Graduates of MHC's Bachelor of Education program, Garrett Fredeen and Hailey Hoffart pose with symbolic objects they are tasked to design in an assignment in one of their fourth-year courses.--HANDOUT PHOTOS
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A pair of graduates of the Bachelor of Education program at Medicine Hat College are under the spotlight for creating two objects – a wooden canoe oar and custom basketball – during a fourth-year course,for representing a metaphor through a symbolic object.
Garrett Fredeen used his craftsman skills to create a handmade wooden canoe oar that serves as a visual metaphor for a teacher’s role in the classroom.
According to Fredeen, the oar represents the adaptability of educators who are required to adjust to teach the needs of diverse learners.
“Social studies is integral to fostering critical thinking and building cohesive communities,” said Fredeen. “Using the metaphor of teachers as ‘tour guides’ to help deepen the understanding of the lesson for students.
“Learning social studies requires students to analyze their own identities and discover where they fit within the greater societies of the world.”
Graduate Hailey Hoffart used a custom designed basketball to highlight the importance of each element of the social studies curriculum themes, such as citizenship and identity, pluralism, culture, community, Indigenous perspectives, power and decision-making.
Hoffart says she drew from her background in sports to help her design the ball that visualizes how interconnected each theme is and how personal and varied individual worldviews can be.
“I learned that people see and view things in different ways,” said Hoffart. “Social studies is not just one way. It requires us to learn the importance of critical thinking and to think of social studies as multiple strands weaved together rather than something that is black and white.”
MHC highlighted both students through its Student Spotlight series that can be found online.
“Garrett Fredeen and Hailey Hoffart stood out to their instructors, putting an immense amount of thought, time and creativity into sharing the importance of social studies’ role in helping individuals discover their place in the world,” states the college.
The series also promotes the four-year Bachelor of Education program that provides a hands-on learning approach for aspiring teachers.
