Op Doc
Can I ask you a Question?
Originally, speech was a weapon, intended to influence people before a tribunal, in public assembly, in memorium and often called upon to gain victory in battles where the decision hung on the spoken word.
‘Rhetoric is also the master of persuasion (peithous dêmiurgos) and reminds us that it is a ‘technique’ rooted in a spontaneous creativity. In this light, rhetoric is closely tied between discourse and power.
Enter now the realm of technology and rhetoric which has the ability to ampify the core tenets of any message. Of course, as educators, we are interested in the power of rhetoric for the greater good and therefore, present this OP DOC as a way of utilising the rhetorical technique of ‘saying it well’ proposed by Paul Ricoeur as the artistry of persuasion. In creating, “Can I ask you a Question?” we propose that Education is heavily influenced by Political, Social and Cultural Life and is not, independent of it.
In this OP DOC, we present to you a series of rhetorical questions from a selection of Authors, Philosophers, Scholars and Innovators in the practicum of Social Sciences.
We invite you all to view the following pages to celebrate our work, to understand our influences and to understand how this OP DOC came to fruition.
“language is never neutral”
Monologue
“Good Afternoon everyone,
We, the students of Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership, would like to thank you for taking the time to join us today. Today marks the culmination of all the hard work students, members of the faculty, and everyone within our community at Sheridan have all been anticipating; the academic symposium. Today you will have the opportunity to take a look at some of the exciting, rigorous research our faculty was able to conduct regarding issues in the field of Early Childhood Education. We the students would first like to thank you all for coming today, as well as provide thanks and acknowledgment to members of our faculty including our program Coordinator Dhanna Mistri, and Assoicate Dean Cathy Coulthard, the professors that have taken the responsibility to support us throughout the program, including those who are no longer with Sheridan, as well as special thanks to all of our individual capstone supervisors who worked tirelessly to ensure we would all be successful in providing rich, rigorous research that will have a meaningful impact on the field of early childhood education.
Before we open the symposium officially, we present to you our “OP DOC” which is the result of collaboration between HBECL students, most of whom are here today and faculty members, Professor Michelle Whitehead and Professor Yasaman Jalali Kushki.
The OP DOC, or opinion documentary, seeks to highlight the role of rhetoric in Education Studies; specifically, how this field draws from the interdisciplinary Social Science Field. We invite you to listen to these questions, many of which feature the works of eminent scholars in the practicum of Education.
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We ask you to stimulate your minds and consider how Philosophy, Science, Psychology, History, Art and Narrative Enquiry came together synchronously to create this emergent documentary we entitled, Can In ask you a question?
Before we begin, you will notice we stand before you in unison, having collaborated together an aesthetic form of advocacy which demonstrate our agentic potential as the future graduates of the HBECL program’
Seckoy Walters and Michelle Whitehead
Languages presented in this OP DOC
Spanish • English • French • Urdu • Italian • Arabic
Sign Language (American) • Mandarin • Cantonese • Somalian
Key Influencers of Rhetoric
Paolo Freire Brazilan Educator
Ivor Goodson Eminent Narrative Scholar
Aristotle Philosopher
Pasi Sahlberg Finnish Educator
Bansky Urban Artist
Keith Haring Artist
Martin Heidegger Philosopher
Hannah Arendt Philosopher
Dan McAdams Eminent Scholar
Tom Chatfield Eminent Scholar
Charlie Mackesey Artist, Author, Oscar
Stephen Hawking Physicist
Laurel Richardson Eminent Scholar
Eugene Ionesco Romanian-French playwright
Daniel Dennett Philosopher
Jean-Michel Basquait Artist
Carlos Fuentes Mexican Fuentes
How important is representation to you?
If children know something that most people have forgotten, how do we reclaim our childhood?
Keith Haring
If my story ended, what will I leave behind?
Dan McAdams
If nothing is important, is everything important?
Keith Haring
If the teacher is merely the one who teaches, how can the reader in turn be taught?
Paolo Freire
If the wisest thing an educator can do is to exercise mindfulness & self-reflection who is advocating for us and others like us?
If we all think the same way, does that suggest that none of us think very much?
Pasi Sahlberg
If we are in the age of the narrative, where is my voice?
Ivor Goodson
If the world needs to be less round, less ugly, and more just, can one person make a difference?
Paolo Freire
Is it ever useful to express loud disbelief that someone holds different opinions?
Tom Chatfield
Is social media a manifestation of culture or has culture made social media manifest? Does the influence of social media cause new concepts to embed themselves within society, or is society influencing social media by extending the reach of existing cultures beyond their communities?
