PD workshop

1. Professional
Development
Workshop

2. Unlock your mind
Host: Herbie Hoang

3. Meaning of “Unlock your mind”
›Our minds are locked by our deeply held assumptions
and beliefs.
›Our thoughts and actions are shaped and informed
by those assumptions.
›This lock limits our ability to be open to alternatives
›The key to “unlock your mind” is critical reflection

4. How does critical reflection benefit us?
›1. It helps us take informed actions
›2. It helps us develop a rationale for practice
›3. It helps us avoid self-laceration
›4. It grounds us emotionally
›5. It enlivens our classrooms
›6. It increases democratic trust

5. Goals of the workshop
Examining
our
assumptions
Look at the
issue from
different view
points
To have a
democratic
discussion
Consulting
personal
experience
as learners

6. Why focus on health educators?
›Health educators are responsible directly with
the refugee population
›Health educators hold values and beliefs that
are influenced by their cultural background
›This could introduce bias when interacting with
the refugee population

7. Refugees health

8. Concepts chosen for the workshop
 “A revolution of values” (hooks,1994)
 “What critical reflection means for our teaching”
(Brookfields, 1995)

9. “A revolution of values”
(hooks, 1994)
›“We would be unable to go forward if we did not
experience a “true revolution of values” (Martin
Luther King)
›“One of the primary reasons we have not
experienced a revolution of values is that a culture of
domination necessarily promotes addition to lying
and denial”

10. Critical reflective lenses
(Brookfields, 1995)
› “Consulting our autobiographies as learners puts us
in the role of the “other”.
› “By inviting colleagues to watch what we do, or by
engaging in critical conversation with them, we can
notice aspects of our practice that are normally
hidden from us”.

11. How do these concepts work together to
benefit you?
 To be aware of the impact of their assumptions on their
practice
 To consult personal experience as learners and listen to
colleagues in order to critically reflect on their
assumptions and practice
 To challenge their colleagues’ assumptions so that they
can be open to alternatives
 To acknowledge and understand their audience’s culture
and beliefs helps health educators tailor the strategy to
best fit their target audience

12. Agenda
o 9.30-9.50: Introduction
o 9.50-10.20: “Origami bird” Activity
o 10.20-10.35: Break time
o 10.35-11.15: “What would a critic say” Activity
o 11.15-11.35: Discussion about the emerged
issues
o 11.35-12.00: Reflection & Adjustment
o 12.00-12.15: Evaluation
o 12.15-12.30: Conclusion

13. Introduction
›Everyone make a circle and start by introducing
your name. Also, please tell us:
›1. What is your cultural background?
›2. Name one difficulty or ambiguity you
encountered as a learner
›3. How does this experience influence your
teaching practice?

14. Activity 1: Origami bird
› In this activity, we will be consulting
our short autobiographies and examining our
assumptions in teaching practice.
› Everyone will be given 2 pieces of paper, a
pencil and an origami bird
› In this workshop, the origami bird is used to
represent freedom in education

15. Activity 1
›1)On the first piece of paper, please write down a brief
autobiography that present 3 difficulties you encountered
as learners
› Share and discuss with your colleagues the positive and
negative impacts of these experiences on your teaching
practice
›2)On the second piece of paper, please write down
3 assumptions in your teaching practice that are
associated with 3 difficulties and place it in either wings of
the origami bird.
›We will revisit them near the end of the workshop

16. What have we just learned?
 Autobiography is a helpful tool that keeps records of
personal experiences, assumptions and practice
 To be aware that our personal experiences as learners
could create false assumptions in teaching.
 Personal experience could introduce bias the teaching
practice.
 What we think works may be interpreted differently by
others

17. How can we use what we have learned
from activity 1 to move to activity 2?
›Knowing how your personal experiences as
learners influence our practice and predetermined
assumptions in your teaching practice will assist
you in identifying common and opposing view
points from your colleagues’ experiences during
group activity.

18. Activity 2: What would a critic say??
›This activity helps educators:
 To challenge your colleagues’ assumptions to
be open to alternatives
 To learn to have a democratic discussion
 To practice critical reflection by identifying
common and opposing views of your colleagues
 To be aware of the impact of one’s
background, personal experiences, and
assumptions on their practice.

