Revision as of 10:57, 24 November 2020

York University 4

Who are they?

What are their goals?

When we stepped out of the phone booth in 2050 there were not immediate differences seen in general, but as we explored the sidewalks and streets we began to notice antennas mounted on mailboxes throughout the city and almost no overhead wires anywhere. The streets were relatively calm and as the four of us made our way to the local high school we noticed from afar all the solar panels on the roof and the parking lots that accompanied schools in 2020 were suspiciously smaller. There were only a few vehicles there, all looked to be parked over metallic plates which we later learned are wireless charging stations. Most strikingly none of the cars had steering wheels. They just sat there waiting to be summoned by the next rider(s). They were basically 4 wheeled ‘cabins’ that could accommodate 6 people in 3 rows of individual chairs.

So we entered the school. It was a modern looking building with lots of glass, and was relatively quiet. We were greeted by the school custodian, who identified as Rufus. Rufus looked human but was an android. Rufus explained that human custodians were very rare as most humans in the custodial services were now more needed in the aerospace sector learning how to or actively conducting satellite maintenance and spacecraft construction. The building was mostly empty but a few classrooms were occupied with small groups of students, some with teachers, others with what looked like hologram teachers. As we walked the hallway Rufus told us classes were smaller these days with only 15-20 learners per class. Some learners were at home using VR and hologram technology to participate in the lessons, as in-class or distance learning choice has become the norm. Teachers too were permitted to be in class or teaching from home using this technology. Thanks to PROJECT REFORMATION back in 2020 and the strategic financial and pedagogical changes they initiated with the government, Ontario was able to flourish under the COVID years and prosper incredibly. Globally, electricity and wifi is free and abundant. In 2020 there was much concern over 5G technology. 2050 wifi is now defined as on the cusp of achieving 10G speeds, which enables the fastest speed globally along with wireless charging capabilities; all completely free. Not only could wifi service one's connection to the internet but it can also charge the batteries in your device. Rufus pointed to what looked like a huge airplane in the sky and explained…” The skybarge in this sector receives solar power on its topside and emits wireless energy (electricity) in the form of wifi signal from the bottom along with internet connectivity. The result is eternal free electricity and internet service forever for every human being on the planet. There are more than 10,000 skybarges circling the globe in orbit servicing the entire planet 24/7. Wifi and electricity is emitted at ground level from mailboxes and/or emittal towers on every corner throughout communities, WORLD WIDE.

As we rounded the corner we came to a large mural on the wall that was indeed a rendering of ourselves back in 2020. At this point Rufus confessed to knowing who we are and due to the android programming, no acknowledgement was made. Rufus explained should a student or teacher see us though, we would immediately be recognized and likely be praised excitedly as apparently we became quite famous in this future time. We all turned to each other and high-fives were administered.

Education and Policies

Policy Changes

After a close examination of the many policies that Egerton Ryerson had in place, it became evident that something needed to change. Although many changes were being made to his previous policies which embodied the idea of segregation, aggressive assimilation, imperialism, and colonialism we decided that the entire education system needed to change. PROJECT REFORMATION was then created.

PROJECT REFORMATION meant taking out the existing education system in 2020 and creating our own that was appealing to everyone. Although there were many changes being made to the education system put into action by Egerton Ryerson we felt that more needed to be done. 2020 was a year of many realizations, and many issues were brought to light. The York University 4 used this to their advantage and decided to make an education system that benefited all students, and not just a select few of them.

We took a close look at how important the education system is within society. We realized that all citizens need to be educated in order to give back to their communities, however, we also realized that not everyone wishes to have the same education. Skills, trades, and technology is something that we value, along with reading and writing skills. As a group, we decided that any form of testing will be eliminated simply because to us the only thing that tests show is how well a student is able to memorize the course content. We want our students to be well-informed citizens and want them to be able to apply what they have learned in their own lives.

We also looked at history, and how history tends to be presented within schools in 2020. We realized that history follows a very Eurocentric view, and leaves out many important perspectives which if included in history would completely shift the narrative of Canada. We want our students to know about events like the destruction of Africville, and why the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is so important to understand. We want our students to understand that immigration was not always fair and equal to all.

