In his work “The Problem of Common Sense, Kumashiro defines this term as knowledge in a group of people that feel comfortable to them. When we act on these commonplace ideas, we don’t stop to consider why we act in this way or examine the belief critically. Commonsense beliefs are fundamental ideas that are frequently not explicitly taught but are instead modeled in society, culture, and the community. In contrast to the US or Canada, where incorporating other methods of teaching and learning has become “common sense,” in Nepal it is “common sense” to only teach from textbooks to prepare for mid-terms and final exams.
It is important to pay attention to commonsense because we as humans use them throughout our every day to day lives. Depending on who you are and where you come from, other people’s views of “commonsense” differentiate from each other which leads me to say that everyone has their own knowledge and experience with “commonsense”. It is also essential to recognize that “commonsense” sometimes limits peoples’ views and therefore continue to use the same methods. In Kumashiro’s story, he describes how teachers in Nepal read only from textbooks and that US and Canada use many different methods for teaching.
My understanding of the curriculum is that it is shaped by the government. It includes multiple documents from the ministry of education that are mandatory and full of outcomes, indicators, and material that needs to be taught. These documents are used to help teachers create lessons and help students learn what they need to know. The pedagogy involves learning in a variety of different methods such as note-taking, textbook readings, flashcards, assignments, group discussions, essays, and more. These are some great ways for students to learn.