CJ3 – The Reproduction of “Wilderness”

In class, we have been discussing and deconstructing the idea of wilderness. Growing up I would have described wilderness as a place with no humans, where wild animals live, and outside of the city. This class has now opened my eyes to why that view of empty of land (wilderness) is problematic. 

CJ3 – Outdoor Education

For my creative visual I wanted to illustrate the conflicting views I was taught in school regarding outdoor education. My visual piece is a set of glasses looking at a chalkboard with the heading “OUTDOOR EDUCATION”. In one lens you see a very commonsense photo of what wilderness is and the other lens is a city skyline. I wanted to represent how schools teach us to put the economy before anything else and how nature/wilderness is treated as only an escape or place of recreation. This way of teaching is problematic because it reproduces the binaries: civil vs. wild and culture vs. nature. 

In an assigned reading “Canoe Pedagogy and Colonial History: Exploring Contested Spaces of Outdoor Environmental Education” by Liz Newberry, Newberry further explains why outdoor education plays a role in reproducing and enforcing colonialism. In one line she explains that “[i]n dominant and colonial images of wilderness, Aboriginal presence is either erased or Aboriginal people are themselves recast as nature.” Thinking of my own outdoor education experiences growing up I do not remember learning about any First Nation, Metis, or Inuit people. This is a problem because it made me believe that there are empty lands and lands that have no other context than what I was seeing. Going through the education program and going to treaty education camps I have fortunately gotten to unlearn many colonial views. I look forward to continuing and sharing my education. 

Dear Sydney

Dear Sydney,

I am writing this letter to thank you. Thank you for answering any question I have ever had about nutrition and it’s connection to the environment. Thank you for inspiring me to take the leap to consuming less meat. Thank you for sharing articles and documentaries about climate change with me. Thank you for continuing to educate yourself and committing yourself to being conscientious of your impact on the environment. Thank you for keeping a positive attitude towards disrupting climate change and focusing on positive change instead of dwelling on the negative. Thank you for never being condescending or holding yourself higher than others including the earth and its animals.

Since I have become interested in being a more eco-friendly person you have been the one I have turned to for questions about consumption in general and more specificallynutrition and cosmetic products. I am also grateful for how you will listen to me for hours on end talking about whatever new environmental challenge I have decided to take on, and how, if I fail you never show judgements and instead just offer encouraging words to help me try again. You are also always interested in what I learn in school about education, especially Treaty Education, and how that is connected to your studies as a Nutrition student.

You, Sydney, are an eco-literate person that I look up to for so many things and I am so grateful to have you on my journey to becoming more eco-literate.

Yours truly,

Alex

Western Mathematics

I am lucky enough to be taking an EMTH class with Gale Russel this semester and I have been learning and thinking a lot about Mathematics, and my role in Math. I do not believe that I experienced oppression in Math; however, looking back at the Math I was taught, it was very exclusive to Western worldviews. The way I was taught was that there was one way to do and interpret everything, and I was taught Math through lecture rather than experience. This does not make room for any other worldview or make room for students that do not succeed when taught by lecture.

There is a contrast between Inuit Mathematics and the Western Mathematics I was taught. 3 differences or ways the Eurocentric ideas are challenged by Inuit Mathematics are:

1. Inuit Mathematics uses a base 20 numeral system where general Western Mathematics is typically done in base 10
2. All cultures use some type of measurements for clothing and shelter. Measuring is done using different body parts in Inuit cultures rather than using measuring tools such as rulers like in Western Mathematics. 
3. The Inuit people also do not focus on one set way, unlike the eurocentric mathematics. For example, their calendar changes every year based on their environment. 

Altogether I do not think one way of viewing Mathematics is superior to the next. However, the Indigenous worldview makes room for all types of Mathematics which I believe is important for an anti-oppressive Math classroom.

