PART A Personal Citizenship Orientation

Through reflection and personal analysis I discovered my placement on a citizenship education matrix. This
matrix uses a continuum of social acceptance and social change versus subject-centred and student centred spectrums.
Although, personal development and social initiation appeal to me I found myself more drawn to the social reformation
and intellectual development quadrants. The purpose of social initiation is to promote a particular body of beliefs as well
as instill certain values and skills (Case, & Clark, 2013). Although, I might agree that socialization is needed to promote
social order, I find myself asking who decides what values, beliefs and skills are needed to be taught. Certainly, I am a
patriotic Canadian however, one must consider that part of our core make-up is our multiculturalism. Although, Canada
has made steps towards a more pluralistic perspective, our education system still exhibits the dominant group ideologies.
Our school systems generally reflects an Anglo-Saxon ethic which, does not take into account the diversity of Canada.
While social initiation tends to side with conformity and social norms I believe I reside closer to social reformation, which
encourages social transformation and change.
Social reformation encourages us as people to grow and become a better society as a whole. The role of social
studies in the social reformation quadrant seeks to help students acquire the understanding, abilities, and values to create
a better society (Case, & Clark, 2013, p.24). I side with social reform because of this exact statement, for I desire to form
a better society. I love the quote by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: A thousand mile journey begins with one step (Case,
&Clark, 2013, p.280). Similarly, I believe that a single individual can bring reformation to our education system and our
world. It is my hope that I can impact students to go and make positive changes in our world.
The other axis of the citizenship education matrix consists of personal development versus intellectual
development. Although, I agree it is important to take a holistic approach to teaching; I believe it is fundamental for
students to learn about the world and the society they live in, not just self-knowledge or personal perspectives. While, I
like the idea of exploring personal viewpoints I believe learning about yourself comes through understanding the world
around you. For this reason I side with intellectual development as their primary focus is to develop students capacity
for understanding in the complex world they face (Case, & Clark, 2013, p.20). I believe it is through the process of
exploration and inquiry that students will be able to develop this type of understanding. Through consistent exposure to
social sciences students will develop a sense of mastery and knowledge of the world around them (Case, & Clark, 2013,
p. 28). Furthermore, in developing a students understanding this will also help to establish a sense of curiosity thereby,
encouraging them to pursue knowledge.

Key to lifelong learning is the establishment of curiosity that drives the pursuit of knowledge. To me there is
nothing worse than living in ignorance of the world around us. I believe that ignorance creates a society where respect,
tolerance, and awareness are deficient. Even in Canada we have experienced these types of disparities towards certain
cultures, such as Aboriginal peoples. It is through education that we can continue to make reforms thereby, creating
understanding for all groups. Inquiry begins when a spark of curiosity is birthed in a classroom. This translates into
critically minded leaders that become motivated to create social reforms.
As a teacher whom advocates social reform my classroom will explore different types of governments systems
and their ideologies. Students will be asked to imagine solutions for real world problems that impact our society. I also
would like to cover a variety of human rights issues including those found within Canada such as, residential schools.
Additionally, I will teach my students about the credibility of sources and the importance of differing perspectives. The
second approach that I have an affinity for is intellectual development. Through classroom collaboration and inquiry I
hope to encourage intellectual curiosity activities focused on higher level thinking. Some activities I will likely include are
projects, guest speakers, discussions, and interactive explorations of source documents as well as, journal reflections.
My future classroom will foster a collaborative environment where students work in groups to discover varying
perspectives. Students would sit in groups or at tables rather than working as individuals. The classroom environment will
be one that is comfortable where children interact with respect. I hope to encourage students to learn about differing
perspectives and to enjoy the culture that is available to us in Canada. Through education I hope to empower my students
to be understanding of the world around us. I hope to accomplish this through a collaborative environment that encourages
higher level thinking.