Welcome back to my blog. This post is for the first Action Project of the Humanities class, A Nation's Argument. In this class, we have been continuing our investigation of US history. This first unit has focused on the Declaration of Independence. After reading more of A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn and listening to a lecture by Yale Professor, Joanne Freeman, we debated who made the stronger argument about the Declaration. We learned about how arguments are formed and used as syllogisms. We also looked at other countries and how they made "Declarations of Independence" to end their struggles. For our External Investigation, we talked with a Chicago Montessori school principal, Ben Blair, and LA Public Defender, Ace Katano. Ben Blair helped our class learn more about the Montessori school system which is similar to GCE and Ace shared information about how public defenders work and how it has been affected over the course of the pandemic. For this Action Project, we have been asked to create our own Declaration of Independence to study a topic of our choice. I am choosing to study the practices and psychology of reflection. I hope you enjoy reading about my Declaration.
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The purpose of school is to prepare a learner for their future by teaching them skills and morals necessary for their lives. School can provide a learner with the knowledge of many topics such as history, mathematics, science, literature, language, art, etc. Schools can even take these broad topics and focus on smaller studies that turn into classes so greatly presented to learners as GCE does. The purpose of learning is to improve oneself and to be curious. With learning, someone may feel enlightened which can support the reason to learn. Learning helps build experiences and have the confidence to express ideas and opinions for any situation. In a meeting with a principal of a Montessori school, the purpose of education is to, “see the humanity in each person and help them see that in themselves.”
One of my unalienable rights is the pursuit of curiosity. My declaration is an expression of this because if I do not pursue my curiosity, I will never study something that piques my interest. Another right I have is to share my knowledge and experiences with others. This is important because sharing what we know with other people helps them learn and I expect they share something in return so I can learn something new. I also have the right to independent thought because I can make my own ideas and choose the best path for myself without being pressured by others to follow something.
Syllogism:
(P1) I can study what I am interested in as well as other subjects.
(P2) Reflection builds on identity.
(P3) I am in control of my own identity.
(C) Therefore I am free to reflect on the world around me and construct my identity.
Historical Evidence:
The Arab Spring was a chain of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions across a substantial part of the Arab world in the early 2010s. Protests against corruption and economic stagnation spread to many countries and uprisings and social violence spread to more. A few of these protests resulted in the overthrow of rulers in their countries but many others were met with violent responses from authorities. Much of the uprisings and revolts have ceased however recent conflicts in Sudan and Algeria show their movements against authoritarianism and exploitation are not over. Authoritarianism focuses on a strong central government to preserve the status quo. Based upon the rule of the military or a singular party, authoritarian regimes lack civil liberties and freedoms we are exposed to in the United States. An example of this is the authoritarian approach in education. This system focuses on the students listening and obeying everything the teacher tells them. The teacher is encouraged to use punitive disciplinary measures, slandering students who protest on issues related to their education, and mockery of leadership in higher education. These factors of an authoritarian classroom can be described as tyranny. In an action to gain the freedom to study what we would like to, this declaration is a similar outcry against a ruling body that limits the freedoms of its citizens and students.
At GCE Lab School, each course uses a Guiding Question to pursue with the class. My Guiding Question is: How is reflection practiced globally? I would expect this course to be run for the usual time duration of a term at GCE which is 11 weeks. In these weeks students will have the resources they need to complete the course. I would try to have a couple of units in the course so the class can follow a schedule but students should be able to learn at a pace they feel comfortable with.
Desired outcomes:
Understand the psychology behind self-reflection.
Understand practices of reflection from different cultures.
Use what has been learned to find a form of self-reflection that suits the learner.
Resources:
Books
Syllogism:
(P1) I can study what I am interested in as well as other subjects.
(P2) Reflection builds on identity.
(P3) I am in control of my own identity.
(C) Therefore I am free to reflect on the world around me and construct my identity.
