Nov. 2015 Issue #2
INDIGENOUS ISSUES
INEDUCATION
RAPE Teaching Controversial Language in an L2 Class
NEW IN
TOWN Navigating the new job.
GENERATIONS
LOST
A CYCLICAL REPEAT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM
(3) TWO YEARS UNDER THE SLEEPING GIANT (4) STARTING THE DISCUSSION (5) (6) (7)
COURSE OF ACTION NEW IN TOWN
MISREPRESENTATION
GENERATIONS LOST
(9) (11) CLASSROOM CONTROVERSIAL (13)
INDIGENOUS INCLUSIVITY
(14) (16)
PEN AND PAPER
THE SOCIETAL BLINDFOLD
Staff Writers
Ana-Maria Jerca Randy Ochoa Nadine Wyczolkowski Mizgin Yumusak
Nick Catania News Director
Contributors
Charlotte Henay Alyssa Strassler Brooks Harvey Native Earth Performing Arts
National Household Survey, 2011:
More than 200 ethnic origins were reported in the 2011 National Household Survey. Canada had a foreign-born population of about 6,775,800 people, 20.6% of the total population. Two-thirds of Canada's population, reported they were affiliated with a Christian religion. Slightly over 1 million individuals identified themselves as Muslim, 3.2% of the nation's total population. Nearly 6,264,800 people identified themselves as a member of a visible minority group.
EDITORIAL TWO YEARS UNDER THE SLEEPING GIANT
Nick Catania News Director
Prior to York, I spent two years in the city of Thunder Bay. What’s a Park Avenue socialite doing in the tropics of the tundra? Well, I was studying in the bush. I learned many things over the course of four semesters. Of them: how to put out a grease fire - no really, I caught on fire; which furs to wear for appropriate weather patterns (I still have my fox); but above all, how to survive on your own. I was only eighteen. My friend has this gorgeous blue mustang that we would cruise in up and down the Harbour Expressway. Crisp, clean air, windows down and Nicki Minaj’s “Whip it” thumping loudly against the speakers.
We were the privileged youth. We shared an apartment, considered a luxury given the lack of housing. Pierced and tattooed, I ran a performing arts company wasting days dreaming about Toronto and the possibility of an escape from Northern alienation.
For a small city with a population just over 100,000, Thunder Bay is known for two things: isolation and the culture clash. Originally consisting of two towns now amalgamated, the Fort William First Nations reservation sits at the south most part of the city and is separated by the Kaministiquia River leading into Lake Superior. Segregation was not only geographically-based, but embedded within the narrowmindedness of many locals. If you weren’t white, you were “native.”
the wrists and pummel through two years. But what about those who have been conditioned by restraints; a place called home? In our feature story this month, Brooks Harvey provides a brief look into the resources available for aboriginal peoples, focusing o n t he int e rgen e ra t io n a l conspiracy faced by troubled youth. Whereas I was able to dislocate from the time-stunted culture of Thunder Bay, aboriginal youth are bound by political, social and cultural restraints that cause strain on access to these pivotal services provided to support and sustain.
