ECS 210 Summary of Learning

The end of the semester has quickly approached, and with that comes final projects and reflections upon learning. I have comprised a video presentation describing my learning journey in this class and the key concepts I will take away. Below, you will find a transcript of what I say in the video and a link to the video.

Thanks for a great semester ECS 210!

When I started my learning journey in this class, I was under the impression that curriculum was simply a set of documents with rigid outlines to follow to meet the set outcomes and indicators. How hard could it be to understand? 

I was so off!
What I didn’t understand is that there are many different ways of interpreting curriculum documents and teaching incorporates much more than just the written curriculum. So, the questions I am going to explore today are: What is Curriculum and What is my role as a teacher in shaping and transmitting curriculum?

Curriculum is much more than just a document, it is everything that happens involving school! It includes:

• formal curriculum: planned programs and objectives outlining content, recommended resources, expectations set by the government in written form
• hidden curriculum: what we learn in schools without being taught, things we observe such as routines and social expectations of gender, language, and morals
• null curriculum: the subjects that are not spoken about and are seen as taboo, subjects that have been purposefully avoided and we learn from observation that we shouldn’t talk about
• curriculum as place: what we learn from experiences, outside of a formal educational setting, in our communities or specific places, it is unique and personal
• curriculum as lived: the lived experiences we have each day in the classroom, each student is unique and will interpret things differently and bring fresh insights
• curriculum as experienced: the hands-on learning opportunities we provide 

And more! As I said earlier, curriculum is everything that happens involving school and learning! This is something I learned on the first day of this class, and my learning journey only grew from there. 

I learned that there are four basic approaches to curriculum (curriculum as syllabus to be transmitted, curriculum as product, curriculum as process, and curriculum as praxis) and that each model has pros and cons, there is no ‘right’ approach, but when combined, they can be great.

I knew that teaching shapes the minds of our future and that it can be highly political, but what I learned is that no matter what we do, curriculum is never neutral! It always reflects the dominant understanding of what is important to learn and benefits particular groups.

When curriculum is not closely examined, it can be exclusionary and discriminatory. Even when it is closely examined, it can be this way. It is so important as a teacher to include multiple diverseperspectives, to use inclusive language and practices, and to support critical thinking. This is one area I will always have to work at when it comes to my teaching. Growing up with a common sense mindset and privilege that benefitted me as a white female is something I have to continuously work at to understand and recognize. It is so important to include narratives that may seem uncomfortable (including race, privilege, ableism, and sexism), and to engage students in critical thought, helping them to break out of common-sense thinking.

Bias is another thing that as a teacher I need to be able to recognize in my classroom, in my teachings, and in the curriculum. As Tim Wise said, “It’s important that your marginalized kids see themselves as more than different and it’s important that your privileged kids see themselves as more than oppressors.” It is also important that we see our students as more than that. More than their labels. Even when we do not think we are being biased, we are at some dis-conscious level. Studies have proven that teachers place extra weight on minority students because of this implicit bias. We have the power to take a preschooler with so much potential and to put so much pressure on them that it is harder for them to succeed. We also have the power to uplift our students, providing them with the tools and supports they need to succeed. We can do this if we recognize our bias and consciously work to examine our motives and actions.

Acknowledging the uncomfortable learnings that I am biased and racist can help me to be a better teacher. It has helped me to recognize the exclusionary aspects of formal curriculum, it has also helped me to recognize that if I want to set my students up for success, I need to actively work to create a diverse and inclusive environment in my classroom. This means that I need to have differentiated assignments and provide adaptations/modifications for students with different needs—acknowledging that each individual student will have different strengths and abilities and adapting for that. As well, it means that I need to acknowledge injustices in my classroom and community, providing opportunities for critical thinking and social activism (maybe writing letters to members of parliament about important issues, having students write about how they as an individual can make a difference, and providing opportunities to go out into the community and make a difference). I need to be conscious of bias and to recognize that I may have bias I have failed to acknowledge or identify. 

As teachers, we are curators of our students’ experience with diversity, we have power in choosing what we teach, read, allow, and the example that we set for our students. So, it is important that I choose my resources well (making sure they are diverse and inclusive), that I acknowledge power hierarchies and injustices, that I provide opportunities for critical thinking, that I create a diverse and inclusive environment in my classroom, and that I set my students up with the confidence, supports, and knowledge necessary for them to be inclusive and compassionate citizens, for them to make a positive difference in the world.

Curriculum is so much more than just a set of documents! My main role in regards to curriculum is to manipulate it in a way that is inclusive and provides diverse perspectives. A lot of the formal curriculum documents for my area of teaching, which is Social Studies, ae outdated and exclusionary. My role is to curate experiences and learning opportunities for my students that help them to grow in to self-aware, critical thinkers, and compassionate people. Curriculum is literally used to shape our future, and every choice we make in our classroom is a part of curriculum, so I know that I better choose well.