Through the Looking-glass

Last week we had a wonderful time with the jeweler's loupes that our Professor Kathryn had brought to class. First, we used the loupes to stretch our sight, then our brains, working both our left and right brains.   With 5X magnifying view, something that is insignificant or ordinary becomes extraordinary. We normally do not look closely at things around us. When our vision is magnified, everything looks different and we can be surprised by what lies beneath the surface.

After examining our hands through the loupes, we used analogy to describe our hands. We came up with amazing observations and analogies, for instance, passage of time, regeneration of cells, journey of our lives, skin of oranges, cosmos, water going down the drain and even snakes! We went on to examine more items. I picked up a cedar twig and started to examine it. It looked like braided hair, railway, lizard skin, needles, and tapestry. Next, we added scientific explanation. Finally, we would combine the creative and scientific writing to form a macro picture of the object. With this method, I find that my scope of thinking, which tends to be more linear,  becomes wider and I can think more creatively.

Now, the following are my analogies of ‘curriculum’:

Like travel guide book – it provides the necessary information for the development of students and new adventure will open up for them.

Like a recipe – students have to follow the instructions by using the materials provided, consequently, they will enjoy the delicious dish that they have prepared.

Like a buffet – students have a taste of a variety of foods and to discover new taste.

Like fertilizer – if students are like trees, fertilizer or curriculum nurtures them to become more developed.

What do you think?

Best wishes to everyone who is celebrating the Lunar New Year this Friday, 31 January 2014. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

New Year, New Focus

For the new year, I decided to better prepare myself for my graduate studies by buying my books on the first day of the semester. Those books were really thick! I was feeling excited and nervous when I scanned through those books. Excited because curriculum studies is essential in helping me to become an effective educator. Feeling nervous as for this semester the focus will be in narrative writing which I am not  skilful at all. Well, that is exactly what education is about… to learn and cultivate new skill, right? So I am going to be open minded and go with the flow of things.

                                 

After reading Susan K. MacRae’s To be Human with Other Humans, it let me see how important narrative writing can be.  It provides us a chance to observe the people affected not only in physical or medical analysis but something deeper or even spiritual. Susan’s mentioned of “Don’t let them get to you” is also the suggestion I received from my senior mentor. All of the learners that participate at our organization come from different age group and background, therefore of course, everyone will have different problems and difficulties. In order to simplify my duties as a teacher, I was told to be objective and not to be affected by their personal problems. However, I soon realize that is not matching to my objective, which is to let everyone learn and practise spirituality in order to achieve overall wellbeing. If I do not guide  them into putting the skills into practise to overcome their problems,  then they may not know what they should do and thus will not have any results, which I will consider a failure on my part. Sometimes I have to get more information about their problems, with their permission, and find ways to help them improve the situations.

 Our first class discussion was about the definition of curriculum. I would think that I have the answer but after our discussion, I became uncertain of my definition.  As I gathered from some of the reading, curriculum is the learning experiences through the contents which is purposefully set up to achieve specific objectives. Curriculum is the tool to help students to learn and develop skills, values, thoughts or behaviour. If one lacks a clear sense of the purpose of education, then one is deprived of an essential means of specifying what the curriculum should contain¹. The word originates from the Latin word currere referring to the oval track upon which Roman chariots raced². I would imagine that the process of aquiring an education is like running the track, the horse would represent the student, driven by a charioteer/teacher. Since it is in a race, there must be pressure for the charioteer to direct the horse to arrive at the finish line in the shortest time possible. This is similar to our present day education as it is a race to finish according to the contend as instructed within a time frame, while the teacher has to guide and help the students to complete the race.

 I have been teaching spirituality for more than 10 years. I find that teaching from the materials provided is not enough. I realize that giving the learners the knowledge is useless unless they put this knowledge into practise. In order for that to happen, they must be motivated into taking actions to make changes in their daily lives. For instance, I have explained clearly the benefits of a vegetarian diet, but none of the learners will enjoy the benefits unless they make changes in their eating habits. So, the knowledge does not mean getting any results unless there is action taken to apply the knowledge.

After moving to Canada, teaching here has become more of sharing as the learners love to interact with each other. This is challenging to me at first as it is difficult to predict what course the discussion will take us. However I find that with this lively exchanges, we have built a closer relationship. Also I have learnt to lower my ego, since I have to be prepared to share my weaknesses and limitations. After all, Elbert Hubbard said “the teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons and the true teacher is the learner.”

 I have described that curriculum as a non-living thing and it is the teacher to make the knowledge alive to inspire the learners to understand, explore, and adopt the knowledge into their lives. Moreover in teaching spirituality,  it is almost impossible to deliver good teaching without experiencing it yourself first hand. Spiritual knowledge cannot be achieved only from books but a great deal of study and personal self-development into our inner self. It requires time to develop true wisdom and a grounded, authentic spirituality.  After we develop it in ourselves, we then can make great progress in teaching spirituality.

 

Reference

Egan, K. (2003). What Is Curriculum? Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, page 6.

John Arul Phillips (2008) Fundamentals of Curriculum, Instruction and Research in Education,  page 4.

Susan K. MacRae    To be Human with Other Humans    A Caregiver’s Narrative