Throughout my educational journey of my BEd I think the greatest takeaway I have learned is that education is constantly shifting, changing, and adapting to our world. This fact leads to the prominent need for educators that are passionate and committed to their own pursuit of learning so as to construct a relevant and useful curriculum for their students. When I think about this reality I am reminded of one of my favourite Disney movies, Meet the Robinsons, and the quote they regularly refer to, “Keep moving forward.” The movie is mostly centred on a young boy’s endeavors as an inventor, and as such, faces multiple roadblocks in his work but, is reminded that these obstacles should never stop him from achieving what he set out to. This optimistic outlook greatly relates to our world of education and the reality that as society changes, so should our education. It would be quite upsetting and utterly unhelpful if our educational systems were still structured as they were in Ancient Athens, for example, where education was racist, sexist, and classist. The need for change and adaptations in education is clearly seen when looking back as such earlier institutions and pedagogical ideals. The positive aspects of evolving education are also seen, and as such should continue evermore.
During the course of the past two years, a huge point of discussion and learning for me was that of student assessment and the shift towards student choice. The notion of allowing students to best present their learning and personal strengths through assignments that give students choice is very positive. The recognition of standardized testing as unrepresentative of all students’ abilities and learning is commendable, and frankly, it is about time! The movement away from the memorization of facts in order to write a test versus the movement towards a deeper relationship and understanding with learned information is commendable. This renewed perspective on students establishing a deeper understanding of taught information, rather than simply being good memorizers, is much more beneficial for the students’ long term. Giving students the opportunities to have autonomy over their learning provides them the chance to get the most out of their time at school. In relation to this, having choice in their presentations of their learning, students are able to develop their strengths, feel supported, and encourages motivation in learning outcomes.
Upon this newly developed passion of mine for learning to reflect the strengths of the learner, I find myself returning to the ideals of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Within the text Educational Foundations in Canada Pestalozzi’s outlook on education is described as:
[Accepting of] Rousseau’s romantic ideal of the child in a natural state as the correct starting point to understanding and conducting education. He wanted to shape instruction to the circumstance, capacities, dispositions, and interests of the developing child (2015, p. 186).
This outlook on education as providing the student a vehicle to explore their own world in relation to their selves provides, in my opinion, the most beneficial advancement toward successful learning. The concept of holistic teaching requires the educator to view the student as a whole. By doing so, both the student’s strengths and weaknesses can be seen, addressed, and nurtured. I believe this outlook, along with Pestalozzi’s ideals, greatly incorporates the use of support as a backbone of teaching and learning. In relation to this, I have come to truly believe that there is no one superior way to teach any given subject. I hold this theory true in that not one learner is the same as another. Learning itself is unique to each individual and education should reflect this. I have found this outlook to be best demonstrated within the Elementary Year student’s time in Mathematics class. Our professor consistently supplied taught mathematical concepts with some form of activity, game, and or craft. This perfectly showcases how a very traditional subject such as Math can still be modified to relate to the physical and real world. This form of teaching also allows for multiple students to discover how information makes the most sense to them.
Having come to this understanding of learning and teaching as an evolving and growing entity of education itself, there are some components that I believe that still need further development. The largest standout of this for me is Aboriginal culture and its inclusion within the Canadian curriculum. While reviewing an article for my Education 346, Introduction to Aboriginal/Indigenous Education, I found that there still lies some discrepancies between prospective educators and their university education. The article depicts that, “while receptive to teaching in ways consistent with Aboriginal knowledge and ways of living, [the participants’] initial teacher education and ongoing professional development offered them few opportunities to develop alternative approaches to curriculum and pedagogy” (Kitchen, Cherubini, Trudeau, & Hodson p. 367). In creating teacher programs that allow for these opportunities, more progressive and culturally inclusive educational communities can develop. It is important for prospective teachers to be allowed various opportunities for growth and expanded knowledge of curricular adaptations as not one child nor school is exactly the same. This allows for the development of skills that help to successfully create a system of education that is most effective within each unique environment. Helping to establish a stronger community within education and enables positive changes to occur within curriculum and pedagogical philosophies.
The continual journey towards establishing curriculum that is inclusive to Aboriginal education is imperative to the educational systems of Canada. This also acts as a healing vehicle for the relationships of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners within their school environment and community. “In order to transform learning, the classroom has to expand outward to include the community. Parents and Elders must become active planners and decision makers in education, and education can no longer be confined within the walls of an institution.” (Castellano, Davis, & Lahache p.99). The inclusion of Aboriginal culture within education is needed to establish reconciliation within Canada and therefore eventually create a curriculum that does not need to continually fight to include Aboriginal culture but instead becomes the standard.
During this early point in my journey to becoming an educator, I am happy to reflect on what I have learned and experienced. I believe that using reflective practice provides the greatest opportunity for growth and betterment. In doing so, I hope to be able to continue adapting, modifying, and evolving as an educator and as such, help to create experiences for children that ignite a source of passion for learning within them.