Afrocentric Schools: A Review

George Dei

While searching for materials relevant to the course, I came across this article in the National Post, written by Tristin Hopper, which followed the passing of the vote to introduce afrocentric high schools in Toronto. Afrocentric schools are schools that are designed with a curriculum that recognizes and caters to African Canadians. The criticism is that public school curriculum thus far has concentrated on European history while most of the time, ignoring the cultures and histories of minority races. The proposed high school will value students backgrounds and cultures, and teach them about their histories. Though the board voted in favour of the school, many criticisms were voiced by both sides of the debate. Those that were in favour of the school, stated that it should be a temporary fix to a problem with the educational system and that if Afrocentric schools exist in the future, it will be a shame. Those opposing the schools, state issues of segregation and moving away from the multicultural nation that we promote and should embrace. The school is not segregated though, as it is not limited to African Canadian students. Other races are welcomed to attend, though curriculum will focus on African Canadian culture. In fact, Toronto's city counsellor opposed the vote, writing on Twitter, while “done with the best of intentions,” it is “very wrong for our city and society”

Roses in Concrete: A Review

In my search for course-related materials, I found this website and related videos of a class discussing the importance of education that focuses on community. The videos come from an organization in Oakland called “Roses in Concrete” in which Jeff Duncan-Andrade teaches a cohort of 26 students through their 4 years of high school. The approach is described as, “quite simple; encouraging students to take pride in their histories, cultures, and communities in order that they might share personal and collective commitments to grow healthier communities”. The organization is determined to achieve their goal of building a whole school in Oakland following the same program, that encompasses the needs of the society, which motivates their children to become successful students who will go on to college and then give back to their community in order to bring higher development to urban areas.

Reflection 5: Performed Ethnography as an Example of Critical Pedagogy

Tara Goldstein introduced a teaching approach where, using empirical data, she designed an ethnographic play script that deals with homophobic education (Goldstein, 2010). Her students are teachers who, through their reading of the play, are able to examine the attitudes that educators have toward attempts aimed at the reduction of homophobia in school systems (Goldstein, 2010).  The “performed ethnography” introduced by Goldstein is an example of critical pedagogy at work because the content helps students examine to examine the issues of domination and challenge the conditions of oppression. It promotes the freedom of oppressed groups and argues for their right to have an input. The exercise of “performed ethnography” is interactive with students, encouraging critical thinking and expression of individual knowledge and feelings.

Pinterest as an Educational Tool: a Review

Recently I have started browsing a site called Pinterest. It is self-described to be "An online pin-board to organize and share things you love". Essentially, it is an electronic bulletin board where users can "pin" photos of their favourite things, good ideas, future plans, crafts, recipes, etc.

On Pinterest, there is a whole section of the site dedicated to education. It is a category where students, teachers, parents, preschool leaders, etc. can share their classroom activities and ideas. Others can comment on the pictures to share whether they have tried the idea and it was effective, or ways to adjust the idea to work better. Each picture links to the site that the idea came from, or directly to step-by-step instructions on how to carry out the activity. There are pins on how to create no-mess finger-paint stations, recipes on healthy snacks that follow the weekly theme, activities that provide hands-on learning of the concepts of multiplication, spelling, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Reflection 4: Our Critical Pedagogy Approach to High School

Critical pedagogy is an approach to education that challenges the current banking method and encourages students to question what they are being taught, and be active participants in the learning exchange between teacher and student. It encourages the recognition of how knowledge and power are intertwined in education, and emphasizes recognition of the student voice. After reviewing Paulo Freire’s theories on education and criticism of the banking method, as a class we participated in an activity where we designed our ideal high school using a critical pedagogy approach.

A Vision of Students Today: A Review

The original video, "A Vision of Students Today" was created by a cultural anthropology class at Kansas State University. I absolutely loved this video. It encompasses the lives of students today and how inadequate the system is in meeting their needs and I personally viewed a lot of my own feelings and characteristics in these students. Main points the students recognized in their educational careers were irrelevance of subject matter to daily lives, lack of teacher contact or creative teaching methods, and difficulties in juggling responsibilities of student life while being financially stable. 

One Last Conversation with Paulo Freire

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”
                                                                                    ― Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Reflection 3: Oppression In My Education

Paulo Freire refers to current education systems as operating under the “banking method” (P. 72) in that teachers deposit information, which the students memorize and store into their bank. Students are treated as receptacles that receive information for future retrieval, but do not possess individual ideas or contribute any original information or creativity (Freire, 1970).  Freire writes of the ways that this educational method is oppressive to students and how this reinforces the oppression in society. In examining my own student life, I can find evidence of the oppression of students in the educational system that supports Freire’s theory.

Freedom Writers: A Review

This is the trailer from the film, Freedom Writers. This powerful film is based on the true story of a new teacher named Erin Gruell who was assigned to an inner-city high school plagued by gang violence and racism. The students in her English class were pushed through the school system without being expected to learn, with the assumption that they are incapable of learning. Throughout the film, Erin struggles to connect with her students, to make them believe that they can succeed, and to show them that their lives, experiences, and knowledge is valuable, all while attempting to unite them and to overcome to racial segregation and gang violence that is part of their daily lives.

Reflection 2: Rising Tuition as a Saint Mary's Student

The current trend of lowering government contributions to universities has corresponded to continuously rising tuition costs for Nova Scotia students, as the universities now need to get a larger percentage of their funding from tuition amounts. In 1979, the Government of Nova Scotia supplied universities with 81% of their operating costs, with student tuition accounting for 15% of these costs (Leroux, 2011). 20 years later however, the Government has dropped funding for university operating costs to 47.6%, with students covering costs on a similar level at 41.3% (Leroux, 2011). As a university student, this shift translates into my education experience in negative ways such as increased student loan debt upon graduation and less time available for studying and recreation due to working more hours to pay for tuition. On the other hand, I have also viewed some positive effects of this shift such as increased motivation to achieve good grades, and the personal responsibility to graduate and gain employment in order to repay debts.

Pierre Bourdieu "Sociology as a Martial Art" Video

" I often say sociology is a martial art, a means of self-defense. Basically, you use it to defend yourself, without having the right to use if for unfair attacks". Pierre Bourdieu

Reflection 1: Pierre Bourdieu's "Cultural Capital" in My Life

Pierre Bourdieu is a French sociologist who introduced the sociological concept of cultural capital in his work, which has since been examined by other sociologists. Roy Nash(1990) describes Bourdieu's cultural capital as social assets transferred within a culture that are seen as worthy to produce power and status. Nash emphasizes that Bourdieu views the school as the most important site for the reproduction of social classes through the transmission of cultural capital (Nash,1990). Class-based cultural capital has impacted my own education in ways such as the high expectations of my parents, the availability of educational resources and materials, and the personal embodiment of valued personal characteristics and attitudes.