Month: September 2021

What does it mean to be a “good” student? The guidelines to being a “good” student are very basic and follow the traditional ideas of a westernized traditional classroom setting. Education is believed to be the tool that helps grow successful adults that benefit society, “Human development should be combined with practical wisdom; the school should be the natural introduction into active life.” (History of Education,3). To be a “good” student that complies with the ideas they must learn in the ways set out for them and be able to follow the set curriculum without challenging it. They have to be the students that society tells them to be. As explained in “Against Common Sense” the teacher struggles with M and N because they do not learn traditional learning strategies, and it challenges the teacher, giving the idea that they are bad students. Although in reality, they are good students but they have different learning skills and different ways of expressing their needs. They challenge the traditional ways of learning; standardized testing, memorization, themes, etc. There is a good quote in History of Education that represents the limitations of the traditional education system and how a “good” student is a student that can follow the traditional guideline, “Education is not creative ; it can not give what Nature has withheld. It is limited by the pupil’s individuality, which it can ennoble, but not radically change.” (5)

When looking at a “good” student it is clear that the education system is prioritizing specific children over other children due to their learning requirements. Students that learn exceptionally well under the memorization, standardized testing due to excel in the education system, and are privileged over students’ that require more to be able to reach the requirements set by the system.  “We reward those schools that can get their students to demonstrate such learning and punish those who do not” (Against Common Sense, 24)Students have learned something from their teachers, meaning they are expanding their minds and students with prior knowledge from home learning have a leg up on other students.

             Not only is the “good” student shaped by historical factors but also the entire education system is rooted in historical factors. The traditional American education system was created to shape sufficient workers to benefit society and the economy. Pulling traits from the industrial era, with the teacher, student, desk rows, and standardized testing. As well, class plays a major role in the education system, for example the Brahman people of India. Religion has also played a major role in the education system as well as society in general. Creating what we now know as a “good” student. 

Avril Aitken is a full professor at Bishop’s University based in Sherbrooke Quebec. She has specific beliefs on education and curriculum. Avril Aitken believes in arts in the curriculum for the aesthetics, embodiment, and well-being. The article “The Arts in Curriculum: Aesthetics, Embodiment and Well-Being” expands on the reasoning and need for art in the curriculum. Art is a form of expression that some students tend to find comfort in. As well all students learn differently, with different strengths, such as visual learns. In many cases, a student is able to express their knowledge through art more accurately than writing a paper. “Leo Tolstoy (1897/2009) sees art as a form of human communication; and according to Charles Taylor (1991), artistic expression is the paradigm mode for self-discovery in the modern era. We are rediscovering our “lost” humanity in, and through, artistic expression.” (The Arts in Curriculum).

Everyone is unique in his or her own way and it is often hard to find ones “authentic voice” through writing and paper work. “Giving art expression means giving expression to one’s original, authentic voice.” Art gives a very powerful voice to the creator “When we express art, we come to know ourselves; when we come to wholeness; when we come to know our wholeness; we come to know our humanity.”(Aitken). Avril believes that arts-based and hands-one exploration and learning can and will benefit both student and educator because it can bring into light important conversations.

For the first assignment, the critical summary, I will start by researching Avril Atiken’s theories’ more thoroughly as well as find other theorist with different viewpoints. I plan to embellish on arts in the curriculum because I truly believe that this is a strong argument and has strong backup. Avril Aitken is a professor herself so it would be interesting to see how she handles her own classroom in such ways.

View of The Arts in Curriculum: Aesthetics, Embodiment and Well-Being (yorku.ca)

Curriculum development from a traditionalist perspective is widely used across schools in Canada and other countries. Think about: (a) The ways in which you may have experienced the Tyler rationale in your own schooling; (b) What are the major limitations of the Tyler rationale/what does it make impossible; and (c) What are some potential benefits/what is made possible. Be sure to refer to the assigned article in your post; you may also include information from lecture if you wish.

