By Charlotte Rogers (’13)

When the writ was dropped for October’s Federal Election, Allison Fuisz (’05), a middle school teacher in Ottawa’s D. A. Moodie Intermediate School, was determined to take the opportunity to teach her students about politics in a creative way.

Since graduating from Acadia with her BAH in Political Science, Fuisz has kept in touch with several of her professors, including Dr. Andrew Biro, now Head of Politics. Her ongoing rapport with the department sparked an idea for a video collaboration between her Grade 7 class and Dr. Biro’s first-year Law/Politics and Government class.

“I wanted to create a meaningful, authentic learning opportunity where my students could connect with others in the field of study,” Fuisz says. She e-mailed Biro in June and was delighted to receive an immediate and enthusiastic response.

Fuisz’s class kicked off the project with a video introducing themselves, explaining their work on the Federal Election, and posing some questions to their fellow politics students at Acadia.

Biro’s class divided themselves into three smaller groups to film, edit and upload video responses. Each group tackled a different question: respectively, “What is democracy?”; “What are the different types of democracy?”; and, “Why should we vote?” The groups used a combination of visual aids, interviews, skits, and creative examples to present information. In an entertaining illustration of democracy from below, students in one group protested for chocolate milk before recess, chanting, “We demand the milk!” and wielding “Free the milk!” signs.

Biro explains the benefit of the project for his students. “I think it’s important for them to be able to translate academic material they’re learning in class for different kinds of audiences. That in itself is a really useful political skill to learn.”

“What is democracy?”

The third video comprises a lively “Thank you!” from Fuisz’s class, along with some constructive feedback and further questions. Referring to the video on “What is democracy?” one student commented that “the demonstration of left to right wing helped us understand the differences between the parties.”

The students asked a number of follow-up questions – including, “Would Canada be run better if we had a dictator instead of a democracy?” – between fervent interjections of “Politics are cool!” and “#freethemilk!”.

Fuisz was delighted by her students’ enthusiasm for the project. “They forgot about what time it was in the classroom and wanted to stay in at recess.” Asked how dialoguing with the undergraduates helps her students’ learn, Fuisz says the list is endless. “It supports their public speaking skills, lets them analyze the views of others, helps them think critically about information they see in the media, shows them meaningful uses of technology, and introduces the importance of voting and democracy, to name just a few.”

In their final response, Acadia students explored the pros and cons of a political dictatorship. One video showed ‘Supreme Leader Slater The Magnificent’ cajoling his presidential council into supporting his every decision, including taking the nation’s milk for his personal supply. ‘The people’, tired of this corrupt, centralized form of power, launched a #freethemilk revolution to overthrow the Supreme Leader. Successfully toppled, the people began to enjoy the benefits of a democracy, including freedom of speech, equality before the law and, of course, an uninterrupted flow of milk.

Both Fuisz and Biro agree that future partnerships could bring continued value to their students. “I’d love to keep something like this going,” Biro says, “and it’s the kind of thing you could do with high school students too.”

For her part, Fuisz believes it is important that schools and higher education institutions continue to collaborate. “My students want more of this and it pushes them to do their best, which as an educator is exactly what you want. I would love to see my class connect again with Acadia’s Politics department on some level, or perhaps the Education Program.”

Fuisz is thankful such liaisons are readily available for Acadia alumni. “This is one of the most amazing aspects of Acadia – you make connections that last forever.”

Above, Allison Fuisz's Grade 7 class. (Photo: Robbie Judd)