Vol. 11, Issue 2 - Innovation in Education

HEY, TEach!

Vol. 11, Issue 2 • Winter 2020

The Victoria College Education Magazine

Innovation in education

technology in the classroom

Feature interview language algorithms with professor chirag variawa

pedagogical theories of learning

ideal school enviroment ...AND MORE!

Letter from the Editor Education, it seems, has always been a topic

of much contention. At a point in time where education and its initiatives continue to be under the microscope, especially politically, Hey, Teach! chose to focus on the opposite. This issue, Hey, Teach! wanted to bring awareness to all of the positive things happening in the field of education.

With an emphasis on creating classrooms that are inclusive to all and combatting biases, this issue brings to light the many innovations that continue to be made for the betterment of education and the teaching profession, a topic that is so important in this day and age.

Innovation in Education is comprised of works by many talented writers. Articles such as those

by Ali Raza Hasan Ali, Vittoria Tesoro and Yen-Chuen Liao and spoken word poetry from Deanne Wah, speak to the many ways that educational strategies are improving. Imani King writes a teacher profile that creates an image of a teacher dedicated to the betterment of their students.

Images such as those provided by Amanda Zhang serve as visual aids to reinforce the same points.

This issue features an interview with Mr. Chirag Variawa, a professor in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Professor Variawa, the Director of First-year Curriculum and Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, sheds light on the innovations in education occurring in the field of Engineering, and how this can be more widely applied to other dimensions of education. He speaks to innovations he has made in the past, and where we can take educational innovation in the future.

I would like to extend an enormous thank you to all those involved with the creation of this incredible issue. From our writers who offer their voices, our editors who lend their keen eyes, and our production team who so carefully design every single page, you give the magazine life.

To our wonderful executive team, who dedicate so much of their time to ensuring that deadlines are met and expectations are exceeded, I appreciate all of your continued hard work. It is thanks to the passion and hard work of every one of you that this magazine continues to be captivating and impactful. And finally, thank you to our readers, you give us the space to discuss important topics such as those discussed in this exciting edition.

Happy Reading!

Sincerely, Jessica Allan Editor in Chief

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The Hey, Teach!

Magazine Staff Editor In Chief Jessica Allan Senior Productions Manager Ali Raza Hasan Ali Co-Associate Productions Managers Rachel Banh Bisman Kaur Co-Senior Editors Jean Kim Maia Corsame Junior Editors Chelsea Anthony Rachel Banh Derek Choi Samara Gottesman Omar Hussain Imani King Laura Kabbabe Bisman Kaur Trishla Parekh Anne Qian Jessica Shaw Joselyn Wong Junior Productions Team Derek Choi Omar Hussain Kayla Paciocco Anne Qian Mishal Saeed Joselyn Wong Dijun Zhang Any questions regarding articles found in this issue can be addressed to the Editor in Chief heyteach@utoronto.ca

Table of Contents 1-2

Letter from the Editor & Table of Contents

3-4

Meet Your Writers

5-6

The Power of Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Plurality in Teaching — Joselyn Wong

7

Combatting Teacher Bias in the Classroom Using a Growth Mindset Pedagogy — Yen-Chuen Liao

8

Number Sense at Your Fingertips — Jessica Costello, Kristen Henley, Michelle Iznardo

9-10

Get You a Teacher Who Can Do Both — Imani King

11

Unveiling the Chaotic School Environment of Private International High Schools — Xinlin Yu

12

The Gap Between China's Rural and Urban Education — Xindi Huang

13-14

A Call for Diversity in the English Curriculum — Maia Corsame

15-20

Feature Interview with Professor Chirag Variawa — Jessica Allan, Jean Kim

21-22

Brain Training — Ali Raza Hasan Ali

23-24

Brains, Bravery & Brilliance — Vittoria Tesoro

25-26

Peacemaking Regarding Discrimination Towards Muslim Children in School — Yi Wang

27

Spoken Word in Education — Deanne Wah

28

Counting — Amanda Zhang

29

The Importance of Sex Education — S. Anderson

30

We Can Turn Things Around — Catherine Marinos

31-32

The Feelings of an Ideal Classroom — Joanna Marek

33-34

Final Thoughts

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Meet Your Writers What is your current favorite book?

What quote inspires you to make change?

S. Anderson: My current favourite book—or well, favourite book of all time—is The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. The way O'Brien writes is truly a work of art and I cannot wait to read his other pieces.

Imani King: I have a quote on the back of my phone case that says, "Do what you love". It reminds me to keep writing, especially spoken word poetry so I can perform it. Performing allows me to show others a different perspective, which can start up conversations and hopefully spark change.

Michelle Iznardo: Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

Xin Di Huang: My favourite book is currently the Barakamon series by Satsuki Yoshino. It is really light hearted, fun to read and filled with lots of unexpected emotional moments! For any manga lovers out there, this is it!

Yi Wang: That would be The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes. I've always enjoyed books with a touch in the field of psychology.

Also, the fact that this book is based on a true story made it more attractive and genuine.

Joselyn Wong: Zone One by Colson Whitehead, if you like zombies and perhaps a post-modernist reading.

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Kristen Henley: "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou Jessica Costello: "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." Helen Keller

What innovations do you think should be implemented into society?

What is the best binge-worthy TV show when in need of a study break?

Jessica Costello: Waterproof hearing aids.

S. Anderson: I find American Vandal incredibly binge-worthy. Absolutely hilarious with a very well-written plot.

Deanne Wah: I think there needs to be a tool that helps us identify our emotions so that we can be more mindful of ourselves and others.

Labelling an emotion can help us separate ourselves from the emotion itself and the experience that led to that emotion. I think that this tool can come in the form of a special bracelet or a smartwatch app that is capable of detecting emotions and labelling it accurately.

It can serve as a reminder to dial down emotions when they are too high.

Amanda Zhang: More culturally-responsive curricula that focus on (1) the climate crisis, (2) Indigenous environmental science, and (3) opportunities for Indigenous reconciliation.

Kristen Henley: The Blacklist.

Joanna Marek: The best show when I am in need of some relaxation has to be Grey's Anatomy. I've rewatched it countless times and always find it entertaining.

Yi Wang: It was Friends for a really long time. Recently I've fallen for Elizabeth Gillies's Dynasty. Her role as an independent woman and the vibe that she carries when she works with motivation and a clear goal is truly inspiring.

Catherine Marinos: Kim's Convenience is definitely my go-to study break show! Being a Toronto-based show, it is always relatable and fun to watch with friends!

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The Power of Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Plurality in Teaching At the age of seven, I held a romantic notion of teaching—helping students and coating my hands with powdered chalk. It wasn’t until the sixth grade when teaching truly became an aspiration of mine due to its potential for change. I had a teacher who was extremely attentive, who was always willing to speak to students after class. He cracked jokes and loved to ‘scare’ his students. I was painfully shy during my elementary years, yet after a few weeks in his class, I started to tentatively raise my hand. He helped me overcome, or at least control, my fear of oral participation. Looking back on it, I realized it was a mixture of his personality and his constant, unwavering belief in his students. He created a non-judgemental environment allowing me to open up and express myself.

I believe teaching is transformative at both the level of the individual and society. Too often, we see teaching as instruction: where the teacher merely lectures at the student and does not engage discussion with the student. Teaching is not a one-way exchange, but a bidirectional dialogue that inspires both the teacher and the student. At the heart of this transformation is an authentic relationship between student and teacher.

