Hip Hop can promote social justice and youth activism as it is a connection between education and youth culture. It is understanding and participating in these cultural aspects of hip-hop that can further both student participation and educator understanding. Considering the impact that hip hop has on youth lives it makes sense that an educator should be bringing it into the classroom. The article mentions how hip-hop is often seen as a leisure activity done outside of school and the education system. Bringing hip-hop into the classroom could create a better school community based on interest and diverse understanding. With a deeper understanding of the origins of hip-hop students, may speak up and advocate further for diverse cultural understandings.

The concept of critical consciousness may be present within students through hip-hop due to their increased interest in learning as well as their own deeper cultural understanding. The article argues that hip-hop carries cultural aspects surrounding “the long history of the Black freedom struggle” (Akom, 2009, p.53), so by gaining an understanding of hip-hop students and educators can also understand the history and different cultural diversities.

Sources Referenced

Akom, A. A. (2009). “Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis.” Equity & Excellence in Education, vol. 42, no. 1, 2009, pp. 52–66., https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680802612519.

Citizenship looks different for every person. To say that someone is a good citizen doesn’t feel right to me. I think that the role of education in creating good citizens is not as important as just creating students who feel happy within themselves. I feel that it is hard to determine what a good citizen would be, I think that there are obvious labels that could be placed on citizenship but then I would be placing certain attributes into a category and leaving the rest separate. I feel that morals are important and the video with Joel Westheimer talks about citizenship and the role of students well. He mentions how we should be familiarizing students with “different perspectives” that come with politics and how a school can bring politics in to support a form of intellectual understanding. I feel that an open understanding is important in education, and I feel the same about citizenship. I think that it would be great to have students who are active within society and good citizens but realistically there have to be developmental steps before that, including happy and confident students who take the effort to understand the world around them.

Citizenship and Treaty education can be connected to the need for Treaty education within the curriculum. Citizenship and involvement can support students in understanding the world which may guide a more inclusive and influential Treaty education. Understanding other people and the past can guide a form of education that steps away from colonial-based actions and methods of teaching and understanding. With the actions of justice oriented citizens we can see change towards a more just Treaty education.

Levin’s article “” states that “curriculum is defined as an official statement of what students are expected to know and be able to do”(2008, p.8) this perspective on curriculum shows how important curriculum will impact students. Levin’s article focuses on who makes these decisions on what is important for students to learn. Before reading Levin’s article I never recognized the political influence that is placed on curriculum content. I found it hard to believe just how much political power influences the levels of importance placed on different academic subjects. Although I did not notice it before it makes sense considering how largely politics influences many aspects of societal choice. The idea of “public policy” (Levin, 2008,p.8) also influences curriculum content and how specific material makes it into the curriculum. The curriculum itself is an example of public policy in place to push forward specific topics and lessons that select people feel are important. The political beliefs that hold power will influence the content that is in place within the curriculum. Considering curriculum as a policy that must be enforced we see specific ideas of importance through what is taught within schools. It is odd to me how little influence actual educators hold in curriculum decisions and how the political government’s opinions out way educators in what is important within education.

With Levin’s article and the Treaty Education Document, I can see how politics have influenced the ideas and the language used while talking about Treaty Education. Although it is a good thing to be implementing Treaty education, the outcomes, and indicators meet a few brief and small sections within the curriculum. Potentially treaty education does not hold the same ‘political importance’ as say subjects such as English or Math. Therefore, we do see it as prominent in our curriculum. Despite the fact that we are all Treaty people and should learn to recognize the importance of that within our everyday lives.

Sources Referenced

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)

Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. (2013). Treaty Education Outcomes and Indicators.