Archive
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Racerocks.com: education and Research in Real Time
Comments Off on Racerocks.com: education and Research in Real TimeRacerocks.com: education and Research in Real Time
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Imaging the present, interpreting the possible, cultivating the future: Technology and the renewal of teaching and learning
Comments Off on Imaging the present, interpreting the possible, cultivating the future: Technology and the renewal of teaching and learningImaging the present, interpreting the possible, cultivating the future: Technology and the renewal of teaching and learning
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The Role of the Arts in New Media and Canadian Education for the 21st Century
Comments Off on The Role of the Arts in New Media and Canadian Education for the 21st CenturyThe Role of the Arts in New Media and Canadian Education for the 21st Century
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Children’s Rights Education: A New Reality for Teachers
Comments Off on Children’s Rights Education: A New Reality for TeachersChildren’s Rights Education: A New Reality for Teachers
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From Mind to Relationship; The Emerging Challenge
Comments Off on From Mind to Relationship; The Emerging ChallengeFrom Mind to Relationship; The Emerging Challenge
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ACCESS: One School District’s Response to Expelled Students
Comments Off on ACCESS: One School District’s Response to Expelled StudentsACCESS: One School District’s Response to Expelled Students
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From the Editor/Le mot de la rédactrice en chef
Comments Off on From the Editor/Le mot de la rédactrice en chefFrom the Editor/Le mot de la rédactrice en chef
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Creating a Lifelong Learning Society
Comments Off on Creating a Lifelong Learning SocietyCreating a Lifelong Learning Society
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Learning to Teach: A Question of Knowledge
Comments Off on Learning to Teach: A Question of KnowledgeLearning to Teach: A Question of Knowledge
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Which Way to the Good Life? The Social Policy Implications of Child and Family Well-Being
Comments Off on Which Way to the Good Life? The Social Policy Implications of Child and Family Well-BeingWhich Way to the Good Life? The Social Policy Implications of Child and Family Well-Being
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What is Educational About Educational Leadership?
Comments Off on What is Educational About Educational Leadership?What is Educational About Educational Leadership?
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From the Editor/Le mot de la rédactrice en chef
Comments Off on From the Editor/Le mot de la rédactrice en chefFrom the Editor/Le mot de la rédactrice en chef
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Joel Westheimer: Testing, ‘Accountability’, and the Threat to Canadian Democracy
Comments Off on Joel Westheimer: Testing, ‘Accountability’, and the Threat to Canadian Democracy2009 CEA Whitworth Award for Research and Education winner Dr. Joel Westheimer delivers a provocative lecture.
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Conceptions of Learning: The Challenge for Immigrant Student Teachers
Comments Off on Conceptions of Learning: The Challenge for Immigrant Student TeachersCanada is well-known for accepting large numbers of immigrants who, according to Statistics Canada, represent 18.4 percent of the country’s total population.[1] These newcomers face a variety of obstacles to their occupational integration, the three main ones being lack of work experience in the Canadian context; lack of recognition of titles and qualifications earned outside Canada; and unfamiliarity with either of the two official languages.[2]
The Faculty of Education of the University of Ottawa welcomes a number of immigrant students into its Francophone division of the teacher education program every year. These students have experienced difficulty in obtaining recognition for credentials and work experience acquired outside Canada. To remedy this situation, they have decided to enrol in a new program in a Canadian institution. For many of them, this eight-month francophone teacher education program, primary/junior division, is an interesting and quick solution to their occupational integration problem.
This group, referred to here as “immigrant students”, includes women and men who declared themselves to have permanent resident or refugee status when they registered at the University of Ottawa. It is composed, for the most part, of permanent residents hailing from Central Africa, North Africa, and Haiti. Half are between 30 and 39 years of age, and nearly one-third are older than 40. They have mainly immigrated to Canada in the hopes of providing their families and themselves with better living conditions and greater future opportunities than were available to them in their home countries. They have made numerous sacrifices to attain their goals and, according to many of their professors, they have presented themselves to the Faculty of Education as serious candidates who want to learn and better themselves. However, while they have generally been quite successful in the theoretical section of their program, many of them have encountered difficulties when facing their first practicum in a school setting, in part because they are unfamiliar with Canadian educational policies and practices.
For some, this cultural gap constitutes a source of stress that is difficult to overcome, resulting in a mediocre practicum evaluation, and in some cases, the failure of their practicum. The literature we consulted on this topic, and our observations in the field, suggest a possible link between immigrant students’ prior conceptions of education and the difficulty some of them experience in adapting to the practicum in a Canadian classroom.
Consider Arthur who, after requesting a physical education practicum to expand his skills, did not know that wearing gym shoes was compulsory in the gymnasium and that the subject of physical education comprises an educational dimension, with its own program of studies. Élise, for her part, discovered that using French European figures of speech at every turn was inappropriate for 11-year-olds living in Ontario, where Francophones are a minority and the use of English is predominant during recess periods; she realized that she needed to use simple and accessible French vocabulary for teaching if she wanted students to understand her. She also learned that calling pupils “Miss” and “Mr.” made them uncomfortable and created distance between her and her students. Michel was surprised to observe how freely pupils expressed themselves in class, and that some argued or tried to negotiate his decisions. This led him to question his own codes regarding politeness and respect for adults. His conceptions of the traditional role of the teacher were shaken, and he was forced to adjust to the new situation.
