“THE PROBLEM WITH COMMON SENSE”
BLOG RESPONSE WEEK #1
How does Kumashiro define ‘common sense?’ Why is it so important to pay attention to the ‘common sense’?
I think there are endless reasons why we should be more conscious of this term and on how we should think of the meaning of this term. Kumashiro’s experience in Nepal is an example of differing common senses, culturally. He liked to clean and realized that water was only located in the centre of the bazaar. He also realized that different needs like showering, washing dishes, and filing water jugs, were tended to at certain times of the day. I think this tells us that we need to be aware of the difference of cultures, customs and daily lives in order to teach students in ways that tend their own particular needs, instead of being stuck on our own ideas of common sense. This is also relevant when the students in his classroom told him that he wasn’t teaching right because his ideas were not strictly lecture-practice-exam like they’ve grown up being taught. It is very important to recognize these differences, also, because the Peace Corps had a failure to critique their own assumptions about how the U.S. were superior compared to Nepal. Although it was not a goal to be oppressive, it definitely came across that way.
Varying students might have their own different definitions of common sense, and because of this we as teachers can’t assume that common sense is universally transferable.
Kumashiro defines “common sense”, as meaning certain things to certain people. Every person has their own different experiences in life and with these experiences people form their own set of ideas of how things should be done. Doing things differently than what is viewed as common sense is judged as doing it wrong.
“CURRICULUM THEORY AND PRACTICE”
BLOG RESPONSE WEEK #2
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 experience 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.
In all my experiences throughout school, I have encountered many experiences with structured systems and the viewpoints from the Tyler’s Rationale. Throughout mostly all of my education experience, mostly high school, it has always been outcome based. For each class, we would start by looking at chapters from a textbook or taking notes from power point slides, and then assignments would be assigned based on the material that we had just learnt. With the completion of each section or chapter us students would “memorize” what was given to us, and we would be tested on how well we knew the content. The Tyler Rational is very similar to this type of process. The value is directed towards how well the students did on each test. Although I have been exposed to various other teaching techniques for the most part especially in high school I experienced the Tyler Rationale.
There are both limitations and benefits of the Tyler Rational being used in the classroom. A limitation of this theory is that there is a heavy expectation placed on evaluation and assessment, and very little focus on the social interactions that can and do occur in classrooms and schools. There are many reasons for a student to struggle on assignments and exams. The Tyler Rational doesn’t consider the multiple factors that may affect a child’s learning ability. By placing a high importance on the outcome portion of learning it can negatively impact those who struggle when it comes to memorizing and writing exams. Schools wouldn’t function without the social interactions between students and teachers and in my opinion this should also be valued. In the Tyler Rationale, these interactions are not even considered, and because of this I consider this a limitation.
A benefit of the Tyler Rationale is that it is very organized and structured. Although this may be seen as a limitation in some cases, it can benefit some learners that thrive in these types of classroom conditions. In my experience, I personally enjoy a structured environment. When problems have a specific goal or answer and they have one obvious reason for achieving this answer. I guess that’s why I like Kinesiology so much because there is a right and wrong answer. I also learn better when I can visualize the material. I understand that some classmates of mine did not learn this way, and often times they would struggle. It wasn’t because they didn’t grasp the material, but because they didn’t excel in this learning environment. The structured environment could be viewed as a benefit for certain types of learners, but I believe the importance is to ensure that our curriculum is allowing for all types of learners to succeed in an inclusive environment.
“RESEARCH AND PREPARATION FOR ASSIGNMENT #1”
BLOG RESPONSE WEEK #3
Choose either a scholar or a topic/concept and begin to explore them/it. You might find a quote or an article that piques your interest. In your blog post, practice creating a short summary of what you have found. Then, finish up your blog post by outlining some next steps and possible directions for your first assignment. For reference: You should spend about two paragraphs summarizing what you’ve discovered, and one short paragraph outlining your next steps.
