Prepare for a short rant.
Last Sunday, there was a violent altercation between two men who are considered very prominent in Australian society. These men were not under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and in fact, this conflict occurred on a sunny afternoon in plain sight.
Sydney has just undergone a complete overhaul of laws and punishments for 'one-punch' violence in areas of the city. If this fight had gone differently - if one of those punches had landed in the wrong place, one of these men could have been seriously injured or killed.
Yet, plastered across the front of every newspaper, featured prominently on news webpages, mercilessly mocked by radio presenters and in drawn out segments in the nightly news, these two men have been made cannon fodder, with this violent and pointless disagreement dissected minutely by every media outlet in the country.
What is our fascination with the downfall of others? This need to pull others down, cruelly mock them when they misstep, 'tear them a new one' if you will. The Germans have a word for it. Schadenfreude - taking enjoyment out of other's pain. We feed on it - the hungry masses devouring this news of the mighty that have fallen.
And we wonder why kids are so cruel.
On a daily basis, we break up punch ups in the playground, chastise children for insulting each other's mothers, and listen to language used by 10 year olds that would make a sailor blush.
'Where do they get it from?!' we moan. 'Why do they solve everything with violence?!'
Well, perhaps its because Australian media THRIVES on it. We love violence. It's a no-no, so therefore it's cool and it's sexy. We smell blood and scream for more - why else would the media so readily cover any violent altercation over perhaps more meaningful and vital news?
I'm tuning out this week. I don't want to see two neanderthals in track pants solving an issue in a primitive and immature matter. There is so many more important things happening out there. Such as the 300 young Nigerian women who were kidnapped for seeking an education. Or perhaps that there was a large earthquake off the coast of PNG causing a tsunami warning. Or that this young man was murdered in Argentina in a botched robbery.
I want my students to be critical thinkers, who question what they see and read, who think beyond the byline and see the real motive behind a story. Apples don't fall from the tree, so this week I'm going to lead by example.
I urge you to do the same - question what our media considers 'news' this week.
Showing posts with label global education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label global education. Show all posts
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
The rise of the third/fourth/fifth culture kid
I'm in Singapore at the moment, enjoying a break from the madness that is my class. Although I'm not in my home, curled up on the couch surrounded by marking, I'm still at home.
Why? I was a third culture kid. An ex-expat brat. Singapore is my second home.
I was lucky enough to spend 4 years living here, and studying at the Australian International School, where my mother worked (and is working at again now). I was 14 when I moved here, and I would say that I 'grew up' in Singapore, as spending those formative teenage years in a culture so different to my own has shaped me into the individual I am today.
My younger brother, however, is a fifth culture kid.
He spent time living and studying in Singapore, England and Abu Dhabi - he actually completed his education with a British qualification, and is now studying at an Australian university. Talk about culturally confused.
When you ask a third culture kid; that is a child who is living in a culture other than their own and that of their parents; where they are from, the answer is far from simple. Are you referring to their home culture, their parent's culture that they have been raised in, or the place they are living now?
And how about when multiple languages are brought into the equation? You may ask a child this simple question in English, but to answer it, they must first translate it to their first language in their head, answer it, then translate the answer back all within a socially acceptable timeframe so they don't look stupid.
Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my expat experience for anything - travelling the world, gaining an understanding an appreciation for cultures other than my own, developing a global mindset and receiving an international education - all positives and all amazing, life changing experiences that make me the fabulous individual I am today.
But just stop and think for a second. Reflect on your classroom/school/educational environment.
How many children in your classroom are living in their own culture, and culture of their parents?
In my current class, I cannot name one student who is living in their family's home culture.
Think about the effect this would have upon your students - these children are developing a sense of identity in a world that is full of cultural idiosyncrasies that they must assimilate into their own sense of self. The battle of their family culture, their home culture, and how it fits into the social mores of the culture they live in will often clash and contradict, leaving the child unsure of what is 'right'. In addition, some are constantly translating between multiple languages, attempting to grasp a concept that is difficult in one language, let alone two.