We believe that the gap between these students’ conceptions and those underpinning the Canadian school system may be at the root of the adjustment problem experienced by many immigrant students; indeed, many experience a profound upheaval in their conceptions, values, and initial beliefs about education. While most of them successfully meet the challenge presented by this culture gap, it is nevertheless true that the transformation process to which they are subjected during their introduction to the Canadian classroom is a dominant theme during their brief practical training, which consists of two six-week practica.
On Becoming a Teacher
Immigrant students’ difficulty in successfully integrating into the teaching profession could stem from the fact that, in order to do so, they must assimilate the educational culture valued by their adopted country. Nina Bascia noted that an increasing number of studies focus on the influence of ethnicity and culture on teaching, both inside the classroom and in the academic community.[3] Indeed, every teacher is unique, with individual beliefs and conceptions that influence both personal and professional life. Students enrolled in a teacher education program must compare their initial conceptions of teaching and learning with those the program recommends. Becoming a teacher, therefore, may involve undergoing a transformation of personal beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours; it is a process whereby one’s professional identity develops at the same time as the teacher’s role is being defined.[4]
Many immigrant teachers come from a culture in which education is associated with the wearing of a uniform, lecture-style teaching, memorization as the principal learning strategy, and knowledge assessment through standardized testing.[5] These teachers must change both their practice and their educational beliefs to meet the expectations of the Canadian educational system. They may also have to change their expectations about the amount of work that is demanded of them outside the classroom, particularly relating to lesson creation and planning and the use of evaluation methods based on learning processes.
Some immigrant teachers find that teaching in Canada is too centred on the pupil and insufficiently structured, with an excess of educational activities designed to entertain pupils – especially activities addressing the society and the broader community.[6] They interpret these differences as an indication that Canadian students are not serious about their education.
Managing pupils’ behaviour, particularly instituting a class management system that reflects the teacher’s values, also raises difficult issues for these teachers, many of whom are used to authoritarian and standardized classroom discipline. In an Australian study, immigrant teachers noted major differences between the educational system in their countries of origin and the Australian system, which, like Canada’s, favours a constructivist learning approach. They found that teaching was more focussed on the pupils, requiring more planning and preparation work, that classes were more diversified in terms of skills, culture, and language, and that discipline was a big challenge.[7]
You’re there to listen and that’s all. You’re there, you don’t talk, your arms are crossed. You’re there to receive; you learn…That’s what a class was, that was the theory.
Conceptions of Learning
Seventeen immigrant students in the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education – ten men and seven women – volunteered to participate in a study about their conceptions of learning. Participants’ ages varied from 27 to 56 (m = 41.5). During an interview, participants were asked to talk about their general conceptions of education. They were able to relate their experiences, observations, assumptions, and ideals regarding education and learning in elementary school, both in their homeland and in Canada. Many of them had formed their conceptions of the Canadian educational system from comments they heard from other members of their cultural community. Others invoked their own experience as parents of pupils in the Canadian school system.
The students were asked to list the attitudes and behaviours they believe are essential to a pupil’s success. The majority of respondents considered a “good pupil” to be one who listens; does his homework; is calm, attentive, industrious, polite, disciplined, applied, respectful, hardworking, and properly attired; asks questions; and cooperates with others.
Some participants indicated that pupils’ participation in their own learning process is minimal in their native countries. According to Édith, “You’re there to listen and that’s all. You’re there, you don’t talk, your arms are crossed. You’re there to receive; you learn…That’s what a class was, that was the theory. There were no activities…We mainly had to recite and memorize rhymes. It was mostly memorization.” Diane remembered that pupils were given little encouragement to express themselves or ask questions: “Pupils were scared to ask a question. If they did, the teacher would think poorly of them, as in, ‘You’re stupid, you didn’t understand, maybe you weren’t paying attention.’”
Even though they described elementary level learning in their native countries as a process in which pupils play a passive role, take little initiative, and are not encouraged to share what they know and understand, some respondents also evoked in their interviews a rather dynamic conception of the learning process. These students painted a picture of an active learner: a pupil who experiments, observes, explores, and asks for help from her parents; a pupil who plays educational games, works with others and makes jokes; a pupil who shares learning, asks questions, expresses thoughts and feelings; a pupil who develops his talents and sees himself as in charge of his learning; a pupil who learns by diverse means, manifests the desire to better herself, asks for help when faced with a problem, tries to understand, demonstrates openness, and pursues her learning after class. These respondents expressed conceptions of learning that differ dramatically from those to which they were exposed in childhood (and that indeed still prevail in some of those countries). Indeed, their conceptions are consistent with Canadian-style student-centred teaching and favour a constructivist learning approach.
We currently do not have any data about the impact of the initial conceptions of immigrant students on the success of their teaching practicum. However, the Practicum Office of the Faculty of Education reports that, although they represent a little more than one-quarter of registered students in the French Teacher Education Program, students who are recent immigrants constitute the majority of those who require greater assistance during their practicum, and sometimes fail it.
