Month: March 2023

Part 1: 

My own experiences of being taught mathematics was more based around the Eurocentric way of the world. For example; the math word problems all tended to be based around situations us western people would understand which could leave some cultures out to face discrimination. Math was always based around an assessment portion whereas some children do not do good when it comes to big test therefore it would be hard for those kids to show what they know. In one of my math classes the children who did good on their math tests would get recognize which left some children out. Therefore, when I look back the math I was taught was based around individual achievement and competition, which can create an oppressive learning environment for students who do not adhere to these standards.  

Part 2: 

Inuit mathematics places a strong emphasis on the practical and concrete applications of mathematics in daily life. Inuit people might be taught how to weigh and divide fish for distribution or how to determine a harpoon’s trajectory for hunting, for instance. That mathematics is only abstract or academic by highlighting the value of mathematics in practical settings. Inuit mathematics is based on the Inuit worldview, which places a strong emphasis on the interdependence of all things in nature. Inuit students are taught how to observe, decipher, and apply natural phenomena, such as animal migration patterns and seasonal changes, to their everyday lives. This method goes against the Eurocentric view of mathematics as an objective and neutral subject and places an emphasis on how it is interconnected with larger ecological and societal systems. You could emphasize on multiple ways of knowing. Inuit mathematics recognizes that there are numerous modes of knowing and learning. Inuit students, for instance, might use their instincts and sensory perceptions to make choices about the surroundings and address issues. In addition to valuing cooperation and community participation, Inuit mathematics also understands that knowledge is produced and shared by both individuals and groups. This method sends out doubt on the idea that mathematics is an activity that is only personal and objective. 

Us teachers can maximize engagement and add instructional strategies in many ways, such as by putting up signs sensitive to cultural differences, using books in multiple languages, and encouraging parents and kids to emphasize their own cultural knowledge and background. One example from the reading is that teachers can ask one or two students to present a term from their native tongues to the class, explaining its meaning and the reasoning behind their choice. By doing this activity students and teachers pick up new vocabulary over time in many languages. 

Multilingual students who are encouraged to use their home languages alongside the language of the classroom come to see themselves as talented and accomplished speakers of multiple languages who are more likely to engage academically. As the reading explained, it is important to encourage individuals’ home languages so that they do not feel constrained by their current proficiency in the school language. It is crucial to understand that every child has a right to an education that matches their needs, so as educators, it is our responsibility to adjust to each student’s needs to maximize achievement.

Reading- https://www.edcan.ca/articles/multilingual-students/

It is crucial to discreetly and casually incorporate discussions like homophobia and the marginalization of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community into classrooms so that students can start to be exposed to these types of conversations and topics. It is important that this teaching aims to question popular conceptions of sex, gender, and sexuality in the classroom. This teaching encourages students to consider critically how gender and sexuality are portrayed in the society around them and to explore and express their own gender and sexual identities. The educational systems must include this within the curriculum, which can be done in many ways and can be done through cross-curriculum. It is important to recognize that this does not need to be its separate curriculum due to being able to incorporate it into all areas of learning. For example; you can provide a variety of viewpoints, such as those found in literature, art, and historical occurrences that emphasize 2SLGBTQI+ identities. The curriculum is not perfect and will never be due to it always needing changes or updates to keep up with society’s expectations. Even if the curriculum is designed to teach diversity and inclusivity, queer education is one component that must be included. We educators need to take responsibility for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment due to the education children learn now will shape what our future looks like. 