19. Activity 2
o Group work is required for this task
o There should be 5 groups in our workshop. You will be
working in groups of 4 people
o A case study will be displayed on the screen.
o Each group will have 20 minutes to come up with a
strategy for the situation in the case study
o After 20 minutes, each group will present their approach
to other groups, and the rationale behind it.
o Other groups will give feedback, opposing views, and
recommendations

20. Case study
›Five days after arrival in Canada from a refugee camp in Bhutan, a refugee
woman isolates herself in her room. She is 36 years old. She is staying in a
temporary refugee shelter and refuses all food/drinks and speaks of suicide.
›The patient was referred to the Emergency Department (ER).
Unfortunately, because of language barriers and inadequate interpretation,
the ER doctor does not identify any urgent conditions and the patient was
sent back to the shelter after receiving IV fluids. No mental health follow-up
is arranged.
›She lost both her parents at a young age, and for the most part, was ‘left-
out’ and alienated by other family members. She suffers from a long history
of mental illness. Hopes of starting a new life in Canada vanished the very
moment she arrived– she realized that she could not communicate with
anyone and had to depend on the same siblings who neglected her for 30
years.

21. Question
›As a health educator, what would you do
to ensure this refugee woman gets the
care she needs? What services or
resources would you recommend to this
refugee woman?

22. Discussion about issues emerged from activity 2
 Notice what assumptions you are holding when you
approach the issue
 Notice how your background and personal experience
influence your approach in teaching the refugee
population
 How do discrimination, such as racism, sexism, class
exploitation inform your decision to take action?
 Common view points identified from your colleagues’
suggestions
 How others’ view points change your assumptions?
 Resistance to opposing views of your colleagues
 What causes the resistance?

23. Why do we resist to change?
We may be resistant to what others suggest
because we like to stay in our comfort zone
Another reason for our resistance is the fear of
accepting that we have been wrong the whole time
and the fear of failure
Also, some of us may have a fear to challenge our
colleagues because we do not want to challenge
the status quo

24. Why do we resist to change?
We may be resistant to what others suggest
because we like to stay in our comfort zone
Another reason for our resistance is the fear of
accepting that we have been wrong the whole time
and the fear of failure
Also, some of us may have a fear to challenge our
colleagues because we do not want to challenge
the status quo

25. What have we learned so far?
 To critically reflect on our personal experiences as
learners through a short autobiography
 To critically examine our assumptions by listening to
our colleagues’ experiences
 To accept and become aware of the impacts of
different kinds of discrimination in our practice
 Democratic discussion aids in the process of critical
reflection
 Knowing what causes our resistance to change will
help us to overcome it in our practice

26. Reflection and Adjustment
›Everyone will be provided a piece of paper, glue and a pen.
Please answer the following questions in the piece of paper.
o After doing the activities, do you notice any changes to your
original assumptions?
o Do these activities add or reduce values to your original
assumption?
o Do they remove your old assumption and replace it with a
new one?
o Are you aware of the alternative views before coming to this
workshop? If yes, what stops you from adopting these
views?

27. Continue...
›After you have answered the questions, please fold the
piece of paper multiple times and stick the tiny piece of
paper on the head of the origami bird that was provided to
you in the beginning of the workshop.
›Now, take out the piece of paper that you put in either
wings of the bird in the beginning and read it out loud to
your colleagues and tell them how your assumptions have
changed.

28. Evaluation
›Time for self-evaluaiton! Please take some time
to evaluate the workshop and what you have
learned today
›Evaluation form will be distributed now
›https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2KJCR5K?sm
=C%2bA68FTRramk6dWs3GelTA%3d%3d

29. Concluding remarks
 After doing 2 activities, we have familiarized ourselves
with critical reflection through the short autobiography and
listening to colleagues’ experiences
 By now, we should understand that critical reflection is
not simply about looking at “what”, but we have to
consider “why” and “how” we do what we do, and the
reasons behind our resistance to change.
 Acceptance of the existence of different kinds of
discrimination in our practice will help us to better
understand others’ values and beliefs
 “Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by
the renewal of your minds” (hooks, 1994)

30. References
›Brookfield. S (1995). Becoming Critically Reflective- A Process of Learning and
Change, Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (pp. 28-48). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
›Crane Symbol. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2016, from
› http://www.signology.org/bird-symbol/crane-symbol.htm
›Edge, S., & Newbold, B. (2013). Discrimination and the Health of Immigrants and
Refugees: Exploring Canada’s Evidence Base and Directions for Future
Research in Newcomer Receiving Countries. Journal of Immigrant Minority
Health, 15(1), 141-148. Retrieved March 01, 2016, from http://
journals1.scholarsportal.info.proxy.library.brocku.ca/details/15571912/
v15i0001/141_dathoifrinrc.xml
›Hooks, b. (1994). A Revolution of values, Teaching to Transgress-Education as the
Practice of Freedom (pp. 23-34). New York, NY: Routledge Taylor &
Francis Group.
›Professional Development Evaluation Form. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
www.surveymonkey.com/r/2KJCR5K?sm=C+A68FTRramk6dWs3GelTA==