Neil Postman
What does a good educator look like?
What does preparedness look like in an educator?
We all need a reason to keep going, what’s yours?
Charlie Mackesey
Is it the educators’ highest endeavor to resist theoretic elitism?
Paolo Freire
What is the mark of an educated mind?
Aristotle
Who is we that wonders whether we trust our brains? Is there a first-person plural ‘we’?
Daniel Dennett
Why do we assume that we are rational whilst others are not?
Stephen Hawking
Can you recognize yourself in he and she, who are not like you and me?
Carlos Fuentes
If writing is an ethical activity, why is the exercise of finding ways to gather meaningful narrative participation?
Laurel Richardson
If the roots of rhetoric are savage, why do we spend so much of our lives reading them?
Paul Ricoeur
Should art comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable?
Bansky
Does wearing a T-shirt make you an advocate for change, or does advocation imply action?
Is trying to solve a problem more important than trying to understand the root cause?
What do you consider leadership in early childhood education?
It is not the answer that enlightens, but the questions, What is your question?
Eugene Ionesco
If the roots of rhetoric are savage, why do we spend so much of our lives reading them?
Paul Ricoeur
Artists who pushed musical boundaries
Eminem .....Lose Yourself
Stormzy .....Blinded By Your Grace Pt 2
TUPAC.....Changes
Frankie Goes to Hollywood....Relax
Queen......Bohemian Rhapsody
Bob Marley .....Redemption Song
Eminem....Lose Yourself
Bob Dylan....The Times they are a changin’
U2....One
Black Eyed Peas....Where is the love?
John Lennon .... Imagine
James Brown...Say it loud I’m Black and Proud
Band Aid...Do they know its Christmas?
Banned Books
Dante’s Inferno
I am Jazz
The Handmaid’s Tale
To kill a Mocking Bird
In the heat of the night
The Wars
Brave New World
And Tango Makes Three
The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Charlotte’s Web
The Watsons go to Birmingham
This Day in June
Prince & Knight
The Lorax
The Family Book
Hop on Pop
Jacob’s New Dress
This One Summer
The Giver
The Absolutely True Diary of a part-time
Indian
Of Mice and Men
The Golden Compass
Lady Chatterly’s Lover
Blankets
The Satanic Verses
1984
Animal Farm
Brace New World
Social Justice
The Catcher in the Rye
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Grapes of Wrath
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Lolita
All Boys aren’t Blue
Out of Darkness
The Hate U Give
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
The Bluest Eye
This Book is Gay
Beyond Magenta
George
The Color Purple
Beloved
Fahrenhiet 451
Harry Potter
Gender Queer
Lawn Boy
The Bluest Eye
Influencers
Jose Antonio Vargas
Michelle Alexander
Bryan Stevenson
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Kumi Naidoo
Laverne Cox
Noam Chomsky
Tarik Cohen
Deray Mckesson
Vandana Shiva
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Ai Weiwei
Angela Glover Blackwell
Malala Yousafzai
911
Full List of Participants
Nazneen, Afroze
Selena Augustine
Ayson, Candice
Babar, Minahil
Barker, John
Bradbury, Karen
Burke, Amaya
Calovini, Laura
Cappa, Demetrie
Chacko, Leanne
Conforzi, Jennifer
Da Rocha, Nashema
Depikolozvane, Juliana
Dookie, Nishani
Ellis, Kayana
Elmi, Asia
Hlynsky, Evelyn
Hou, Yilin
Huda
Hussein, Butheina
Jayaraman, Hareni
Jhagroo, Janice
Kashif, Fahila
Kerr, Julia
Khan, Hana Fahim
Kruse, Sheridan Anne
Liang, Zheng
Liu, Aiyi
Marcella, Arielle
Martin, Danniyea
McKenna, Emily
Mir, Aisha
Mlinarevic, Kristina
Mohamud, Aisha
Odia, Ezine
Patel, Khushi
Peace, Kristen Star
Ponte, Nicole
Popescu. Patricia
Ramkelowon, Joshua
Zainab Erabi Sabagh
Sabir, Maryam
Shahbaz, Gabriella Yolia
Sydij, Nakita
Solano Torres, Jocelyn
Tortella, Vanessa
Turner, Shannon
Taige 太歌
Walters, Seckoy
Wang, Mei
Whitehead, Caden
Woods, Kamoi Samera
Yuan, Ruigang
DOC
Grenfell Towers
Jan 6th Capitol Riots
The Murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Thunder Bay
The Invasion in the Ukraine
Roe Vs Wade
Educators on Strike
Threat of the “notwithstanding clause”
Canadian “content” through Bill C11
Removal of various curriculum in Florida
The Impact of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples
America’s first African American
President
Boston Tea Party
The Death of Bin Laden
COVID 19
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Korean War
The founding of NATO
Pearly Harbour
The Death of the Monarch Womens Suffrage
Hockey Canada Allegations
Events of significance which have influenced this OP
Selena Augustine #EquityforECE
“I chose this hashtag because I am an early childhood educator who has seen and experienced the effects of a workforce that fosters inequality”
Ayson, Candice #Weneedmore