Quoting Carson, “[Students] are most likely to become engaged in that passion under the guidance of people whom they care about and who, they believe, care about them” (as cited in Forgie, 2019). I want to create an environment where students feel supported so that they are empowered in their learning and understand that their voice matters. Teachers should not be stiff pillars that instruct, but motivators who nourish the academic, social, and mental growth of students.

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Joselyn Wong Fourth Year English and French Major Education & Society Minor My role as a teacher is to create an inclusive learning community rooted in diverse and equitable practices. Teaching should provide multiple avenues for students to acquire, process, and convey their knowledge. I use a multidisciplinary approach to teaching so that various subjects are interwoven to generate a unique insight. Using mixed methods, such as combining audio and visual stimuli (i.e. adding subtitles to videos and writing key points on the board during discussions) ensures an accessible learning space for all students. Furthermore, evaluation should be diverse and formative. Assessments should be done frequently through various activities such as puzzles, presenations, and skits—not only through standardized testing, which only elicits certain skills from the student and does not account for multiple ways of understanding. Through teacher scaffolding and implementation of diverse activities, students can have equitable opportunities to construct their thinking so that they may apply their theories into practice and engage critically with the world.

According to William Yeats, “Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of a fire” (as cited in Forgie, 2019). Education is indeed not the filling of a pail—students are not objects to be filled with concepts or data. Rather, education is an ongoing process that encourages the development of essential skills, active learning, and nurtures the soul. It empowers students in their self-discovery to not only find inspiration, but to also inspire and ignite the potential in others.

References Forgie, J. (2019). Introduction to Teaching [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

https://q.utoronto.ca/courses/117461/files/4363847?module_item_id=920185

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Combatting Teacher Bias in the Classroom Using a Growth Mindset Pedagogy Yen-Chuen Liao

Third Year Criminology Major Physiology and Education & Society Minors

The presence of great teachers is crucial for the social capital development of children and their academic outcomes. Great teachers motivate students to study and pursue choices in post-secondary education. In this piece, I would like to discuss combatting teacher biases that hinder student development using a growth mindset pedagogy.

The growth mindset pedagogy works to bring awareness to how an educator’s perception on student ability reflects their behavior during teacher-student interactions. The intervention of a growth mindset pedagogy includes steps such as educating teachers on empathy, promoting individual skills, encouraging persistence, and process focused thinking (Rissanena et al., 2019). This pedagogy challenges the teacher on responsibility, and their teaching habits as many with fixed mindsets tend to believe they do not have the power to change or improve a student’s abilities (Rissanena et al., 2019).

The pros of addressing teacher bias using a growth mindset pedagogy is its ability to provide selfefficacy, affirmation in student potential (Patterson et al., 2015), and increasing desire for post-secondary education (Cherng, 2017). Neuroplasticity describes the brain’s ability to improve by deconstructing and reconstructing nerve connections with new experiences. This can be achieved by improving a student's learning goals. One study about middleschool Latino and black students whose abilities were underestimated, scored lower than Caucasian students in English and Math (Cherng, 2017).

Teachers could focus on formative assessments, evaluating student behavior individually instead of summative standardized testing. This way students can receive feedback, constructive criticisms, learn the commonality of failure without comparison (Boaler, 2019). It is especially important for teachers to suspend stereotypical judgement and quick use of punitive discipline as it limits reasoning skills for both sides and decreases student morale and confidence.

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A case study of an elementary school teacher, Anne in Finland, showed that it can be difficult to read the emotions of students (Rissanena et al., 2019). Her own biases inclined her to option for success-oriented motivation where she attended to the needs of low achieving students when high achieving students were left to independent work. An alternative option for Anne is to have the higher achieving students tend to the needs of lower achieving students using peer interaction to increase networking and participation.

This way, high achieving students can improve on process focused thinking, social capital, and not be capped with the fixed belief that they are more than capable enough.

Some shortcomings to focusing on teacher bias is that it is just one of the factors that could influence student achievement. It does not address a students’ characteristics such as personality or background (Sanders, 1997) nor components such as discrimination between peers, and structural racism on the curriculum level (Gaskin, 2015). Only through proper representation and culturally appropriate background knowledge can schools address other macro factors. However, with the decrease of teacher bias we should expect to see less emphasis on meritocracy and punitive discipline (Okonofua et al., 2016), as well as smaller performance gaps between genders and minorities through improved selfefficacy.

References Boaler, J. (2019). Limitless mind: learn, lead, and live without barriers. London: Thorsons.

Cherng, H.-Y. S. (2017). If they think I can: Teacher bias and youth of color expectations and achievement. Social Science Research, 66, 170–186.

Gaskin, A. (2015). Racial socialization. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/newsletter/2015/08/racialsocialization.

Okonofua, J. A., Paunesku, D., & Walton, G. M. (2016). Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(19), 5221–5226.

Patterson, M. M., Kravchenko, N., Chen-Bouck, L., & Kelley, J. A. (2016).

General and domain-specific beliefs about intelligence, ability, and effort among preservice and practicing teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 59, 180–190.

Rissanen, I., Kuusisto, E., Tuominen, M., & Tirri, K. (2019). In search of a growth mindset pedagogy: A case study of one teachers classroom practices in a Finnish elementary school. Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 204–213.

Number Sense at Your Fingertips Why use TouchCounts?

• It motivates students to overcome challenges in Mathematics.1 • It fosters an embodied understanding of Mathematics.2 • It combines social2 and technological3 learning in the classroom and beyond.

TouchCounts is an app through which users can use their fingers to learn to count, add, subtract and partition. Developed by Nathalie Sinclair and Nicholas Jackiw, TouchCounts was created as part of the Tangible Mathematics Project at Simon Fraser University in BC. Presenting a truly hands-on experience to learning, TouchCounts helps to develop users’ number sense, ordinality, cardinality and basic operations. TouchCounts offers two worlds, the Numbers World, and the Operations World, which are designed to focus on different areas of users’ mathematical development. TouchCounts allows for independent exploration of mathematics through the use of gestures and touch.

Teachers, parents, and students can all use TouchCounts. TouchCounts can be most effectively used in early years math as it improves children’s number sense. More specifically, it promotes students’ understanding of ordinality, cardinality, and operations. By introducing TouchCounts early on, students can better understand numbers, increasing their chances for future math success. It can enhance mathematical learning through autonomous and teacher-led instruction, which makes it a versatile

Jessica Costello, Kristen Henley, Michelle Iznardo Masters of Education in Child Study and Education tool in and out of the classroom.

The use of TouchCounts in the classroom increases students’ engagement, promotes meaningful student-driven learning experiences, and motivates students to participate in “hard fun.”1 It creates collaborative experiences that are driven by students’ curiosities and choice. Using TouchCounts for mathematics education is an excellent way to support growth mindset, and for all students to access learning.

References Kafai, Y. B. (2018). Constructionist visions: Hard fun with serious games. ​ International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction​.

1

Sinclair, N., Chorney, S., & Rodney, S. (2015). Rhythm in number: Exploring the affective, social, and mathematical dimensions using TouchCounts. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 28(1).

2

Sinclair, N. & Heyd-Metzuyanim, E. (2014). Learning number with TouchCounts: The role of emotions and the body in mathematical communication. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 19(1), 81-99. doi: 10.1007/s10758-014-9212-x 3

Examples

Teacher makes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 placed randomly on the screen and asks: can you place these in order?

