September 22 (sorry blog troubles)
I worry about the use of the English language and how it can create a de-valuing of certain students’ home languages when their mother tongue is not valued in school settings. I worry about the hierarchy that can be created and that students might not develop unique kinds of knowledge that are specific to their languages. This also has significant implications for the aboriginal population in Canada and how our institutions are in effect continuing with a colonization through language. As a visual arts teacher candidate I have a few ideas about how I could attempt to address some of these concerns in my own teaching practice. I think I would like to allow students to work in their visual journals through the planning process in their mother tongues. I think this would provide the opportunity to use the knowledge and experience they bring from their home language into their planning and process work and ultimately into their artwork.
Meghan Leeburn