Physical Education and the stigma that surrounds its involvement within the education system is something that I feel most passionate about altering. We all understand the benefits that physical activity can provide a person during any stage of their life, and the repercussions of inactivity can often include obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and poor joint mobility. And yet we as a society have placed a greater importance on math and science and less on educating students to take personal responsibility of their physical education. In this paper I plan to research some of the influencers who have taken the next step in thinking about children and their experiences in physical education.
Dewey wrote about numerous educational topics during the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, during this time many scholars were interested in the controversial conflict between educating through a more traditional curriculum perspective or a more student interest format. Dewey’s main objectives to his philosophical approach was too unite the two rationales of teaching, he envisioned the child’s interest and connected the child to the curriculum through applicable teaching strategies. The concept of Teaching Games for Understanding uses strategies that allow the students to make connections with prior physical activity experiences and use these concepts to help grow their confidence and competence in future physical education experiences.
I hope to explore the ways in which these theorists have similar views on physical education and curriculum. By identifying some of the common themes throughout the readings. Through this research I will be able to develop my teaching pedagogy further in hopes of creating a more well-rounded perspective on how I want my future classroom to look
“WHO IS THE GOOD STUDENT”
BLOG RESPONSE WEEK #4
What does it mean to be a “good” student according to the common sense? Which students are privileged by this definition of the good student? What is made impossible to see/understand/believe because of these common sense ideas?
A “good” student according to Kumashiro is a student that is cooperative, works hard, listens, and is engaged in what the teacher has to say. They follow directions and do not think outside of the box. Creativity is not what is wanted in a “good” student. What is wanted is a student that colours inside the lines. They do everything what a good and proper student should do. They also understand what a common sense “good” student is, so they are able to follow these guidelines. To describe what one should think of in their minds when imagining what the common sense “good” student is, the following description could be used. Imagine a student that is wearing runners, a t-shirt and a pair of pants that are all in good condition. He/she is sitting in their desk with their body facing the front, and raises their hand if they wish to talk. Their hair and teeth have been brushed, and they have access to products which allow them to have proper hygiene. The individual is listening to the teacher at the front, and is not talking out of turn. They are not disturbing others, and they are willing to learn. This is what should come to mind when thinking of the common sense “good” student.
Seeing the definition of what it means to be a “good” student according to commonsense, it can also be seen that those students who meet the criteria of being a “good” student are privileged. Students who thrive in school environments whose pedagogical approaches are traditional and behave in ways that are expected by teachers and society as a student are those who are privileged. On the other hand, students who have difficulty learning in the traditional way where they may learn better through doing and experiencing or behave in ways that are “not normal” are those who are not privileged. These are the students who get labelled by not only teachers, but also their peers as a “bad student” based on what the commonsense describes a “good” student to be and the norms that are present in society surrounding how to act and behave in school and what it means to succeed as a student.
This commonsense idea of a “good” student as presented by Kumashiro is restrictive in a number of ways. To me, I think these commonsense ideas make it hard for teachers to alter and adapt their pedagogical approaches due to the pressures of society to produce a “good” student. Instead of adapting their approaches to accommodate to, for example, students who are hands-on learners and learn by doing, teachers adhere to the traditional approach to teaching so they are able to be in a “comfort zone” where they feel as though they are producing “good” students. Additionally, I think that these commonsense ideas make students get into the habit of only applying what they need to reach what is expected of them at school, where they do not go out of their way to learn more about the concepts at school that they are interested in or are having issues understanding. Instead, students put in the minimum amount of effort that they need to pass or get a good grade in the class and do not go the extra mile.
Kumashiro, Kevin. “Preparing Teachers for Crisis: What It Means to Be a Student” Against Common Sense, Routledge, 2009, pp. 19–33.(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kkJc7k2AyKB-Usl3pujiMAeWpfzmpZRK/view)
“PLACE-BASED LEARNING”
BLOG RESPONSE #5
Respond to the following prompts: The article suggests that a “critical pedagogy of place” aims to: a) identify, recover, and create material spaces and places that teach us how to live well in our total environments (reinhabitation); and (b) identify and change ways of thinking that injure and exploit other people and places (decolonization) (p.74). List some of the ways that you see reinhabitation and decolonization happening throughout the narrative. How might you adapt these ideas / consider place in your own subject areas and teaching?