Managing the Transformation
In light of the points raised in this article, we believe that the teacher education program of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa will present a major conceptual challenge for most of these students. They will have to develop a vision of education that is more student-centred and a perspective on learning that corresponds with the constructivist approach they will be asked to apply during their practica; they will have to make use of stimulating and diverse materials and instructional resources to incite the active participation of pupils; and they will have to adopt a point of view and instructional methods that encourage pupils to take charge of their own learning.
For many of them, this means questioning their initial conceptions and adopting new conceptions that are better suited to Canadian educational policies and contexts. In our opinion, in order for immigrant students to manage such a transformation during their teacher training, they must first be open and receptive to such an experience. What is more, they must understand the need for this process and relate it to the practical component of the program, in other words, the school practicum.
Finally, we believe that the transformation of these students’ conceptual structures cannot be achieved without the support of facilitators who are familiar with this process and will offer both supervision and a theoretical and practical training context that meets the specific needs of immigrant students. Professors in the Faculty of Education, practicum supervisors, and partner-teachers who receive these students in their classes should, in our opinion, be very familiar with the immigrant students they are supporting, be on the lookout for the upheaval some of them may experience, and support them throughout the process of conceptual transformation, in order to augment their chances for success, both in their practica and in their teaching careers.
EN BREF – De nombreux enseignants immigrants qui ont du mal à faire reconnaître leurs diplômes obtenus à l’étranger s’inscrivent à un nouveau programme dans un établissement canadien. Bien que les étudiants immigrants de la Faculté d’éducation de l’Université d’Ottawa réussissent généralement bien la partie théorique de leur programme, beaucoup éprouvent des difficultés lors de leur premier stage dans un cadre scolaire, en partie parce qu’ils connaissent mal les politiques et les pratiques éducatives canadiennes. La différence entre les conceptions de ces étudiants et celles qui sous-tendent le système scolaire canadien pourrait être à l’origine de ces difficultés. En fait, beaucoup de ces étudiants vivent un profond bouleversement de leurs conceptions, valeurs et convictions initiales en matière d’éducation. On ne peut engendrer la transformation de leurs structures conceptuelles sans le soutien de la Faculté d’éducation à laquelle ils sont inscrits.
[1] Statistique Canada, Proportion des personnes nées à l’étranger, par province et territoire (Recensements de 1991 à 2001), 2007. [On line] Retrieved from: www40.statcan.ca/l02/cst01/demo46a_f.htm
[2] P. Deters, “Immigrant Teachers in Canada: Learning the Language and Culture of a New Professional Community,” Proceedings of the European Association of Languages for Specific Purposes / Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos (AELFE). Zaragoza, Spain, 2006.
[3] Nina Bascia, “Making Sense of the Life and Work of Racial Minority Immigrant Teachers,” in Making a Difference About Difference, eds. D. Thiessen, N. Bascia and I. Goodson (Toronto: Garamond Press, 1996), 1-14.
[4] E. Peeler and B. Jane, “Mentoring: Immigrant Teachers Bridging Professional Practices,” Teaching Education 16, no. 4 (2005): 325-336.
[5] J. Myles, L. Cheng and H. Wang, “Teaching in Elementary School: Perceptions of Foreign-trained Teacher Candidates on their Teaching Practicum,” Teaching and Teacher Education 22 (2006): 233-245.
[7] K. Cruickshank, “Towards Diversity in Teacher Education: Teacher Preparation of Immigrant Teachers,” European Journal of Teacher Education 27, no. 2 (2004) : 125-138.
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Starting Point for Dialogue
Comments Off on Starting Point for DialogueA review of On Excellence in Teaching by Robert J. Marzano, ed. Solution Tree Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-934009-58-1
“The purpose of On Excellence in Teaching was to gather the opinions and recommendations of the world’s best educational researchers, theorists, and professional developers regarding the topic of effective instruction” (p. 1). The contributing authors, however, are all North American – American, actually, except for one – so it is presumptuous to claim they are the “world’s best”, and since the collection is invited, not juried, they may not even be North America’s best. But the authors are all well-known and worth reading, so the anthology is worthwhile nonetheless.
This book is one of five in a series that also addresses designing and teaching learning goals, assessment, professional leaning communities, and change. Its particular focus on instruction includes chapters by Grant Wiggins on the real job of a teacher; Thomas Good on the research on teacher effectiveness; Barrie Bennett on the art and science of instruction; Richard Meyer on the science of learning; David Berliner on the effects of high-stakes testing; Debra Pickering on recommendations for schools committed to excellence; Lynn Erickson on teacher education, conceptually-based curriculum, and teaching for thinking; Heidi Hayes Jacobs on Curriculum Mapping; Robert Marzano on developing expert teachers; Carol Ann Tomlinson on differentiated instruction; Jay McTighe on Understanding by Design (UbD); Jere Brophy on motivating students to be autonomous learners; Harvey Silver and Matthew Perini on student engagement; and Robert and Jana Marzano on how metacognitive awareness and control can make teachers more effective.
The chapters vary in depth and quality. Some are rather casual restatements of previous work that touch lightly on the topic while others are reasonably substantial syntheses, but all are merely overviews that serve best as reminders or introductions and are insufficient for fully understanding the ideas they present, let alone applying them. Each, however, includes an extensive list of references that would allow the interested reader to delve more deeply.