                Ralph Tyler’s rationale of Curriculum theory and practice had multiple objectives; what purpose is the school seeking to attain, education experience provided that can help attain these purposes, how can they be organized, can the purpose be determined or not. Thinking back to my own path throughout the education system I have experience the Tyler rationale multiple times. One specific easy answer was my Chemistry 30 class and the semester long, portfolio we had to complete. The purpose of this being we had to understand the ways of which chemistry worked and an issue that our world was facing along with the causes, effects, and solutions, which had to be chemistry based. Our teacher explained the project at the start of the semester, as well as left the instructions in the syllabus and set us on our way to work independently on it throughout the entire course. The project required understanding of the material given during class, as well as understanding on issues from outside of the classroom setting. We created the portfolios with charts, research papers, articles etc. and then had to have a formal presentation for the class. Our teacher used this as evaluation and a way to see if we had successfully completely the assignment with a firm understanding on the topic and chemistry itself. This experience plays back on Tyler’s rationale for the use of attaining purpose, educational experiences organized in the classroom, determining purpose, etc.

                There are limitations and issues within Tyler’s rationale, one of those being “the plan or programme assumes great importance.” (Smith2000). Problems surrounding this is that the learners are in ways silenced, being told exactly what to do and how to do it. “The success or failure of both the programme and the individual learners is judged on the basis of whether pre-specified changes occur in the behaviour and person of the learner (the meeting of behavioural objectives).” (Smith), meaning that there is little to no lead way for the evaluation of students and for a teacher to form the relationships that he or she need. Students are all different, with different strengths and skills when it comes to learning, therefor needing more room to breath in the education systems to be successful.

                The Tyler rationale does in fact have benefits. The system is very organized and provides “a clear notion of outcome so that content and method may be organized and the results evaluated.” (Smith). This can be beneficial to both the student and the educator because with clear concepts and organization the students can easily understand what is being required of them. As well as opening up space for more one on one teaching time where the teacher can be specific on details and help everyone in their own way.

What is curriculum? Exploring theory and practice. (2018, June 4). Infed.org. http://infed.org/mobi/curriculum-theory-and-practice/

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How does Kumashiro define ‘commonsense?’ Why is it so important to pay attention to the ‘commonsense’? What commonsense understandings of curriculum and pedagogy do you bring with you into this course?

The easiest and quickest way to define ‘commonsense’ is limitations. Commonsense limits thought process, growth, evolution, openness, etc. Commonsense is simply tradition; a way of thinking that has stayed the same for years. There is a sense of comfort in the repetition of common sense. Kumashiro states “‘Common sense’ is really an insistence that we view things as some in society have traditionally viewed things and want to continue viewing things” (XXXVI),  and this way of thinking has a tendency to cause negative effects. The oppressions already in play in schools and classrooms are continuing to be taught because of our use of “commonsense”.  An exceptional  quote from Kumashiro is“The Problem of Common Sense” is “Common sense is not what should shape educational reform or curriculum design; it is what needs to be examined and challenged.” (XXXVI). 

As future educators it is important to pay attention to the ‘commonsense’ to become intellectually  aware professionals. Understanding that ‘commonsense’ is an influence in curriculum and pedagogy is the first step to being able to recognize it in the professional setting. Kumashiro was faced with ‘commonsense’ during his time in Nepal. What was common sense to him was forign to the people of Nepal and what the people of Nepal found to be common sense took Kumashiro time to learn. He went into his practices believing that the Nepal people were wanting to learn the American ways and this was problematic because of his “assumptions about U.S superiority.” (XXXIII). It is key to understand that common sense changes from person to person, culture to culture, family to family, etc.  Schools can only place priority on challenging oppression if teachers and professionals are able to identify and pay attention to ‘common sense’.

As a student that has been in multiple different classrooms I have picked up on some common sense understandings about curriculum and pedagogy. In many classrooms the curriculum has been very strict and stuck too, there was no veering off topic into different aspects of what we were learning. As well it seemed like talking about gender, sexuality and other things were light topics that were avoided. All my high school classes were taught in teacher-centered environments, where you took notes and memorized, and that was just how it was. Nobody questioned it. I carry with me the teacher-centered environment to university because that was my expectations for all university classes.