For those yet to observe a firstha nd a c c o unt o f t hes e challenges, how can educators prepare themselves for the unknown? It’s one thing to talk about these issues, sure. But unless you’ve come face-to-face Do you know what it feels like with the boundaries, your experience is pretty much void. If to be the butt of a joke, a our goal is to be there for the scapegoat for answers often students, how close can we troubling and unknown? actually acquaint ourselves In a 2006 population profile, only without being fully aware of the 10% of the population reported circumstances they face? holding First Nations status. I used to get this chilling feeling How can a city so small have an while crossing the James Street issue so big? bridge over to the reserve. Aboriginals were given no justice Whether it was for cheap gas or - they were the problem. If blame hill hikes, the underlying notion was to be given, the assumption of despair and trespassing was was native; If a joke was to be always prevalent. Even though told, the humour was native; we weren’t breaking any laws when a homicide was reported, being on their land, you could the culprit was suspected native. sense an eerie looming regardless of the sunshine I arrived in that city only to long beating against Mount McKay. for departure from an area and backwards culture that was These two years allowed me to ult imat ely unfam ilia r and see another means of life. “To oppressive. Being out and gay be educated is not to have was not something everyone arrived at a certain destination, it equally came across, nor did is to travel with different points of they accept. Looking back, how view.” Do I regret the time spent was I ever able to conquer the living in isolation? Absolutely not. challenges and barriers when I was busy running away from elliscatania myself? I have the analytical guise of an owl when it comes to www.ncatania.com tackling the unknown so I was fortunate enough to take life by Share your thoughts with us: Letters to the editor
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STARTING THE DISCUSSION TALKING ABOUT IT IS ONE THING, BUT WHERE DO WE EVEN BEGIN? Nadine Wyczolkowski Staff Writer
With staggering statistics showcasing realities too often relegated by other themes, Indigenous Issues in Education should garner a more prominent place in class and staffroom discussions alike.
Eliminating stereotypes through lessons is the starting point to engage these conversations. You can start by spreading awareness about the inequalities of access to education, the challenges of starting postsecondary education, but above
all, the retention of traditional language that affects a large number of Indigenous persons. Some subjects directly lend themselves to the discussion of Aboriginal history while it is seemingly more difficult for other subjects to include this information. By opening and encouraging a dialogue with students through inclusivity of ideas and a deeper understanding of contexts, ignorance will shift to a more holistic understanding of the challenges that are faced by Indigenous persons, often resultant of historical patterns. These discussions will open ways in which students and educators can become positive actors in a resolution to make positive change. See aside for some examples on how to integrate information and research in the classroom:
Art: unique sculpture/painting. Science: traditional/natural forms of medicine. Religion: rich religious traditions, among others. Geography: Reservations, remote areas, respect for wilderness. Law: the Indian Act, domestic violence. World Issues: missing persons. History: contributions to society, residential schooling. Sociology of Sport: traditional customs of self-sufficiency. Dance: meaning and importance of traditional dances.
COURSE OF ACTION AN INTRODUCTION TO ED|EDUC 2200. Charlotte Henay Faculty Contributor
In commenting on Indigenous Issues in Education, let me begin by providing some context. The Ontario FNMI (First Nations, Metis and Inuit) framework and a critical pedagogy re-center Indigenous agendas and vision for a (de)colonial system. In this course we will think about how we understanding ‘issues’, and how the lenses we wear as teachers are formed. Indigenous education concerns us all,
visitors, settlers, Indigenous folks. This course will look at what our relationship to the issues is and how education is complicit in them as well as implicit in their transcendence, if such a thing is possible.
Indigeneity isn’t universal. The term encompasses diverse groups of people with equally diverse needs, and who are speaking powerfully and articulately about these. I write, here, from my perspective as a multiracial Black and Indigenous womon whose ancestral ties are to the geopolitical space known as the
Bahamas. I’ve been involved with Indigenous Education as a teacher, an administrator and most recently, a scholar, on reserve in federally funded schools as well as in the provincial public system. My experience is personal and political. We come to education, learning inside and outside of schools and institutions, with experiences of colonization and it s lega c i es . I s s ues in Indigenous education will look at these and encourage a group -think about what their practical implications are for schools, and our lives – as inseparable.
NEW IN TOWN TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU EXCEL AT THE NEW SCHOOL. Alyssa Strassler Alumni Contributor
Some have said that being a teacher is easy, but it just so happens that they have never been teachers. Being a gymnast looks easy because I watched them on TV. I learned quickly when attempting to perform a simple gymnastics move that it was not what I thought.
Like everything else, teaching requires a lot of hard work and practise. Sometimes you don’t realize this until you are physically in a classroom with your own class.
