Skip to main content

PME 811- Innovation: Historical Foundations of Teaching and Learning

 As I worked through both Cuban (2001) and Tomkins (1981), I kept thinking about how often teachers say that education swings back and forth, and that many “new” ideas feel strangely familiar. These readings helped me understand why that feeling exists. Both authors show that teaching and learning are shaped by long-standing historical, cultural, and political forces, which makes meaningful change slower and more complicated than reform language often suggests.

In Cuban’s article, innovation is not presented as something inherently positive or forward-moving. Instead, I noticed how he describes reform as cyclical, with many initiatives reappearing in different forms over time. This made me reflect on how innovation in education is often more about repackaging ideas than truly rethinking practice. This connects to my definition of innovation as intentional and meaningful change, not change for the sake of appearances. Cuban also made me think about creativity, especially how reforms focused on efficiency or economic outcomes can unintentionally narrow what teachers are able to do creatively in their classrooms.

When it comes to teaching, Cuban highlights how much teachers are expected to adapt reforms that they didn’t create. I found this really relatable. In practice, teaching often means balancing new expectations with the needs of the students in front of you. Learning, in his work, is often treated by policymakers as something that can be engineered through reform, but Cuban’s historical perspective reminded me that learning is much more complex, shaped by relationships, context, and culture.

Tomkins’ article made me reflect on where our curriculum ideas come from in the first place. His discussion of foreign influence on Canadian curriculum helped me see innovation as something that is often borrowed and cautiously adapted rather than invented from scratch. This reminded me of learning about early schooling systems and how institutions like the Catholic Church shaped education based on societal values at the time. It also made me think about other readings I’ve encountered on literacy instruction, where reading practices shift in response to social and cultural needs rather than purely educational evidence.

In terms of creativity, Tomkins shows that centralized curriculum structures can limit experimentation, even though teachers still find small ways to interpret and adapt expectations. I see this often in classrooms, where creativity shows up in how teachers adjust lessons, respond to students, and problem-solve in the moment. Teaching, from Tomkins’ perspective, is deeply influenced by policy, certification systems, and historical norms, which reinforces my belief that teachers work within inherited structures rather than complete freedom. Learning reflects what society values at a given time, whether that’s citizenship, stability, or workforce preparation, rather than just individual development.

Overall, these readings reinforced my definitions of teaching and learning as contextual, relational, and adaptive. I think creativity and innovation in education often happen in quiet, everyday ways rather than through large-scale reform. We are constantly adjusting instruction, managing behaviour, and responding to students within systems that change slowly.

After reading both articles, I’m left wondering how much responsibility we place on teachers to innovate within systems that are historically resistant to change. I also wonder how Cuban and Tomkins would account for student disengagement, differences in age groups, and class composition when discussing reform. At what point does understanding educational history help teachers adapt thoughtfully, and when does it simply explain why meaningful change can feel so difficult to achieve?

References:

Cuban, L. (2001). Can historians help school reformers? [Review of the books The Failed Promise of the American High School 1890-1995 by D. L. Angus & J. E. Mirel, Moral Education in America: Schools and the Shaping of Character from Colonial Times to the Present by B. E. McClellan, & Schooled to Work: Vocationalism and the American Curriculum, 1876-1946 by H. M. Kliebard]. Curriculum Inquiry, 31(4), 453-467.

Tomkins, G. (1981). Foreign influences on curriculum and curriculum policy making in Canada: Some impressions in historical and contemporary perspective. Curriculum Inquiry, 11(2), 157-166.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Role Reversals Still Upset the Internet

"It's just a commercial. It's just a mermaid. It's just a superhero." And yet, every time those roles are reversed—online outrage flares up. Why? By: Shannon A Disorienting Photo Series A captivating photo series published in O, The Oprah Magazine flipped familiar situations with a racial spin: a white child surrounded by Black dolls, a white servant with a Black housewife, and white salon techs serving Asian customers. Scenes meant to question the "norm". They expose how deeply we internalize who belongs where in society. A white girl looks at a row of dolls, all of whom have dark skin tones, challenging toy aisle norms. Image: Chris Buck/O, the Oprah Magazine Art? Or A Deeper Issue But this isn’t just about photography. Projects like this are not new and have always prompted broader reflections, one on a growing trend across media of role reversals in race, gender, and power. From TikTok trends to pop music, these inversions are everywhere, and almos...
Read more

PME 811- Innovation: Indigenous Perspectives

Both Toulouse (2008) and Madden (2015) explore how education systems have historically failed Indigenous learners and what needs to change to create more meaningful and respectful learning environments. What stood out to me most in Toulouse’s article was her emphasis on self-esteem as central to student success. She explains that Indigenous student achievement is deeply connected to whether their identity, culture, and worldview are respected and reflected in the classroom. Learning is not treated as purely academic, but as holistic, involving emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social aspects. I’ve found this to be true in my own classroom. When students feel safe, respected, and understood, their engagement and willingness to learn changes significantly. It reinforced for me that teaching is not just about content, but about creating conditions where students feel valued and capable. Madden builds on this idea by focusing on teacher education and the responsibility educators have...
Post a Comment
Read more

PME 811-Innovation: Diversity and Inclusion in Innovation, Teaching, and Learning

  Martin, J. R. (1991). The contradiction and the challenge of the educated woman.  Women's Studies Quarterly, 19 (1/2), 6–27. Reading Martin (1991) helped me understand why education has felt rigid and limited in how it defines intelligence and success. She explains that the idea of an “educated person” was originally based on traits associated with men, such as rationality, independence, and competitiveness, while traits associated with women, such as care, connection, and emotional awareness, were seen as less valuable. Martin uses Virginia Woolf’s metaphor of crossing a bridge to explain how women entering professional fields were expected to leave parts of their identity behind in order to succeed. Her argument is not that women need to assimilate into existing systems, but that education itself must change to value what she calls the “3 Cs”—Care, Concern, and Connection—alongside logic and reason (Martin, 1991, p. 19). This article added to my understanding of innovation...
Post a Comment
Read more