No Accreditation for Trinity West Law Graduates: Is an education legitimate if it is based on exclusion and homophobia?……and In defense of [creative] lecturing…

The proposed Trinity West law school will not be able to turn out accredited graduates because of violation of same sex equality laws.  The school requires students to sign a “community covenant” which prohibits sex outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.   The Law Societies of BC and Ontario and Nova Scotia all agree with denying accreditation to Trinity West graduates of the proposed law school.  Trinity West has applied to the courts to review the BC Law Society Decision.  The BC Ministry of Education withdrew its approval of the program, pending the outcome of the BC Supreme Court litigation.  The discussion about institutional homophobia surrounding Trinity West has demonstrated that post secondary institutions have a particular role in defending equitable access to education and access to professions.   Here is one article providing a good starting point for an ultimately more complicated discussion regarding the role of the Charter, human rights, and religious rights in post secondary institutions.

http://www.macleans.ca/authors/emma-teitel/the-false-debate-over-trinity-western/

Creative Lecturing

“Lecturing Creatively”, Ch 6 of Brookfield’s The skillful teacher, immediately identifies that there exists a false dichotomy in education in which an instructor either lectures, or tends to group activities (or that students favour learning one way or the other).  People readily identify with one style of learning or the other “I like traditional classrooms with a lecture format” for example.  To some, this may mean that since we were often raised with a traditional lecture, in which students played a more passive role (Friere’s “Banking Concept of Education”) they are therefore more comfortable with this mode.  In fact, a lecture can delineate the topic and inspire students, and can be one part of the day, or course, or session.  Discussions or the numerous  perspective taking activities, or question posing can occur at regular intervals in an instructional session.   Brookfield describes that lecture and varied activity can be planned, communicated integrated, in support of creating a helpful learning environment.  He resists the idea of dispensing with “lecture”, because a good presentation can move students forward in their understanding of a topic.  I readily agree, and numerous TED talks can attest to the importance of a lecture or presentation, just as the Munk Debates can inspire us to pose and respond to difficult questions, expand our points of reference and confront and respond to different ideas.  On the eve of the election, perhaps it is a good time to revisit the recent Munk debate between our Federal leaders on Foreign Policy:  https://www.munkdebates.com/debates  These are far from boring and I think combine question posing with lecture format.

In addition, Karen pointed out an article in the NY Times that is relevant to this very topic:  “Lecture me, Really”:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/opinion/sunday/lecture-me-really.html?_r=0Lecture Me. Really.

OCT. 17, 2015

I am further convinced of the power of a silence, listening and the practice of note taking that takes place through lecture.

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Resistance to Learning, Transformation and the Halo Effect……

Resistance is understood as the refusal to comply with something, in this case, learning.  More broadly applied, the concept of resistance in politics, statecraft, culture, counselling,  medicine, or physics describes a force that “pushes back”.  Whether in short term workshops, or long term formal training, I believe that any instructor has encountered (to a greater or lesser degree) overt or passive forms of resistance in their classroom.  Stephen Brookfield, in Chapters 16 and 17 shifts back and forth from the perspective of the educator and the student to gain more insight to the positive and negative functions of resistance in learning.  We all have experienced a legitimate resistance to being taught something we perceive as unauthentic, or unclear.  To create a more cooperative or responsive learning environment, the responsibility should be placed squarely before the educator to sort out these flaws.

There are other forms of resistance to learning, that Brookfield cautions instructors not to internalize (conversional obsessions), and these are truly outside of our range of control, and could usurp the attention of the larger class.  Persistent, overt rudeness, for example seems more straightforward to understand and address than the more polite or obscure variety.  The most instructive areas Brookfield addresses are those more common, but more nuanced.  For example, he notes resistance forming when students are being pushed too fast, unable to develop a enough understanding of the topic to proceed further.  Use of formative assessment strategies can help to assess starting points before launching into exercises such as case studies, simulations and debates.  He advocates applying more “critical protocals”, including “scaffolding” to make sure that people can reach the place of analysis and decision making.  He also suggests varying activities so that important messages are will reach the diverse learners for whom they are intended.  I would agree and find that when people are confronted with thinking about problems in a new way, it helps them to receive the message in numerous mediums and from sometimes unexpected sources.  Using narrative humour through cartooning is one way of reaching people that I encountered in a “ted talks” delivered by New York Times Cartoonist Liza Donnelly:  http://www.ted.com/talks/liza_donnelly_drawing_upon_humor_for_change?language=en

Brookfield says “The human capacity for denial – particularly for denying the need to change- knows no limits. People committed to eternal verities can withstand years of dissonant experiences and mountains of contradictory evidence that call these into question. Perversely, a low of inverse commitment sometimes seems to apply. The more contradictory evidence someone discovers to challenge their beliefs, the more they assert their self-evident truth.”(p. 220) In reading this, it strikes me that irrational thinking is truly “the enemy” because of our propensity for not seeing the reality or rational truth before us.  In working closely with a Psychology Coop Student this year I was provided with a greater understanding of “the Halo effect”: “The halo effect works in both positive and negative directions (the horns effect): If the observer likes one aspect of something, they will have a positive predisposition toward everything about it. If the observer dislikes one aspect of something, they will have a negative predisposition toward everything about it.”(^[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect.)  Many politicians and prominent public figures have been the object of the halo or horns affect, but it also must occur in personal settings (e.g. marriages) and arms length educational or workplace settings as well.  The aim would be providing real, rational truth in as many engaging methods as possible, and encouraging communication and problem solving to break through the power of the “halo affect’” and Brookfield’s description of “the human capacity for denial.”

