References - Algonquin College



Leveraging Privilege: The Use (and Misuse) of the Hidden CurriculumDr. Martin LeeProfessor of BiochemistryAlgonquin College's core values are based on the principles of Caring, Learning, Integrity and Respect. As professionals in the teaching area we certainly strive, or should strive, to embody those ideals in our daily interactions with learners. ‘Learning’, for me, stands without clarification in those principals. We are an academic body which aims to provide an environment conducive to student learning – that is what brought us here to Algonquin as professors. ‘Integrity’ is synonymous with consistency of values, coming from the same origins as the word ‘integer’ – meaning without division. ‘Respect’ speaks to our need to treat every individual as a valuable whole; to see the inherent value in the students' (and our peers') background, knowledge, and culture. Finally, ‘Caring’, importantly, speaks to the connectivity between the other principals – that we will provide the conditions needed to support, nurture, and encourage the learning, integrity and respect of our students.As we ensure that we move through these principals, part of our professional reflection must be on our implicit biases which we are communicating to our students. Collectively, the ‘lessons’ we teach which are not included in our curricula are termed the ‘Hidden Curriculum’ CITATION Gho10 \l 1033 (Ghosh, 2010). The notion of confronting our implicit, and in some cases explicit, biases is uncomfortable; the majority of us dislike the idea that we are either reinforcing, or exemplifying racist, sexist, or homophobic ideals. Nevertheless, these concepts can creep their way into our teaching as a result of our own cultural narrative that is told subconsciously in our teachings.The privilege of being a professor is not one we can take lightly, nor ignore the inherent power dynamic of. Within the educational experience, regardless of educational theory, the professor’s role is a critical one – notably in the learner-driven model, the professor and college forms a cocoon of learning around that student. At Algonquin we are the guides who chaperone our students through their journey in a formative stage in their lives. For a large portion of the population, the years spent in college is often the time when students begin the process of self-actualization. Students become aware of their own developing political affiliations, their views on current affairs, where their talents reside, developing their sexuality, etcetera. Professors can have a profound impact on learners as we speak from a position of authority and esteem. Our words are heard by students. These words echo in their minds and are at times reflected in their actions. We are viewed as the bearers of knowledge and respected as positions of note in our community. This brings with it the responsibility of using that position for the greater good of our students.By way of exemplifying the difficulties faced by racialized students in finding representation: it is estimated that at least 30% of our students at Algonquin belong to racialized (non-white-identifying) communities. Some 7% of our students consider themselves international students. Yet in my Biochemistry PowerPoint slides, if I was to use a search engine to locate a stock image which includes one of those racialized students the first ‘Biotechnology’ image which appears to show a non-white face is number 74 on the list (search conducted from Algonquin College, Google Image search-term: ‘Laboratory’). In order to ensure equal representation of marginalized groups in the material, there must be a conscious effort on the part of the professor to include them. Our professorial body mimics the demographics of Ottawa – we approximate 10-15% racialized professors.Representation matters! Research published by Harvard University studied students in the Florida Department of Education, monitoring them from 2001-2009 CITATION Ann15 \l 1033 (Egalite, Kisida, & Winters, 2015). Conclusions were that students who had ‘race-congruent’ teachers achieved better results in reading, and math (both to 95% CI). Clearly, no professor is able to change the ethnic or racial group to whom they belong (a discussion of trans-racialism a la Rachel Dolezal can be held at a later time!), however we are all capable of ensuring that we make efforts to include images, role models and examples which include racially diverse themes and identities. Indeed, these students have been speaking loudly to colleges: in November of 2015 a series of protests were held in Canada and the US (including Toronto and Ottawa), all to bring to light the experiences of what it means to be “black on campus” CITATION Hab16 \l 1033 (Habtemariam & Hudson, 2016). While this protest didn’t include Algonquin College, the experiences of our local students, as reported by them in the Algonquin Times sounds eerily familiar CITATION Jam18 \l 1033 (James, 2018). Given that the student body is seeking representation, how many of us are actively seeking to include them in the images, examples and case studies in our classes? As we consider these racial terms, we must also pay close attention to the tensions surrounding the First Nation and autochthonous peoples of Canada. Historically, these groups have had conflicted interactions with educational systems, and consequently the relationship between academic bodies and these students can be strained without care. There have been increasing efforts in the last few years to actively engage Aboriginal populations in the college system. Algonquin College is a signatory to the Colleges and Institutes Canada’s Indigenous Education Protocol, signed in Ottawa in 2014. As party to that agreement, Algonquin has mandated seven principals which we should all be attempting to include in our curricula (hidden and explicit):Commit to making Indigenous education a priority.Ensure governance structures recognize and respect Indigenous peoples.Implement intellectual and cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples through curriculum and learning approaches relevant to learners and