And with all this going on - we expect them to SIT DOWN, STOP TALKING, STOP FIDDLING AND LISTEN!!!!
We need to consider that we are not educating the all - Australian (or all - American, all - Singaporean, whichever 'culture' you teach in) child anymore. In fact, all our students are living in cultures other than their own - technology makes sure of that for our 21st Century learners.
As teachers, we need to take on a global mindset when teaching, even if our entire class is living in their home culture, because their experience of their world and their development of 'culture' is one that does not follow geographical borders anymore - it is unbounded.
Why? I was a third culture kid. An ex-expat brat. Singapore is my second home.
I was lucky enough to spend 4 years living here, and studying at the Australian International School, where my mother worked (and is working at again now). I was 14 when I moved here, and I would say that I 'grew up' in Singapore, as spending those formative teenage years in a culture so different to my own has shaped me into the individual I am today.
My younger brother, however, is a fifth culture kid.
He spent time living and studying in Singapore, England and Abu Dhabi - he actually completed his education with a British qualification, and is now studying at an Australian university. Talk about culturally confused.
When you ask a third culture kid; that is a child who is living in a culture other than their own and that of their parents; where they are from, the answer is far from simple. Are you referring to their home culture, their parent's culture that they have been raised in, or the place they are living now?
And how about when multiple languages are brought into the equation? You may ask a child this simple question in English, but to answer it, they must first translate it to their first language in their head, answer it, then translate the answer back all within a socially acceptable timeframe so they don't look stupid.
 |
| Mean Girls is a great illustration of the life of a TCK. And is also hilarious. |
Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my expat experience for anything - travelling the world, gaining an understanding an appreciation for cultures other than my own, developing a global mindset and receiving an international education - all positives and all amazing, life changing experiences that make me the fabulous individual I am today.
But just stop and think for a second. Reflect on your classroom/school/educational environment.
How many children in your classroom are living in their own culture, and culture of their parents?
In my current class, I cannot name one student who is living in their family's home culture.
Think about the effect this would have upon your students - these children are developing a sense of identity in a world that is full of cultural idiosyncrasies that they must assimilate into their own sense of self. The battle of their family culture, their home culture, and how it fits into the social mores of the culture they live in will often clash and contradict, leaving the child unsure of what is 'right'. In addition, some are constantly translating between multiple languages, attempting to grasp a concept that is difficult in one language, let alone two.
And with all this going on - we expect them to SIT DOWN, STOP TALKING, STOP FIDDLING AND LISTEN!!!!
We need to consider that we are not educating the all - Australian (or all - American, all - Singaporean, whichever 'culture' you teach in) child anymore. In fact, all our students are living in cultures other than their own - technology makes sure of that for our 21st Century learners.
As teachers, we need to take on a global mindset when teaching, even if our entire class is living in their home culture, because their experience of their world and their development of 'culture' is one that does not follow geographical borders anymore - it is unbounded.
Friday, 21 March 2014
The Story of Miss Matters
Today, I'm going to tell you a wonderful story. Sit down, make yourself comfortable, grab that glass of wine on the table and relax - this one has a happy ending.
This is the story of the marvellous Miss Matters.
During my second year of university, while trying to make sense of a MATH106 tutorial, I had the fortune and good sense to sit down next to one Miss Susanna Matters, a fellow pre-service teacher struggling in a maths course with a heavily accented lecturer. We instantly bonded in our shared lack of enthusiasm for uni level mathematics and (pointless) education lectures.
Little did I know, 4 years later, Miss Matters would become somewhat of a household name.
(Well truth be known I did know, Susie is one of those people you know is destined for greatness).
Susanna is founder and CEO of her own charity, Goods for Girls, that aims to facilitate the education of young women in rural Kenya through the provision and self-manufacture of reusable sanitary products.