Teacher places 1, 2 and 5 above the shelf but lets 3 and 4 fall. What are the missing numbers?

Teacher makes several 1s, 2s, 3s and 4s and challenges children to use these numbers to make target numbers.

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Get You A Teacher Who Can Do Both As a student in the Vic One Education Stream, I have been reflecting on who I am as

an educator. Having my education classes and going to placement each week, has had me thinking about how much it takes to be a teacher. The amount of work, patience, and passion that my placement teachers exude has me tired quite honestly, and I only see them for three hours a week.

With this in mind, I thought back to my past teachers. Someone who immediately came to mind was my grade eleven and twelve Physics teacher, Mr. Luca. He is simultaneously a secondary school teacher, and a professor at Ryerson University. I immediately sent him an email.

Back in grade twelve, I wondered how this was even possible. He is the teacher who will come early, stay the entire day, then stay late to help you out, attend your school events at night, and even take part in them as well. He did all of this, while being a parent and a second teacher. How could he manage all of this?

The answers I received were ones that you would expect from anyone working multiple jobs, like having balance. Mr. Luca’s responses spoke heavily on time, explaining that this was an obstacle that he has faced. Time is easily consumed by his busy schedule, and being with his family. However, Mr. Luca explained to me that he finds the time to reflect on his teaching, especially with what worked well in order to do better the next time.

Last year, applying to university had me concerned to say the very least, and I recall talking to Mr. Luca about my choices. Back then, my eyes were set on being a high school teacher, so I came for specific advice on which teachables to take. He told me that I should choose what I like. That answer didn’t make me feel grounded because if UofT accepted me (which they did), I felt that I needed to plan all the way up until applying to OISE. Remembering this situation had me ask Mr. Luca if it was easier to promote attending post-secondary to his grade 12 students. He said yes; he views post-secondary as a continuation of the learning process. He also noted that many of his high school students become anxious about going to university, but are fine once they start. Sorry Sir. A teacher’s philosophy of teaching is their own mission statement and includes their drive; this is something I love to ask about because everyone has a different answer.

Mr. Luca expressed that his goal is to try to have students understand why something

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they usually experience happens the way it does and students being able to relate will help their understanding. An innovation he has seen during his teaching career was advancing technology, such as cell phones, which he also uses as a teaching tool.

Ultimately, I wanted to figure out if Mr. Luca’s teaching style changed depending on the teaching environment he was in, especially with the “you are an adult” mentality when you start university. As it turns out, what changes is the fact that he knows his high school students better and more discussions take place. Did I really expect Mr. Luca to change his personality with older students? Not really, but with the actual evidence, I think that shows that he is the same fun and effective teacher no matter which class he is in.

In my eyes, Mr. Luca is a real-life superhero; in his twenty years of teaching so far, each of them are in secondary and twelve are in university. Being ready to explain how the world works and what is beyond our world everyday is crazy. I feel like this is a never-ending job, but after seeing Mr. Luca in action, it also feels like this is a never-ending joy.

Out of all the important lessons that I have learned from Mr. Luca, the most important one is that I need to be myself. In his class, you’ll see him enjoying what he does, which is highly contagious. If I can bring the same joy to my future classroom, I will know that my time in post- secondary was well spent. I want to be that teacher who is resourceful, engaging, knowledgeable, and who students like. Being that teacher is nowhere near easy, but what is important is that I know it is possible.

Even though I have never attended one of Mr. Luca’s university lectures, it’s pretty safe to say that he is the same person, no matter which class he’s in. As he’s told me multiple times: “Call me Mr. Luca or Mr. Luca, it’s your choice.”

Imani King

First Year English Major Vic One Education Stream

Professsor Luca

Department of Physics Ryerson University

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Unveiling the Chaotic School Environment of Private International High Schools: Peer Comparison and Bullying Xinlin Yu Third Year Philosophy and Psychology Major Education & Society Minor

Known for its openness to diverse cultures,

Toronto embraces students from all over the world. One prominent challenge that confronts all new-arriving students is: “What type of school should I choose?” Being overwhelmed by the pamphlets of private international schools and public high schools, many parents, especially those who have never been to Toronto before, make hasty decisions for their children. This move is like placing a bet: the child either gets in a school that is as good as its pamphlet claims, surrounded by caring teachers and friendly classmates, or the child loses the bet, picking up bad habits from their peers in a non-academicfocused school environment.

When I was 16, I came to Toronto alone to start my academic journey here. I was told that my high school was one of the biggest private schools in Toronto. I remembered the smiles of students in the advertisements when they received offers from prestigious universities. “Getting into this school is definitely the right choice.” That was my first thought. But it turned out this was only my fancy. Welcoming all intentional students

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Photo by: Joselyn Wong while imposing no systematic management, the academic environment was threatened. Peer comparison was prevalent. Many underaged newcomer students, who have not yet fully possessed the ability to distinguish right from wrong, have developed distorted values of life and money. Luxurious lifestyles become their pursuit and many abuse substances to “keep up with the cool kids.” Bullying, a byproduct of such peer comparison, is more than common. Rating all of their peers by the socioeconomic status of their parents, students who come from wealthier families engage in social and relational aggression to show off their advantages, although physical aggression is rare.

In such a school environment, students can barely focus on their academic achievement. As I reflected upon what students and parents should do to choose the right school, my advice is not to be blinded by what the school says. Be there physically to see what it is like. Chat with random students and infer from their statements whether it is the right school for your child/yourself or not.

In order to completely change this atmosphere, attention should be devoted from educators and school management staff. School policies targeted to behavioural regulations should be enacted, co-curricular activities which promote fellowship should be carried out, and counselling mechanisms and intervening measures for bullying should be developed.

The Gap between China’s Rural and Urban Education Xindi Huang Second year Psychology Major History and Education & Society Minor

What is the purpose of education? For many,

this is a question that may seem apparently easy to tackle; you might say education provides us with the necessary skills to obtain a career of interest later in life. But how should someone who has never been able to receive any education respond to this question? The responses from children living in urban regions may be different from children living in rural regions depending on their accessibility to education. Throughout China’s history, education for the most part has been made highly accessible for students in urban cities, with significantly less interventions directed to addressing the devastating shortages of education opportunities in the rural countryside. This long lasting inequality in education between rural and urban China results from the misallocation of teachers and the limitations of past education policies.

Historically, there has always been more teachers working in urban cities compared to rural regions, with reportedly 62% of full-time primary teachers in major cities, in contrast with 38% working in villages and towns during 2014 (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2015). In recent years, the proportion of urban & rural teachers has also been the subject of disruption, as the general pattern pointed to a stable decrease of full-time teachers in rural areas from 3.23 million to 2.81 million, between 2012-2017 (Li, J., Shi, Z., & Xue, E., 2019). Unable to withstand the stress and lack of resources, discouraged teachers often move to close by cities.

For students in urban schools, new teachers greatly enhance the educational quality and increases the accessibility of diverse subject matters. Whereas the increasing shortage of teachers in rural regions often places restrictions on students’ exploration with personal interests beyond the core curriculum.

Those who are discouraged from taking interest in various subject matters grow into disengaged learners, often categorized by teachers as the trouble students who show no productivity in class (Chung, 2012). Because teacher changes have become the norm, it becomes difficult for students and teachers to establish and maintain a positive relationship. In trying to get to know the class better, many teachers may unconsciously make attributions about students (based on their levels of participation in class or their interactions with peers and teachers), without fully understanding the student’s past experiences.

