I believe that it is beneficial to include literature, visual art, perspectives, and opinions of other cultures, as I had while growing up. Especially at a young age such as elementary level, it would open the perspectives of young minds for the future. Building a community that is open and willing to learn about others' cultures at a young age will lead to a future of open-minded politicians, doctors, teachers, etc.
LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCEThroughout my field experience I have gained a new perspective on the educational system in Canada. Education is a changing idea and system all around the world, and as a teacher I will need to adjust and grow with these changes as they happen, so this field experience was a good way to learn about how quickly change can happen and how to deal with it as a teacher.
One of the main things I noticed was the fluidity of grades. Almost every classroom we visited was a split-grade classroom, meaning there were students of different ages learning together. We learned about how they choose which students go where, and how beneficial this classroom set-up is for all the students, not just educational but also socially. This idea really interested me and it was nice to see the acceptance of different learning levels within the school system. Another thing we discussed was the immigration levels at this particular school. The principal noted that when one family immigrates and choose a school before the school year starts, that school is more likely to receive a high number of immigrant student throughout the year than a school who did not start off with an immigrant family. The principal stated that this is because a sort of 'familiarity concept.' Similar to how students feel represented when they see similar students in posters, literature, videos, etc. students and families will be drawn to schools who have already accepted students of similar situations or backgrounds. This was also interesting because these schools do not receive more funding than any other school, so it is difficult for them to continue accepting great numbers of students when they do not have the supports these students need. |