Oh yeah - and she's also one of the most incredible teachers I've ever had the pleasure of working with.
So back in 2010, when I first had the pleasure of meeting Miss Matters, she was a face of Girl Guides Australia and a UN Youth Ambassador (much to my jealousy, as an MUN nerd), often jetting off on the weekend to speak at conferences or attend meetings, and running the local Girl Guides troupe in her spare time. I joined her on a volunteer basis, learning the ropes and getting to work with a wonderful group of young girls - all experience for teaching, I thought at the time.
I was really lucky that she didn't seem to mind my disturbing sense of humour and weirdness at that time, and we began to support each other through a rocky 3 years of an undergraduate education degree (including a few dodgy master teachers and incorrect degree advice).
Somehow, through many shared all nighters with supportive text messages, complicated coffee orders and mind numbing 8am lectures, we got through - and both were targeted by the DEC.
However, in late 2011, Miss Matters went on a teaching holiday to Muhaka - a village in rural Kenya. She spent a few weeks over there teaching local high school students and seeing an amazing part of the world.
When she came back, there was a light in her eyes - a fiery passion that had been ignited out of frustration and empathy that could not be extinguished.
Miss Matters sat with me in T2 with 27 million amazing photos that we poured over, amongst cups of Madagascan Vanilla and bites of crusty, warm Roast beef sandwiches (our staple diet at uni). She explained that she had noticed that many of the girls were missing significant amounts of school, and after speaking to one of the teachers, she discovered that this was due to these girls having their periods, and being made to feel unclean and unable to use anything to control their flow. Miss Matters immediately went to the closest city and bought the girls enough sanitary pads to last them quite a while.
As she spoke to me, the light in her eyes burned brighter as she began to explain her vision.
She wanted to create a charity that not only provided a permanent solution for this problem through the girls creating their own reusable sanitary pads, but encouraged girls to stay in educational environments and seek opportunities for higher education.
It wasn't easy. For the next year, Miss Matters struggled with the legalities of starting a charity, establishing a Board to run the organisation, a massive time difference and finding individuals willing to work for free, all while completing a full time university degree and working part time.
Slowly, Goods for Girls became a reality. Miss Matters continued to travel to and from Kenya, establishing the charity base both there and in Australia, all while waiting for that fateful phone call that would finally tell her she had a teaching job in a girl's school in Sydney.
What a journey it has been for her.
In 2014, Miss Matters was named one of The Australian Women's Weekly's Women of the Future, gaining a scholarship, which she has used to support the construction of toilet blocks in Muhaka village. This year, Goods for Girls turns 2 - a massive achievement for the marvellous Miss Matters and her team.
Even though she is managing a class of beautiful Year 4 girls, an international charity and her own personal life, Miss Matters always makes time for 'old lady sandwiches' and iced tea Saturdays - our whinging and support time. I'm called upon every January to create something arty for her classroom walls, and we sit drinking tea and staring at her very slow laminator as it churns through endless displays.
So what is the implication of this story for us as teachers?
Miss Matters is an advocate of Global Education - it is an ideal that she attempts to weave so artfully through all her pedagogy, encouraging and fostering a global mindset within her students.
It is a philosophical mindset I share, and attempt to integrate into my own pedagogy (although it is easier for me, as my class is slightly more culturally diverse than hers!). I aim to encourage a student's sense of place in the world and a critical view of that world; to foster creativity in constructing solutions to problems and the development of an empathy and understanding for cultures other than their home culture.
Our students have access to the world at their fingertips, but still need to be guided in their exploration of it. Miss Matters and I both attempt to develop student empathy and understanding by sharing our own experiences of global culture...what's your strategy?
To learn more about Susanna and Goods for Girls, visit: http://www.goodsforgirls.org
or the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/goodsforgirls.
Both are updated regularly with news from Australia and Kenya!
This is the story of the marvellous Miss Matters.
