Module 4 Context of Professional Practice: OESSTA

 Context of Professional Practice: Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers Association

The context of professional practice that I've selected is the Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers Association (OESSTA). I decided to examine this professional community because I find myself drawn to the fields of Social Studies and History. 

Of the things in this world that truly bring me joy; connecting with people across space and time is surely one. I enjoy the connections one can make across cultures, along with this comes the understanding that we as people are not too dissimilar. Social Studies and History open our eyes to the wide array of worldviews and diverse teachings in our world. It was Marcus Cicero, a Roman philosopher, who said, “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?” In other words, human life is precious, and we must understand our past in order to move forward and grow. I believe it's necessary to learn about who we were because it's our history. This is precisely what Social Studies and History attempts to communicate to the learner. 

As an elementary teacher, I remain open to different perspectives to I can better inform my practice, and connect with my students. As Cate Watson mentions in their article, Professional Learning Communities have a responsibility for student learning, inquiry-based, collaborative, and promote individual and community learning (Watson, 2012). I plan to use this website during future collaboration and staff meetings in order to create new understandings of how to best approach learning in our own context, for our students.  

The aim of this community is to connect educators with new ideas; ways of knowing, doing, and being. I hope to eventually contribute my findings and ideas, (from my practice) in the forms of curriculum documents and letters, to this community. To quote from the website:

"The webpage is:

A site where educators can connect with colleagues who have similar interests, challenges and/or questions about the implementation of the Ontario Social Studies/History/Geography Curriculum.

A site where educators can share ideas, resources and/or ask questions about SSHG (Social Studies, History, Geography) document.

A site where educators can exchange ideas and suggestions regarding planning, implementation and assessment of the Ontario curriculum" ("About OESSTA | OESSTA (Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers Association)", n.d.).

In this particular community, it seems that there is a members forum, of which I'm yet an official member. Members can pose questions and make contributions to the community. However, there are options to communicate via the association's twitter accounts and through email.

Planning, Instruction, and Assessment

Upon reviewing the website, I understood that the aim is to support the implementation of the Ontario Social Studies, History, and Geography curriculum. There is a focus on helping students learn disciplinary thinking concepts. For example, in History students study continuity & change. Students would compare past to present circumstances, in politics, social issues; making evidence-backed judgments could also be encouraged. 

The act of studying disciplinary thinking concepts, I think, can be considered more subject-centered in design, and essentialist in philosophy. As Ornstein stated in his article that there is an "emphasis on acquiring knowledge and/or competency in disciplines” (1991). An aspect of competency is acquiring these essential skills; to view history as historians and critical thinkers might. However, the website does aim to present the curriculum in progressive ways.     

Many of the contributions (i.e., lesson plans and unit plans) are inquiry-based, hands-on, and based on student interest. As we've learned, this, of course, is a student-centered approach. There is also an emphasis on the Citizenship Education Framework. Throughout Social Studies and History, the teacher should seek to create a stronger sense of identity; develop attributes conducive to positive growth (e.g., self-respect and empathy for others); introduce structures (of power) and their effects on social and economic change, and active participation both within and outside of learning communities (e.g., connect and learn from local organizations that foster change in society).  

This framework is obviously quite holistic in its scope. There are multiple philosophies at play. Namely, reconstructionism. The curriculum design is perhaps more than an academic-rationalist one ( or essentialist philosophy), but a social-reconstructionist, instead, as it's "interested in the relationships between curriculum and the social, political, and economic development of society” (Schiro, 2013). 

Regarding assessment, searching under the strategies tab, one will find videos where educators can learn about inquiry-based learning and applicable assessment methods. For example, during inquiry-learning, students would benefit from critical, timely feedback, reflection journals, self-assessments. These tools fall under learner-centered designs and progressive philosophies of education.

 References:

About OESSTA | OESSTA (Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers Association). Retrieved 9 August 2020, from http://oessta-teachers.ca/about-oessta/

CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FRAMEWORK WORKSHEET and [online image]. Retrieved 9 August 2020, from http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesCurrImpl/Elementary/CitizenshipEducationFrameworkWorksheet.pdf

CONCEPTS OF DISCIPLINARY THINKING. Retrieved 9 August 2020, from http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesCurrImpl/Elementary/ConceptsofDisciplinaryThinking.pdf

Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers Association. OESSTA Logo [Image]. Retrieved from http://oessta-teachers.ca/wp-content/themes/oessta_teachers/images/logo.png

Ornstein, A. C. (1990/1991). Philosophy as a basis for curriculum decisions. The High School Journal, 74, 102-109.

Schiro, M. S. (2013).  Introduction to the curriculum ideologies.  In M. S. Schiro, Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns (2nd ed., pp. 1-13). Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage.

Watson, C. (2012). Effective professional learning communities? The possibilities for teachers as agents of change in schools. British Educational Research Journal, 40(1), 18-29. doi: 10.1002/berj.3025