Shifting Out of “Neutral”: Beginning Teachers’ Struggles with Teaching for Social Justice

In this article we explore the struggles of 12 beginning teachers committed to social justice to define their roles when facilitating classroom discussions of social issues. We discerned five distinct positions about the possibility and desirability of teacher neutrality. To teach for social justice involves shifting out of neutral, both in terms of a teacher’s orientation to social inequalities and of pedagogy. Our preferred teacher role, inclusive and situated engagement, involves spotlighting the perspectives of subordinated groups and providing opportunities for young people to develop their deliberative capacities and to learn to act on their reasoned convictions. L’article porte sur douze enseignants débutants soucieux de justice sociale et cherchant à définir leurs rôles dans les discussions en classe sur des questions sociales. Cinq positions distinctes au sujet de la possibilité et de l’opportunité de la neutralité de l’enseignant sont examinées. Un enseignement axé sur la justice sociale implique que l’enseignant sorte de la neutralité quant à son orientation vis-à-vis des inégalités sociales et de la pédagogie. Les auteures privilégient l’engagement inclusif et situationnel, l’enseignant mettant en lumière les points de vue des groupes marginalisés et fournissant aux jeunes l’occasion de développer leur aptitude à délibérer et d’apprendre à agir à partir de convictions éclairées.

“Social Justice Needs to Be Everywhere”: Imagining the Future of Anti-Oppression Education in Teacher Preparation

This article analyzes a social-justice teacher education project in a larger teacher education program in Western Canada. This program-within-a-program took an anti-oppressive education approach designed to help teacher candidates to understand and challenge various forms of inequity and their interconnections. We review the social justice project first, through a descriptive analysis of our teaching, and second, through hour-long qualitative, semistructured interviews with 20 graduates of our program (all beginning teachers). Our alumni provided examples of teaching against the grain and also spoke to the challenges of implementing critical pedagogies. We conclude by providing four key recommendations and reflecting on the implications for future teacher preparation.Cet article analyse un projet de justice sociale dans le cadre d’un important programme de formation des enseignants dans l’Ouest canadien. Ce « programme à l’intérieur d’un programme » a adopté une approche pédagogique contre l’oppression, conçue pour aider les étudiants en pédagogie à comprendre et à remettre en question diverses formes d’iniquité et les liens entre elles. Nous nous penchons sur le programme de justice sociale, d’abord par une analyse descriptive de notre enseignement, ensuite par des entrevues qualitatives et semi-structurées d’une heure auprès de finissants de notre programme (tous débutant leur carrière d’enseignant). Nos anciens ont fourni des exemples d’enseignement à contre-courant et ont évoqué les défis liés à la mise en oeuvre de pédagogies critiques. Nous concluons en présentant quatre recommandations clés et en réfléchissant aux conséquences pour la formation des enseignants à l’avenir

Biological Flora of the British Isles: Ambrosia artemisiifolia

1. This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Common ragweed) that are relevant to understanding its ecology. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, and history, conservation, impacts and management. 2. Ambrosia artemisiifolia is a monoecious, wind-pollinated, annual herb native to North America whose height varies from 10 cm to 2.5 m, according to environmental conditions. It has erect, branched stems and pinnately lobed leaves. Spike-like racemes of male capitula composed of staminate (male) florets terminate the stems, while cyme-like clusters of pistillate (female) florets are arranged in groups in the axils of main and lateral stem leaves. 3. Seeds require prolonged chilling to break dormancy. Following seedling emergence in spring, the rate of vegetative growth depends on temperature, but development occurs over a wide thermal range. In temperate European climates, male and female flowers are produced from summer to early autumn (July to October). 4. Ambrosia artemisiifolia is sensitive to freezing. Late spring frosts kill seedlings and the first autumn frosts terminate the growing season. It has a preference for dry soils of intermediate to rich nutrient level. 5. Ambrosia artemisiifolia was introduced into Europe with seed imports from North America in the 19th century. Since World War II, it has become widespread in temperate regions of Europe and is now abundant in open, disturbed habitats as a ruderal and agricultural weed. 6. Recently, the North American ragweed leaf beetle (Ophraella communa) has been detected in southern Switzerland and northern Italy. This species appears to have the capacity to substantially reduce growth and seed production of A. artemisiifolia. 7. In heavily infested regions of Europe, A. artemisiifolia causes substantial crop-yield losses and its copious, highly allergenic pollen creates considerable public health problems. There is a consensus among models that climate change will allow its northward and uphill spread in Europe