One is not born a good teacher, and someone cannot become one after two days of teaching. I used to think that reading books about teaching would help me improve in this particular career. While they may provide some insight,
writing on paper cannot even c o m pa re t o t he a ct ua l experience of teaching young people in a classroom. I have done plenty of volunteer work with children, reading an abundance of articles about teaching young minds; I have attended numerous workshops and I have been a student teacher for two years with two university degrees. You would with this much experience and knowledge that I would be an excellent teacher by now, right? Not exactly.
ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS. The school, your colleagues and students may be new to you, especially the grade and even the subject. It is crucial that TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF. you ask questions to other staff You can work nonstop the entire day but there members because they will help you! will always be more to do. A teacher’s job never ends. Make time for yourself (even 5 minutes a day) to think about something other than teaching. Don’t skip lunch - we all love food and it's not worth it.
YOU’RE THE CLASSROOM LEADER.
You are the ultimate leader and role-model for students. Some students need your guidance as well as discipline to help them become lifelong learners. Don’t be afraid to be firm when you speak.
PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
SMILE. Even if it’s not your best day, don’t forget your reasons for being a teacher in the first place.
You will be busy with lesson planning, curriculum reviewing, evaluating and conferencing with other teachers; however, if your school is holding professional development workshop you should be there. Find something you like and share
MISREPRESENTATION STEREOTYPES: THE ROMANTICIZATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN MEDIA.
playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, “there wasn’t a real ‘Indian’ to be seen on the movie sets: Native ‘representation’ was taken care of by Italians or Spaniards—anyone with dark enough skin to save on makeup.”
Hollywood’s versions of “how the West was won” relied totally on the presence of Native tribes, who were to be wiped out or reined in. “And, for the longest time,” says Canadian Ojibway
Portrayals of Aboriginal people as being primitive, violent and devious, or passive and submissive, have become widespread in movies and TV programs and in literature ranging from books to comic strips. Such depictions have become a comfortable frame of reference for most of us each time there is a question about Aboriginal people, even though very few non-Natives have had the opportunity to meet a Native person in real life. Even if old Westerns rarely took place in Canada, the stereotypes they
For over a hundred years, Westerns and documentaries have shaped the public’s perception of Native people. The wise elder (Little Big Man); the drunk (Tom Sawyer); the Indian princess (Pocahontas); the loyal sidekick (Tonto)—these images have become engrained in the consciousness of every North American.
conveyed crossed borders.
A general climate of “political correctness” has dovetailed with genuine efforts being made by media producers to counter the more overt forms of racism in films and television—but subtle vestiges of Native stereotyping still remain. Some of the most common stereotyping traps are various forms of romanticization; historical inaccuracies; stereotyping by omission; and simplistic characterizations.
The Indian Princess is the Native beauty who is sympathetic enough to the white man’s quest to be lured away from her group to marry into his culture and further his mission to civilize her people. “The Indian princess is strictly a European concept,” writes Native American Joseph Riverwind. “The nations of this country never had a concept of royalty. We do not have kings, queens or princesses.”
One of the most widely used stereotypes in cinematographic history, the Native Warrior is fierce and formidable and a threat to civilized society. Bare-chested and brandishing a war lance, this warrior is the epitome of the savagery that must be courageously overcome by “progressive elements” pushing West. A more recent incarnation is the romanticized (and eroticized) figure of the strong silent brave flashing, as journalist Paul Gessell notes, “a lot of skin, [and] looking for some White woman to ravish.” A recent example is the character of Jacob Black in the Twilight books and series, a member of the Quileute people who, as a werewolf, represents the “noble savage” in a particularly literal way.
In an effort to redress past wrongs, there has been an increase in another time-honoured romantic stereotype – the mythic Noble Savage. Elevated to a sphere of goodness unreachable by those in contaminated White society and usually possessing some spiritual connection to the land, the Noble Savage (whom American academic Rennard Strickland calls “the first ecologist”) communes in a cloud of mysticism and places no value on material possessions.
