Social Justice in the Classroom

I think the best way to start this post is with my favourite quote (so far) in a new book I'm reading:

"Because it is a distortion of being more fully human, sooner or later being less human leads the oppressed to struggle against those who made them so. In order for this struggle to have meaning, the oppressed must not, in seeking to regain their humanity (which is a way to create it), become in turn the oppressors of the oppressors, but rather restorers of the humanity of both."

That was taken from Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. This book was written to eradicate the "culture of silence" and "fear of freedom" that separates the oppressed and their oppressors in our world. By creating a counter-culture of critical awareness, Freire argues that a new future is possible where the oppressed step up and actively fight for freedom. As I read this book it is almost like I am reading my thoughts, thoughts I have had without knowing how to speak them. 

In this quote, Freire explores the notion of humanity as something that is inherently human, however as a result of oppression, humanity is stripped away. This stolen humanity is not only taken from the oppressed but he argues that the oppressors also lose their humanity as they oppress others because surely their oppressive ways are not constitutionally humane.

In the world of education, Malala Yousafzai is an amazing example of someone fighting for freedom and equity. You can read about her life here. Malala has fought for education to be provided to girls in Pakistan and has faced major adversity by being targeted and shot by a Taliban gunman. Thankfully she is alive and has continued to fight for what she believes in. Malala won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and is speaking out about the rights of women around the world. Here is a quote she spoke on the day she received the Nobel Peace Prize.

http://mainstreammultimedia.net/?p=22

In my experience I have seen teachers on both sides: ones who fight for freedom and equity and ones who do not. I have seen teachers create assignments around the students' individual abilities, defined as differentiated instruction by Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014), and create assignments based on real life issues (social justice). The best teachers I have had have been ones who make my learning real to me. I have become passionate about freedom and equity partly because of the teachers who have inspired me. I hope to be an inspiring teacher who aims to restore humanity of both the oppressed and the oppressors just as Paulo Freire expressed.

Someone who has discovered how to integrate the eradication of the "culture of silence" into their educational practice is Clint Smith. In his Ted Talk he expresses the importance of giving your students the opportunity to use their voices as a vehicle that moves towards freedom. You can watch his Ted Talk here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiKtZgImdlY

Smith has recognized the consequences of silence in our world and he identifies them as discrimination, violence, genocide and war. He argues that silence leaves room for more bad than good and that we must open our mouths to voice our true beliefs and find freedom.

Here in Canada our Aboriginal education is failing while our mainstream schools are kept up to provincial standards. The disparities in financial support are increasingly widening the gap between children who grow up on reserves and those who do not and it is not getting any better (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014). This is an issue I would openly discuss with my students and a real social justice issue that they should be aware of. As we bring awareness to students and make their education real to them they will become passionate learners. 

John Dewey (1938) said that "a primary responsibility of educators is that they not only be aware of the general principle of the shaping of actual experience by environing conditions, but that they also recognize in the concrete what surroundings are conducive to having experiences that lead to growth" (p. 40). I believe that creating an environment built on foundations of freedom and equity, students will find meaning in their education. As a future educator I will fight to create an environment like this in my school.

References

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. England: The Continuum Publishing Company. 

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging       
        the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Simon and Schuster.

Empowering Students to BE

Here's a question I've been thinking about lately: How much say should students have in developing curriculum and in designing assessment tools and rubrics? 

When I was in grade school I did not have any say in what I was taught or how I would be assessed. Occasionally, I had an assignment where I was given some choice on the topic, but other than that I followed the instruction of my teacher. I am not suggesting this was a bad thing, I am just realizing there is more than one way to approach instruction and assessment. I'm wondering if students should be given more freedom to make choices in their education. 

Kiran Bir Sethi has a Ted Talk where she explores the idea of kids taking charge of their education through three stages of learning: aware, enable, and empower. Her hope is that teachers would learn how to “blur the boundaries between school and life” for their students. In her method of instruction she aims to bring awareness to her students so they can feel passionate about something. Next, she enables her students to imagine what they are capable of. Finally, she empowers her students to take action and do something! Sethi’s goal is to teach children that believing the words “I can” is powerful and through her approach these students were able to bring change to both their families and their towns. Many of the students taught their parents how to read and write, believing that literacy can change a life. Here is her Ted Talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf52HWRiobg

As I listened to Sethi’s talk I could see parallels between her aware, enable, empower model and the know, do, be framework outlined in "Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment" by Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014). As students are made aware of an issue they are made more KNOWledgable. As they are enabled to bring change they learn how to DO a specific task. As they are empowered to bring change they BEcome something. I'm beginning to realize that these models and frameworks are truly the foundation of curriculum.

So how does Sethi's talk connect to the development of curriculum and assessment tools?

