As socials studies teachers we are going to be addressing issues surrounding racially sensitive subjects. David Ahenakew is a former aboriginal leader whom during a conferenece stated that Jews started the second world war. Excuses were made for him (apaprently other than being a crusty old bugger at 75 he had been drinking before his speech and his diabetes had caused his blood sugar level to drop), but he did not appear to be disorientated during his speech.
For his comments he was fined $1000; however, this conviction was later over-turned. He was stripped of his order of Canada. The man is on trial again for this 2002 incident.
His lawyer is arguing that his comments were not to intentionally spread hate and that he had made a mistake. For me the question lies between where freedom of speach ends and hate speech begins. I dont' agree with what David said but I hear things that could be construed as hate on a daily basis, such as: muslim terrorists are evil.
Is hate based on popularity? You didn't hear many people getting outraged at what was said about muslims after 911. I hope to be able to give my students the ability to see all sides of an issue. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Without understanding what freedom he is fighting for we cannot hope to acheive a democratic or peaceful solution with anyone.
What David said may be wrong, and innapropriate, but is his opinion spreading hate? Sometimes letting a man look like a fool is enough.
Oh he wa also offered a position on the Canadian senate after this incident. He politley declined.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Social Studies Article Review
Hey Everyone,
Here's my article review that was meant to be posted over a month ago but due to technical issues was not. Here it is, better late than never.
This is a summary of my journal review, which is the past: using images to travel through time, written by Ms Caille Sugarman-Banaszak and published in the journal Teaching History March 2008 edition. I chose it because it dealt with the use of images to create historical empathy and understanding though images. For example, the author starts her grade 9 Twentieth Century World class ( British curriculum) by having students bring in pictures of what they feel represents the 20th century for them. She as well brings in pictures of her own family and past history. Students see her ancestors and are encouraged to think of theirs and see that they are but a part of a continuum of histories stretching back into the past. She also intends to use pictures in a proposed field trip to Poland to study the lives of the Polish Jews prior to World War II and the Holocaust. Her plan is to take the class to places that once had large Jewish populations Her intent is to have the students navigate by these pictures and see how much has changed, and how much of a culture, a people is now absent from them.
I feel that pictures can be used effectively in creating historical empathy and linking students with the past and I would like to attempt something similar with what she is proposing but on a smaller, local scale. My proposal would be to lead a class to the RCBM archives after discussing the plight of Chinese people in Canada in the 19th century. The class would examine images from the archives and armed with copies of some of these, we would head to China Town and try to place those images in context with modern surroundings and then discuss our findings- what is left of China Town today? What is missing? How does Victoria’s China Town compare with others that once existed across BC? I think this approach would be quite effective in making ones students aware of the history that is at their very doorsteps, and also of the historical resources that exist in their community.
Here's my article review that was meant to be posted over a month ago but due to technical issues was not. Here it is, better late than never.
This is a summary of my journal review, which is the past: using images to travel through time, written by Ms Caille Sugarman-Banaszak and published in the journal Teaching History March 2008 edition. I chose it because it dealt with the use of images to create historical empathy and understanding though images. For example, the author starts her grade 9 Twentieth Century World class ( British curriculum) by having students bring in pictures of what they feel represents the 20th century for them. She as well brings in pictures of her own family and past history. Students see her ancestors and are encouraged to think of theirs and see that they are but a part of a continuum of histories stretching back into the past. She also intends to use pictures in a proposed field trip to Poland to study the lives of the Polish Jews prior to World War II and the Holocaust. Her plan is to take the class to places that once had large Jewish populations Her intent is to have the students navigate by these pictures and see how much has changed, and how much of a culture, a people is now absent from them.
I feel that pictures can be used effectively in creating historical empathy and linking students with the past and I would like to attempt something similar with what she is proposing but on a smaller, local scale. My proposal would be to lead a class to the RCBM archives after discussing the plight of Chinese people in Canada in the 19th century. The class would examine images from the archives and armed with copies of some of these, we would head to China Town and try to place those images in context with modern surroundings and then discuss our findings- what is left of China Town today? What is missing? How does Victoria’s China Town compare with others that once existed across BC? I think this approach would be quite effective in making ones students aware of the history that is at their very doorsteps, and also of the historical resources that exist in their community.