There is no connecting thread and no dialogue between ideas in this book, no critique of their strengths and shortcomings, and little identification of lingering questions. They are simply compiled under a very broad thematic umbrella. Thus, it is up to the reader to consume the contents with a healthy degree of skepticism and interrogate the tidy presentations, which contain a mixture of research results, confidently known insights, suggestions, personal perspectives, and opinions that should not be treated equally.
Since no synthesis is attempted and no overarching model of instruction is provided, the anthology amounts to a sampler of educational ideas that may pique interest and prompt further inquiry, but it is insufficient on its own to fulfill the editor’s claim that, “A careful reading of the chapters should provide a rich source of ideas and strategies with which K-12 practitioners can examine and enhance their practice.” The advice contained within the book itself makes it clear that practitioners will need guidance, scaffolding, and assistance much beyond the mere reading of it to effect substantial learning or enhance their practice.
In the hands of a committed study group that is willing to follow the leads provided and engage in the sustained effort required to digest, debate, explore more deeply, apply, reflect upon, and learn from the current and important ideas that this book introduces, it could be a very useful topical tour and starting point for dialogue. However, the reader who has already been introduced to the work of the included authors will not learn more from reading it, and those who are meeting these ideas for the first time should be aware that they are seeing a set of trailers, not the movies themselves.
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Beyond Borders: International Education and Global Citizenship
Comments Off on Beyond Borders: International Education and Global Citizenship“I think it [the global ethic] is about global citizenship. It’s about recognizing our responsibilities to others.” – Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister, July 2009[1]
What do meatballs, bicycles, and debates have to do with global citizenship? Plenty. At least that’s what I learned while studying in Sweden for a year. In the late summer of 2006, I started a Master’s program in Society Science and Technology at Lund University in Lund, Sweden. I’m often asked why I chose Sweden, and there are two simple answers: experience and cost. Wanting to differentiate myself from fellow Bachelor’s grads, I pursued graduate studies to gain international experience and improve employment prospects. As a cost-conscious student, I also wanted to get my Master’s without spending a fortune. Conveniently enough, Swedish universities are tuition-free for domestic and international students (though fees may be implemented for select foreign students starting 2011).[2] Despite several family trips to Sweden prior to my studies, nothing could have prepared me for the year-long lesson in global citizenship.
Learning in an international context had a profound impact on my understanding and analysis of issues, my attitudes towards others and their personal values, my skills development, and my sense of belonging.
My studies were merely the tip of the iceberg, as much of my learning happened outside the classroom. From understanding foreign customs to comparing Canadian and Swedish social policies, I was engaged in learning all the time. An international education, I will argue, is an invaluable experience that fosters intercultural competence and leads to greater societal involvement.
Journal Entry, Lund, Sweden, 12 August 2006: “… my Swedish is progressing nicely, and I think I am becoming keen on learning languages. I also miss home, and am eager to make friends and socialize.”
New Ways of Looking at Things
Darla Deardorff defines intercultural competence as the “knowledge of others; knowledge of self; skills to interpret and relate; skills to discover and/or to interact; valuing others’ values, beliefs, and behaviours; and relativizing [sic] oneself.”[3]
My intercultural competence developed almost unbeknownst to me during my stay. Periodically, I would think of life in Canada and question: why did we have so few bike lanes? Why did I have to pay for my university education? Why didn’t we have more female Members of Parliament? It was in those instances when I really began to see Canada in light of other countries, and myself in light of other citizens of the world. Learning in an international context had a profound impact on my understanding and analysis of issues, my attitudes towards others and their personal values, my skills development, and my sense of belonging.
Learn by Studying
As a junction for thought and discussion, the classroom was a hotbed of cross-cultural debate. When asked to offer critical insight and personal perspectives, fellow classmates often began with, “Well, in my country…” followed by an overview of the country’s position on an issue and a personal comment. Like a microcosm of real-life cross-country discussions, classmates would vehemently uphold their position, believing that their way was the right way. Unlike classes in my undergraduate career, the in-my-country statements were difficult to refute as they were often rooted in historical events or framed in a cultural context. Suffice to say, differences in opinion were common. Disputes, however, forced all of us to re-examine the strength of our own arguments in light of opposing, and often new, perspectives.
Self-examination of my beliefs and opinions extended beyond classroom conversations. While discussing a country-based case study with classmates over a meatball lunch, I argued that the strongest competitive advantage of the country in question was its natural resources. As a Canadian, I took for granted the abundance of our own natural resources, and assumed the same strategies and ideas could be applied in most, if not all, contexts. I was quickly forced to re-think my position when a classmate from a small land-locked country quipped, “The party won’t last forever.” He insisted that natural resources are finite, and the greatest asset to any country is its people. Indeed, placing myself in other people’s shoes and incorporating a people-first approach have since become personal cornerstones in addressing any issue.
Learn by Working
Like many students, I wanted to work part-time, but unlike many students in Sweden, I was fortunate enough to land a part-time job. In Canada, it was easy for me to take for granted my knowledge of the country’s official language and the abundance of part-time work available in big cities. But job hunting in Sweden was a humbling experience, and I gained the greatest empathy for newly landed immigrants in Canada who face barriers to securing employment.