Describe an interesting experience you had the last time your power went out. It was night time and I was in the shower. Have you ever had a shower in the dark? It was surprisingly relaxing, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t purposely taken a few showers in the dark since.
Theme song to your life? Jimmy Eat World- “The Middle”
It just takes some time little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. Everything, everything will be just fine.
Describe a personal vacation where money is no option. Name: Christina Chubb Teachable #1: English Teachable #2: Dramatic Arts Hometown: Niagara Falls
Riding white horses on the coastline of New Zealand, bareback. Feasting on unlimited amounts of bread and desserts. Sleeping in king sized canopied beds placed on large open-air patios, snuggled up to a dog or two.
Which animal would represent you the best? A cat! I am obsessed with them, so naturally I want to be one. They love taking naps and only like pats from selected individuals. They do things on their own terms and are very smart! Win their heart they are yours forever.
GENERATIONS
LOST
A CYCLICAL REPEAT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. Brooks Harvey
Special Contributor
Eight-year-old Bob (name changed to remain anonymous) came home from school, made him s e lf a p ea nut -b ut t er sandwich and sat down to watch an episode of Hercules, his favourite TV show. Hours passed. He began to wonder where his parents were and why they weren’t looking after him. He tried to focus on his cartoons, the only things he knew, but heard laughter and children's voices coming from the backyard. Bob walked through the house and looked out the window to see his adoptive, white parents playing hide-and-seek with their son and daughter, all smiles. “They never played with me like that,” says Bob, now 46, tears streaming down his withered face. “I remember thinking, ‘why didn’t they ever invite me to play with them?…Why did they
adopt me if they didn’t want me?”
The pain he felt as an Aboriginal child growing up in a white adoptive family still resonates in his voice. “I let people abuse me and walk all over me, just because it gave me a place to fit in.” This is but one of many instances where Aboriginals fall victim to the plight of cultural genocide. Bob has short black hair and dark brown eyes. He’s of average build and has tattoos scattered across his arms. One of them is a stylized bear standing atop a maple leaf, its head held high and proud. He wears a faded green “St. Patrick’s Day Run” T-shirt and dark blue sweatpants, tattered with stains. When asked about the run, Bob confesses he doesn’t know. The shirt was donated. For the past six months, he has been staying at the Native Men’s Residence (Na-me-res)
on Vaughan Road, a shelter for Aboriginal men over 16. Sitting in a tiny grey room, Bob recounts his feelings growing up neglected by a family he believes robbed him of his Aboriginal identity, leading to a life of pain and aimlessness. He was taken from his biological parents at six-months -old by the Children’s Aid Society and adopted by a family in Toronto. “They put me in Catholic school, where I was bullied and alienated because I was ‘different,’” recalls Bob. “They made me go to church, where I had a religion that wasn’t mine crammed down my throat.”
Bob was told his spiritual ancestral beliefs were wrong. “I hated myself for being Aboriginal,” he remembers. “I was raised white, which led to me not being comfortable in my own skin. I was fucked right from the get-go.” He was also sexually abused by a Catholic priest and physically abused by
his adoptive parents, even though, as far as he recalls, they never hit their own two children. He grew up believing he didn’t deserve to be loved and carried that pain into his adult life. “It felt like carrying a piano on my back,” he says. He later tried to connect with other Aboriginal people who had grown up on reserves, only to find they didn’t accept him either.