Treaty Education // We Are All Treaty People

Pretext: For our blog this week we were asked to think about a response to a teacher that is having difficulty implementing Treaty Education in their classroom because of resistance from their students and their colleagues lack appreciation for Treaty Education

Firstly I would remind this intern that they are doing everything right by persisting with Treaty Education especially in a school where it is a seemingly inferior topic. I would also tell them that Treaty Education is relatively new to the education system and people’s resistance is unfortunately expected. Since their colleague does not see the importance in teaching Treaty Education and will likely not be easily convinced of its value, I would suggest that they remind that colleague that it is mandatory as it is a part of the Saskatchewan curriculum; as Claire said in class “back everything you do with the curriculum.” In addition, I tell this teacher to use the resources out there to try to educate their colleagues on why Treaty Education is needed in schools and what it means to be a treaty person.

In regards to their students, this teacher’s lesson is probably one of the first and few times they have been asked to think about First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples’ worldviews. The purpose of Treaty Education in to teach people about the history of the land we get to live on. It is to inform people that because of European settlement some people have been privileged to have great success and other people to be forcefully marginalized or assimilated into a new culture. Treaty Education is about informing people that peaceful promises were made between nations so that everyone could share this land and cultures could thrive together. So it is important that this teacher’s students learn these things and maybe a lesson on privilege to introduce the topic would be beneficial. Unfortunately, it can be very hard to get through to people when they have grown up hearing and learning from others who share racist or ignorant views of the Indigenous people in Canada. Hopefully, these students will eventually come to the realization that they are treaty people. They are on this land because of promises of many things such education, agricultural assistance, money, and much more; many of these promises were not kept.

I hope that my response and these points would help the teacher to persist in her mission of teaching treaty education. I know that I will likely see the same resistance in my career but I understand the purpose of treaty education and I know that I want it to be a part of my classroom regardless of others view of treaty education.

The “Good” Student

Earlier this semester I wrote a blog post about Kevin Kumashiro’s definition of common sense. Common sense is the assumptions we make without question or analysis; it is the lenses we look through without realizing we are looking through any lenses at all. These sensical assumptions include many things such as what curriculum should look like, which assessment methods are best, AND what this blog will talk about: the good student. Common sense tells us that a good student does not question the teacher, can learn easily, is obedient and submissive, and needs no modifications. Generally, this definition favors white students that have no exceptionalities. When I type “good student” into Google, the image results are very telling about what this definition means. 

Search results when “good student” is typed into Google

If you enlarge that image you will see that the majority of people in those photos are white, at a desk, and are with books or demonstrate obedience and compliance. This definition excludes any students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia or ADHD, any students who are not white, and any students who excel in other areas that are not reading, writing, or arithmetic. This is probably why so many artists have shared their stories about how negative school was for them; their intelligence and talents did not fit into this definition and therefore they were set up to fail. Learning about these assumptions we make has helped me to become much more critical, and now when I hear the term good student I try to imagine all kinds of students from all backgrounds and remember that it will be my job to help them succeed.

Autonomous Vs. Ideological in Curriculum

In ECS 210 we have been examining curriculums and curriculum theories in many forms, from many theorists. This week we were asked to look at curriculums in the subject area we will likely teach. Since my major is Mathematics, I chose to look specifically at Mathematics 9 from the Saskatchewan curriculum.

Screenshot from Math 9 curriculum

In this curriculum, almost all of the outcomes have an indicator about relating back to self and community. In this sense idealogical literacy is present in the curriculum, because students are asked to make connections between the Math and themselves. Additionally, under the Aims and Goals section of the grade 9 Math curriculum, Math as a Human Endeavour is listed as one of the goals. This goal very much so follows along with an ideological frame because it encourages students to use mathematics as a way of challenging and analyzing their experiences beyond the classroom and beyond basic fundamentals. However, the majority of math curriculums still follow an autonomous frame. Knowledge acquired through mathematics can be described as arbitrary rules and facts that students are expected to memorize rather than discover on their own. One thing I would like to point out however, is that although the Math curriculum can be viewed this way, a teacher can still adjust their classroom and the way they teach so that it is more idealogical than autonomous. For instance, in my EMTH 300 class we have been learning about teaching mathematics through problem solving and inquiry. When math is taught with this method students develop formulas and proofs on their own and also develop a deeper understanding.

