ECS 203
How does Kumashiro define ‘common sense?’ Why is it important to pay attention to ‘common sense’? What common sense understandings of curriculum and pedagogy do you bring into this course?
Kumashiro brings to light how common sense where you grew up will be entirely different compared to other places in the world. Like she talked about how in Nepali, there are only two meals, one at ten-ish for breakfast and then supper at 5:00-6:00. In North America, our common sense is that we make sure we have three different meals; that is just one example that Kumashiro tells us of how common sense can be completely different where ever you live. But Kumashiro later says, “Common sense does not often tell us that the status quo is quite oppressive. It does not often tell us that schools are already contributing to oppression. And it rarely tells us that schools need to place a priority on challenging oppression. Instead, common sense often makes it easy to continue teaching and learning in ways that allow the oppressions already in play to remain unchallenged in our schools and society.” (pg.8) Kumashiro highlights how common sense is used to hide oppression and many other problems within a school/teaching environment. It is essential to pay attention to common sense to break these oppressive values engraved in our society and everyday lives.
Honestly, of course, I know what the curriculum is and how it is structured, but I have yet to look deeply into it, and that goes for pedagogy. I know of these things and how to use them, but I have never studied them and looked at them on a deeper level than at face value. That’s why I am excited for this class to understand what curriculum and pedagogy are and how big of a part common sense ties into these things.
- The problem of common sense (From Kumashiro. (2009). Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice, pp. XXIX – XLI).