I managed to land a student mediation job with the University and was paired up with a Swedish student. Our job was to minimize conflicts between international students and the housing authorities, and there was plenty of diplomacy involved. A haughty leadership style – so common in North America – had no place in an international social milieu. Notions of authority gave way to consensus-building, self-interest to cooperation, and confrontation to negotiation. It was in this role that I witnessed the simple commonality of people’s desires: respect, fairness, and equality.
The job also involved a lot of biking to and from different student residences all over town. Inevitably, my Swedish co-worker and I had time to discuss culture, politics, and life. One day I read an article criticizing the absence of tuition fees for international students and thought about the argument. After trying to place myself in the shoes of the author, I too felt that if Canada offered free tuition to foreign students, Canadian taxpayers might question the value. I then asked my co-worker what he thought about the issue. He didn’t gripe about wasted taxes but instead argued that this was a good way to gain knowledge and expertise from other countries and create an appreciation of Swedish culture. Yet again, I was challenged to look at things from a different perspective – it wasn’t so much about what the international students were taking, but what they were giving.
Learn by Volunteering
The most valuable lessons came from my volunteer work at Amnesty International in Lund. Impassioned about the promotion of human rights, I joined Amnesty because I wanted to meet others who shared the same interest. While toying with potential fundraising ideas and awareness campaigns, I suggested we organize a debate competition. As an avid debater in Canada, I naïvely thought debating clubs were common in every country, and that there would be no shortage of argument-hungry students. This, however, was not the case. In fact, the debate competition was the first of its kind, and it was an arduous struggle to sell the idea of direct verbal confrontation in a country that has been at peace for almost 200 years. Cooperation, communication, and support became pillars in the small international organizing committee. Without a doubt, the value of our six-month-long effort became obvious on the day of the event.
I, along with many of the participants, spectators, and volunteers, felt that the competition brought the issue of migration in Europe to a public level. High school and university students from over two dozen countries engaged in intelligent discussion about a topic that is often at odds with national identity. From a New Zealander studying environmental sustainability to a Venezuelan studying physics, participants created an unconventional dialogue that informed and challenged existing ideals. It was a discussion that people wanted to have but had little opportunity for. The end of the event marked only the beginning of the debate, which continued outside of the auditorium when students returned to their residences, spectators to their families, and volunteers to their communities.
Framing issues in a global lens forces people to look beyond a national scope and discuss them as global citizens who understand their responsibility to other people.
Journal Entry, Lund, Sweden, 18 March 2007: “… we [a friend and I] spoke about the event [the debate competition], and he said it was going to be a highlight for him, and that he too attributes good group dynamics to the lack of strong personalities.”
The Ambassadorial-Effect
Upon my return to Canada, friends, family, and colleagues would ask, “So, how was it?” Summing up a year’s worth of experience is hard to do in a few words, so I would simply say, “It was different.” It was different from the “one-city-per-day” Euro-trip that so many of my friends rave about, and different from the month-long language course I took abroad one summer. I felt as though I had become an unofficial ambassador for the country I lived in and the people I met. The ambassadorial-effect, as I would call it, leads one to respect and appreciate other cultures after having experienced them.
Living in a country, as I discovered, is far different from visiting a country. A complete immersion means learning how to live in a different society. This creates empathy for people that few other experiences can match. Over time I, like many other international students, began to reflect this understanding in my thoughts and actions while abroad and at home.
Recent research from Canada World Youth (CWY), an international youth exchange organization, suggests that my experience is not uncommon. A 2006 CWY impact assessment study found that past participants felt the program’s greatest influence was on their values and attitudes, knowledge/learning, and skills.[4] Respondents cited tolerance and open-mindedness as the personal values that changed the most, while communication and organizational skills also made notable improvements. Moreover, CWY hosts reported that the program’s impact on community went beyond its three-month duration. Evidently, the ambassadorial-effect works both ways and can result in a cultural legacy that most Canadians would likely see as a positive influence.[5]
Journal Entry, Hong Kong (a small vacation before returning home), 10 October 2007: “…lesson learned, take opportunities to get experiences, instead of holding out.”
A Strengthened Citizenry
To varying degrees, an international experience can contribute to the development of all three kinds of citizens that Joel Westheimer discusses: the personally responsible citizen, the participatory citizen, and the social-justice oriented citizen. [6] In my case I worked, paid taxes, and respected local laws and cultural traditions, like a personally responsible citizen; I participated in community initiatives, like a participatory citizen; and I created a socio-political dialogue on migration, like a social-justice oriented citizen. This, however, is not to say that we can only experience this kind of civic engagement while studying abroad. Living in an international context simply broadens the experience and can inspire us to do more when we return to our own country.
The more young minds are able to experience foreign places, people, and cultures, the more globally informed their future decisions will be.
A foreign experience can have a transformational impact on individuals, their future choices, and the societies in which they live. In my case, I gained a greater understanding of multiculturalism, learned about the values of multilingualism, and realized the importance of global citizenship. Deepened knowledge of these areas has informed my everyday actions, from choosing what to eat to deciding which petitions I will sign. Perhaps most important, my decisions as a voter are now based on policies and character, rather than politics and charisma. I am now able to make informed decisions based on what I feel is in the best interest of all Canadians, and not just my own.