This is why I believe that teaching techniques and methods go hand in hand with curriculum. A teacher can choose to interpret a curriculum as autonomous or idealogical depending how they want to deliver that curriculum to their students. Just because the literacy of the curriculum might seem to favour a certain frame does not mean that it can only be interpreted one way. As I am learning more about curriculum I have developed a deeper understanding of how I can interpret it to match my own philosophy. 

Is Curriculum a Public Policy?

My understanding of curriculum after this week’s readings is that curriculum is a document which specifies what students are to know and be able to do. There are general objectives in curriculum and then there are more specific outcomes for different grade levels and subjects. Although teachers, principals, and experts on subject areas are involved in the curricula process it is still more often than not a political matter in which government has complete control.

Although I knew that education was controlled by the government I had never really thought about the impact that could have on curricula. No one is completely impartial to what they would want to be taught in school, and unfortunately people are always going to have their own biases; like Kevin Kumashiro always says (who my professor Michael Cappello often quotes): “What does it make possible and what does it make impossible?” If someone’s decisions are very rooted in Religion what could the curriculum look like? What things may be given special attention and what items might be omitted? I think this is important to remember when analyzing curricula as well as when voting and taking part in democracy. The government has the power to make every final decision on curricula even if experts on education have put in hours of research and their expertise into creating it. It is concerning to me that we entrust the government with such power because of possible biases, but also because they do not always know the demographics and diversity of students in each school across the region they govern. 

I believe if the public is aware of the power the government has in terms of education, more people will be encouraged take part in the conversation about schools and more specifically this topic: curriculum. If more people voice their opinions and concerns, more groups of people will be represented, and hopefully the government will see the need to be much more mindful when making decisions on education.

In a Better World // Digital Storytelling

Storytelling is something that has existed for generations. The stories of the Greek Gods and Goddesses are still taught in school today, along with many Indigenous peoples’ stories. Today many people use the internet to share their story through blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and other social medias. When we first talked about digital storytelling in my online class, I kept thinking of Humans of New York, which is another way of sharing your story through the internet. Along with giving someone a voice, digital storytelling can also go hand in hand with learning; whether it’s demonstrating your learning through a story, or creating your own story for an English class.

As an introduction to digital storytelling, I had to create my own story using Five Card Flickr. I was given five random pictures that I then had to create a story about. Here it is:

---

Five Card Story: In a Better World

a Five Card Flickr story created by Alex Taylor

flickr photo by Intrepidteacher

flickr photo by Serenae

flickr photo by bionicteaching

flickr photo by bionicteaching

flickr photo by bionicteaching

Every Sunday I take my normal seat in the fourth pew just off to the left in front of the choir, and I pray. This is my safe haven, where I go to reflect and also to escape. As the choir sings its final hymn I put my coat on leave. As I leave the church, there is some sort of protest happening. More people unhappy with the government I suppose. I walk past them with no desire to learn more about their cause and head to what has been my home for about two weeks now. The last ally I was taking residence in was raided and trashed by the police, so I had to relocate. I try to fall asleep to avoid the growing ache for food in my stomach. I dream about water, and how long it’s been since I have been able to take a hot bath. I suddenly wake up to yelling. It’s another raid. The city police doing their diligent duty of cleaning up the streets I suppose. I grab the few possessions I have managed to keep and walk back to the church. The lock on the door tells me they have already closed it for the day. With nothing else to distract me, I decide to grab a donut and coffee with the little money I have. As I sip on my coffee I can’t help but to think of a better world.

---

Actually, Scratch That.