Another source of inequality experienced by rural areas are the massive school closures following the educational reform in 2001, where schools were merged into larger facilities further away into urban centres (Rao, J., Ye, J. 2016). Although the initial goal may have been one with a good cause, such as being able to save input, it has not gone unchallenged.

The flaw lies in the unforeseen damage within rural communities, that have lost roughly 63 primary schools and 3 junior high schools everyday between 2000-2010 (Rao, J., Ye, J., 2016). School closures in rural communities that were already deprived of school facilities inevitably made education even less accessible than before, thus further widening of the education gap between the urban and rural areas in China.

References

Chung, C. (2012). Why do primary school students drop out in poor, rural China? A portrait sketched in a remote mountain village. International Journal of Educational Development, 32(4), 537-545. Retrieved from https://doi. org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2012.02.012 Li, J., Shi, Z., & Xue, E. (2019) The problems, needs and strategies of rural teacher development at deep poverty areas in China: Rural schooling stakeholders perspectives. International Journal of Education Research, 99(2020), 101496. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.101496 The National Bureau of Statistics of China (2015). China Statistical Yearbook.

China: China Statistics Press Rao, J., Ye, J. (2016). From a Virtuous Cycle of rural-urban education to urban-oriented rural basic education in China: An explanation of the failure of China’s Rural School Mapping Adjustment policy. Journal of Rural Studies, 47(2016), 601611. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.07.005 Yan, A. (2017, December). How can China convince teachers to move to the countryside? South China Morning Post. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2123823/looking-answer-chinas-shortage-rural- techers

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A Call for Diversity in the English Curriculum As a fourth year English Specialist at U of T,

Maia Corsame Fourth Year English Specialist Book & Media Studies Minor

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I’ve attended various amazing and intellectually stimulating courses. From using Queer theory as way to critically analyze Renaissance texts to exploring the complexity and vastness of diverse Canadian narratives, the courses offered are expansive. In a single semester, I’m able to travel across eras within the span of a day: from reading Shakespearean sonnets one moment then switching seamlessly to Thomas King in the next. While the majority of these texts are fascinating, I can’t help but recognize a lack of cultural diversity within the English course offerings. This is a common concern for many English programs across Canada and the United States. The majority of English courses offered in universities are explicitly catered to Western texts and there are only a small percentage of courses that focus on anything outside of a Eurocentric perspective.

A focus on Western texts may seem expected when studying English literature, but I argue otherwise. English literature does not exclusively mean studying texts that originate from Britain, America, or Canada—I believe it should encompass all meaningful works written in English or translated into English despite their origin. And I think this issue should be discussed more: why don’t English programs offer more courses on Indigenous texts? Why are there so few courses on African literature and even fewer courses that feature South Asian texts? The heavy focus on a Eurocentric perspective disallows the opportunity for other voices to flourish.

While some courses, no doubt, put in the effort to include a diverse reading list, these courses are still the minority. So much emphasis is put on learning the ‘foundations and roots’ of Western literature that it ultimately does not give enough room for modern texts to shine. While I love Renaissance and pre-modern texts, I also think there also needs to be a prioritization on courses that feature more diverse content outside of this lens. While each text is unique and complex in its own right, it is discouraging to see that the majority of voices heard in these courses, are of White, European descent. I believe English programs should strive towards creating more diverse courses that look outside of a Eurocentric view. I also believe that interdisciplinary courses should be considered as valid credit. For example, here at the University of Toronto, the East Asian Studies Program offers a course on “Writing Women in Premodern China” which studies translated premodern Chinese texts that are about women and written by women. This course sounds fascinating and includes an East Asian literary narrative that is often overlooked in the English program.

Ultimately, while I love the study of English and have learned so much throughout my years here, I still think there are improvements that need to be made to many English programs across the country. We need courses that represent the diverse student body, and as a person of colour studying English—it’s something that we desperately need to work on.

I believe English literature should encompass all meaningful works written in English or translated into English despite their origin.

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INNOVATION IN EDUCATION THROUGH

ENGINEERING FEATURE INTERVIEW WITH

PROFESSOR CHIRAG VARIAWA Feature Interview Conducted By Jessica Allan

Jean Kim

Editor in Chief

Senior Editor

Third Year History Major Education & Society and Indigenous Studies Minor

Second Year English Major Education & Society and Psychology Minor

Professor Chirag Variawa is the director of

first-year curriculum and an assistant professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering within University of Toronto. A UofT alumni, he received both his undergraduate degree in Materials Science Engineering and his PhD from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the institution. Hey, Teach! had the chance to talk with him about his algorithm that makes engineering education more accessible, the relationship between accessibility and innovation, and more.

"This language that is meant to be making exam questions more authentic are actually alienating students."

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The theme for our issue is innovation in education so a large part of what we wanted to inquire about is the algorithm you created to make exams more accessible. What is the algorithm and what led you to its creation?

My PhD work was based on that algorithm of understanding the language of engineering education in order to make education more accessible and to apply that to as many different areas as possible.

The idea of the algorithm stemmed from my first-year of undergraduate studies, which I chose materials engineering for. I took part in a focus group where we would discuss possible improvements of this engineering design course.

As we spoke, there was a major issue that I discovered. All the examples we used were very male dominated, or very specific. For instance, we would make references to the TV show Pinky in the Brain. While I may be familiar with it as I grew up watching it, everyone else may not be.

How about others who are from different parts of the world? This was when I realized that examples need to be more accessible to people and that these conversations need to be opened up to others. Otherwise, there is a disconnect between the relationship of teaching and understanding.

Fast forward to the end of the first semester, I reached out to the professor from the focus group for a research opportunity. It was Professor Susan McCahan, who is now the Vice Provost of the university. I was offered to be a researcher for a textbook they were developing for that course.

From then, I continued doing research for this course throughout my undergraduate years.

There were so many ideas and research I was doing with respect to making education more accessible.

With all this research and data, I began considering pursuing a Masters and a PhD. What solidified this decision was this instance during the final exam of this design of physical objects course. One of the test questions was, “Should we replace all office chairs with pilates balls?� Frankly, I did not know what a pilates

ball was and had to ask the professor. When I raised this question, everyone around me had the same exact inquiry because the pilates ball itself had nothing to do with the course and was simply a feature to make the question more realistic. This was when I realized how much this process alienated so many people, myself included. The question then hit me: are there other terminologies that exist in exams that are tripping up students? This language that is meant to be making exam questions more authentic is actually alienating students, especially language that is not course-specific.

This was when I realized that this system needed change. I started looking at word frequency. For example, the consideration that less frequent words are more alienating and less accessible. I did research on search algorithms such as Google and other promising ones. After modifying them significantly and adding them to different algorithms, I then applied them to repositories of exams. The process was to take an exam and see if the algorithm can find the coursespecific terminology for it and the inaccessible terminology by inverse correlation. This was able to extract twenty-five most important terms from the exam. The idea was for this to become a study tool; to give these terms to students ahead of time so that they know what terminology they are supposed to know and what inaccessible terminology they should ask questions about.

"This was when I realized that this system needed change."

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You have told us that you were a student at UofT before you became a professor at the same institution. What were some changes you have seen from your time as a student to now as a professor?

