So many of your statements in your post spoke to me Ryanne!
Firstly, thank you for sharing Brown and Kendi's conversation. The quote you selected stopped me in my reading and was so powerful I needed to sit with it overnight. The connection of Muhammad's book to that of an umbrella is poignant.
Secondly, I was also fascinated by the history of Black Literate Societies that Muhammad introduced. For me, it was a a flashlight moment where the world became a bit brighter. Like you related, it is a hard truth to "just be finding out". A couple of years ago I completed a MEd degree called Literacy Across Contexts. It was my first formal foray into critical literacy and thankfully actively included Indigenous histories and ways of knowing. But, it did not include a Canadian context about Black Literate Societies. Muhammed has provoked a curiosity that I didn't know I was missing. And, isn't that the best gift from a book - an opening of a 'window or sliding door' that you didn't think to look for previously.
Finally, highlighting that "many things in education are decided by those who are not actually in the classroom, in many cases have never been in a classroom, interacting, teaching and learning alongside children" is especially relevant for Alberta's context right now. Our government has proposed a draft curriculum that 59 of 61 school boards have refused to pilot next year. Alberta's proposed curriculum is pretty much the opposite of Muhammad's HRL Framework. I won't go into detail about the debacle, but if anyone is interested there are many analysis pieces signalling how Alberta's proposed curriculum is not appropriate. This is why the hope you shared in your post is especially important for Alberta educators right now. Your question, "What if we took the framework from Cultivating Genius and began our own principled resistance, engaging in action research to truly make a difference in the education systems we live and work in?" is one I plan to take forward with me into next year as I consider my own leadership steps.
Thank you for opening the window into your thoughts as you read and reflect on Cultivating Genius!
"I am still working on wrapping my head around how we got where we are, or maybe it’s more…why in the $@# are we still here!?! By “here” I mean the current, ongoing, inequitable and systemically flawed education system."
Ryanne - This completely captured my thoughts as I read Muhammad's book! Honestly, I felt pretty depressed while I was reading. As members of societies that proclaim equality for all, we should not be okay with this on-going oppression of non-white people. We should not be okay with our black/brown students beginning school and already feeling inferior by the time they are 5/6 years old.
With the majority of educators being white, we can not sit back color-blind comfortable in our own skin. I can't completely relate to what black people face on a daily basis. That's why it is so important that I read books like Muhammad's. I can't be complacent when I read about all of the inequality that continues to exist in education today.
The metaphor works for me too; it helps me appreciate others' perspectives even thought I may never fully understand their situations. Thank you Ryanne for leading the way!
So many of your statements in your post spoke to me Ryanne!
Firstly, thank you for sharing Brown and Kendi's conversation. The quote you selected stopped me in my reading and was so powerful I needed to sit with it overnight. The connection of Muhammad's book to that of an umbrella is poignant.
Secondly, I was also fascinated by the history of Black Literate Societies that Muhammad introduced. For me, it was a a flashlight moment where the world became a bit brighter. Like you related, it is a hard truth to "just be finding out". A couple of years ago I completed a MEd degree called Literacy Across Contexts. It was my first formal foray into critical literacy and thankfully actively included Indigenous histories and ways of knowing. But, it did not include a Canadian context about Black Literate Societies. Muhammed has provoked a curiosity that I didn't know I was missing. And, isn't that the best gift from a book - an opening of a 'window or sliding door' that you didn't think to look for previously.
Finally, highlighting that "many things in education are decided by those who are not actually in the classroom, in many cases have never been in a classroom, interacting, teaching and learning alongside children" is especially relevant for Alberta's context right now. Our government has proposed a draft curriculum that 59 of 61 school boards have refused to pilot next year. Alberta's proposed curriculum is pretty much the opposite of Muhammad's HRL Framework. I won't go into detail about the debacle, but if anyone is interested there are many analysis pieces signalling how Alberta's proposed curriculum is not appropriate. This is why the hope you shared in your post is especially important for Alberta educators right now. Your question, "What if we took the framework from Cultivating Genius and began our own principled resistance, engaging in action research to truly make a difference in the education systems we live and work in?" is one I plan to take forward with me into next year as I consider my own leadership steps.
Thank you for opening the window into your thoughts as you read and reflect on Cultivating Genius!
"I am still working on wrapping my head around how we got where we are, or maybe it’s more…why in the $@# are we still here!?! By “here” I mean the current, ongoing, inequitable and systemically flawed education system."
Ryanne - This completely captured my thoughts as I read Muhammad's book! Honestly, I felt pretty depressed while I was reading. As members of societies that proclaim equality for all, we should not be okay with this on-going oppression of non-white people. We should not be okay with our black/brown students beginning school and already feeling inferior by the time they are 5/6 years old.
With the majority of educators being white, we can not sit back color-blind comfortable in our own skin. I can't completely relate to what black people face on a daily basis. That's why it is so important that I read books like Muhammad's. I can't be complacent when I read about all of the inequality that continues to exist in education today.
The metaphor works for me too; it helps me appreciate others' perspectives even thought I may never fully understand their situations. Thank you Ryanne for leading the way!