I believe people have a propensity for greatest change in upheaval, conflict and struggle.  It is rare that a classroom can provide the climate for abandoning narrow or parochial views in contrast to more direct experiences.  I would agree that transformative learning, or changing our beliefs or attitudes, can be facilitated by what Jack Mezirow termed “disorienting dilemmas”such as life crisis (Merriam, et al.,Learning in Adulthood, p. 130 = 158).  However, Friere’s approach moves beyond personal experience being an impetus for change by creating activities that link the personal to the broader context of an individual’s social, cultural and economic reality.  Making education relevant, as we know, can strongly resonate or capture student’s interest and confront resistance in the classroom.

Finally, heartfelt applause to Brookfield for confronting the increasingly common idea that on campus’ students have a lack concentration from being digitally wired,and are more affected by a culture of entitlement.  This can be a complete excuse for disengaging with real issues facing students, who are living in a unique time in history.  Stereotypes can justify taking less responsibility for student’s learning, and developing a deeper understanding of learner experiences (within the classroom and in the broader, yes, digitally wired, world.)  These same students are contenting with a complicated world and future, and have likely developed a capacity for integrating considerable stores of information.  Therefore, we will not only have something to learn from them, the onus is on us to understand the social world from which they emerge.

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Teaching Diversity in Classrooms

We start from a place of diversity within a classroom even in a seemingly homogeneous group, according to Brookfield.  For example, there will be diverse learning abilities, disabilities (hidden and apparent), educational and class backgrounds, gender and ages. I have participated in programs where groups are divided on the basis of who self identifies as an extrovert and who self identifies as an introvert, and the result was positive for both groups.  (Extroverts together to compete for space in the dialogue, and introverts together to engage with a less competitive orientation).  Brookfield reflected that, on balance, for small group work, students report enjoying being placed randomly with individuals they would not normally work with, outside of their usual peer group, and often crossing cultural identities.   It is critical that the curriculum reflects inclusivity and relevance across cultures, but also that students are actually being taught by diverse educators.  Brookfield advocates for team teaching of instructors from different racial identities and representing different talents, and professional backgrounds.   Having diverse instructors, according to Brookfield,  will promote the possibility of students connecting with a broader range of experience.  If an institution does not support team teaching because of pragmatic concerns such as expense, it is possible to invite guest speakers who represent non-dominant cultures, and have distinct talents and areas of specialization.  For me, organizing guest lecturers is a relief and a pleasure, because I know that my style of communication, background, points of reference are inherently limited to my life and educational experience.  Students provide positive feedback consistently when guest speakers deliver some of the curriculum.  In order to teach effectively in diverse classrooms, Brookfield also suggests greatly varying activities (p. 102), and using assessment strategies to encourage communication and feedback throughout the course (not just relying on “the form”.  While I come from a critical theory perspective  in terms of how to fight oppression and change society, the postmodern or identity based politic remains very pervasive in post secondary environments and has also influenced popular culture.  In postmodern theory, where identity politics could be situated, there is no single truth or reality.  Power is broken down into separate realities.  Politics of identity have an important role for cultural groups (ethnic, based on sexual orientation) that obscures anything other than dominant cultural values.  My concern with a singular focus on identity however, is that it can be difficult to organize for progressive social change together because there is no singular understanding of the problems that exist, from that theoretical perspective.   Rather than a paralyzing ethic of guilt over one’s colonial ancestry, or heterosexual orientation, individuals from the dominant culture should be encouraged to confront backward ideas and work actively to promote educational environments and a society based on inclusion.   Active engagement in communication, dialogue and re-shaping (broadening) reference points to be inclusive is critical for teaching in diverse classrooms – and for that kind of political change to occur in education, parties need to focus on common goals and unity.  In reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley (1964), Malcolm is reflecting on earlier in his life advising a young white woman who had approached him about joining the struggle against racism in the US.  He told her at that time, that there was no role for her, nothing she could do. Malcolm stated, “I regret that I told her that…I wish that now I knew her name or where I could telephone her, or write to her, and tell her what I tell white people now when they present themselves as being sincere, and ask me, one way or another the same thing that she asked.  The first thing I tell them is that….they can’t “join” us.  I have these very deep feelings that white people who want to join black organizations are really just taking the escapist way to salve their consciences.  By visibly hovering near us, they are “proving” that they are “with us.” But the hard truth is this isn’t helping to solve America’s racist problem…The Negroes aren’t the racists.  Where the really sincere white people have got to do their proving of themselves is…out on the battle lines of where America’s racism really is – and that’s in their own home communities.  America’s racism is among there own fellow whites.  That’s where the sincere whites who really wish to accomplish something have got to work “(1964, p. 433).  While Malcolm X’s ideas were continually evolving, and he broadened his vision of how social and economic equality could occur in the United States, I do believe that the onus is on educators, community members and all of us to address racism in our communities, and share the real history of Canadian colonialism and oppression and advocate for progressive change, such as incorporating Indigenous legal traditions into our legal systems and understanding of property rights.  More and more, education curriculum is unafraid of the real histories, actually requiring that legitimate professionals in various areas demonstrate their knowledge of actual history, with respect to Aboriginal rights for example.   The question is being raised in post secondary: Can a person have a legitimate education if they have not learned the reality of history.   For teaching in diverse classrooms to be successful, it means embracing diversity in the curriculum, among speakers, activities, modes of communicaton and ultimately educational goals.

Please find attached my Digital Strategies Assignment link, which advocates for using the Critical Incident Questionnaire to create a more democratic classroom.

The Critical Incident Questionairre – Alix Hotsenpiller.pptx

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