As a student I always saw school as something I had to do with very little explanation of why it was required or what it would do for me. I felt a lot like Charlie Brown in this illustration:

https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/category/comparing-medicine-and-education/

When school becomes an isolated part of a child's life they begin to lose sight of the purpose. School and life become disconnected and the importance of doing well in school wanes away for most students. THIS is what Sethi was targeting in her talk. Getting students excited about their education and empowering them to make a change in their world should be the goal of our education system! John Dewey touched on this as well. He said that education is not preparation for life; education is life itself (Dewey, 1893). As Dewey so confidently made this statement, I also believe he spoke it with a hint of hope for what education should be. He could only hope that our education system would be life for students as I am sure he, an educational reformist, was fully aware of the state of education in the late 1800's. 

So back to my initial question: How much say should students have in developing curriculum and in designing assessment tools and rubrics? 

I believe teachers should give students a more important role in developing their curriculum and assessing their work. It is important that students gain a sense of ownership of their learning and take responsibility of their progress. Here is a great resource for learning how to involve students in creating rubrics they will be assessed with. Sethi's talk has inspired me to approach education from a perspective of aiming to empower students to bring change in their worlds. When we empower students to BE, there is no limit!

References

Dewey, J. (1893). Self-Realization as the Moral Ideal. The Philosophical Review. Retrieved 
       from http://archive.org/details/jstor-2176020

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging
       the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Reforming Education

Throughout my entire life as a student I have occasionally been faced with a common problem in today’s classrooms: lack of value for creativity and individuality. At my earliest recognition this was seen in one of my elementary school classrooms where all students were told that their hands must be folded either in their lap or on their desk, no exceptions. If the teacher found you fiddling with your school supplies you were immediately reprimanded, no exceptions. As a young child who wanted to stay out of trouble I did so without questioning, however as a fourth year university student I have begun to challenge some of the ways I have seen classrooms managed. 

In my third year of university I had a professor who challenged every thought I ever had about education. Every goal, plan, idea, dream, or philosophy was challenged by words spoken by someone I did not even know. How could I let that happen? How could I let a stranger make me question what I already knew? But as I questioned my perspective of education I began to hear other perspectives, better perspectives. And this journey to dig deeper into more truth about something has led me to believe that none of us have the full picture of what education should look like. Not even John Dewey or Sir Ken Robinson have the solutions to all of education’s problems, but we can certainly join in the discussion as we aim to make education the best it can be.  And this is the reason why I will not chastise my teacher who made us sit with our hands folded, but I will attempt to offer a better perspective. She only knew what she knew, and it is up to me as a future educator to know what I know, and do my best. 

In this ongoing search for answers to education’s questions, we can gain insight from many expert thinkers and educators. One of my favourite thinkers is Sir Ken Robinson and he did a talk exploring the dysfunctions of the 21st century education system and why it is failing to provide all students with equal opportunities. In his talk he said that “many brilliant people think they’re not brilliant because they have been judged by this particular view of the mind.” He agues that the arts offer an aesthetic experience where your senses are operating at their peak and that instead of putting students to sleep we should be waking them up to what they have inside themselves. Take a look at his inspiring talk here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Something that constructivist teachers are already taking hold of is Differentiation in Instruction. This method of instruction lies in the belief that all students learn in different ways and at different rates (Drake, Reid & Kolohon, 2014). If I could go back in time to my grade 3 classroom, I would offer this method of instruction as a better approach to classroom management than what our teacher was enforcing. As Sir Ken Robinson suggested, maybe some children need to move around in order to learn effectively and in this traditional classroom their potential is being squandered! 

Here is an image that clearly represents how absurd some of our policies in education really are, such as standardized testing.

https://marquetteeducator.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/climbthattree/

As differentiated instruction is suggested as an alternative to traditional methods of teaching, John Dewey also argued for a solution. He said "I believe that education which does not occur through forms of life, or that are worth living for their own sake, is always a poor substitute for the genuine reality and tends to cramp and to deaden" (Dewey, 1897). I believe that as teachers we should aim to make education worth living for. This will surely bring students to life as Sir Ken Robinson stated. 

Bringing students to life can seem a daunting task as we attempt to move away from our traditional methods of teaching, but there are some amazing examples of constructivist classrooms such as Danish "Nature Kindergartens". These alternative schools aim to teach the whole child by having the classes outside and lessons such as growing their own gardens, learning where their food comes from, and cooking food over a fire. It is a holistic approach to education as children are encouraged to use their minds as well as their bodies to learn.

Reforming education is a huge task, but as we reflect on our practice and the practice of those who have gone before us we are able find new perspectives that will help us find solutions to the problems we are facing in our classrooms. Differentiated instruction is just one new method that teachers can implement in their classrooms, but there are countless others that are waiting to be discovered as we continue to reform education. 

References

Dewey, John (1897) ‘My pedagogic creed’, The School Journal, Volume LIV, Number 3 (January 16, 1897), pages 77-80. [Also available in the informal education archives, http://infed.org/mobi/john-dewey-my-pedagogical-creed/. Retrieved: September 23, 2015]

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.