While reading Learning from Place: A Return to Traditional Mushkegowuk Ways of Knowing by Jean-Paul Restoule, Sheila Gruner, and Edmund Metatawabin, there were many instances that I saw reinhabitation and decolonization. When the authors mention that “over just two generations, one could observe the erosion of deeper meanings of connection to land and territory that are encoded in the Mushkegowuk language, its declining use among the adult and youth generations” (p. 71), it is evident how much colonization and exploitation has affected the intergenerational knowledge and language of the Mushkegowuk community, which can also be seen in many other Indigenous communities in Canada. Thus, there have been efforts in developing a greater understanding of Indigenous culture and traditions in youth today through reinhabitation and decolonization. As highlighted in the article, students, adults, and elders took part in a 10-day river trip where the students created an audio documentary about the relations of people to their traditional territory. Through the interviews that were conducted as a part of this documentary, youth were able to have conversations with elders and other members of the Kistachowan (Albany) River community. This allowed for youth to gain connections with elders in the community, where the youth were provided with cultural knowledge and traditions as well as a means of creating new intergenerational relationships with the community. Additionally, through this trip, the importance of the land and relationships with the land along with the stories and teachings were presented to the youth. This allowed youth to reconnect with the land and traditional ways of knowing, which in turn can allow for this knowledge to be passed on for generations to come.
As a future educator, it is essential that I begin to formulate my pedagogical approaches. Thus, from reading this article and seeing the importance of place-based learning, place-based learning is something that I am going to try to incorporate into my subject areas and teaching. While keeping in mind the aspects of reinhabitation and decolonization that were present in the article, there are many ways in which I can adapt and consider place in my own teaching. One way that I foresee is through allowing students to better understand a wide variety of cultures and traditions through going on field trips or bringing in speakers (like an elder) where students will be presented with the traditions, stories, and perspectives of different cultures. Additionally, as a future Physical Education teacher, I could present my students with a variety of traditional games from different cultures. I could provide the history of these games and the culture they coincide with and after, allow the students to play these games so that they can have a better understanding of different cultures. Overall, place-based education is an approach that I see as very important and can have a lot of cross-curricular potentials where it can be used as a means of making a more inclusive environment in my future classrooms.
“CURRICULUM AS PUBLIC POLICY”
BLOG RESPONSE #6
Part 1) According to the Levin article, how are school curricula developed and implemented? What new information/perspectives does this reading provide about the development and implementation of school curriculum? Is there anything that surprises you or maybe that concerns you?
Part 2) After reading pages 1-4 of the Treaty Education document, what connections can you make between the article and the implementation of Treaty Education in Saskatchewan? What tensions might you imagine were part of the development of the Treaty Education curriculum?
Response to Levin’s article:
According to the Levin article, school curricula shows to be developed and implemented primarily by public policies. These public policies, as highlighted by Levin “govern just about every aspect of education- what schooling is provided, how, to whom, in what form, with what resources, and so on” (Levin, 8, 2007). Thus, schools and educators may or may not have a say in what is included and what is not included in the curriculum depending on the overall government systems and the policies in place. Levin goes on to highlight to readers the process of how curriculum policy decisions are made, which is solely dependent on the government system as highlighted earlier. The process of developing curriculum typically “involves bringing together groups of experts and sector representatives to draft the elements of a new or revised curriculum” where teachers and post-secondary experts help as well (Levin, 17, 2009). In addition, Levin explains that interest groups may be involved in developing curriculum (Levin, 16, 2007).
Through reading Levin’s article, there was a lot of new information and perspectives presented to me regarding the development and implementation of the school curriculum. One major piece of information that was new to me was how school curricula are developed. Previously, I knew that curriculum is developed and implemented by public policies in place by the government, but did not realize that it involves bringing together groups of experts and sector representatives as well as interest groups. This article also made me realize the difficult job that the government has to please everyone in terms of curriculum, which is ultimately is not possible seeing “the presence of diverse and conflicting goals” making the government be pulled to different sides at the same time (Levin 10, 2007). Additionally, this article presented me with a whole new perspective regarding the government. As a person who has attended school majority of my life, I have certainly developed some critiques regarding the curriculum and have also questioned some of the actions that the government has made in general society, but have never truly taken the government’s perspective into consideration seeing that it is something that is not commonly discussed which Levin presents in this article.
