Chelsea Needham

Blog #1- Chapter #1

There were many aspects of this first chapter that really struck me, and I’m really looking forward to reading more of this book to learn more about the subjects that were discussed.  Something that really resonated with me while I was reading was when Robson said “there is a common belief in Canadian society that education is essential to ensure a good quality of life and that education holds the key to an individual’s success.” (2)  I believe there is more truth in this statement as the world starts to evolve.  More and more people in our society are needing an education outside of their grade 12 diploma.  I believe in a few more years, even the simplest jobs will be requiring a higher education than what is needed now.  

Something else that I could really relate to was when Robson was talking about how recent immigrant parents often push education as a very strong aspect because they hope their children will have a better chance at a brighter future.  This is very close to myself because I have seen it first hand.  The school that I am at for my practicum has a large population of immigrant families, and more often then not I see the parents that have immigrated here are helping develop their children's abilities more then families who were born in Canada.  It truly amazes me how much people take for granted in our societies.  The first chapter also touches on how social class plays a role in the development of children's abilities in school.  In my practicum I have also seen this.  Children who come from difficult home situations need much more attention and care in the classroom because they aren’t getting that help at home.  We can help them to achieve the necessary abilities in school, it just takes a little longer for some students.

On page 4, the book touches on the case study of the Attawapiskat First Nation, something that really caught my eye was the fact that it took until the media got ahold of the story and gave it more coverage for people to start paying attention to it.  This is definitely something that touches exactly what our society has turned into, we often only pay attention if it covered largely on the media.  Yet no one would have considered it unless it had been covered in the media.  We definitely need to start taking responsibilities for our actions, and we need to start giving equal rights to everyone in our country no matter who they are.  That is what the teenager Shannen Koostachin (5-7) was trying to do.  She wanted to bring to attention what conditions students were being exposed to.  It is definitely time we start giving the same opportunities to everyone in this country, not just to the handful of people who are “lucky” enough to have it.

Discussion Question: As future teachers it is our responsibility to give our students the abilities to succeed in their lives, how can we start to teach students that every one deserves equal opportunities, and everyone is equal?

What would you tell your students about the history of the Attawapiskat First Nation?