He was an “apple,” he explained, red on the outside and white inside. He didn’t fit in anywhere. “I hated who I was,” he says, “so I did anything I could to cope. I partied a lot, trying to fill that emptiness inside me.” He started drinking heavily at age
15. When alcohol wasn’t enough to drown his pain, he moved on to cocaine, then crack. Before he knew it, 30 years of Bob’s life had passed. Today, Bob is clean and sober. Bob admits his story is not unusual. Over the years, he’s met many Aboriginal adults, who were taken from their biological families as children and suffered a similar loss of identity. The fall-out has frequently been mental illness, substance abuse or trouble with the law. He ad-mitted to attempting suicide more than once. Arselia Johnson, a former case manager at Native Child and Family Services, says Bob’s story is all too familiar. “This level of trauma, at such a young age, changes their view on social interaction with society
and their social status in s oc iet y,” s a ys Jo hnso n . “Whenever they experience that kind of trauma in their early, most vulnerable years, their intellectual and emotional growth gets severely stunted,” she says. “So to cope, it’s common to see them turn to substance abuse… Coming out of this dynamic, many have little hope to better themselves and get ahead.”
Embracing his native spiritualism is what finally saved him. “An elder told me ‘the Creator doesn’t make garbage,’” he explains. He was worthy of love. The best thing the Creator gave Bob was his feet, he says, so he could get back up.
What punctuation mark best describes your personality? A colon, I'm under construction.
If you were any city in the world, which would it be and why? In the spirit of space, place and time being the world, Deep Space Nine from Star Trek. Diverse, anti-colonial, Indigenous leadership and sovereignty, Prophets, Black Captain (unfortunately not a woman but we can imagine that, right?), Ferengis, holograms. What’s not to like?
Tell us one goal you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime? Name: Charlotte Henay
To be featured in Edible! Hmmm... to give up on worry, it’s not helpful .
Alumni: McGill, B.Ed. OISE/UofT, M.Ed
Someone you were once mistaken for?
Courses: Inclusive Education, Issues in Indigenous Education
Charlotte is a Ph.D. Student in Education, Culture & Teaching at York University. She is also an Associated Student at The Harriet Tubman Centre for Research on Africa and its Diasporas.
Naomi Louise Black, my mother.
’ I wear York merchandise because I’m proud to be an educator.
CLASSROOM CONTROVERSIAL ENGAGING CONTROVERSIAL LANGUAGE IN SECONDLANGUAGE CLASSROOMS. Ana-Maria Jerca Staff Writer
In one of my second-language education classes earlier this month, the issue of translating controversial language was brought up.
One teacher candidate in particular, who I will refrain from disclosing, mentioned a reflective experience from practicum. When asked by a student how to translate the word “rape,” they answered: “That’s not a word we use in our class. Maybe you can think of another word you could use.” The TC was congratulated by our professor for not translating this word for the student, which I suspect was the point of the lesson: providing students with the means to look up new vocabulary and allowing them to finish their thought in the target language without being
interrupted by the language barrier.
The class moved on. However some students, including myself, did not. Why can’t I teach my students the word “rape”? Granted, I am unaware of the context in which the TC was asked the question. If they were working on writing jokes in their second language, for instance, I can understand why one would like them to refrain from using the word “rape”. However, that is no reason not to teach it. Telling students the word “rape” is not to be used in the
classroom is only perpetuating the taboo. It’s telling our students that rape is not something we discuss openly; rather it’s something we hide. One of the most obvious consequences of this is that it will further discourage victims of rape from coming forward and talking about it.
We are not helping anybody by avoiding the word “rape.” In high school, “rape” is a word that is already in students’ vocabularies when they walk into our classrooms. Often used in the wrong context, perhaps as a s ynonym for “ wi n” or “conquer” (ex: “I totally raped that game.”) or within the context of a joke as mentioned above. What is to blame for the misuse of the word “rape” but ignorance? Our role as educators is to make students sensitive and aware of the world around them and the people in it. Part of this task is to teach them the appropriate context in which to use words like “rape” and precisely what makes the other contexts inappropriate. This starts with teaching them how to say it in their second language. It starts when we stop perpetuating the taboo. Allowing students to use the word “rape” in a second-language classroom within the appropriate context will provide an environment that increases their sensitivities to victims of trauma. Furthermore, when we translate the word “rape” and other controversial words, we
also translate the appropriate context in which it is used by virtue of the fact that humour, slang, and other inappropriate contexts are practically untranslatable from one language to another. For example, translating the sentence “I totally raped that game” to French would not make any sense. However, the sentence “Countless women were raped during the war” in French is quite meaningful. Because of the way secondlanguage acquisition improves the way one uses their first l angua ge , by te ac hi ng students the word “rape” together with the correct
context in which to use it in the second language, we can potentially stop the inappropriate use of the word “rape” in their first language.