I think much of it has to do with workload.

Workload has become more prevalent for students. It’s harder for students to escape the workload or to separate themselves from the workload, and I think that possibly is because of technology. When I went through undergrad, I didn’t have to have a laptop. I didn’t have to have a phone. In fact, I didn’t have a laptop and I didn’t have a phone until fourth year.

But now, you need to have a laptop in order to go to Quercus and all these online pieces of the educational experience and it’s hard to separate yourself from that if you even wanted to. However, even though the workload has increased, there is now a focus on understanding mental health, which wasn’t in place before.

"It's harder for students to escape the workload or to separate themselves from the workload, and I think that possibly is because of technology."

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How do you think your algorithm, or something very similar, can be implemented in other subjects?

The algorithm would require some work to bring it into a user-friendly format. It was built on an older computer so it requires material preparation. For example, resources such as a repository of exams have to be indexed properly.

With everything machine learning related, you need to have a good training set. If your data coming in isn’t organized properly, then the machine doesn’t know what the common traits are or what to look for. As that data set continues to evolve because of new exams coming in (i.e. new material being taught), we constantly need to check to make sure that this machine algorithm is learning what we want it to learn, because of the ethics of machine learning. One of the things that I teach in my first-year programming class is Google Translate. If you convert a statement like “John is a nurse, he is having a terrible day” to French, Spanish, German, Italian then back to English, it will say, “John is a nurse, she is having a terrible day”. It will change from “he” to “she” because it associates “nurse” with “she”, which is unethical. You don’t want the computer to make decisions for you when you don’t know what the decisions are.

We’ve seen an increase in advocacy for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education in recent years. What do you believe to be the ideal relationship between STEM and other subjects, say a more Humanities approach?

Collaboration should be central to all of these institutions of thought, because otherwise you create silos. Silos incubate information that becomes inaccessible to others. The corollary to that is to say you have a lot of technical information, and that technical information is hard learned. There’s a lot of training involved to understand that and while you may need to have rigorous technical education, the ability to communicate information to people who are otherwise less privileged becomes very important.

We have greater access to information today than we ever had in the past, so people are making decisions based on what they think is correct, or what they think sounds correct. And so based on that, I think people in the STEM disciplines especially have a responsibility to share that knowledge and become fact checkers, to share that expertise. However, this goes both ways. How does the net total of the information we know about how humans interact with one another, which is embodied in the arts and the social sciences, how is that then informing the research work that is moving our field together forward?

Building on this idea of collaboration, what would you say is the relationship between accessibility and innovation, especially in education?

I’m a big foodie and I’m going to use it as an analogy. In the past institutions of higher education have been seen as the gatekeeper of knowledge. One goes through the gate, learns, and then shares that knowledge with the world.

However, I think education as we move forward is more like a buffet. That means that instead of just inviting one in, there is something for everyone. Pick and choose what you like to learn about. Build on it. Make it the best thing. Make it something unique. Share it with other people and then enjoy it together. The collaborative component is intrinsically a part of that buffet, and is the most important.

In the field of Engineering, what is the role of innovation?

As an Engineer, you’re constantly trying to improve things in an informed way. Essentially then, innovation is improvement, not based on what I personally think should happen, but based on what the needs are of the people around us. If I told someone what they should do or learn, that would be asserting privilege. As a First in the Family not only to get an education in Canada but just to get a higher education, I think it is important for us to step back and understand that the educational process is something that

is different for everyone, although many people generalize and think that it is all the same. We need to work to make it more accessible for different people. An example would be the Grade 5 students we had come into one of my classes who had never seen a crayon melted before, but saw them reshaped into something else. It helps them to understand that they too can do this, without needing a rocket science degree.

Fast forward twenty years when these kids are coming into their Masters and grad programs and that confidence that they can do this no matter where they’re from, is what propels them through to making this change and sharing that change with everyone.

"This is what propels them through to making this change and sharing that change with everyone."

Do you have any advice for students who are hoping to create their own educational innovations, whether it be through products like your algorithm, policies or any kind of strategy or method?

Consider taking a scientific approach, which is to say, try to understand the world for what it is. These days, there is information at your fingertips. Try to look for dissenting or different opinions than your own and understand what is fact and what is opinion. Change your opinion if the facts suggest that it should, and don’t feel afraid to change that. Sticking to your opinion through everything isn’t necessarily always the best route so keep an open mind. I think it is very important to be open to changing yourself in the process of changing the world around you. Keep a positive mind and know that there are always people out here who wish the best for you.

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You do a lot of work in the field of education, can you give us some background on that, and why you choose to do it?

When I moved to Toronto, a large part of my stay here was applying for a lot of grants.

I have a significant amount of money from the dean to support work study students, to support masters students and undergraduate students who have an interest in pursuing engineering education research as it applies to first-year engineering education. Last year, I hired four work study students, all women in engineering, all second-year students, to do a research study about the women in engineering experience. They wrote a paper on their findings and presented that work. I have also worked with a first-year undergraduate student who wanted to look at ways in which we can create a chatbot. Essentially, texting a phone number that responds back, but it’s virtual. This entire group kind of came up with a logo and a name; it’s called the “First-Year Engineering Education Research Group” (FYEER). Last year it even won the CEEA Best Student Presentation Award, after a presentation at a national conference of the Canadian Engineering Education Association in Ottawa. This goes to show that because these students were supported through this process, they came back with a third place title, even though they had never been to a conference before.

I am also involved in the Faculty in Residence program. It is based on a U.S. model where a faculty member lives in a student residence. This year, due to conversations initiated partially by myself, this has come to exist at the UofT, and my wife and I live in Chestnut Residence. Although we are in a seperate and renovated suite, we hold a few monthly events and get to interact closely with students everyday. It actually all stemmed from an interaction I had with a student at a grocery store who saw me and said: “Oh my gosh, Professor Variawa. You eat?”. I knew I needed to humanize the university experience, professors are human too, and this led me to this program.

Do you have any final thoughts on this topic that you would like to share?

The topic of ‘Innovation in Education’ sounds so optimistic. There is so much positivity there.

Build on it. That positivity is everywhere and without that positivity, you won’t have a drive to “just do it”. However, the engineering me thinks “no, don’t just do it. Think about what you’re doing before you do it.” There doesn’t need to be a disconnect between your mind and your heart. Use the world around you to help and form the decisions that you make, and sometimes when all these three things come together, it feels awesome.

"There doesn't need to be a disconnect between your mind and your heart. Use the world around you to help and form the decisions that you make, and sometimes when all these three things come together, it feels awesome."

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Final Thoughts from the Interviewers This interview with Professor Variawa provided insight into how innovation can be used in education to benefit students, such as breaking down language barriers, providing early exposure to STEM subjects, and even improving relationships with professors. Professor Variawa highlights continual improvement as a key motivation for innovation, and through his research, we see how this pertains not only to factors such as efficiency but also to accessibility and equity. Thus, innovation becomes not just a product of evolving times but a necessity and a responsibility. Like Professor Variawa, we can and should use our experiences to create new solutions to support the success of a wider range of future students. The knowledge we gain must be paid forward. Moreover, innovation is not specific to any subject or group of people and can manifest in a many different, creative forms. We all have something to share and ideas to put into action. This interview has impressed the necessity of collaboration, to ensure knowledge-sharing between disciplines and diverse bodies of people so that everyone can be informed and contribute moving forward. As Professor Variawa suggests, education should be seen as a ‘buffet’ that welcomes anyone, and innovation is part of the recipe required for everyone to come together and enjoy the meal.

