Week 1: Commonsense

September 8th, 2020

Readings/viewings:

• The problem of common sense (From Kumashiro. (2009). Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice, pp. XXIX – XLI). 
• How does Kumashiro define ‘commonsense?’ Why is it so important to pay attention to the ‘commonsense’? What commonsense understandings of curriculum and pedagogy do you bring with you into this course?

Kumashiro defines “commonsense” as what a group takes for granted as common knowledge in a place setting, which is instilled to us as the knowledge that everyone around us should know. An example of commonsense is if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is obviously a duck, but we start off assuming we know the anatomy of a duck. He refers to commonsense as a cultural assumed knowledge but the problem with commonsense is it only common in the setting in which it is learned. An example he used is that in his culture it was common to eat 3 times or day, but in a different location that was not a common routine. Kumashiro refers to how one can find comfort in commonsense, yet those preconceived ideas that make it difficult to navigate education and interactions with others. Kumashiro also talks about “commonsense” in the setting of teaching, going through the education system and we have been instilled with a concept of how teaching should look and sound in our culture. Although education may commonly be dispensed in a classroom setting where the teacher stands before the student and recites information, not all cultures have the same teaching techniques. The problem with taking the concept of commonsense in the classroom and our everyday lives is that stalemate our ability to improve ourselves and the lives around us because we already assume that the knowledge is shared amongst everyone and that everyone applies that knowledge and routine as we do. An example in our times of COVID is we assume that everyone practices good hygiene. It is common sense that you wash your hands after using the bathroom, making it common sense that the parent teaches there child good hygiene practices but as a teacher, we need to understand that just because it is commonsense to us as adults it may not be commonsense to early years elementary.

My commonsense of curriculum and teaching pedagogy is that as a teacher the curriculum is predetermined by the ministry of education, used to teaches 1000’s of diverse children with the same broad brush. That commonsense shows us that we teach how we were taught and that our pedagogy is common to our experience. As a teacher, it will be my job to apply the curriculum into the classroom setting so that I can adhere to the guidelines and outcomes but with proper education, my teaching pedagogy can help me better understand the curriculum and how to apply it an individual level. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for the students to learn in.

I will need to be aware of how I apply” commonsense” into the teaching world and make sure to “look beyond” the lesson.