Icy Reaction to Kleptocracy
Here is an article looking at the evolving impact of the "historic" corporate malfeasance in the industrialised nations as a result of the deregulation of predatory lending practices (essentially legalised theft: thus kleptocracy) in the world's western economies. As I have mentioned in class I have a hard time understanding the lack of any public manifestations of anger in reaction to both the causes of this "crisis" and the corporate welfare cures. How can so many millions of citizens in these "democratic" economies take this theft sitting down? Where are the popular demands (beyond pundits and the left intelligentsia) for economic and political reconstruction? How did we get to the point where workers can see their jobs, pensions, dreams and homes disappear with the complicit participation of their elected representatives without seeking meaningful reconstruction?
The article is an example of how the citizens of the micro state of Iceland (population 320000) have expressed their anger? How do we as social studies educators deal with manifestations of public anger (indignation) in the classroom? Are protesters always reactionaries or hopeless romantics? Is the state always right? How much power do elected officials really have in our age of transnational corporate dominance?
http://news.scotsman.com/world/A-nearriot-and--parliament.4722970.jp
The article is an example of how the citizens of the micro state of Iceland (population 320000) have expressed their anger? How do we as social studies educators deal with manifestations of public anger (indignation) in the classroom? Are protesters always reactionaries or hopeless romantics? Is the state always right? How much power do elected officials really have in our age of transnational corporate dominance?
http://news.scotsman.com/world/A-nearriot-and--parliament.4722970.jp
Transforming Units
I have begun working on the Unit Plan Assignment for this course. Looking at example unit plans from my 2 week observation, its amazing how often one-dimensional, fill in the blank type activities are used. These activities do meet the requirements of the PLOs, but it is so obvious that they do not offer anything more - whether it be something to generate interest in the students, or maybe something to get them thinking critically. It just seems like a first step has been taken to find all the materials to be covered, but then the lesson designing process simply stopped.
In a way, this is not such a horrible discovery to make in terms of my own future lesson/unit planning... for example, what my group plans to do for our unit plan is to take the information from an existing unit and create a much more enriched, engaging unit. It is almost as if much of the tedious work of meeting PLOs etc. has been done, and we can focus on designing a stronger unit to cover the same concepts. Applying this idea more generally, I'm sure throughout my career resources will be shared with colleagues on various units - some of which will probably be pretty basic... but I really like the idea of shaping/transforming lessons. Just a thought.
NOAM SPEAKS!
Noam is here and he's got something to say.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/24/stream
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/24/stream
Found History
Found History
Hope everyone's holding in there..... I've seen lots of tired faces lately, including my own. One more week and the worst will be over.
Anyway, this Friday I received word from the Japanese Canadian National Museum in Vancouver about something I've been researching.
You see, a Japanese friend of mine found out a couple of months ago that her Grandfather had lived in Canada from 1925 to 1946. Her mother had never mentioned anything about it until now, perhaps because it was a controversial issue. All my friend Chie learned was that her Grandfather left Japan in 1925 to seek work and returned in 1946. Supposedly he never spoke about his experiences in Canada or what he did here. Knowing I was Canadian, she asked my help to find out more.
I looked through online lists and government databases but unfortunately I only was able to find that he entered Canada at Victoria in 1925. In an appeal to expert help I emailed the curator at the JCNM my story. Nothing was heard, until yesterday- they'd found him.
He came to Canada to work at farming community called Haney Nokai and in 1941 was sent to a remote interment camp called Tashme, 100 KM from Hope. With this information hopefully I can find out more about him online and I plan to visit the JCNM in person when I go to Vancouver over the holidays.
What this experience has made me consider is two fold. First, the role that museums and archives can play in helping ordinary people discover their past and how I can use their expertise in my teaching. Second, the experiences of Japanese Canadians before the war and the interment during, and how I could effectively teach about it. Sadly many Socials texts give lip service what I consider a serious topic- the racially and politically motivated internment of Japanese Canadians and Americans during the war. Racism, both politically and not still exists in our society and this needs to be discussed critically with the goal of removing it.