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BRAIN TRAINING:

An Overview of the use of Video Games to Improve Cognitive Functioning Ali Raza Hasan Ali

Fourth Year Psychology Major Education & Society and Buddhist Psychology & Mental Health Minor

The subject of using video games as a form of

brain training is one which is quite divisive in today’s media. On a fundamental level, there exists a need to determine the consequences of playing video games for cognitive training using quantified methods. As such, this article will attempt to compare the conclusions found in Anderton’s “Video Games Are Good for Your Brain” to Toril, Reales, & Ballesteros’ Video Game Training Enhances Cognition of Older Adults: A Meta-Analytic Study.

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Kevin Anderton lists himself as a freelance graphic designer who graduated from VCU in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts. He HEY, TEACH! WINTER 2019

aims to produce both informative articles and infographics about video games and science.

This would suggest that he is capable of reading scientific literature regarding the efficacy of video games but does not have expertise in the field of psychology. Anderton argues that results seen in environmental enrichment studies on animals may translate over to humans such that video games may improve hippocampal-related memory. Here, Anderton cites two studies as the basis for his argument. The first study is meant to assess whether video game exposure leads to alterations in hippocampal-memory function.

This was done via comparing gamers to nongamers on an enumeration test and a mnemonic test. It was found that previous gaming

experience had no impact on the enumeration test, but that it did have a significant effect on mnemonic discrimination; this suggested that playing video games enhanced hippocampalmemory. This experiment also involved comparing casual gamers to competitive gamers using the same mnemonic discrimination test, and it was noted that competitive gamers presented no significant difference to the casual gamers. This suggested that competitive gaming was not required to present these hippocampal improvements. The second study compared gamers who played 2D-games to those who played 3D-games, as to determine whether playing three-dimensional games had any impact. It was found that 3D gaming did improve hippocampal memory.

In comparison, Toril et al. completed their meta-analytic study at The National Distance Education University, which included publishing in the Psychology and Aging Journal.

Toril is a professor at the National Distance Education University and has completed over 17 experimental studies on cognitive training using video games and brain training games. As such, this group of authors presents expertise in the field of cognitive training, as well as previous experience in the use of the experimental scientific method to assess the efficacy of particular treatments. Here, the authors argue that video game training produces positive

effects on cognitive functions such as reaction time, attention, memory and global cognition.

The evidence used was based on a meta-analytic procedure completed on 20 studies across a span of 27 years. They found that in older adults, video game training significantly affected aspects of cognitive functioning that often decline with aging, such as memory, attention and reaction time. Additionally, a variety of moderator effects that influenced the impact of video game training were noted, such as shorter training being more efficacious than longer training, effects being stronger with older age, and that there existed no significant differences between simple and complex games. It is through these results that one can conclude that for a specifically older population (71-80 years old), that short training in either complex or non-complex video games may lead to improvements in reaction time, attention and memory.

References Anderton, K. (2017, May 16). Video Games Are Good For Your Brain. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton/2017/05/16/video-game-are-good-for-yourbrain-infographic/#afb601673e00 Toril, P., Reales, J. M., Ballesteros, S., Toril, P., Reales, J. M., & Ballesteros, S. (2014). Video game training enhances cognition of older adults: A meta-analytic study. Psychology and Aging, 29(3), 706-716. doi:10.1037/a0037507 HEY, TEACH! WINTER 2019

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Brains, Bravery & Brilliance:

Vittoria Tesoro

Masters of Arts in Child Study and Education

Picture books have the ability to captivate the curious minds of inquiring children. It is the desire for

entertainment, new learning, or admiration of impressive illustrations that keeps readers returning for more. Considering the powerful impact of the written word, it is essential that educators introduce picture books that depict culturally relevant pedagogy in a manner that connects to and represents the vast identities of students. Teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) through picture books consisting of racially diverse female protagonists is a meaningful way to demonstrate diversity, ability, and love of learning. Here are three picture books that do just that.

Julia Finley Mosca’s The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague is a rhyming biography of Raye Montague, the first woman to lead ship design. The book depicts Raye’s struggle to integrate herself as a woman of colour, in the predominantly male field of engineering. The book addresses issues of racism and sexism while simultaneously evoking a positive perspective of perseverance and fortitude. The book includes a series of fun facts about Raye Montague, including a note from Raye that is dedicated to readers. The Girl with a Mind for Math allows readers to see that one can prevail in times of adversity and achieve one’s goals with determination and bravery.

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Mosca, J. F., & Rieley, D. (2019). The girl with a mind for math: the story of Raye Montague. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Introducing STEM Through Culturally Diverse Female Characters in Picture Books Komal Singh’s Ara the Star Engineer emphasizes female and cultural representation. The story features Ara, a girl with a love for science and math, who ventures on a learning investigation with the assistance of a robot and female engineers. These culturally diverse female characters are based on the real-life engineers of: Kripa Krishnan, Parisa Tabriz, Diane Tang, and Marian Croak. A brief biography of each scientist is provided in the back of the book along with “Ara’s Notebook”, which defines STEM terms referenced throughout the story. Ara the Star Engineer illustrates how curiosity and joy of learning can fuel one’s desire to pursue engineering.

Singh, K., & Konak, I. (2018). Ara the Star Engineer. Vancouver, Canada: Page Two Books.

Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes’ Cece Loves Science tells the story of a girl named Cece and her best friend, Isaac, who partner together to complete a science project about animals. The story emphasizes the importance of being inquisitive, the process of trial and error, how to test hypotheses, and to not give up when one’s experiments are unsuccessful. The book also contains a glossary of “Cece’s Science Facts” for new learners to consult. While this book demonstrates the various processes of conducting a science project, it also depicts racial diversity in its protagonist and supporting characters which ultimately reflects the diverse identities of its readers.

Derting, K. (2018). Cece loves science.

Harpercollins Childrens Books.

Using picture books with culturally diverse female characters is an excellent way for educators to reduce marginalization and biases when introducing STEM subjects. Through these stories, students are exposed to a diverse representation of brainy, brave, and brilliant female characters whose discoveries were accomplished by their abilities and love of learning. As Ms. Frizzle would say: “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”

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Peacemaking Regarding Discrimination Towards Muslim Children in School According to the data collected by the

American Muslim Poll in 2017, compared to other religions, Muslim children are reported to have experienced more bullying at school because of their religion compared to others in North America. This piece will speak on the reason and impacts behind the discrimination towards Muslim Children in school and proposed method for peacemaking.

Yi Wang Fourth Year

East Asian Studies Major Education & Society and Canadian Studies Minor

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Muslim children, just like every other immigrant, take times to negotiate between Islamic values and North American norms (Ahmad & Szapara, 2003). The term “Islamophobia” is defined by Edward Said in 1979 as the stereotypical and close-minded association of Islam and Arabs with negative images and sentiments promoting prejudice and hatred towards Muslims. Since the start of the Syrian civil war and fleeing refugees in the beginning of 21st century, the discontent for anti-Muslim feelings had risen in Europe and North America. Moreover, after the incidents happened on September 11th, 2001 in the United States, Muslim students received more harassment in school (Bickmore, 2011). People in these societies were often unconsciously sinking into the overwhelming and repeating discourse of politicians and news coverages that unnecessarily enlarge and redundantly display extremism in Muslims (Elkassem et al., 2018).