“I chose this hashtag because after my MOOT, it allowed me to reflect about ECEs needing more support from the government. As ECEs, we are heavily looked down upon and we need more people to understand and acknowledge the work we do”
Babar, Minahil #Traumainformedcare
“I chose this hashtag to draw attention to the importance of trauma informed care (TIC) in early learning settings and to also create awareness for the lack of current educator training in TIC”
Barker, John #Whoisreallytheteacher
'I chose this hashtag to address the relationship between the teacher and the learner”
Bradbury, Karen #SpeechDisorders
I chose this hashtag because it is crucial that people be more aware of speech disorders and the effects they have on affected children. My son suffers from a severe speech disorder and is often unfairly judged’
Burke, Amaya #kidscantwait
#kidscantwait let's raise our voices for kids and advocate for children's mental health. “Our kids can’t wait anymore for mental health care’
Calovini, Laura #TeamOntario
“I choose #TeamOntario as I recently represented Ontario on the Wheelchair basketball team at Canada Games”
Cappa, Demetrie #DiversifyOurClassrooms
“I chose the # because our classrooms need to take that big step into providing Diversity amongst its Teachers”
Chacko, Leanne #thereflectiveeducator
“I chose this hashtag because reflection is the best tool an educator can have. Reflection allows for meaningful learning and improvement in practice”
Conforzi, Jennifer #loveislove
“The hashtag was chosen because, in the face of adversity, we must unite, support one another, and understand that what unites us, and not what divides us, is the most important thing”
Da Rocha, Nashema #Indigenouseducation
“I went with this hashtag because it is crucial to show more tremendous respect for Indigenous communities and share more accurate facts about Indigenous peoples' history with the next generation”
Depikolozvane, Juliana #Bethechange
“I chose this hashtag because we have the power to make a change in this world. It starts with us doing better. We are all capable and powerful and we can be the change the world needs”
Dookie, Nishani #shareyourears
“This hashtag, which originated from a partnership between Walt’s Disney and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, was chosen because it aims to brighten and transform the lives of children who are fighting critical illnesses”
Eliis, Kayana #Unlearn
“I chose this hashtag because ECE’s are not babysitters and people need to move away from that notion”
Elmi,
Asia #FreeThinker
“I chose this hashtag because I have so many intersectionalities within my identity. I value creating my own perspective through ongoing learning, challenging the conclusions around me and formulating my own opinions through my personal experiences”
Hussein, Butheina #newcomerscanada
“Using the hashtag of newcomers Canada is to support newcomers and a way to share information and experiences about immigration and integration into Canadian society”
Hlynsky,
Evelyn #yourvoicematters
“I chose this hashtag to remind educators that their voices matter no matter where they stand in the field. It is about vocalizing what we stand for and never being afraid to share changes that can make a greater impact”
Jayaraman,
Hareni #Minorityvoicesmatter
“I chose this hashtag because minority voices bring awareness to the voices of what makes Canada so successful”
Kashif, Fahila #BurnedOut
“I chose this hashtag because it resonates with how I feel and how others may also be feeling the same way. Exactly what is being done to prevent burnout in the field of education?”
Kerr, Julia #supportECE
“ I chose #supportECE because I believe that a lot of early childhood educators are not as supported as they should be!!”
Khan, Hana Fahim #healthierchildrenbetterworld
“This is a slogan used by SickKids hospital and this hospital holds a very high importance in my life considering my son had an accident last year and they helped me in all ways possible”
Kruse, Sheridan Anne #YouthEmpowerment
“I chose #YouthEmpowerment because I believe all children deserve to have their emotions validated and goals supported”
Liang, Zheng (Phoebe) #rightsforwomen
“I chose #rightsforwomen because research has shown this to be the casesociety gets better for everyone when women’s rights are upheld and taken seriously”
Marcella, Arielle #GradesDontDefineMe
“#GradesDon'tDefineMe is a stance against standardized testing. I believe that the grade we might receive from an exam or an assessment is not a reflection of how 'smart' we are”
Martin, Danniyea #Epiphic-thinking
“#Epiphicthinking means an astonishing thought process that provokes one to realize their inner potentialities”
Mckenna, Emily #StopTheBullying
“Being bullied myself and knowing how its negativity impacted my life both mentally and physically, no one should have to experience bullying”.
