Common-Sense
How does Kumashiro define ‘commonsense?’ Why is it so important to pay attention to the ‘commonsense’?
Kumashiro defines ‘common-sense’ as, “ideas that help us to make sense of and feel at ease with the things that get repeated in our everyday lives” (pg. 33) So in other words, these are daily practices everyone around us does and has done that make us think this is the way things should be. Examples are; we do not ask why schools open from September until June. We do not ask why materials students learn are divided into disciplines. Or why students are grouped by age. (pg. 33)
Kumashiro describes common-sense ideas as being masked in, “concepts in which we often feel social pressure to conform, including such concepts as tradition, professionalism, morality, and normalcy.” (pg. 33) This makes it difficult to question or even go against the status quo in fear of being wrong, but when things are difficult to go against it’s when we should get uncomfortable and start questioning the process.
It is important to pay attention to these common-sense concepts or norms because, “The norms of schooling like the norms of society privilege and benefit some groups and identities while marginalizing and subordinating others on the basis of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities, language, age and other social markers.” (pg. 34)
What type(s) of curriculum model did Kumashiro encounter in Nepal?
The main type of curriculum Kumashiro encountered was the lecture-practice exam approach (pg. 31) This approach had become so engrained in the practices of Nepal’s schools it had become apart of ‘common-sense’. (pg. 31) Expectations were put on the students to follow along with a text book for the year, to study and do homework every day leading up to passing a final exam at the end of the year. Children were physically disciplined by being hit with a stick to ensure compliant behaviour. School started in February vs beginning in September like our Canadian school system.
What type(s) of curriculum model is the “commonsense” model in our Canadian school system? What might be the benefits and drawbacks to this model?
In our Canadian school system unlike Nepal’s, we incorporate learning into four core subjects and each day at school is divided into time slots of learning about those four core subjects. We don’t follow text book learning to a T and depending on the teacher’s skill level of that subject, student centered activities are implemented for learning. Assessment does not adhere to a final examination of the student’s knowledge of a subject but is continuously assessed in different ways throughout the term of the school year. This benefits all types of students and allows opportunities and experiences for students to express their knowledge in different ways.
The disadvantages to our ‘common-sense’ model are the notions of superiority to our ways of teaching and learning. In these notions of superiority, we embed values that can be oppressive. What our society has defined as professional teaching standards actually reinforce compliance with different forms of oppression. (pg. 32)
Hi Robin,
I like how you define common sense as the things we don’t ask why they are the way they are and how it is engraved into us to think they are the correct way. It is very strange to think of all the things that occur that we don’t seem to question because it is in our commonsense. I also completely agree how common sense makes this sort of fear of going against something and how it can actually be quite dangerous in a society. Having a fear to challenge certain ways things are done can strengthen oppression and injustice within a society.
I also saw a mainly lecture-practice exam approach in the curriculum within Nepal but I thought our school systems in Canada were similar to Nepal as we also have exams at the end of year testing our knowledge and have a structured classroom. However you opened my eyes to how Canada is more different then similar to Nepal, we definitely have many different forms of teaching the curriculum that is not strictly lecture-practice based and I like how you noted that more student centered activities are occurring in Canadian school systems. Personally, from my experience in high school I felt we really focused on the textbook with all the science based courses I took but thinking back to it the teachers definitely had more free range than I thought, especially when comparing it to Kumashiro’s experience in Nepal.
I completely agree that there is a strong sense of superiority within our common-sense model. From what I understand from your interpretation it seems similar to mine as I thought our ways of teaching can disadvantage students who aren’t used to our ways of teaching. Our common-sense model definitely upholds forms of oppression as it is difficult to go against them. Thanks for sharing Robin!