Journal Entry, Toronto, Canada (home), 15 December 2007: “It’s still really strange for me to hear so many English conversations at once, and to see so many Canadians all in one place.
Conclusion
After studying and living abroad I firmly believe that Canada needs to focus on and promote international exchange opportunities. The more young minds are able to experience foreign places, people, and cultures, the more globally informed their future decisions will be. Admittedly, many parts of Canada – such as Toronto and Montreal – can toot the horns of multiculturalism, but this alone does not lead to a true understanding of global citizenship. Foreign experience is like learning about a historical event – it only becomes real when you visit the place and listen to the people. In Grade 8, the Battle on the Plains of Abraham was just another date to remember until I stood on the Plains during a class trip. A sense of place, an understanding of culture, and an appreciation for people became more real than ever. Instilling a meaningful historical or globalized viewpoint can only happen when we feel connected to other people and other places.
The quote at the start of this paper highlights our responsibility to others as part of global citizenship. I didn’t know it when I first arrived in Lund, but my Swedish teacher gave me a similar lesson on responsibility to others. Baffled at the advanced English skills of almost every Swede I encountered, despite the fact that it is not an official language, I asked why this was. She replied, “We are a country of only 9 million people – we must make the effort to learn the language of others if we are to be part of the dialogue.” Similarly, Canada is a country of only 33 million people, and we must take the initiative to think beyond borders and engage with the world around us if we are to play a meaningful role in the international community.
EN BREF – L’expérience de vivre à l’étranger peut avoir un impact immense sur les individus, au point de les transformer eux et les sociétés où ils vivent. Lors d’un échange étudiant avec la Suède, j’ai pu mieux comprendre le multiculturalisme; j’ai appris les valeurs du multilinguisme et pris conscience de l’importance d’être citoyen du monde. Vivre dans un pays est très différent de simplement le visiter. L’immersion totale signifie apprendre comment vivre dans une autre société et engendre l’empathie comme peu d’autres expériences le permettent. Au fil du temps, j’ai commencé à refléter cette prise de conscience dans mes réflexions et mes actions à l’étranger comme chez moi. D’après une étude d’évaluation d’impact de 2006 de Jeunesse Canada Monde, ce que j’ai vécu n’est pas unique. Les anciens participants considèrent que le programme a surtout influencé leurs valeurs, attitudes, savoirs, apprentissages et compétences. Plus les jeunes pourront faire l’expérience de la vie dans d’autres pays, parmi d’autres peuples et d’autres cultures, plus leurs décisions futures seront éclairées par une perspective mondiale.
[1] G. Brown, “Gordon Brown on global ethic vs. national interest,” TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009, (www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/gordon_brown_on_global_ethic_vs_national_interest.html).
[2] Studyinsweden.se, Possible tuition fees for non-EU students from 2011, September 2009 (www.studyinsweden.se/Home/News-archive/Possible-tuition-fees-for-non-EUEES-students-from-2011/).
[3] J.C. Jurgins and C. Robbins-O’Connell, “A Comparative Study of Intercultural and Global Competency Opportunities on American and Irish University Campuses,” International Education 38, no. 1 (Fall, 2006): 66-101.
[4] Canada World Youth, Canada World Youth Impact Assessment: Synthesis Report, December 2006 (www.canadaworldyouth.org/en/content/doc/SynthesisReport_EN.pdf)
[5] Environics Institute, The Canada’s World Poll, January 2008 (www.environicsinstitute.org/PDF-CanadasWorld.pdf)
[6] J. Westheimer, “What Kind of Citizen? Democratic Dialogues in Education,” Education Canada 48, no. 3 (Summer, 2008): 6-10.
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A Tale of Two Minds: Psychology and Global Climate Change
Comments Off on A Tale of Two Minds: Psychology and Global Climate ChangeThe American Psychological Association recently released its Presidential Task Force report on Psychology and Global Climate Change. The report first notes the domains of psychological research that have borne fruit in the past. For example, sections of the report review research literature that answers the following questions: How do people understand the risks imposed by climate change? What are the human behavioural contributions to climate change and the psychological and contextual drivers of these contributions? What are the psychosocial impacts of climate change? How do people adapt to and cope with the perceived threat and unfolding impacts of climate change? Which psychological barriers limit climate change action? and How can psychologists assist in limiting climate change? Specific research, practice, and education recommendations follow the literature reviews that bear on each of the six questions above.
There are no environmental problems where humans aren’t centrally implicated. Thus, psychology and education ought to play important roles in solving these various problems.
The report issues calls to continue these productive lines of research and suggests several promising new directions. The Task Force offers a set of eight principles for psychologists (e.g., make connections to research and concepts from other social, engineering, and natural science fields; present psychological insights in terms of missing pieces in climate change analyses; be mindful of social disparities and ethical, and justice issues that interface with climate change) designed to maximize their contributions to the science of climate change. Implementing the Task Force’s principles and proposals would inaugurate a long and productive program of psychological research on climate change. This is exactly what one would expect from a task force of a professional society. If you read the report looking for detailed analyses of the points above, you will not be disappointed. To my mind, the report fulfills the expectations many held for it. Then why am I of two minds regarding the report?
