We are excited to be involved in an Action Research project in some of our courses this year. This project is a collaboration between the classes of Mr. Ben Gross and Mr. Dan Kunanec. It is also a collaboration between the TDSB Action Research Network, of which Mr Dan Kunanec is a member, and the University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Action Research is a type of research that is used by teachers to closely examine and improve aspects of teaching and learning in their own classroom. As part of this, we aim to explore how our experiential educational farming practices influence how students engage with concepts related to Historical Food Preservation and Preparation, Cultural Food History, Land Based Learning, Food Sovereignty, and Environmental and Sustainability Education.
Key Questions:
How can secondary students’ cross-curricular, experiential investigations (explorations) lead to valuable learning about history, food literacy, experiential learning, and cultural identity?
Sub Questions:
How can students learn about their family history and cultural identity through traditional approaches to food?
How can students in a University preparation history course benefit from learning multiple ways to approach "doing" history?
Educator Reflection:
The process of Action Research has improved my pedagogical approach to experiential practice. I am more intentional in creating open ended, cross curricular, student guided opportunities. The collection of deeply connected reflections, informs my practice and expands the creation of future projects with collaborative colleagues and partners. Action research is a rich and fulsome teaching and learning journey. - Dan Kunanec