Teaching the geographies of Canada: Reflections on pedagogy, curriculum, and the politics of teaching and learning. (27th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Laliberté, Nicole; Catungal, John Paul; Castleden, Heather; Keeling, Arn; Momer, Bernard; Nash, Catherine
• Is Part Of: Canadian geographer. Volume 59:Number 4(2015)
• Page Start: 519
• Page End: 531
• Publication Date: 2015-10-27
• Subjects: pedagogy -- Geography of Canada -- regional geography -- teaching; pédagogie -- géographie du Canada -- géographie régionale -- enseignement; Geography -- Periodicals; 910
• DOI: 10.1111/cag.12236
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-3658

Abstract

Key Messages: This paper is a collection of commentaries on teaching the geographies of Canada which together challenge traditional regional approaches from a variety of perspectives and politics. It examines the politics of active learning, teaching resources, and received curricula while highlighting the embodied nature of the classroom environment. It concludes that regional geography courses are an opportunity to challenge received knowledge if we are attentive to positionality and power in our classrooms—not only our own but also that of our students and the texts we engage with. Abstract : Presented as a collection of commentaries on teaching the geographies of Canada, this paper grows out of a panel session on the same topic at the Canadian Association of Geographers conference in 2014. In the stories and analyses provided, contributors challenge many assumptions of what a "Geography of Canada" course should look like. We not only challenge traditional regional approaches, we also reimagine the role of active learning, the disciplining process of creating textbooks, the geographies of ignorance related to Aboriginal issues, and the embodied nature of the teaching experience. Our contributions are not purely theoretical; they are based on our experiences in the classroom and our active attempts to change the narratives and environments our students engage with. Collectively, we do not propose the removal of regional geography courses from the undergraduate curriculum. Rather, we see such courses as an opportunity to challenge received knowledge of what a region is, of what "Canada" is. Approaching our teaching in this manner is an opportunity to expose students to alternative geographic pedagogies, knowledges, and imaginaries.