Too Little, Too Late?
In this section, I share some of the ruminations that awaken me in the middle of the night. I don’t know for certain that any of my misgivings will prove true. Nor can I be certain that the directions I will suggest will prove superior to the directions suggested in the APA report. Rather, this article affords me an opportunity to worry aloud and share my concerns with educators whose influence on young minds may hold the key to our long-term survival.
There are no environmental problems where humans aren’t centrally implicated. Thus, psychology and education ought to play important roles in solving these various problems. Why are humans central to all environmental problems? Because we have been the dominant species on this planet for thousands of years. The history of evolution for all biological species has been the same: the organism slowly changes (via random genetic mutations coupled with selective retention) to become better adapted to the environmental niches the world offers it.
Global climate change ushers in a whole new ballgame. Humans quickly (in terms of evolutionary timescales) alter the environment that we then must adapt to in the future, thereby changing the course of evolution. No longer is the influence unidirectional: we can now profoundly change the environment which then shapes our evolutionary path.[1]
Global climate change is not the only environmental threat we face. You’ve heard of the “Peak Oil” phenomenon, wherein global oil production will peak and then inexorably decline.[2] The effects of peak oil will be devastating economically unless we have huge quantities of alternative energy ready for use. Why can’t we simply use natural gas or coal instead of oil? Because both still pollute and release the greenhouse gases that propel global climate change. Finally, the “green revolution” in agriculture allowed us to go from 3 billion people on the earth (in 1948) to our current 6.6 billion people. But what are the long-term consequences of the elements that made up the dramatic gains in agricultural productivity over the last six or seven decades? Watering crops from nonrenewable aquifers represents an obvious short-term strategy. Continued watering from any aquifer builds up salts in the soil that reduce the per acre yield of our fields. The continued use of herbicides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers poisons the fields over time, leading to reduced yields initially and abandonment of the fields eventually.[3] Did you know that for many years now the earth has lost more acres of farmland (due to erosion, desertification, soil poisoning, the spread of cities, etc.) than it has put into agricultural service? But the human population continues to double every 50 years or so.
Time, Time, Time, See What’s Become of…Us
Simon and Garfunkel’s haunting song, “Hazy Shade of Winter”, is about a person who nears death and tries to make sense of the life he/she has led. Our looming environmental problems have put me in a similar state of mind. So with my melancholy state as a backdrop, let us ask, “How much time do we humans have to act to avert global climate change?”
Climatologists have been growing progressively gloomier over the last decade about the amount of time remaining, and for good scientific reasons (see Frontline’s excellent movie, Diming the Sun). James Hansen (longtime director of NASA’s Goddard laboratory) is arguably the world’s preeminent climatologist. For several years now, he has been expressing the fear we have only a decade or so left to act to avert global climate change. If he is correct, the timescale required for the concrete changes that would flow from the recommendations of the APA Task Force report is far too long. Psychologists – and educators – must act more quickly if they are to play a meaningful role in averting global climate change.
The challenge for today’s educators’ is to raise a generation of voters who won’t fall for the dangerous thoughts that our politicians have let us believe are true.
Are there promising trends outside academia in our efforts to fight global climate change? Yes, there are. Ontario’s, Germany’s, and Spain’s feed-in tariffs on all renewable energy systems are one promising development. Europe’s cap-and-trade system is another hopeful development (the United States Senate is currently debating the passage of a cap-and-trade bill). The United States’ 30 percent incentive on all renewable energy systems is yet another cause for hope. Most importantly, these efforts work within a timescale where their effects are virtually immediate. We also have engineers and materials scientists to thank for the products that produce clean and renewable energy, as well as political scientists and economists to thank for incentives, feed-in tariffs, and cap-and-trade systems. So what is the role of educators in all of this?
What’s an Educator To Do?
We must educate young people to think quite differently than we were taught to think. Table 1 provides examples of nine types of thoughts commonly promoted, learned, and accepted in recent generations, given the assumption of a limitless world.[4] However, for a world with limits, these same thoughts are not only false – they’re dangerous.
Table 1 – Dangerous Thoughts: For a World with Limits
- Consumption will produce happiness (and consumption is “needed”).
- The future is to be steeply “discounted”.
- Present consumption is preferred to investment in (or conservation for) the future.
- Growth is good.
- Free-market capitalism is the best system.
- Paying less is better than paying more.
- If it ain’t broke (yet)—don’t fix it.
- Until scientists can prove a phenomenon beyond scientific doubt, society doesn’t need to act on it.
- Innovations (technological and others) can push back biological limits indefinitely.
The next generation must think differently. Dangerous thoughts produce environmental nightmares. For example, politicians know that the quickest way to die politically is to promise to raise gasoline prices, or to raise the price of electricity produced by burning fossil fuels (all parts of a carbon tax). Yet, that is precisely the swiftest, most lethal blow we could now deliver to the dragon of global climate change. The challenge for today’s educators’ is to raise a generation of voters who won’t fall for the dangerous thoughts that our politicians have let us believe are true. Citizens must carefully analyze politicians’ statements and reach conclusions like, “While I’d like to pay less for gas, doing so would increase our unsustainable commitment to burning hydrocarbons to generate energy. Thus, I will vote against anyone who plays to my worst impulses.”
