Reflection #1

Do we need to reimagine education?

Education needs to be reimagined to a certain extent. While there have been many good changes within the realm of education done over the last few decades, there is still much room for growth towards a world where education is more conducive to our changing world and therefore our changing youth. In class we watched a film about project based learning which I believe to be a better approach to education and how we need to be reimagining the education we give to students. When I was in grade 10, I attended a project based learning school which I found to be extremely beneficial both to my learning and to my development as a person during an extremely important period of time for adolescent development. Within this program we were able to work on projects in a variety of cross-curricular subjects as well as community building projects. Through this school I was able to build my interests and create an impact within my community. The image I have included shows me as a student with one of my community projects I created and I have included a video that discusses the learning environment I attended. 

What obstacles do educators face when they try to change pedagogy?

There are many obstacles educators face when they are trying to change pedagogy. One of these obstacles lies in respecting the curriculum they are bound by, making any changes to the pedagogy reliant on being within the confines of this curriculum. Another struggle that occurs when trying to change pedagogy is the restraints of funding that are given to the educator, making pedagogy only so flexible to change. A third obstacle that is very prevalent to changes within pedagogy is the reaction of parents and students as well as higher ups. When one introduces a change to a pedagogy that has been recognized and used for a long time and has a familiarity to its users, any sort of change to that pedagogy can be seen as worrisome and negative. In order to be able to have an environment in which a change in pedagogy is embraced the educator would need to make sure they both reassure those involved about a shared interest in the success of students as well as garner support from those involved, moving forward as a team. 

Why is privacy important in our classrooms?

It should be every person’s right to have control over their privacy and what information they choose to share with the world. This is especially relevant for young people who often do not get much of a say over the sharing of their information. It is important to respect privacy within our classrooms for this reason as well as other reasons such as students who may be in precarious situations in which their location and face should not be shared and for the general safety of this vulnerable demographic. Privacy is also important within a classroom as it is not the teacher’s choice as to how a student’s information should be shared, it is a choice for the students’ guardians and the students themselves. It is the responsibility of educators to respect this privacy within their teaching practice.

Credits:

• Photo by Meghan Pimm