From Levin’s article, one overarching thing that concerned me was the fact that people who are not directly associated with school systems have a major impact on what the curriculum entails. This article highlights how groups of experts, sector representatives as well as interest groups have a major role in the development and implementation of curriculum where those who are directly in contact with curriculum such as principles, teachers, and students, who have a much richer and deeper understanding of curriculum rarely if not ever get a voice in how curriculum decisions are made.
Response to Treaty Education document:
After reading pages 1-4 of the Treaty Education document, there are some connections that I made between Levin’s article and the implementation of Treaty Education in Saskatchewan. Within the Treaty Education document, it states that “the Ministry of Education respects the federal government’s legal, constitutional, and fiscal obligations to First Nations peoples and its primary responsibility for Métis people” (Government of Saskatchewan, 3, 2013). This relates to Levin’s article in the sense that the government ultimately is in control of developing and implementing the curriculum. Additionally, the Treaty Education document states that “A Curriculum Sub-committee of the Shared Standards and Capacity Building Council guided the development of the K-12 Continuum for Treaty Education. This was a comprehensive consultative process with the following partners: Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, First Nations University of Canada, Office of the Treaty Commissioner, Curriculum Sub-committee for the Shared Standards and Capacity Building Council, and the Ministry of Education” (Government of Saskatchewan, 3, 2013). This relates to Levin’s article seeing that curriculum throughout Levin’s article is said to be developed and implemented by groups of experts, sector representatives as well as interest groups which is also seen in the Treaty Education curriculum through the sub-committee that was created to develop the K-12 Treaty Education curriculum.
Some tensions that I could see arising as the Treaty Education curriculum was developed are disagreements in regards to what perspectives and topics should be included in the curriculum and what aspects should not be included. Seeing that the development and implementation of curricula do not always take those peoples voices into consideration who are directly connected to school systems, tensions could also arise in regards to educators not feeling fully educated on the topic of Treaty Education and therefore may feel uncomfortable teaching it in their classroom, and in turn may see it as an optional aspect of curriculum to be taught or may just skip teaching it altogether.
“TREATY EDUCATION”
BLOG RESPONSE #7
“As part of my classes for my three week block I have picked up a Social Studies 30 course. This past week we have been discussing the concept of standard of living and looking at the different standards across Canada . I tried to introduce this concept from the perspective of the First Nations people of Canada and my class was very confused about the topic and in many cases made some racist remarks. I have tried to reintroduce the concept but they continue to treat it as a joke. The teachers at this school are very lax on the topic of Treaty Education as well as First Nations ways of knowing. I have asked my Coop for advice on Treaty Education and she told me that she does not see the purpose of teaching it at this school because there are no First Nations students. I was wondering if you would have any ideas of how to approach this topic with my class or if you would have any resources to recommend.”
Considerations:
- What is the purpose of teaching Treaty Ed (specifically) or First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Content and Perspectives (generally) where there are few or no First Nations, Metis, Inuit peoples?
- What does it mean for your understanding of curriculum that “We are all treaty people”?
Canada is a country full of diversity, where a variety of different cultures and races can be identified. As Canadians, the dark history of our country in terms of the horrible treatment of Indigenous people through events like Residential Schools and The 60’s Scoop is well known about in these times of reconciliation. In efforts to move forward, there are many vehicles in place to begin the long-term, generational journey toward reconciliation, one being Treaty Education.
With this being said, Treaty Education is something that not everyone sees eye to eye about. This type of education is a concept that some teachers are not interested in teaching, do not feel compelled to teach, or do not feel educated enough to teach and is something that students today are not well educated on or do not take seriously which is clearly seen in the email that Mike received from an intern. Seeing that Canada is a diverse country, classrooms in Canada are also diverse in nature. Through having the possibility of teaching a classroom with only non-Aboriginal children, this does not mean that the teacher does not have to teach Treaty Education. Treaty Education is intended to be taught to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians and does not solely rely on being taught if there is a large Indigenous population or not.
