Artifacts
A Collection of Learning
Over the past 12 weeks of my first term of masters studies, I gave gathered pieces of work, videos, and books that demonstrate meaningful links to readings from the course!
Artifact #1: Brofenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory
In one class we were asked to apply Brofenbrenner's classic ecological systems model to our own lives in order to begin examining our positionality. It was really fun and creative! However, it was also really challenging in some ways. I had heard of the ecological system before except I wasn't required to look at it critically. Applying it to myself was easier because I can pick and choose what I want to include/exclude, yet I still had to ask myself whether certain aspects of my life fell into which system. Some could fall into multiple systems depending on how I was looking at it. I can't help but think what happens when we try to conceptualize children's world's in this way.
In a separate class, we critically looked at Brofenbrenner's theory. What resonated with me from our class discussion was how limiting these individualized circled categories are and I was challenged to think about what this system might look like if it was 3D or if there were not separate circles but having these influential parts of our lives float around.
In an article by Szente, Hoot & Tadesse (2007), they explored the different ecological systems within the country of Ethiopia in relation to education fo young children. They recommend that an "...interrelation among microsystems is the stepping stone for additional improvement in early childhood and better opportunities for children's academic development" (p. 280). I might question where the accountability is for groups that may lie in the ecosystem or macrosystem such as government education bodies as there is only so much administrators, teachers and parents can do in the classroom. I would be interested in reading more about counter-narratives or critiques to Brofenbrenner's model, as I start to question it myself.
Click the image to see it bigger!
Artifact #2: Together we Create!
I will be the first to admit that creating art, especially open-ended, free range art, is not in my comfort zone. I grew up in the shadow of an older sister who was very talented creatively and who has now made a career out of her skills. Although I still recognize I will never reach my sister's level, I have found joy again in being creative and through this semester, where we have had multiple creative activities, I have found comfort in being surrounded by others.
In this facilitation that Ji and I led, I learn a few things through our collage:
1. Ideas evolve.
When my group first started on our sheet, we could have never predicted how it would turn out. I created the purpose tree-looking image and I did not intend it to start that way but as I was intrigued with how the popsicle stick could be used and the mix of purple and pink, it turned into a tree. Some images my classmates cut up, glued down and then when they looked at it next, it was enhanced. There was lots of evolution of ideas from beginning to end.
2. It is the process, not the product.
In education, we are concerned a lot with the product of students work. In my experience as a teacher, there are expected demands to meet outcomes, test scores, and benchmarks that I think sometimes we miss the meaningful conversations and the learning that really happens through the processes. When thinking about how to foster growth mindset, I think about the reading from Carr (2011) that explains how children come to see themselves as learners, and see intelligence as malleable through conversations with trusted adults. If only education put greater focus on the process instead of a product, I wonder how much more we would learn about children and how much they would learn about themselves.
3. Strengths-based.
My mind is very shaped by school and sport where you are always trying to do better. Always trying to perform better either on the field or on a test and when you don't get the desired result, it is a default to look at everything that went wrong instead of what went right. With that, I used to always compare what is better and myself a few years ago would have looked at these two collages we made and compared which one is better. Now I can look at them and see really beautiful and unique things about both! It inspires me to think first of what students know, instead of what they don't know.
This is just a short TED talk that had some helpful and practical tips for me as well as reminded me what type of environment we can create for children when it comes to creativity.
Artifact #3: Saqiyuq: Stories from the Lives of Three Inuit Women
Saqiyuk: Stories from the Lives of Three Inuit Women, written by Nancy Wachowich is a book I found in my friends classroom when I was visiting her in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut just a few weeks ago. This book recounts the lives of three women, a grandmother, granddaughter and daughter. As they all grew up in different generations in Nunavut, they come together to try and reclaim traditional practices.
"Traditional care systems recognized the role of the extended family, and emphasized traditional child rearing practices." (Hare & Anderson, 2010, p.20)
"The concerns of these participants are well founded in the roots of colonial practices..." (Hare & Anderson, 2010, p. 20)
"...a loss of parenting skills was one of the serious impacts of this legacy. When children are removed from their families, how can they learn to parent, when they themselves have not been parented...?" (Hare & Anderson, 2010, p. 24)
"...Aboriginal communities have been rebuilding their traditional family structures and values." (Hare & Anderson, 2010, p.24)
I have not yet finished reading the book, however the quotes above by Hare & Anderson (2010) reflect the themes of the book thus far and speak to very important historical and intergenerational themes. I chose this book as an artifact because now having experienced working in an Inuit community, and recognizing the impact it has made on me, I want to intentionally make efforts to engage with more literature about Indigenous stories and written by Indigenous authors. The statistics I have read about when it comes to the Indigenous education gap and the impact of colonialism are no longer just words but they are my students and student's families who have shown me so much love and have taught me so much. Theres now an internal motivator that I didn't wish I needed to pick up books like Saqiyuk, however am grateful for the opportunity to continue learning.
I hope to read this book next!