The main thing that separates “rape” from classroom-oriented words like “desk”, “pencil”, and “tree” is that it carries heavy connotations. But that serves to make it all the more meaningful and all the more dangerous to ignore. School should not be a place that exchanges ignorance for the comfort of avoiding a touchy subject.
“RAPE”
INDIGENOUS INCLUSIVITY AN EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION EXPLORATION IN EDMONTON. Ana-Maria Jerca Staff Writer
Back in high school, I was fortunate enough to participate in a 5-day trip to Edmonton through the YMCA Youth Exchange Program. My high school was paired up with a public charter high school called Boyle Street Education Centre (BSEC), an institution I soon realized was radically different from the ones I had known. First of all, Boyle Street has a very high population of selfidentified First Nations students (about 95%), unlike my North York high school where the number was practically zero. We got to witness first-hand how the school incorporated Native studies and culture through activities like pipe ceremonies, sweat lodg e c eremonies, roundance participation, and Native drumming. It was truly
fascinating not only to get a small taste of some First Nations culture but also to see it integrated into a school's life for the first time. Besides responding to their students' cultures, the school also made it its mission to help teenagers who hadn't succeeded previously in mainstream Alberta schools. At BSEC, students can enroll throughout the year, so it’s never too late to start fresh and seek out a high school diploma. If they are absent for long period of time, they do not lose their credits like they would in a mainstream institution. In addition, the school's capacity is 140 students, so unlike in schools where the population reaches the quadruple digits, the teacher/student ratio is low enough that students' needs can be catered to individually and they can reach success. Since attendance is a prevalent issue, Boyle Street encourages students to keep up their studies by getting them involved. For example, they have a breakfast and lunch program for all students, many
of whom come from families with financial difficulties. These meals are made by Work Experience students who are earning credits while feeding their classmates and learning a life skill to be proud of and apply elsewhere. The school offers numerous other services as well, including earned transportation for students to-and-from school, and practical, engaging classes not normally offered in other high schools such as hair styling and career transitions. Every service is offered in an effort to facilitate education for underprivileged students, giving them equal opportunities to earn credits and succeed. They have excelled at making learning fun and enjoyable experience with practical use. Although five days was not enough to fully experience BSEC, it certainly made me change my definition of what a school is and needs to do for its students, thereby making me think more about what I can do as an educator.
FREEWORKSHOPS RÉSUMÉ & COVER LETTER
THE SOCIETAL
BLINDFOLD AN OPINION PIECE ON THE CURRENT STATE OF ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS. Randy Ochoa Staff Writer
Most people are aware that Canada does not have a positive history w ith aboriginal people, often shrouded with darkness and controversy. People are aware of the residential schools, the abuse, the social ostracism and much more. What people may not be aware of is that Canada has STILL not figured out how to treat aboriginal people with respect. In the wake of this past election, Peterborough Kawartha federal candidates were discussing the issue of clean drinking water, one thing that everyone takes for granted. The First Nations at Curve Lake have issued boiled water advisories because the water is not safe enough to drink. These advisories would sometimes occur daily. While this was a hot topic issue, access to clean drinking water was not the only issue debated. Two other highly debated topics that arose were the issue of the missing and murdered aboriginal woman as well as mental health care for a b o rig in a l peo ples in particular.