Saúde mental e a condição socioeconômica: uma revisão de literatura

Introdução: Os fatores socioeconômicos, especificamente, a baixa renda, tem relação com a saúde mental do indivíduo, acarretando em depressão e ansiedade, o que prejudica a qualidade de vida. Método:A pesquisa é baseada em uma revisão de literatura retiradas das plataformas de dados Scielo e Pubmed. Discussão: A saúde mental envolve muitas circunstâncias dentro da vida do indivíduo, logo a desigualdade econômica se torna um fator de risco relevante para prejudicar a saúde mental e a qualidade de vida. Considerações Finais:O contexto em que a pessoa vive tem o papel importante na etiologia dos transtornos mentais, sabe-se, então, que o Brasil por ser um país em desenvolvimento, tem grande parte da sua população de baixa renda, ou seja, alta taxa de prevalência para pessoas adquirirem problemas mentais

Collaboration between teachers and university educators in a professional development context: shared situated cases

Using ethnographic research methods this case study examined how a group of teachers and university educators analyzed teaching for the purpose of enhancing students’ involvement in their learning. Data were collected from weekly meetings and interviews over a period of two school years. Three research questions guided the study: 1) How does a collaborative group of teachers and university educators, who meet regularly in order to improve teaching practices aimed at increasing students’ active learning, evolve over a period of two school years? 2) What is the nature of the conversational dynamics of this collaborative group? and 3) In what ways can the nature of the discourse in this collaborative group be described and represented? In this study, the group deliberations are described in terms of reflective conversations (Schön 1983; 1987; 1991). While Schön has used this term metaphorically to refer to an individual’s “conversation” with a problem setting, this study extends this term to refer to the dialogue occurring among a group of professional colleagues. Shulman (1992) argues that written well-crafted cases serve as an important springboard for a critical analysis of discussions of educational practice. In this study, the participants’ stories were represented in terms of shared situated cases. The purposes of these cases were: to provide the language and context for educators to discuss teaching; and to serve as a method to accumulate the shared repertoire of these colleagues. The group deliberations became the common ground in the context of a supportive group for discussions of private theories about teaching. Thus, this community of professionals developed a shared language and an accumulated repertoire of teaching strategies. This study provides insights about teachers’ professional development, and the role within it of collaboration between university and school educators. Building on the study, researchers might explore the implications of collaborative groups on school culture, and the possibilities of using such groups to help beginning teachers in their professional growth.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat

Seixas, Peter, and Gabriella Minnes Brandes, A Workshop in Uncertainty: \u27New Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences\u27 as a Basis for Professional and Curriculum Development, Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 13(Fall, 1997), 56-69.

Reports processes utilized by ACLS groups in determining curriculum at university level

Eportfolios: From description to analysis

In recent years, different professional and academic settings have been increasingly utilizing ePortfolios to serve multiple purposes from recruitment to evaluation. This p aper analyzes ePortfolios created by graduate students at a Canadian university. Demonstrated is how students’ constructions can, and should, be more than a simple compilation of artifacts. Examined is an online learning environment whereby we shared knowledge, supported one another in knowledge construction, developed collective expertise, and engaged in progressive discourse. In our analysis of the portfolios, we focused on reflection and deepening understanding of learning. We discussed students’ use of metaphors and hypertexts as means of making cognitive connections. We found that when students understood technological tools and how to use them to substantiate their thinking processes and to engage the readers/ viewers, their ePortfolios were richer and more complex in their illustrations of learning. With more experience and further analysis of exemplars of existing portfolios, students became more nuanced in their organization of their ePortfolios, reflecting the messages they conveyed. Metaphors and hypertexts became useful vehicles to move away from linearity and chronology to new organizational modes that better illustrated students’ cognitive processes. In such a community of inquiry, developed within an online learning space, the instructor and peers had an important role in enhancing reflection through scaffolding. We conclude the paper with a call to explore the interactions between viewer/ reader and the materials presented in portfolios as part of learning occasions