With the purposely excessive negative disclosure regarding religion and the children’s distinct clothing traditions, Muslim children are more vulnerable to bullying in school than children that practice other religions.

As for steps towards peacemaking for the discrimination against Muslim children in school, Elkassem et al. (2018) proposed that schools could offer more opportunities to encourage Muslim children talking about their experiences. The school staff could be trained in learning how to establish healthy relationships with the students and also in responding to observed discriminative incidents to provide timely support. Schools should hold regular meetings to address the issue on a regular basis regarding mutual respect, positive choice, and positive attitude (Bickmore, 2011). Moreover, as suggested by Bickmore (2011), an Awareness program, like: Internet Bullying, Say No to Violence, and Educate About Islamophobia, can be implemented into the school from an early age to help orient students’ perspective on bullying and discrimination. Bickmore also proposed in her article: Peacebuilding Dialogue Pedagogies in Canadian Classrooms, that when conflict is observed in the classroom, instead of facilitating a consensus in the classroom from private talks for superficial peacekeeping, teachers should promote peacemaking circles to address the problem and conflict from the root. Oberoi et al. (2018) also mentioned that it is important to accommodate for Muslim religious practices in school by having structural supports. For example: providing a room for Muslim children to pray, establishing a Muslim Student Association or something similar that can represent the community. These proposed methods for peacemaking achieve short-term goals and in the long run, changes will be visible in both micro and macro levels.

References Ahmad, I., & Szapara, M. Y. (2003). Muslim children in urban America: The NYC schools experience. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 23, 295–301.

Bickmore, K (2011). Policies and Programming for Safer Schools: Are “Anti-bullying” Approaches Impeding Education for Peacebuilding? Education Policy, 25(4) 648–687 Bickmore, K (2014). Peacebuilding Dialogue Pedagogies in Canadian Classrooms.

Curriculum Inquiry 44 (4, September), 553-582. doi: 10.1111/curi.12056 Elkassem, S., Csiernik, R., Mantulak, A., Kayssi, G., Hussain, Y., Lambert, K., Bailey, P., & Choudhary, A., (2018). Growing up Muslim: The impact of Islamophobia on children in a Canadian community. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 12 (1) 3-18 Funk, Nathan & Said, Abdul Aziz (2004). Islam and the West: Narratives of conflict and conflict transformation. International Journal of Peace Studies, 9 (1) 2-28 Oberoi, A. K., & Trickett, E. J., (2018). Religion in the Hallways: Academic Performance and Psychological Distress among Immigrant origin Muslim Adolescents in High Schools.

Am J Community Psychol, 61, 344–357 Thijs, J., Hornstra, L., & Charki, F. Z., (2018). SelfEsteem and National Identification in Times of Islamophobia: A Study Among Islamic School Children in The Netherlands. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, 2521–2534

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Spoken Word in Education Spoken Word in Education Spoken Word in Education Teaching spoken word.

It’s time that we switch the focus of our teaching of poetry from meaning to feeling It’s a feeling you get when you spit out words that hold more than just meaning It’s the rhymes that you hear that stick with you and linger in that space Did those words that you spoke evoke some visceral response on your face?

Then you’re doing it right, Take that mic, hold it to your lips, and take flight.

Deanne Wah Master of Arts in Child Study & Education

Spoken word poetry combines the elements of rap, hip-hop, blues, and storytelling to create a performance that is meant to be listened to and heard. It is a powerful form of expression that speaks to the experiences and obstacles encountered by the poet. This knowledge building derives from the oral traditions of the African diaspora with themes that include incarceration, sexism, racism, marginalization, drugs, and systemic inequalities (Walkington, 2018). Spoken word poetry ultimately disrupts the dominant narrative and gives a voice to everyone.

Spoken word is a form of poetry that is so often overlooked in the classroom, yet has such enormous benefits in teaching rhyme, rhythm, and meter. As it is a performance art, it also allows students to practice eye contact, gestures, and vocalization. The first poem below is a call for teachers to bring spoken word into the classroom. The second poem is about the creation and expression of art.

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Visualize it rich and colourfully.

Expressing emotions through the 5 senses—the imagery they create The vividness of the images, only possible in what we make Through the visuals students can see their stories: bring them to life.

Open this book and you can see what it’s like Pay attention to what feels right—that touch that makes things real Soft, hard, brittle, firm, prickly think of what that feels Taste that spicy red, that salty blue, that sweet pink, and that bitter green Ask us about that savoury taste and you can use that golden gleam Smells bring back memories of experience of the past Like the smells you get from that green fresh smelling grass When we integrate these images to the sounds of your voice You can create music and words that brings your work joy.

References Walkington, L. M. (2018). The Power of SpokenWord: Transformative Social Justice and Healing in Structurally Oppressed Communities. UC Riverside. ProQuest ID: Walkington_ucr_0032D_13331. Merritt ID: ark:/13030/m5770c66. Retrieved from https:// escholarship.org/uc/item/41f546x9

Counting Counting Counting When I was six,

I loved counting sheep.

3, 4, 5, 6— Up and up, they would leap.

When I was thirteen, Math was my favourite class.

The highest marks they’ve ever seen, “You were born to calculate mass!”

When I was nineteen, I started university.

The first time I questioned my self-esteem: Lectures filled with boys, left me with curiosity.

When I was thirty, I worked at a firm using sin, cos, tan.

All the looks I got were dirty— “Oh man, you look so nerdy!”

“Oh, you work in STEM? That’s so quirky!”

“Oh, you want the same raise as Arty?”

“Huh, I don’t think you(r filings) are worthy.”

I don’t think I don’t I I think I think about how it would be, If I were a man.

Amanda Zhang Second Year English Major Indigenous Studies and Education Minor

My daughter just turned six, She loves counting sheep.

3, 4, 5, 6— Up and up, I hope she gets to leap.

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The Importance of Sex Education S. Anderson Second Year English and Italian Major

“You had sex ed in high school?”

My friend had an incredulous look on her face, as if

she could not believe what she was hearing. To be fair, she probably didn’t. The fact that I was able to speak about sex so casually and be somewhat knowledgeable about it was shocking to her. We had been talking about the hit Netflix TV series, Sex Education. The premise of it seems to be highly unrealistic - where a student sets up a “sex clinic” to aid his fellow peers in sexual-related topics in the role of a mentor. However, the show does shine light upon a pressing issue that I did not realize still exists across many high schools: the lack of sex education.

In my high school, it was part of the curriculum to have a sex ed specialist and our counsellors sit us down for a long talk about sexual health. It almost feels as if I am, for lack of a better term, “privileged” enough to be able to say that this occurred in every single year of my high school career. But this should never be a “privilege”— this should be a must in teaching curriculums, a necessity for teenagers and young adults alike. The ripe age of the “-teens” (from thirteen to nineteen) is when puberty comes and goes followed by a storm of raging hormones. A youth going through middle school, high school then university would already have more than enough responsibilities to carry for years on end.

Having little to no prior knowledge of sex and having to seek out that information on their own only adds onto that pressure. While sex education in general is lacking in many teaching curriculums, there are some topics that are slightly more prominent than others.

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An issue that prevails to this day is the consent talk.

