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Agreeing to disagree
NYU academic advocates teaching method that fosters inclusion and alternative student viewpoints.
We’ ve all likely heard the statistics: gay, bisexual, intersex or transgender people are three times more likely to experience depression. One survey found almost half of transgender young people in Australia had attempted suicide.
Life can also be tough for them at school. Despite the existence of education policies that attempt to safeguard gender-diverse children, they are at risk of being bullied.
What can be done about it?
Sj Miller has an idea. The deputy director for the Center for Research on Equity in Teacher Education within New York University’ s Steinhardt School of Education was in Australia recently to deliver a lecture at WSU. Speaking to academics and pre-service teachers, Miller – who prefers not to use self-referential pronouns – outlined what Miller terms the‘ Pedagogy of Refusal’.
This is a teaching method that encourages inclusion and acceptance, including of transgender children, by welcoming alternative student viewpoints.
Miller believes that everything, gender included, is a societal construct, forged through consensus. Therefore, binary concepts of all kinds – male / female, good / bad, right / wrong – should be challenged across syllabuses and in class conversations.
“ It’ s also [ about teachers ] understanding what refusal means,” Miller added.“[ The Pedagogy of Refusal is ] common sense in some ways, but … naming it gives it power, gives it authority.”
So, how does this concept relate to making trans kids feel included? Miller says it makes the“ grey” – that is, not the binary black and white – ordinary.
Miller thinks the Pedagogy of Refusal is particularly pertinent at present given the‘ moral panic’ around transgender children. In the US, President Donald Trump has removed school guidelines that support trans or gender non-binary youth. Miller says this“ overnight” move made many trans kids afraid of attending school.
In a discussion following Miller’ s address, panellists noted that the Pedagogy of Refusal could fit within school curricula’ s‘ critical thinking’ component. ■
STEM graduates solve social problems
Information and technology graduates battle it out in national innovation competition.
Staged in Canberra recently, the Battle of the Innovators competition saw Australia’ s STEM graduates prove their worth in the form of solutions to the nation’ s social problems.
Hosted by the Department of Human Services, the event has been running for three years and challenges information and technology graduates to apply cognitive computing to the real world.
Staff from Adelaide’ s Service Delivery Centre took out the 2017 crown for their mobile phone application Arcas, designed to help homeless people access public services, food, accommodation, health and transport.
Team member Emily Drum said the app could be instrumental in helping homeless people get back on their feet.
“ We know 95 per cent of homeless people have mobile phones, and a lot of those are smartphones,” she said.
“ Arcas helps connect those experiencing homelessness with service providers and the department.
“ The DHS program is a fantastic opportunity to really help the Australian community.”
Participating teams of STEM graduates pitched their creations via streaming and to a live audience of 300 at the Canberra Technology Innovation Centre.
The judging panel included chief information officer Gary Sterrenberg and 2018 ACT Australian of the Year Dion Devow.
“ We think one of these ideas could be the game-changer we need to improve the services we provide to all Australians,” Sterrenberg said.
“ It’ s events like this that foster innovative ideas, and it’ s important we use that to drive the needed service delivery change across Australia.” ■
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