communities.Support students and employees to increase understanding and reciprocity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous mit to increasing the number of Indigenous employees with ongoing appointments throughout the institution, including Indigenous senior administrators.Establish Indigenous-centred holistic services and learning environments for learner success.Build relationships and be accountable to Indigenous communities in support of self-determination through education, training and applied research.We are clearly making movements in these directions, but with extra effort, the professorial body can better include these ideals into our classrooms.Similarly, issues of recognition and value are common threads when discussing matters affecting gender non-binary individuals (one collective term referring to people who are not identifying as exclusively masculine or feminine? – there are other terms for this phenomenon, and Algonquin offers Positive Space training for those interested). For those who identify as part of this group, small meaningful gestures can make all the difference in their learning experience. For example, the correct use of their preferred pronouns will have a significant impact. More commonly used pronouns include "he", "she" and "they", alternatively "ze", "sie", "hir", "co", and "ey" can also be used. For these students, their gender, and the perception of their gender is a sensitive point, and efforts should be made to include their preferred pronoun. Here are some examples of positive ways that the aforementioned practices have been introduced into the Biochemistry ‘hidden curriculum’:My professor profile on Blackboard (and now Brightspace) includes a statement of my preferred pronouns (He, Him and His). This makes very little impact on most students, however gender non-binary students have come up to me and engaged in conversations about their difficulties because that simple statement indicates that I am aware of that issue.The various ethnic and gender celebrations during the year become focal points for our case studies and examples:ADVOCATE for your students. They look to us to see opportunities in their community for their advancement and direction. When conversations happen at the faculty level, these students need our voices to bring their issues to the fore.Black History Month became a major focus for Biochemistry: our proteins were all either discovered by ACB (Afro, Caribbean or Black) scientists, or explicitly involved in the conversation around race.Women’s History Month similarly involved the discussion of gender, including scientific discussions of non-binary sex determination. Issues of privilege (such as questions about why there is no ‘White History Month’ or ‘Men’s Day’) were dealt with proactively and in an open forum (acknowledgement that there actually IS a Men’s Day, for example, on November 19th, and discussions around white cultural saturation). November was a good time to discuss men’s health issues, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month was a convenient time to introduce cancer detection and screening from a biochemical perspective.Images are sourced with an explicit bias towards racialized individuals and particularly Aboriginal populations of Canada. Case Studies are intentionally sourced with direction towards these people as well. Icebreakers are chosen which can introduce cultural nuances to the classroom. My personal favorite is “your name and its meaning”.Finally, some pitfalls to avoid:While it is important to acknowledge students who are racialized, it is equally important to AVOID reducing them to that racial stereotype or use them as a representative of their community. These students face issues as a result of their status, but they are not the spokespeople for their communities.It’s fine to ask students what they would benefit from if there appears to be a cultural disconnect in class: but it is not their responsibility to educate us on their situation. There are plenty of resources in the world for us to use on our own – from Google to the library. We cannot knee-jerk react to comments made which are racially charged, especially if we are in the privileged, or power-holding position. Exploring these ideas can be revolutionary, educational and rewarding for the professor. Nothing is more challenging (and conversely satisfying) than bridging a gap between the learner and professor. These moments are well known to us as academics – we sometimes know them as 'Aha' moments. The social challenges which come with the discovery process necessitate discomfort and risk on our part. We must they negotiate the emotions (such as shame and guilt) that come with these moments of awareness. Along with this, we must advocate for spaces to proactively encourage this at the college. Professors will need supports for these voyages of exploration.The hidden curriculum can be a powerful agent for advancement or disenfranchisement of students. We all have one at the college and personal level. Once we are aware of it, we can leverage our position to ensure that it utilized to our students’ advantage. This is a question of fundamental accessibility for these students and it harkens back to the first of Algonquin’s core values: Caring. To care for our students is to meaningfully engage in their needs for a learning environment. It speaks to the pillars of sustainability, it speaks to the college’s principals and it speaks to our values as professors. References BIBLIOGRAPHY Egalite, A. J., Kisida, B., & Winters, M. A. (2015). Representation in the Classroom: The Effect of Own-Race/Ethnicity Teacher Assignment on Student Achievement. Harvard University. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Press. Retrieved from , R. (2010). Racism: A hidden curriculum. Education Canada, 48(4), 26-29. Retrieved from , S., & Hudson, S. (2016). Canadian campuses have a racism problem. Toronto: The Toronto Star. Retrieved 05 13, 2018, from , T. (2018). Was that Black History Month? Ottawa: Algonquin Times. Retrieved 05 13, 2018, from ................
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