Indigenous people are frequently looked down upon and not included in the level of living; instead, they are categorized as having a distinct way of life, which is incorrectly given that we are all treaty people and occupy treaty land. Treaty education is not a joke and is very important within the education system. Treaty education is to inform non-treaty people about Canada’s past, including how treaty people were treated. Children can learn about indigenous methods of knowing and thinking through treaty education. Claire mentioned how often instruction about treaties is intended for indigenous people, although it is intended for the settlers because the indigenous people already understand what has happened in the past and their ways of life. Teaching treaty education helps kids understand that everyone is a treaty person, not just members of a certain community. This is especially essential for younger kids since that’s when they’re still figuring out who they are, as Claire explained. Because of this, the students in your class may view treaty education as a joke or the teachers may be very slack and believe that there is no need in teaching it given that there are “no” kids from Nations who may not be aware that they are also treaty people. Dwayne also mentioned how, even though we might not be aware of it, we are all colonized. It is important to acknowledge that treaty education within the class is not just doing one reading about the past. Treaty education can be integrated into all subjects and is important to spend quality time teaching children about treaty education. Treaty education is deep learning not just skimming over the surface of it all. It also has to do with teachers’ perspectives on the matter, which is why your teacher refrains from introducing it to your class because she thinks the students there are no students that belong to a nation. This stood out to me when Dwayne explained, teachers’ attitudes about indigenous culture and history are reflected in how much of it they include in the classroom. This involves more than just using a timeline of the residential schools to analyze historical relationships and the past. The curriculum should not necessarily have one section for treaty education whereas it should be incorporated into all sections of the curriculum since we are all treaty people and many times is without teachers realizing. Treaty education may be included in many courses, and it’s crucial to give kids enough opportunity to learn about it. But, it’s up to the teacher to recognize its significance. Learning about treaties throughout the curriculum is important because treaties have rights and reasonability which are important for everyone to learn due to everyone being treaty people. In conclusion, one way to address this topic with your students is to stick up for what you believe in and, ideally, others will do the same. Explaining who you are and where you come from, as well as asking others to do the same, could help you convince your instructor that there are kids from many nations and show the importance of taking this topic up in class.

[Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverse English classrooms: A case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism and agency]: What will culturally relevant pedagogy look like, sound like, feel like, in your future classroom?  

Culturally relevant pedagogy will be incorporated into my future classrooms in many ways! First, I want to add this into my classroom to boost diverse students’ engagement and academic accomplishment, and it is an effective strategy for bringing the cultures, languages, and life experiences of the students into the classroom. It is important to add this into your classroom, so children develop a culturally diverse understanding of society as well as be able to maintain their cultural identity. All of my students and their personal lives will be a part of my culturally responsive teaching, which will go beyond simply focusing on the culture of one group. To incorporate everyone and make all children feel welcome, I must invite kids to speak and discuss their lives or cultures. This will enable me to arrange my lessons properly. Along with having visuals of different cultural expressions throughout the classroom so everyone can feel welcome. I will set high expectations that will be achievable for all students to meet and will incorporate some reading pieces, writing pieces, art pieces, and activities that involve dance and music. To help other students in the class learn about one another’s cultures through hearing and seeing the children’s cultural identities, I will allow children to express their cultural languages or identities. I will also add the three principles of culturally relevant teaching that were identified by Ladson-Billings 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. 

[Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program.]: How will you, as teacher, contribute to the sense of place for your future students? 

As a future teacher, I will contribute to the sense of place for my students by making sure the children can make connections between themselves or other people based on a place. It is important to acknowledge many different communities within a classroom which was explained throughout Placing elementary music education: a case study of a Canadian rural music program by “children have their own cultures that are different from the adults in their worlds as babies” and how music plays different roles within a children’s age as they grow up. The need to include different cultures in schools and communities when developing a lesson plan or program was discussed during the reading by using music class as an example, but this is true for all lessons, not just those involving music which is something I will ensure as a future teacher. I will make sure I am not only touching on the western ways but also non-western ways of life and places. I want to ensure all activities fit everyone’s religious beliefs therefore no one feels left out or uncomfortable, which leads to everyone feeling welcomed. In my sense of place, I want to incorporate group discussions and learning which offers a place for all children to participate. Group learning also allows individuals to work together, learn from one another, and build relationships. My end goal is to ensure that the abilities students acquire in class will benefit them outside of the classroom in the community and help them feel connected to the place we live in and the places around them.