During my second year of university, while trying to make sense of a MATH106 tutorial, I had the fortune and good sense to sit down next to one Miss Susanna Matters, a fellow pre-service teacher struggling in a maths course with a heavily accented lecturer. We instantly bonded in our shared lack of enthusiasm for uni level mathematics and (pointless) education lectures.
Little did I know, 4 years later, Miss Matters would become somewhat of a household name.
(Well truth be known I did know, Susie is one of those people you know is destined for greatness).
Susanna is founder and CEO of her own charity, Goods for Girls, that aims to facilitate the education of young women in rural Kenya through the provision and self-manufacture of reusable sanitary products.
Oh yeah - and she's also one of the most incredible teachers I've ever had the pleasure of working with.
So back in 2010, when I first had the pleasure of meeting Miss Matters, she was a face of Girl Guides Australia and a UN Youth Ambassador (much to my jealousy, as an MUN nerd), often jetting off on the weekend to speak at conferences or attend meetings, and running the local Girl Guides troupe in her spare time. I joined her on a volunteer basis, learning the ropes and getting to work with a wonderful group of young girls - all experience for teaching, I thought at the time.
I was really lucky that she didn't seem to mind my disturbing sense of humour and weirdness at that time, and we began to support each other through a rocky 3 years of an undergraduate education degree (including a few dodgy master teachers and incorrect degree advice).
Somehow, through many shared all nighters with supportive text messages, complicated coffee orders and mind numbing 8am lectures, we got through - and both were targeted by the DEC.
 |
| Just so good looking. |
When she came back, there was a light in her eyes - a fiery passion that had been ignited out of frustration and empathy that could not be extinguished.
Miss Matters sat with me in T2 with 27 million amazing photos that we poured over, amongst cups of Madagascan Vanilla and bites of crusty, warm Roast beef sandwiches (our staple diet at uni). She explained that she had noticed that many of the girls were missing significant amounts of school, and after speaking to one of the teachers, she discovered that this was due to these girls having their periods, and being made to feel unclean and unable to use anything to control their flow. Miss Matters immediately went to the closest city and bought the girls enough sanitary pads to last them quite a while.
As she spoke to me, the light in her eyes burned brighter as she began to explain her vision.
She wanted to create a charity that not only provided a permanent solution for this problem through the girls creating their own reusable sanitary pads, but encouraged girls to stay in educational environments and seek opportunities for higher education.
 |
| Miss Matters on her first trip to Muhaka, Kenya |
Slowly, Goods for Girls became a reality. Miss Matters continued to travel to and from Kenya, establishing the charity base both there and in Australia, all while waiting for that fateful phone call that would finally tell her she had a teaching job in a girl's school in Sydney.
What a journey it has been for her.
In 2014, Miss Matters was named one of The Australian Women's Weekly's Women of the Future, gaining a scholarship, which she has used to support the construction of toilet blocks in Muhaka village. This year, Goods for Girls turns 2 - a massive achievement for the marvellous Miss Matters and her team.
 |
| Image from: http://www.goodsforgirls.org |
So what is the implication of this story for us as teachers?
Miss Matters is an advocate of Global Education - it is an ideal that she attempts to weave so artfully through all her pedagogy, encouraging and fostering a global mindset within her students.
It is a philosophical mindset I share, and attempt to integrate into my own pedagogy (although it is easier for me, as my class is slightly more culturally diverse than hers!). I aim to encourage a student's sense of place in the world and a critical view of that world; to foster creativity in constructing solutions to problems and the development of an empathy and understanding for cultures other than their home culture.
Our students have access to the world at their fingertips, but still need to be guided in their exploration of it. Miss Matters and I both attempt to develop student empathy and understanding by sharing our own experiences of global culture...what's your strategy?
To learn more about Susanna and Goods for Girls, visit: http://www.goodsforgirls.org
or the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/goodsforgirls.
Both are updated regularly with news from Australia and Kenya!
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