students quickly became frustrated with him because the teachers are supposed to completely stick to the textbook. The students ideas around common sense for teachers was very different from what Kumashiros idea of education was. This example is why it is so important to pay attention to the things that we brush off as “common sense,” if somebody moves to Canada from somewhere that has a different culture/way of life, then their idea of what common sense will be very different from ours. As educators we have to ensure that we do not assume what students “should” or should not know, or believe, but rather try to learn together. If we assume that every student has the same idea of what is considered common sense, then there is always a risk that we could end up leaving a student out, or putting them on the spot. My ideas of common sense around the curriculum and pedagogy are that the curriculum should be outcome based rather than process based. Teachers should be able to have the freedom and flexibility to teach how they find fitting, and adjust the curriculum to fit the types of learners in the class.

This is where I will be posting my blog posts for ECS 203 (Fall 2020)