Will anything change? Probably not. Many people are aware of aboriginal history and know what has happened. The
general populace is also informed about the current state of aboriginal affairs in Canada. So why is nothing getting done? The response is pretty simple: our country doesn’t care; it never has, and it most likely never will. Justin Trudeau has just become our second youngest prime minister to take the helm with a huge voter turnout amounting to 68% of the population. This has turned out to be the highest within the past twenty years of voting history. It was only four years ago when the conservatives won a majority and now the Liberals have taken the helm. Whether something will be done, I am unsure. Bottom line:
Indigenous peoples are a minority who become treated as formalities in the platforms of many politicians. Although they may mention aboriginal people during their campaign to show compassion, this is but as far as it goes. It is an extremely stressful and difficult time to be a Canadian citizen. From paying bills, raising kids,
paying off debts, education, health care… the list goes on. There are so many daily res po ns ib ilit ies arising left, right and centre that it's no wonder people know or even care so little about aboriginal people. In a struggle to manage one's own life, it can be tempting to turn a blind eye when someone else is in need. T h e governments do not care a b o u t aboriginal p e o p l e because the rest of the population does not care. Unless life b e c o m e s easier to manage and s o c i e t y becomes less competitive, I predict that nothing will change. At the end of the day, the vested interest of the masses will only continue to guide the governments’ involvement to inevitable destruction.
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Name: Rick Rakosy
School: Martingrove CI
Alumni: York University
Subject: History
Describe yourself in three words. Fingernails on chalkboard. If you could change one current event happening in the world right now? Have the Leafs win the Stanley Cup. If you could erase one day in history? The day Mike Harris won the Ontario Provincial Election. You're going to the moon. Five things would you bring? My family, my iPod, a Television, The MASH Series on DVD, and my Jeep.
PEN AND PAPER GRAMMAR AND THE PERILS OF TECHNOLOGY. Mizgin Yumusak Staff Writer
I grew up with textbooks as the basis that teachers used to teach from. My first experiences with educational technology began in high school when my teachers began to incorporate PowerPoint presentations. I was taken aback by this because I hadn't really even used computers before this. I didn't even know what PowerPoint was and yet they can now be seen in practically every classroom. Imagine walking into a third grade class and seeing students using PowerPoint to create presentations. How are they correcting their material? They use spell check. What ever happened to the good-ole’ dictionary? Yes, a dictionary. The book that's probably now stored somewhere in your basement or
probably nowhere near your house. Students are missing out on the chance to use this wonderful resource because they're relying on technology to fix their mistakes. Not only that, the spelling and grammar check isn't always accurate and students are relying on it to get their work done.
and in all aspects of their lives. A few of my students have even gone on to publish their own articles in their school's newspaper. One of my students is also writing his own novel using pen and paper! This is coming from a kid who used to eat his meals while using his iPad.
As a tutor, I’ve often had to sit with students and review basic grammar because they don't know how to revise without a computer aiding them. It's as though we are going backward even though technology is meant to take us forward. Many of my students struggle with their writing because of their reliability on technology. If you notice students in your classrooms experiencing similar issues due to the technology break, they too may require additional support. Luckily, the city of Toronto offers a variety of tutoring services, both private and public. Although parents may not like the idea of tutoring, it can drastically improve a student's performance in school
What happens if these gadgets and devices suddenly don’t work? It's up to us as teachers to set the limit on how much time our students are exposed to technology. This balance is what will help our students become a unique generation that will note the significance of technology and practical writing methods to apply in their studies and future careers. Remember that we need to build those reading and writing skills with a combination of traditional and contemporary practices. Don't forget, we build the student and it's our job to help them climb the ladder to success.
Edible News is the official student publication of the Faculty of Education Students’ Association at York University, Toronto, Canada. We are dedicated to providing the education students of York University with a premium news outlet that will help engage discussion and enhance educational approach. We aim to empower our members within both the learning environment, the York community, and the world as a whole.