So what resources are available?
Online:
http://www.japanesecanadianhistory.net/home_page.htm
http://www.jcnm.ca/
The JCNM also has what appears to be excellent printed resources for teachers, including resources guides ( not free though ) and hands on education kits with photographs, registration cards, videos and recordings.
CBC digital archives:
http://archives.cbc.ca/
Lots of material, including archival film footage of internment and radio reports and interviews. Also great general socials resource ( see cold war! ) and cheesy vintage CBC.
Hope everyone's holding in there..... I've seen lots of tired faces lately, including my own. One more week and the worst will be over.
Anyway, this Friday I received word from the Japanese Canadian National Museum in Vancouver about something I've been researching.
You see, a Japanese friend of mine found out a couple of months ago that her Grandfather had lived in Canada from 1925 to 1946. Her mother had never mentioned anything about it until now, perhaps because it was a controversial issue. All my friend Chie learned was that her Grandfather left Japan in 1925 to seek work and returned in 1946. Supposedly he never spoke about his experiences in Canada or what he did here. Knowing I was Canadian, she asked my help to find out more.
I looked through online lists and government databases but unfortunately I only was able to find that he entered Canada at Victoria in 1925. In an appeal to expert help I emailed the curator at the JCNM my story. Nothing was heard, until yesterday- they'd found him.
He came to Canada to work at farming community called Haney Nokai and in 1941 was sent to a remote interment camp called Tashme, 100 KM from Hope. With this information hopefully I can find out more about him online and I plan to visit the JCNM in person when I go to Vancouver over the holidays.
What this experience has made me consider is two fold. First, the role that museums and archives can play in helping ordinary people discover their past and how I can use their expertise in my teaching. Second, the experiences of Japanese Canadians before the war and the interment during, and how I could effectively teach about it. Sadly many Socials texts give lip service what I consider a serious topic- the racially and politically motivated internment of Japanese Canadians and Americans during the war. Racism, both politically and not still exists in our society and this needs to be discussed critically with the goal of removing it.
So what resources are available?
Online:
http://www.japanesecanadianhistory.net/home_page.htm
http://www.jcnm.ca/
The JCNM also has what appears to be excellent printed resources for teachers, including resources guides ( not free though ) and hands on education kits with photographs, registration cards, videos and recordings.
CBC digital archives:
http://archives.cbc.ca/
Lots of material, including archival film footage of internment and radio reports and interviews. Also great general socials resource ( see cold war! ) and cheesy vintage CBC.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Joy of Learning
So I do not know about the rest of you but EDD430 is not my favourite class as the some of the material, though necessary to know, is not 'joyful'. However, I just read a really good article that was assigned for our class monday morning. For those of you in my class you have probably read it, or at least saw the link he sent us. But really it was a worthwhile read, and if you are going to read one thing this semister for 430 do this one.
Anyway, the article is very applicable to us social studies teachers because it talks about how to bring back joy into the classroom, and into learning. I think we can all agree that our subject area has a stigma attached to it as being, dare I say, boring. We all enjoy learning, and our subject, otherwise we would not be here. But for some students, school is something they have to do, and they lose the joy of just learning. Allowing our students the freedom to be creative, to have some choice, and to find sub-area's within our subject that they are interested in can go a long way to bring joy into learning. The article is an easy read, and for the most part feels like common sense. But I think sometimes we all need a reminder that it is the little things that can bring joy back into the school environment.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/sept08/vol66/num01/Joy_in_School.aspx
Anyway, the article is very applicable to us social studies teachers because it talks about how to bring back joy into the classroom, and into learning. I think we can all agree that our subject area has a stigma attached to it as being, dare I say, boring. We all enjoy learning, and our subject, otherwise we would not be here. But for some students, school is something they have to do, and they lose the joy of just learning. Allowing our students the freedom to be creative, to have some choice, and to find sub-area's within our subject that they are interested in can go a long way to bring joy into learning. The article is an easy read, and for the most part feels like common sense. But I think sometimes we all need a reminder that it is the little things that can bring joy back into the school environment.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/sept08/vol66/num01/Joy_in_School.aspx
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