Although recent years have displayed improvement in raising awareness on consent, my personal interactions with my peers have shown me otherwise. The education on the need for consent to be given is incredibly important. What consent is and how vital it is should be taught early on, and in my case, it was. However, I do feel there is a bigger issue. Many feel pressured to give consent when in reality, they do not want to. If someone does not say a definitive “yes”, then you do not have their consent. Obviously, this heavily implies that if you do not say a definitive “yes” to someone, then it means you do not give consent to them. In my experience, “it is okay if you don’t give consent”, is never taught in an explicit manner. For a youth with little to no experiences, the lack of this affirmation is enough to lead them to doubt their decisions and perhaps feel pressured into giving consent. Such a seemingly small detail could be the stem of bigger issues.

As of this day, we are constantly making progress in educating the youth on sex. However, there are still improvements to strive towards. The first step is to have sex education accessible to all youths across teaching curriculums. But something as simple as changing the way something is taught could make a huge difference down the line.

Things

We Can Turn Around Catherine Marinos Second Year Linguistics Major

It is often easy to get lost in amyopian and fixed mindset, especially when it comes to facing challenges where the solution is not clear or simple. Perhaps as educators, we have a fair amount to learn from children with regards to innovation, adaptability, and a general aptitude for perceiving situations in a different light.

Considering the strong habits, morals, and belief systems most adults have developed, plasticity in thought processes can become difficult to apply, serving as a major barrier for innovative thinking. However, it is often necessary to be open to change, especially in approaching and analyzing issues, including those in our education system. This becomes especially pressing when considering that many of these issues revolve around equality and equity issues, which are interconnected with prejudice and discrimination. Although seemingly stark at first, innovative thinking can certainly help develop solutions to such issues.

Prejudice and Descrimination With prejudice and discrimination in our society There will never be a day Where we can all express ourselves freely In a world with surprisingly unique people It is easy to feel judged It will never be the case where We can all wake up feeling equal No matter what others say I am convinced that Prejudice and discrimination are the only solution It is foolish to presume that By looking through another set of eyes We can turn things around Read the lines from the bottom to top

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The Feeling of an

Ideal Classroom Joanna Marek Third Year French Language Learning Major Education & Society and Religion Minors

When students think of school it can go either

two ways: pure excitement and joy or dislike and boredom. When separating these two options, the first scenario is ultimately what teachers should try to achieve in their classrooms.

The goal should be to create a welcoming and lively environment where a student’s creativity and talent is nurtured.

Both of these scenarios are common for any student and I feel that sometimes it is difficult for students to monitor which situation they are in. Therefore, it should be the teachers and the school’s objective to ensure passion, thrill and accessibility in the classroom environment. The key to excelling and improving is understanding that learning in the long run will provide knowledge and success for the future.

Having an education and being aware is If the environment is catered to the students, then the first step to a student’s future life. nothing will keep them away from learning due to a craving and interest for more. The second scenario is what teachers should try to avoid because if a student is not interested in learning then it defeats the entire purpose of them sitting in that classroom. There must be a will and interest to acquire knowledge or else real learning—the authentic interest structured by the collaboration of teacher and student—will not take place.

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The school is an environment that should foster talent and help develop independence. It is not a space to create neutral voices but a space to inspire and guide children in discovering the path to their life. Once this idea is realized, real learning takes place.

Real learning is the goal in receiving an education.

It is a collaboration and understanding between students and teacher. One entity does not and cannot work separately from another. This exchange is a give and take relationship where both entities cooperate to create an environment that suits the needs and requirements of both parties.

A stimulating environment that elicits joy and excitement is a necessity for students.

Therefore, an ideal classroom works as a step by step process.

Finally, achieving success in the classroom is all linked back to communication. For a student to feel excitement and joy when they think of school, both students and teachers must be receptive of one another.

Open communication will create a sense of belonging and this is exactly what students want to feel in the classroom environment.

First, there should be a collaboration between students and the teacher: this will encourage participation and will also create a sense of belonging in the classroom. Secondly, that collaboration will motivate students to be present.

If students are involved in the decision-making process and have some form of choice in what they learn, then they will want to learn. Thirdly, excitement for subjects will ultimately generate confidence and pride. An enormous part of a student’s well-being is linked to how they feel in the classroom, so if positivity is associated with school then they will continue to learn with an open mind. Lastly, confidence will help students achieve success. If students feel comfortable and confident in a subject then they have no reason to doubt themselves.

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Executive Thoughts In a rapidly evolving world of technological advances and globalization,

we have more knowledge and responsibility to a greater collective.

Innovation is the key to ensure that we use these resources to meet our students’ diverse needs. Educators should never be afraid to innovate; we must continually strive towards improvement, even when it means making waves and challenging established traditions. Innovation is creative, collaborative, and exciting, calling us to build upon each other towards a common goal. It is not limited to any subject or field in education and it can be as small as a lesson plan. We all bring new thoughts and fresh perspectives, voices and ideas that are valid and should be heard.

- Jean Kim, Senior Editor When we announced our theme for this issue, I was curious

as to how our writers would interpret the word “innovation” and how it could potentially relate to education. Based on the pieces in this issue, the word holds multiple connotations and meanings for everyone. From wanting to see improvements in the school curriculum to advocating for more women in STEM, “innovation” is a term that both motivates and amplifies ideas that need to be heard. Thus, I hope this issue also compels you to feel inspired and be innovative as well.

- Maia Corsame, Senior Editor

The term ‘innovation’ plays an extremely unique role in the context of education. On one hand, it presents an endless number of changes which can have a set of unknown consequences on learners. On the other hand, it presents an opportunity for creativity and advancement in education such that future generations are better able to handle the challenges presented to them. As such, this issue has done a tremendous job at showcasing the balance of innovations in education as being both a constructive tool of the future as well as an opportunity for growth in the field.

- Ali Raza Hasan Ali, Senior Productions Manager

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HEY, TEACH! WINTER 2020

There is a common misconception that, unlike other

fields, education is stagnant. However, the world is evolving rapidly, and systems of education must continue to adapt in order to adequately prepare students for their futures. In this issue, writers explored different forms of innovation in education to showcase the potential for modernization in classroom settings.

I hope that this issue inspired aspiring and current teachers to implement new strategies and methods for their students.

- Bisman Kaur, Associate Productions Manager

When we talk about innovation, I tend to think about

technology. However, this issue shows that innovation is so much more than that. Innovation in Education is a complex subject that may have many different interpretations. Yes, innovation is technology. But it is also the evolution of the education system. We need to pinpoint the conversations that we still need to have, yet we should also celebrate what we have achieved so far. Education has come a long way and we should be proud of that. Here is to making even further progress.

- Rachel Banh, Associate Productions Manager

Often in life we tend to focus on the negatives. This is

why I think talking about the innovations occurring in education is so important. While we are at a point in time where education and teaching are facing much scrutiny, looking at the positive things being implemented and taught serve a great purpose of reminding about the importance of education. I think this issue perfectly reflects many of the wonderful things taking place in the field of education today.

- Jessica Allan, Editor in Chief HEY, TEACH! WINTER 2020

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THE STAFF OF HEY, TEACH! MAGAZINE EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO VICTORIA COLLEGE FACULTY ADVISOR PROFESSOR JULIA FORGIE, THE SUPPORTING STAFF OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRINCIPAL, AND VUSAC. THANK YOU!

Hey, Teach! is dedicated to developing the philosophies and ideas of aspiring teachers. email us at heyteach@utoronto.ca