Culture trumps Authority

                                                                                           Blog Post 6

 What were Residential schools in Canada? How were these institutions introduced to the Aboriginal people? Historical accounts state they were portrayed as a positive place for the aboriginal children to learn Canadian ways. In reality they were life damaging facilities, resulting in the extreme substance abuse and suicide problems in youth and young adults which had generational impacts, “Between 1879 and 1986, upwards of 100,000 children in Canada were forcibly removed and placed into Indian Industrial Residential Schools. Their unique culture was stripped away to be replaced with a foreign European identity. Their family ties were cut, parents were forbidden to visit their children, and the children were prevented from returning home.” http://www.fallenfeatherproductions.com/

Aboriginal people had lived in Canada for thousands of years longer then the European settlers to the region. They developed a rich lifestyle and culture that was passed down from generation to generation. Learning form your parents and community facilitates acquiring essentials skills and methods of survival that are key to sustaining life. As discussed by Lave and Wenger “…we emphasize the significance of shifting the analytical focus from the individual as a learner to learning as participation in the social world, and from the concept of cognitive process to the more-encompassing view of social practice.” (Lave & Wenger 1991, pg. 43). The Canadian Government implemented a relocation plan for the Aboriginal people. A majority of tribes were shipped to the worst patches of land, making cultivating and harvesting crops was next to impossible. Though the Aboriginals were on terrible land and were treated unkindly by society, they still had their culture and heritage.

         In the early 19^th century the Government of Canada believed it would be best if the Aboriginal people became assimilated with all other Canadian citizens. To accomplish this they developed an approach called “Aggressive Assimilation”. This approach made it mandatory for all first nations children to attend Residential Schools. The belief was that the schools could mold children to speak english and adopt the religious customs, predominantly Catholic.

Siblings in the school seldom saw each other, as well, boys and girls were separated at all times, making sibling relationships very difficult to maintain. When the students did contact their parents, it was usually though a letter, which had to be written in English. Most of the parents did not understand English, therefore interpreting a letter was next to impossible. During the 2 months of the years when the children were home they would feel socially awkward and out of place. The aboriginal youth did not having the proper knowledge to help their parents in their communities, in addition they would have feelings of shame towards their native culture. 

The Residential schools were eroding the Aboriginal culture. This form of assimilation and education was aggressive and authoritarian in its style. According to Bracher, “authoritarian pedagogy aims to perpetuate itself by establishing in students a desire for authority, teaching them that when they face practical problems in their jobs or difficulties in their lives, they should turn to authoritative texts rather than to their own experience, understanding and cognitive and emotional capacities”. The horrors of the Residential Schools resulted in families being destroyed. The schools caused complete and utter mental distraught to the children and families, these intense feeling were then handed down to their children and they handed down to their children and so on and so forth.  When the schools finally closed in the 1960’s, the students had no concept of family because they were away from their families for 10 months of the year. The education they received was also below the standards of non-aboriginals; this made it difficult for the aboriginal youth to function in an urban setting.

This chapter in history was a dark time for all Canadians, particularly the aboriginal people. Education, in many situations can be the key to success, however this extreme example of authoritarian education demonstrates it’s debilitating effects of the students and families, “…while the aim of this pedagogy may be laudable, its mode of operation is ethically questionable, because it functions to surreptitiously impose the master’s identity on the student”. (Bracher, pg. 89)

First Nations communities have struggled everyday since the sting of the Residential schools started to have its impact on the people. Fortunately, in recent time, the Canadian Aboriginal people have taken ownership of their education and culture. Building up their communities by dealing with the pain head on and striving to build a brighter tomorrow for future generations.

 References:

Bracher, M. (2006). Radical Pedagogy: Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillian

Lave, Jean & Wenger, Etienne. (1991). Situated learning Legitimate peripheral participation. New York: Cambridge University Press.

http://www.fallenfeatherproductions.com/

Loud and Important

                                                                                                                             Blog post 5

                                                

For the vast majority of people, the classroom is where their formal education started.  In reflecting on my own schooling, this would also be the case. A constant thread in my education was the influence of the Nuns (Sisters as they were known to many) as teachers, intertwining the threads of their faith into the education. This particular group of educators had a presence and influence on my learning from grade primary until I graduated from nursing school at 20 years of age. When I read Bracher’s work, Radical Pedagogy: Identity, Generativity and Social Transformation” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330287767&sr=1-10, it was certainly apparent to me, the styles of teaching I encountered through-out my education, many teachers were infused with this master pedagogy.

In Chapter 7, Bracher discusses authoritarian pedagogies of educators, “The most blatant form of this master pedagogy is…referred to as the “cult of the great teacher”…in which the teacher offers himself as the primary object for students’ admiration and identification”.  This form of educating seemed to be very dominant in some of the teachers I encountered. Times were different then. The teachers I had were likely taught by teachers who exemplified and imparted the authoritarian style of educating on them. I recall a teacher I had in elementary school, she often spoke loudly in the first person, “I learned the multiplication tables so well because I was very disciplined at studying when I was your age”, or “…now see class, Mary is reading at a good tone and it’s very clear, that’s because she listened, and did exactly what I told her to do”. I could go on and on. The second example demonstrates cloning, this occurs when the teacher perceives the child is successful in becoming just like them, a true triumph for this type of educator.