Treaty Education is an important vehicle for educators to use towards reconciliation creating relationships, and a more inclusive classroom and school environment. Claire Kreuger states that because of the small Indigenous student body in today’s schools, there is a need for more effort to be put into the cultural programming, teaching histories, and building relationships. Seeing that Treaty Education is apart of the Saskatchewan curriculum Claire Kreuger highlights that she additionally views it as Settler Education, meaning that it is everyone’s duty to understand and know about Canada’s history. The saying “we are all treaty people” is one major reason for the purpose of teaching Treaty Education to all cultures in Canada. As white settlers and non-Aboriginal people, Treaty Education highlights the importance of acknowledging the ceremonies within treaty that made it possible for us to be here and to recognize the possibility of creating relationships with one another through the land that was shared with us. In addition, this type of education allows students to ponder bigger questions and spark conversations, as seen in the conversation between Mike and Claire, including “Who am I?” “How did I get here?” and “How do I call this home?” Not only does Treaty Education educate students, it also educates parents through the knowledge that their children are acquiring at school and bringing light to at home. This is very important seeing that the students are absorbing the information provided at school, where they are passing it on to educate others who may not be as informed as they are. Ultimately, the purpose of Treaty Education is to be taught to all cultures in Canada, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal to expose students to Indigenous ways of knowing, to acknowledge the land that was shared between us, to create relationships, to move towards reconciliation, and to create an inclusive environment where Indigenous people are treated fairly and do not face barriers to their successes based on the colour of their skin.
“CURRICULUM AS CITIZENSHIP”
BLOG RESPONSE #8
What examples of citizenship education do you remember from your K-12 schooling? What types of citizenship (e.g. which of the three types mentioned in the article) were the focus? Explore what this approach to the curriculum made (im)possible in regards to citizenship.
Looking back at my schooling experience, I can come to the conclusion that the majority of the students within my school were Personally Responsible Citizens and Participatory Citizens.
In regard to Personally Responsible Citizens, students within my school were able to be successful in fulfilling multiple responsibilities such as completing homework on time, doing well on exams, actively participating in discussions, and having regular attendance. Within my schooling experience, it is evident that the students who practice being personally responsible are students who conform to Kumashiro’s idea of a “good student.” I also remember that both my elementary and high schools were fairly involved in the community. There would always be opportunities to give back to the community and volunteer. Some of these events included having “competitions” to see which class or gender could bring the most non-perishable food items for the Food Bank or which class could raise the most money for different charities. In high school, we would always host fun events that raised money for different fundraisers like The Terry Fox Walk, Telemiracle, Local Food Banks, and sponsoring two students in Africa to further their education. I feel that I was a Personally Responsible Citizen as well as a Participatory Citizen within my school. I was the SRC Representative in grade 12 year and served on the SRC all throughout my 7 years of high school. When I ran the SRC I played a major role in the planning and organizing of all events that took place in my school. Along with running these events I also participated in them as much as I possibly could. I really loved being involved and tried to make the overall atmosphere for students more enjoyable.
As of now, the focus in schools is creating personally-responsible students. This limits students, and focuses more on creating students who are interested in ‘doing the right thing’ by participating in the movement of change, instead of creating students who want to take charge themselves to make change. In my high school this was the reality, it was always the same group of individuals who were a part of the SRC, the yearbook committee, who dressed up for spirit days and even played on sports teams. Without a wide diversity of involvement in school or society it leaves a small portion of people to be accountable. As future educators, I believe we should be looking at shifting the focus, and work towards developing more well-rounded citizens out of our students.
“CURRICULUM AS LITERACY”
BLOG RESPONSE #9
- How has your upbringing/schooling shaped how you “read the world?” What biases and lenses do you bring to the classroom? How might we unlearn / work against these biases?
- Which “single stories” (see Chimamanda Adichie’s talk, viewed in lecture) were present in your own schooling? Whose truth mattered?
All around us, there are stereotypes and biases which have the ability to alter our perspectives of the world. As a white, middle-class woman, both my upbringing and schooling have had a major impact on how I read and understand the world around me. I grew up in a small town with very little diversity. My school teachers were all white females in elementary school (K-5), when I moved to the high school there were only three male teachers in the school and one was our principle. As someone who is white, middle-class female, most of the people who I was around in my childhood and those who provided me with my education throughout the elementary and high school also aligned with the majority as they were mostly white, middle class, as well as heterosexual. In seeing this, I was evidently instilled with many biases and lenses that have now become apart of how I view the world. As a future educator and current student, the way that I was brought up as well as my schooling experiences have created some biases and lenses that I bring the classroom. There are many ways in which those people who carry biases and lenses can unlearn/ work against them, but I do not believe there is a way to completely remove biases and lenses from one’s perspective. As both a current student and future educator, it is my responsibility to begin to unlearn and work against these biases and lenses so that I can bring fewer biases and lenses into the classroom. To do this, I must admit that I have biases and lenses and also bring them to light by understanding where they are coming from. Additionally, educators need to understand that the students who are entering their classrooms may have their own biases and lenses. Thus, it is important for educators to begin to formulate their pedagogy, perspectives, and lessons in ways that are respectful and inclusive to all students.
“CURRICULUM AS NUMERACY”
BLOG RESPONSE #10
1. At the beginning of the reading, Leroy Little Bear (2000) states that colonialism “tries to maintain a singular social order by means of force and law, suppressing the diversity of human worldviews. … Typically, this proposition creates oppression and discrimination” (p. 77). Think back on your experiences of the teaching and learning of mathematics — were there aspects of it that were oppressive and/or discriminating for you or other students?
2. Using Gale’s lecture and Poirier’s article, identify at least three ways in which Inuit mathematics challenge Eurocentric ideas about the purpose of mathematics and the way we learn it.
Growing up I always enjoyed math and I did really well in the subject, I liked that there was a set of steps in order to get the correct answer. Although I know this was not the case for many of my classmates. Throughout elementary school my experience with math was strictly through the “Math Makes Sense” textbooks. We learned from these standardized textbooks and typically were only taught one way to solve the questions. When I got to the high school my math teachers were a lot more willing to explain concepts differently if students didn’t understand. I only had 2 math teachers from grades 7-12, so they got to know the strengths and weaknesses of their students fairly well. I feel that there was very little discrimination towards students, if individuals needed extra help the teachers were willing to give it as long as that student was putting in the effort likewise.
Poirier’s article, Teaching Mathematics and the Inuit Community, and Dr. Gale Russel’s lecture, both highlight how Inuit people learn and teach math in ways that challenge the common Eurocentric way. One way in which this is evident is through how they teach. Unlike Eurocentric teachings, where the students are seated in desks, write down all the answers to “show their work”, and raise their hand to share or speak, Inuit teachings focus on the importance of relationships, oral teaching, and connections to everyday life. As Dr. Gale Russell highlighted, the Inuit culture encompasses the idea that math is a subject where relationships and personal experiences should be upheld. These traditional mathematic teachings that focus on everyday life includes understanding a sense of space to orient where they are, using your own body as measurements for sewing, and many other examples. Another way in which Inuit mathematics challenge Eurocentric ideas is how the students will never be asked a question in which the teacher believes they won’t know the answer. In my experience in school, teachers would always ask a question and essentially wait until students either guessed or came up with an answer. Finally, as previously mentioned before, Inuit mathematics focuses on relating everything back to everyday life. While out in the open, students are taught about shapes and how they can use an Inukshuk to transmit messages, shield them from the wind, and even create a hiding place when hunting. They also relate measuring tools, such as calendars, to the changing environment around them. I believe that incorporating these ways of teaching and learning math would be very beneficial to all students as it gives them a different perspective in learning as well as gives them a better chance to relating what they learned to their everyday life.