“Feeling bad, over-worked, or unappreciated? You deserve a break today…at McDonald’s.” Almost any type of consumption – to assuage psychological maladies – represents a bad strategy. Here, our prime adversary is the trillions and trillions of dollars spent on advertising. “Feeling weak, insignificant, powerless? Imagine how people will feel about you when you’re driving the biggest, toughest vehicle on the road. Get a Hummer.” Some commercials go so far as create the need first, and then tell you what to buy to satisfy it: “What if you have bad breath (or body order) and don’t know it? Be safe – buy Listerine (or Right Guard).” Helping people to “unlearn” dangerous thoughts such as these (“consumption will make me feel better”, “more is better”, “consumption is preferred to investment or conservation”) provides educators with many opportunities for discussion and consciousness-raising about aspects of human decision making, the impact of advertising, and self-defeating human tendencies.
A related dangerous psychological tendency arises whenever a short-term pleasure or pain is weighed against a long-term pleasure or pain. The short-term is always weighed too heavily in the calculus of our decision-making. Short-term rewards (the “ buy now, no money down” offer or the unhealthy diet that tastes so good) block out or beat out the longer-term punishments (increasing debt or health problems) because even though the punishments are overwhelmingly more severe, they all lie in the distant future. Because it is so common for many people to act this way, economists have quantified this tendency in a “subjective discount rate”, specifically describing exactly how badly we discount our futures. We live consumption-heavy lives as if no one will ever have to pay the costs of our profligacy. Of course, in many ways, our children and grandchildren will bear those costs.
As you read through the examples of dangerous thoughts listed in Table 1, you’ll notice that several serve to convince us that it is wise not to act yet. One suggests, “If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it.” Environmental problems involve feed-forward systems (not the more common feedback systems), such that once the system is triggered, you have no control over what it does. The genie has been let out of the bottle, so to speak. Take forest fires, for example. The more CO2 we put into the air, the warmer and drier the air gets. The warmer and drier the air gets, the more likely forest fires are to occur. With more forest fires, more CO2 gets put into the air, continuing the cycle. This may start on a relatively small scale, say in California, but in such a feed-forward system, even the Amazon (which is a rainforest now) could ultimately be dried out, leaving a dense dry forest with no way to put out the fires that will occur. By the time people realize the system has been triggered, the process of climate change is under the control of the feed-forward mechanisms and impervious to human attempts to control the process.
Another thought that is dangerous because it tends to impede or obstruct action is, “If science has not yet proven something, then we need not address it.” This was the last line of defense of cigarette companies who claimed that science hadn’t proven cigarette smoking causes cancer. The history of science demonstrates that no theory is ever proven or permanent. Therefore, to wait for scientific proof is to make a demand on science that is inappropriate for the discipline.
A final defense mechanism is to claim that innovations (technological and conceptual) can push back biological limits indefinitely. Technology can sometimes push back limits, but it cannot ultimately eradicate limits. For example, medical progress can help us live some years longer, but it cannot banish death. As educators, we can contribute to the task of challenging our tendencies to wish away difficult realities.
A Final, Troubling Thought
Like the other authors of the APA report, I gave whatever wisdom I had to offer, with the background assumption that we had several decades left to act. But now, when I awaken in the middle of the night, I fear that Hanson’s prediction (of less than a decade left to act) might be correct. The Good Book was prescient in noting that, “we know not the day or the hour of our death.” In truth, we know not the day or the hour when the tragic effects of our greenhouse gases will come home to roost. Given you’ve already read my darker thoughts, I’d also urge you to read the Task Force’s more hopeful thoughts.
As a child, I was sometimes awakened at night convinced there were dragons under my bed. We know that those dragons weren’t real. As an adult, I lose sleep due to the dragons of global climate change. Because scientists tell us those fears are most likely real, I now pray that our time left to counter climate change is not too short.
EN BREF – L’American Psychological Association a récemment publié un rapport du groupe de travail présidentiel sur la psychologie et les changements climatiques mondiaux. Les principes et propositions qui y sont énoncés amorceraient un programme détaillé et productif de recherche psychologique sur les changements climatiques. Est-ce trop peu, trop tard? Les climatologues ont brossé un tableau toujours plus sombre au cours de la dernière décennie au sujet du temps qui reste, et pour de bonnes raisons scientifiques. Les psychologues – et les éducateurs – doivent agir plus rapidement pour jouer un rôle utile pour éviter les changements climatiques. Les éducateurs doivent, par-dessus tout, affranchir la génération montante d’une foule d’idées reçues fondées sur la présomption d’un monde sans limites, idées qui contribuent à une mentalité « achetez maintenant, payez plus tard » dans les contextes de consommation et d’environnement.
[1] P. R. Erlich and A. H. Erlich, The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment, (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2008).
[2] K. Deffeyes, Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert’s Peak (New York: Farrar, Straus & Groux, 2005).
[3] Lester Brown, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (New York: Norton, 2009).
[4] From George Howard, Ecological Psychology: Creating a More Earth-friendly Human Nature, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997).
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