My first time coding was a frustrating but rewarding experience. Before writing this blog post, I read the article “What is coding and why should I care?”. The article talks about how parents often think their kids or even themselves know everything there is to know about technology. Even I was guilty of thinking that I could use my computer to its full potential. My confidence was soon shut down the moment I made my own account on the coding website, Scratch.

The frustration soon set in when I couldn’t even remove the default Sprite (computer graphic that can be manipulated) the website provides.

My archnemesis a.k.a the default sprite

I would like to tell you that I was able to, through trial and error, become an expert coder; unfortunately, that is not what happened. I did, however, create a semi-mediocre pong game. I created this game with help from a step-by-step tutorial the website had. The tutorial was definitely helpful with getting me started, but I modified some if the steps they along the way so that it was, in my opinion, easier to play. Instead of starting the game by clicking the green flag, I decided to start the game with the spacebar because that way you could have your mouse in the right position to control the paddle. I also modified the paddle. Originally it would move anywhere your mouse went, but I decided to lock it to a y-coordinate so that the paddle would only move horizontally. Additionally, I went with a basketball theme simply because that is my favourite sport to play.

 

This experience has really opened my eyes to the importance of teaching coding in school. I wish that I had been taught these skills in school instead of having to learn them now on my own. The use of technology is only becoming more prominent in everyday life which means more and more people will need to know how to program it. Ideally, this will be something everyone can eventually do instead of just experts. What would life be like if we didn’t have people that know how to code and make our phones, tablets, and computers do everything we need them to?

 

 

 

Educating and Empowering: The SK Curriculum and the Digital Citizenship Continuum

Before I get into the thick stuff of this blog post here is a quick introduction into Digital Citizenship.

The digital citizenship continuum has outcomes to help guide and support teachers when they are adding skills and concepts about different parts of the digital world. It is important that teachers understand that digital citizenship is about much more than social media which is why I added that short video. Today I am going to talk about ideas of how to incorporate the continuum into the Sask. Curriculum. More specifically, ideas for high school curriculums since I am studying secondary education at the University of Regina. It is important to educate student’s about digital citizenship because the Internet and social media is becoming more prominent in today’s society.

Although digital citizenship should be worked into the elementary curriculum, the variety of high school courses student’s have the option to take, offers many opportunities to work the continuum into the different curriculums. English Language Arts A10 focuses solely on identity, social responsibility, and social action. Students are to read/listen to/view and then respond to different First Nations and Métis resources. This falls under the digital literacy section of the continuum that states that students grade 10-12 should understand that there are tools online they can use when doing research and should know when these resources are valid and appropriate to use. Students in ELA A10 could find resources (articles, blogs, videos) online to respond to.

Something to think about when deciding what to share on a portfolio, and to share on social media in general

In grade 9 Health Education, outcome USC9.4 talks about romantic relationships and part of the outcome indicates that students compare how romantic relationships started in the past and how they start now. Today many relationships begin through different online websites and apps such as Tinder, Lifemates, eHarmony, etc. The digital communication section of the continuum specifies that grade nine students are to properly and appropriately use social media and understand how digital communication impacts relationships. Students in Health Education can reflect on the different forms of social media and how they have played positive and negative roles in today’s society of dating. They can also create an online portfolio in the form of a blog or on a Google.doc of themselves and learn what information is appropriate to share in their portfolio, and what is oversharing or irrelevant.

Another subject that’s curriculum directly connects to the continuum is Social Studies 9. Outcome RW9.3 specifies that grade nine students compare the influence of tools and technology from one society to another, as well as understand that present technology is influenced from past technology. Digital access in the continuum states that grade nines understand that technology will play an important role in their future and that they must be able to analyze another society’s opportunity to participate an electronic society. A lesson can be taught about past technologies and student’s can create a timeline of a certain technology that has evolved over time (ie. computer) and state the effect it has on the presence and will have in the future. Student’s can also compare technologies in different countries or societies, and research how access to technology has improved society’s.

What do you think is the best way to incorporate the continuum into the curriculum is?