Another form of master pedagogy is more subtle than the first, “…the teacher aims to garner recognition not of herself but rather of the authors, works or values that she identifies with so strongly that they actually form part of her identity” Bracher  pg 86. This is probably a more common approach of teachers. Sometimes a teacher strongly identifies with a philosophy or works of a particular author or a great mentor. This type of teacher likes the student to relate and appreciate the teachings that she admires, a type of ‘love what I love’ approach. In thinking back on my own ‘colourful’ education, I recall another teacher who would subtly refer to her faith and religion; this was actually not that unusual back in the day. In her religion class she was talking about how God is aware of all that we do. One of the boys in the class calmly and confidently stated, “well I don’t believe any of this, I’m agnostic”.  A silence and shock came over the room, none of us had ever heard the word before, but judging by the horrified look on the authoritarian/teacher’s face, it wasn’t good. Imagine the guts it took for that boy to speak up in class and go against the strong, powerful beliefs of this educator. It left a lasting impression with me, probably because at age 10, I saw the first glimpse of an independent, unabashed thinker.

Educating students cannot be exclusive to any particular style of teaching. There are various methods that can work successfully depending on the situation. Authoritarian style can be useful with guiding young minds, for example a toddler, “be careful of the steps or you may fall”. As well authoritarian pedagogy can be helpful when teaching a particular skill, such as drivers education, this requires very specific instruction and does not allow the learner to be very creative. In fact,at times, we all benefit and can take comfort in situations when someone is telling us exactly what to do with very little input from the learner, such as a flight attendant’s instructions on an airplane.

However in a lot of cases the student does not benefit fully from this form of educating, “…in order to embody the authorities identity components, students must enact them…this means they often have to suppress or allow to atrophy those parts of their selves that are different from those of their authority’s identity” Bracher pg 88. This is describing a case where the student may be thinking differently or have an opposing view form the teacher. When the student is not ascribing to the beliefs of the educator then they cannot express themselves due to the influence of the teacher. In this situation, the student risks getting a poor grade, or not being well received by the instructor or the class. In these cases the students will agree with the beliefs of the teacher and never express themselves fully to explore a rich independent thought process. In these cases, the mind can atrophy and world gets a tiny bit smaller.

References:

Bracher, M. (2006). Radical Pedagogy: Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillian

Open the window…..Close the window

Fresh air is nice when I’m trying to focus and get some work done; I enjoy a cool breeze with the sounds of the outdoors humming in the background. We all focus in different ways, what is ideal for one person may not be great for someone else. In reading the book, Radical Pedagogy Identity, Generativity and Social Transformation by Mark Bracher I was interested in the chapter that deals with affective-physiological register.  http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330287767&sr=1-10. Throughout our early education, many of us have been taught in a classroom setting, with 20-30 other student. In this environment, each student can learn at a different pace with several factors influencing the experience. “Because of differences in endowment and developmental experiences, different people have different vitality affects as the core of their identities. Some people feel most alive when they are in a state of tension brought on by pressure or even danger. Others feel the greatest vitality when they are immersed in a supportive, stable, highly predictable environment that eliminates virtually all affective-physiological tension.”(Bracher, pg. 31). As Bracher discusses, each of us thrive in different environments.  Learning is not just dependent on the content; it is also depend on the process. When both these processes elicit a positive affect, then learning can occur. As well if the content or the process elicits a negative affect, then learning can be blocked impeded. As a result humans have developed methods of coping to facilitate learning.

Some tactics to help a person cope with learning may be as simple as caffeine. Many of us can relate to the slight foggy dull headache we may experience in the morning, it is eased with the ingestion of our first cup of hot morning coffee. Similarly, when people are tense or anxious, thinking of calm environments, such as, landscapes, beaches or a warm fire can relax a person. Some individuals may find they are more alert with physical exertion by participating in activities such as running or intense exercise, these activities enable them to be alert and ‘in the zone’ to learn. Some other methods people may use to provoke learning are seeking out a competitive adrenaline producing activities that challenge a person by pitting one group against the other in a class. These same students tend to thrive in a pop quiz situation. Music, movies, television, food, web surfing, prayer or mediation can also allow an individual to optimize their focus and learning ability by feeling relaxed and ready to learn. “Learning can be both enabled and impeded by affective-physiological states produced by various sensory stimuli”(Bracher pg. 33). In contrast, some students learning can be disrupted by the same factors that calmed other students. Some students love the stability of a classroom for 5 hours a day, while the student who loves activity are completely restless and unable to focus after lunch.

My own experience is very ‘middle of the road’, as dull as that sounds, however, in referencing this particular topic; it is probably good to have a mix of learning strategies. I was not great at concentrating on homework while watching TV, however I could sit in a school gym, cafeteria or a coffee shop and get assignments and work done. As well, as a young student I could sit in class and not be easily distracted by my rowdy classmates or the occasional yelling of a teacher, as was the custom in the 1970’s elementary schools! As an adult, working in a group setting has been a consistent theme throughout my career. When sitting at a Nursing station charting on a patient, the area is always the nerve center of the unit. On a busy unit people are coming and going continuously, charting requires concentration and focus, some of my colleagues found this distracting and would move to a quieter area to chart.  I now work in an office that has multiple cubicles, noise, temperature and varying levels of stress can all affect a person’s ability to focus. I find this environment distracting at times, but I try to zone out the frenzied elements and focus on my work. It is important to recognize what factors enhance learning and what factors have a negative impact on our learning. When this is acknowledged, we can seek out options and alternatives to enable the learner to have a rich positive experience.


References:


Bracher, M. (2006). Radical Pedagogy: Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillian