Historical Foundations of Teaching and Learning

 

The History of Education: State and the Art at the Turn of the Century in Europe and North America:

Innovation

The article discusses historical shifts in the educational field. It also critiques the current state of the field, as there has been a lack of genuine innovation and fresh new takes in recent academia, which suggests that we have shifted away from transformative ideas and into instead filling in gaps with existing knowledge.

Creativity

Creativity is explored through changes in education throughout history and its reforms. The article highlights the importance of diverse educational approaches. The article suggests that we should engage more with the history of education, to have a deeper understanding of how it influences our practices today.

Teaching

Teaching is an evolving practice which has been influenced by historical developments in education. The article states that historians of education should reflect on historical practices in the classroom, however the article also suggests that teaching should not only be about transmitting knowledge, but also about engaging students in the learning process, and considering their needs.

Learning

The article points out how there is often a tension in learning between formal schooling and the lived experiences of students. The article asks readers to think about the history of educational practices and how they have shaped learning over time. 

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Foreign influences on curriculum and curriculum policy making in Canada:

Innovation

The article speaks of innovation in the sense of how foreign educational influences have shaped Canadian curriculum development. It also critiques the lack of innovative Canadian responses to these influences and suggests that many innovations in education were adaptations of American or British ideas.

Creativity

Creativity when it comes to curriculum development means using a variety of educational philosophies, however with the lack of homegrown educational philosophies the article notes the limited potential for creative approaches tailored to Canadian societal needs.

Teaching

Teaching in this article is described as being shaped by both local and foreign influences throughout Canadian history. The article points out that the centralized control of curriculum, established a framework that guided teaching practices. It is also discussed how changes in curriculum policy are often driven by external factors, and how this impacts the methods and content of teaching in Canadian schools.

Learning

The article explores what learning means through the lens of curriculum changes influenced by foreign ideas. The article suggests that the Canadian educational system has historically been reactive rather than proactive when it comes to its diverse student population. 

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How this is related to my glossary:

Honestly, I didn’t think too much about the history of education when I was creating my definitions, thinking more about modern definitions of what creativity, innovation, teaching and learning meant to me, as based on the articles I read at the time.

One aspect I feel I should bring into my definitions based on these readings is emphasizing student needs, and how diverse, creative and innovative approaches help us to better reach these students, and how this helps with student learning and attainment.

The first article speaks about how there is a tension between formal education and the lived experiences of students, however I have previously noted that learning can come from different people and experiences in a child’s / student’s life. 

As for the second article, I only began teaching a Canadian based curriculum recently. What I have found to be true as an international school teacher with a lot of inquiry based experience, is that a lot of my colleagues who have mainly only taught at non-PYP schools overseas or at Canadian schools, have a very different idea of inquiry based teaching, compared to my own and the other teachers who have come in this year, each with 10+ years of PYP school experience overseas. 

When I was thinking of the article speaking extensively of the adoption of foreign approaches though, I think there is no major issue with that as long as localized research can support its continued use with time. It should be noted though, that I wonder if perhaps certain teachers adopting certain foreign approaches may need additional training to do those approaches justice. Perhaps ministries of education should look into this when making broad educational reform.

Another aspect I thought about is that likely in individual classrooms or schools creative localized approaches are being used in Canada. I think that often people forget about how academia in countries that charge thousands of dollars for tuition prices, is a privilege, and just because something is not published in academia, does not mean that it does not exist in some capacity. It is as Frank discussed in his article Ted Talks are Lying to You which is that there is a lot of creativity lost to history.

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My Questions: 

  1. How do we localize curricula in international schools (for example British international schools, Canadian international schools, American international schools) when often no research exists for our specific context?

  2. How will the evolution of AI and technology affect approaches to education as we move forward? 

With more research coming out about technology now…

  1. To what degree should technology be integrated or used in education? 

  2. How do we know which websites, programs or approaches that are tech related are effective, when the research does not exist OR the research may have been funded by the Ed. Tech company? 

  3. How many brilliant educational approaches exist that have been lost to time, due to the person who developed that approach not having the exposure? 

Sources

Herbst, J. (1999). The history of education: State and the art at the turn of the century in Europe and North America. Paedegogia Historica: International Journal of the History of Education, 35(3), 737–-47. doi: 10.1080/0030923990350308

Frank, T. (2013, October 13). TED talks are lying to you. Salon. https://www.salon.com/2013/10/13/ted_talks_are_lying_to_you/

Tomkins, G. (1981). Foreign influences on curriculum and curriculum policy making in Canada. Curriculum Inquiry, 11(2), 157–166. https://doi.org/10.2307/1179647

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