Resources Used for Education

Learning and Teaching

Society

With our commitment to PROJECT REFORMATION, we decided that it was essential to have a look at what social problems exist in the 2020 education system. We noticed that the major problems, like racism, have existed for many years and we needed to eliminate these for when we traveled to 2050. The first issue we looked at was how harmful the Residential School System was for the Indigenous population. We saw how traumatizing this was for students and their families and how Indigenous culture was not valued in the education system. As the York University 4, we took action and abolished the whole Residential School System. When we landed in our time-traveling phone booth, we were fascinated with the changes we saw in 2050. We noticed that there was a vast amount of students who identified as Indigenous and they practiced their culture as if the Residential School System never existed. The first thing we noticed was that students were wearing sacred clothing, like moccasins and feathers in their hair. Students had sage at their desks to promote healing and wisdom. Cree, Inuktitut, and Ojibway were languages spoken at recess between Indigenous students. There was a sweat lodge in the school that allowed students to cleanse their body, mind, and soul. It was clear that the Indigenous community was strong and valued within society. Looking back at our decision to remove the Residential School System, we knew that it was a success!

During our board meeting in 2020, we noticed that racism was still prevalent in the education system. Racialized students were more likely to live in poverty and come from low socioeconomic families. This had a major impact on their access to education and resources. We knew this needed immediate attention so we went back to 1877 and stopped segregating students based on their race. When we entered the phone booth, we could not help but be excited for the changes we were about to see in 2050. As we entered the school, we saw diversity and students did not categorize each other based on their race. Black students and students of colour had an equal opportunity to participate in sports with no fear in regards to costs. Discrimination, bullying, and prejudice were non-existent. When we looked at academic achievement, we noticed that students of colour were very successful and held averages that were equally as high as their peers. These individuals obtained honourable jobs and were seen as highly intellectual members of society. After analyzing our work, we knew this was another massive achievement!

After investigating racism in schools, we saw that Black students and students of colour were disproportionately exposed to the implications of streaming. This practice places students in classes related to their skill level and it is problematic because students can get stuck in classes that do not accurately reflect their intellectual abilities. This can cause students to do more poorly or not challenge them enough. Although changes were made with streaming in 2020, we knew that we had to go beyond this and eliminate it from when it first began. When we took the phone booth into 2050, we saw that the averages of students were 20% higher in the year 2050 compared to 2020. This advancement occurred because students were able to alternate between skill levels until they found the level that they were most successful in. When the York University 4 resumed talking about all the changes we made, we were ecstatic because we knew that PROJECT REFORMATION was done for the betterment of society!

Politics

Economy

Thanks to record government spending in an effort to stimulate the canadian economy, specifically, the Ontario economy, the outlook for the future seems bright. Guided by a newly appointed taskforce of 4 bright young Teacher Candidates from the Bachelor of Education program at York University. The reasoning behind this appointment is to have a fresh outlook on the current Pandemic spending situation. Drawn randomly from a pool of several hundred volunteers these 4 students have endeavoured to assist by guiding the current provincial finance department.

As a result of this collaboration with the ‘York University Four’, Ontario has announced it will spend $35 million to help schools in covid-19 hot spots. Premier Doug Ford says the funding will be directed to school boards in Toronto, Ottawa, Peel Region and York Region. Some hi-lights of the spending is to help create more physical distancing in the classroom, help boards hire more teachers and custodians and buy laptops for learning. The most exciting component of the upcoming stimulus packages is to invest $60 million in the Black Youth Action Plan — something Andria Barrett, president of Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce, calls "so important" to the province. She said "We believe in economic empowerment through entrepreneurship for the Black community," Other proposals are to include $45 billion in COVID-19 related spending and the Progressive Conservative government says it has earmarked $7.5 billion in new health-care sector spending over the next three years. It will also spend $2.5 billion more on hospitals this year than last, including $572 million aimed specifically at offsetting COVID-19 expenses.

Another proposal includes subsidizing some commercial and industrial hydro bills to the tune of $1.3-billion starting next year by absorbing costs passed on to users from renewable energy deals signed by the previous Liberal government. The ministry of finance estimates it would save an average industrial user 14 per cent and commercial user about 16 per cent on their hydro bills.

Meanwhile, the government says about 94 per cent of businesses in Ontario will see a reduction in their property taxes, by standardizing the Business Education Tax. equalizing rates immediately would unlock capital for the creation of 18,000 jobs in the education sector of Toronto and major Ontario municipalities.

The costs of these programs are expected to decline annually until 2040, when they will all expire.

Finally, should savings and stimulus support, a specific project concerning time travel will be initiated. Critics were quick to label this pursuit as unrealistic but the York University Four have demanded to support renowned Professor K. Thumlert in his pursuit of creating a time travel device. When asked, the professor refused to comment on speculative vehicle types to be considered for his research, but would only go on to say he misses the ‘old school’ Phone Booth from years ago and indicated a favourite movie from 1989 starring George Carlin and Keanu Reeves was his inspiration.

Artifacts

Student Diary Entry

Teacher Diary Entry

Resistance

Types of Resistance

Why Resistance?

Group Members

Kyle Kowalchuk

Erin Rowe

Julia Cerundolo

Jaishri Singh