Mir, Aisha #AskTheWHY
“Asking "why" helps us understand, gain insight, challenge assumptions, and offer new ideas. It can provide a bigger picture of why things are the way they are, and promote personal growth for both the questioner and the responder”
Mlinarevic, Kristina #EqualEducation
“I Chose #EqualEducation because I believe that all children should be able to receive education. Every child deserves education regardless of their differences”
Mohamud, Aisha
#TechnologyandEducation
“I chose this hashtag because I strongly believe that technology can revolutionize the way we approach learning and teaching. As an advocate for education and a technology enthusiast, I see immense potential in the combination of these two fields’
Odia, Ezine #InclusiveEducation
“Inclusive education is education that caters to all learners. It gives everyone a chance to succeed. Without Inclusive education, only a few or some will succeed while others will be at a disadvantage”
Patel, Khushi #QualityEducation
“I chose #QualityEducation because I believe that it is an essential foundation for a better future. Quality education should be accessible to every child’
Ponte, Nicole #activelearnersneedactiveeducators
This quote represents that our duty as educators and to the children we educate, is that we need to be active in education; keeping updated, changing our thinking and supporting children to reach their full potential.
Zainab erabi sabagh #accessibility
“accessibility is about creating barrierfree communities, workplaces and services and everyone should have equal opportunities”
Sabir, Maryam #EducationMatters
“I chose #EducationMatters because I believe that advocating for education is important for everyone”
Shahbaz,
Gabriella Yolia #AmIHeard
“I chose the hashtag #Amiheard because as educators we are taught that advocating for education and advocacy is extremely important”
Solano Torres, Jocelyn
#I’mNotLimitedByMyAccommodations
“I wanted a hashtag that reflected me and one of the things I’ve realized was that I’m not the only student with a learning disability. I am more than my accommodations make of me, YOU are more than what your accommodations make of you!”
Turner, Shannon #WhoIsTeachingWho
“In the profession of Education you are continuously learning whether it be through courses, professional development and through students. Children teach us a lot about the world and how to manage behaviours and such. ”
Wang, Mei #AIUsedInEducation
Open AI, such as ChatGPT, is so popular but also creating heated discussion. I am wondering how AI will be used in ECE fields and what are the challenges and issues that would occur as the development of AI technology?
Whitehead, Caden #neurodiversity
“It is your duty as an educator to support autistic children without prejudice”
Woods, Kamoi Samera #BlackEqualityNOW
“I chose this hashtag to make a call to action and advocate towards achieving racial equality and justice for Black people.”
Yuan, Ruigang #EducationPower
“Education has magical power, it can change a person's life, it can shape a person's future development and make positive changes in the world. If education brainwashes, people will lose the ability to think critically; becoming puppets”
We will depart from here with numerous stories and venture out to create NEW and fresh ONES which we will recount at the conclusion of each phase of our lives. However, regardless of the age group we engage with, whether young children or professionals in corporate settings, our trajectory is toward reshaping the world's future through creative educational pathways. As future leaders, we need to encourage students to go beyond rubrics and margins. Our focus should be to challenge them and help them break out of their comfort zones, so they can discover new possibilities and reach their full potential. This is where creativity thrives. By instilling these values in those around us, we can positively impact future generations. Think of those who fostered that here during your journey at Sheridan.......
The idea that we should detach the word "care" from our profession to validate it, is misguided. Highly educated professors can still be caring, and caring educators are essential for human connections and, for education to be beneficial. Care and education are intertwined. Therfore, it is important to acknowledge and embrace this connection rather than try to separate it.
As a field that heavily emphasizes care, it is essential that we embrace our natural human instinct to give and show compassion. Humanity can benefit from embracing sensitivity and the warmth that comes with it. These soft feelings can be used as a superpower in our leadership roles, promoting empathy and sympathy in those around us. We cannot teach caring, but we can model it. By doing so, we can advocate for marginalized, troubled and broken individuals. No matter how small our actions are, they can make a significant impact in advocating for others. As Mother Teresa once said, "It's only a drop in the ocean, but the ocean wouldn't be the same without that drop."
Aisha Mir