Historical Evidence:
The Arab Spring was a chain of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions across a substantial part of the Arab world in the early 2010s. Protests against corruption and economic stagnation spread to many countries and uprisings and social violence spread to more. A few of these protests resulted in the overthrow of rulers in their countries but many others were met with violent responses from authorities. Much of the uprisings and revolts have ceased however recent conflicts in Sudan and Algeria show their movements against authoritarianism and exploitation are not over. Authoritarianism focuses on a strong central government to preserve the status quo. Based upon the rule of the military or a singular party, authoritarian regimes lack civil liberties and freedoms we are exposed to in the United States. An example of this is the authoritarian approach in education. This system focuses on the students listening and obeying everything the teacher tells them. The teacher is encouraged to use punitive disciplinary measures, slandering students who protest on issues related to their education, and mockery of leadership in higher education. These factors of an authoritarian classroom can be described as tyranny. In an action to gain the freedom to study what we would like to, this declaration is a similar outcry against a ruling body that limits the freedoms of its citizens and students.
At GCE Lab School, each course uses a Guiding Question to pursue with the class. My Guiding Question is: How is reflection practiced globally? I would expect this course to be run for the usual time duration of a term at GCE which is 11 weeks. In these weeks students will have the resources they need to complete the course. I would try to have a couple of units in the course so the class can follow a schedule but students should be able to learn at a pace they feel comfortable with.
Desired outcomes:
Understand the psychology behind self-reflection.
Understand practices of reflection from different cultures.
Use what has been learned to find a form of self-reflection that suits the learner.
Resources:
Books
- Step Back: Bringing the Art of Reflection into Your Busy Life - Joseph L. Badaracco
- It’s Up to You - Dzigar Kongtrül
- Japanese Self-Reflection: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-art-of-hansei-how-the-japanese-philosophy-of-self-reflection-can-improve-your-life
- Indigenous Reflection Practices: https://nativegov.org/news/reflection-a-tool-for-indigenizing-the-future/
- Reflective ToolKit: https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection
- Website on Reflection: https://hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it#:~:text=Reflection%20gives%20the%20brain%20an,inform%20future%20mindsets%20and%20actions
Videos
- Understanding Reflective Practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBmtH0Qx0YU
Therefore I, a partaker in the pursuit of a strong education, conclude the necessity of independence to study the practices and psychology of reflection. In an appeal to the educators of our society and the name of all learners alike, we are and ought to be free to inquire and observe our world as we see fit. As independent learners, we have full power to debate, educate, distribute knowledge, and continue the pursuit of our schooling which independent learners are of right to do.
I hope you enjoyed reading my Declaration. Reflection can be a useful art to look inside oneself and think about your actions and morals. Taking time out of the day to have a period of self-reflection can be helpful for the mind which makes it important for students who can get stressed out over schoolwork or something else. Independent Studies are student-organized classes they can take in place or in addition to regular school courses. While this AP is not a formal proposal, it builds a strong basis on what a student may actually want to study. I think reflection could be an interesting class because different cultures have their own ways of reflection and everyone has a method that suits them. I imagine this class could lead to the student finding a form of self-reflection that fits them and can be integrated into their lives. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you in the next blog.
Sources:
Oppong, Thomas. "The Art of Hansei - How the Japanese philosophy of self-reflection can improve your life." The Ladders, 9 Dec. 2020, https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-art-of-hansei-how-the-japanese-philosophy-of-self-reflection-can-improve-your-life, Accessed 19 Jan. 2022.
Porter, Jennifer. "Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection (Even If You Hate Doing It)." Harvard Business Review, 21 Mar. 2021, https://hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it#:~:text=Reflection%20gives%20the%20brain%20an,inform%20future%20mindsets%20and%20actions., Accessed 19 Jan. 2022.
"Reflection Toolkit." The University of Edinburgh, https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection, Accessed 19 Jan. 2022
Walker-Swaney, Pearl. "Reflection: A Tool For Indigenizing the Future." Native Governance Center, 12 Apr. 2021, https://nativegov.org/news/reflection-a-tool-for-indigenizing-the-future/, Accessed 19 Jan. 2022.
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