Jill- Blog 5

This weeks reading was about the development of education and the role of curriculum. The portion that discussed assessment and standardized testing made me think of one thing… this picture.

So based on that picture you probably know how I feel about standardized testing. Robson states, “Standardized testing is the process of giving the same curriculum-based test to all students at a particular level in a particular jurisdiction” (136).

I also enjoyed reading about the different stages of multicultural education in Canada (147). This portion discussed how the education system began with the assimilation stage, then the adaptation stage, then the accommodation stage, then the incorporation stage, and last the integrations stage (147-148). All those stages are very different but even the last stage does not totally eliminate racial prejudices in education.

Reading about multiculturalism in education and implementing a multicultural curriculum made me think of the idea of whiteness that Karen Robson introduced us to earlier in the textbook (49). This idea of whiteness is relevant to teaching and learning because in order for teachers to run their class based on equality and ethnic-fairness it is necessary to be aware of this term.. The term “whiteness” implies that Caucasians in Canada and their shared values and cultural experiences “trump” other cultures (49). Robson states, “If white culture is understood to be the norm and the practices and beliefs from this culture are embedded in the curriculum of our places of education, students from non-white backgrounds will be at a disadvantage in a variety of ways” (49). For myself as a Caucasian female, preparing to become a teacher, it is crucial that I am aware of the term “whiteness” and how it affects my ideology and prevent it from adding any forms of influence to my teaching style.

Discussion question: Do you think the challenges to multicultural education in Canada are being addressed?

 Source:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=picture+of+elephant+monkey+fish+to+climb+tree&tbm=isch&imgil=umNz8wWKOg33FM%253A%253BjiLUdj40RxUidM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fscholasticadministrator.typepad.com%25252Fthisweekineducation%25252F2012%25252F08%25252Fcartoons-climb-that-tree.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=umNz8wWKOg33FM%253A%252CjiLUdj40RxUidM%252C_&usg=__C7D-i-mQzpC8YV7_aAPAafAWlNw%3D&biw=1242&bih=889&ved=0CDsQyjc&ei=Tr3OVLv2DYKfggShm4GIBg#imgdii=_&imgrc=umNz8wWKOg33FM%253A%3BjiLUdj40RxUidM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fscholasticadministrator.typepad.com%252F.a%252F6a00e54f8c25c98834017c317442ea970b-500wi%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fscholasticadministrator.typepad.com%252Fthisweekineducation%252F2012%252F08%252Fcartoons-climb-that-tree.html%3B500%3B345