February 13…Critical Theory and Pedagogy

Pedagogy of the Oppressed can be a difficult read. As I said in class, I am less interested in seeing that you get deep into the specifics of Freire's ideas and more interested in using it as a way to begin to think about what critical pedagogy is and how and whether it has a place in today's public schools in the U.S. So, for this post, please ask a question about the reading or about critical pedagogy in general. ***Metaphorical bonus points to all who attempt to engage with another student’s question.***

Comments

  1. My question is:
    Can critical pedagogy help ELL students learn English?

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  2. Morgan:

    It says critical pedagogy is supposed to help students challenge and question positioned dominance. If students are taught this from a very young age, should we fear them standing up to parents, teachers, and law enforcers (people who enforce rules in their lives)? Or could it possibly have a positive effect on social injustice?

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    Replies
    1. Hey Morgan,

      I think even if students are taught critical pedagogy from a very young age, we should not fear them standing up to parents, teachers, and law enforces. Critical pedagogy will help them think critically about themselves and the world around them. critical pedagogy will help them build their own personalities and become active members in society. I think critical pedagogy will have a positive effect on social injustice because students will be able to stand up for themselves and find possible solutions when they face a problem.

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    2. Hey Morgan,

      I think even if students are taught critical pedagogy from a very young age, we should not fear them standing up to parents, teachers, and law enforces. Critical pedagogy will help them think critically about themselves and the world around them. critical pedagogy will help them build their own personalities and become active members in society. I think critical pedagogy will have a positive effect on social injustice because students will be able to stand up for themselves and find possible solutions when they face a problem.

      Delete
  3. According to the text, children should think critically about the way they exist in the world and the way others exist, which is related to critically thinking about dominance, especially in the classroom. Would teaching children, based on critical pedagogy, get more competitive with each other and the teacher? Would it have a positive effect on the learning of children?

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    Replies
    1. I believe it would cause more competition based solely on the fact that the students would be able to argue against what is being taught more which could have a positive and negative effect on the classroom depending on what type of teacher you are. Personally for me i think it would be positive because i want to hear students opinions on what work we are doing and seeing if there is a better way to do it while i know there are some teachers who have a specific way to teach and having a student go against it in a way would cause them to become frustrated with the classroom. The classroom must have a given understanding of the knowledge that is given priority in each school as an individual. By using critical pedagogy it might allow too much dominance to the students in decision making and give less credentials and power towards the teacher which in some cases not always but some cases is needed.

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  4. How could we ensure that teachers received proper training to appropriately approach topics in this manner? Additionally, how can this theory be successfully implemented in such a divisive society?

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  5. I am wondering how would teachers use critical pedagogy in the classroom in an elementary school setting? I think it's a good thing to get kids to think critically and be aware about the society they live in, but how would a teacher talk about these issues to their young students?

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    Replies
    1. I as well had the same question Rosie, but more towards the general idea of just any classroom in any grade level. While researching ways to find out how teachers can use critical pedagogy in the classroom I found a resourceful link that shows how teachers can implement critical pedagogy in a classroom.

      https://www.theedadvocate.org/how-to-implement-critical-pedagogy-into-your-classroom/

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  6. Melodee Hanson

    What would the grading criteria be when testing children on this topic in a school setting? How forceful or peaceful should they be when standing up to a figure of dominance? Could there be biases to it?

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  7. In what ways does critical pedagogy shape students?

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  8. How should teachers introduce the topic of critical pedagogy in an elementary classroom? Or when do you start to teach kids about it? Would younger children be able to critically think about social issues?
    -Erin

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  9. Naomi Debebe:
    Can critical pedagogy be something that children learn very young and affect them as they get older in a negative way.

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  10. Would teaching pedagogy to younger students be a negative or positive thing? If so, what would teachers do to implement it into the classroom?

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  11. If critical pedagogy was implemented where would the line be drawn to where "authority" always gets the say in certain situations?

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  12. Will it be difficult to implement critical pedagogy in the classroom? Why or why not?

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  13. Ailysh Motsinger:
    Could Brooklyn Free School be an example of critical pedagogy being applied in its intended form? When learning of the structure and curriculum of the Brooklyn Free School, I perceived it as unique and straying far from the norm of most schools in the United States. Could Brooklyn Free School's intention of its students' voices affecting change be inspired by Freire's ideas of dialogue and participatory action?

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  14. Anna Calabrese
    Does the practice of critical pedagogy leave room for teachers to potentially impart their own biases onto students by shaping the nature of the discussion?

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  15. There are some very interesting components to critical pedagogy that we can all try and incorporate in some fashion into our teaching philosophy. It is a relatively modern concept which was introduced, as we know, by the Brazilian philosopher and educator, Paulo Freire in his 1968 book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire said, "Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferals of information," which was certainly a progressive idea at the time. It was a way to use teaching as a platform to model more culturally sensitive students who would not only be aware of racial and sexual inequalities, but active participants in opposing them. He wanted students to be actively engaged in their education, question and challenge in a way that made them critical thinkers and problem solvers not rote memory banks and test-takers. My question is, why do you think this idea, which rapidly spread internationally, attracted such a strong base in the US, particularly?

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  16. What is the main objective and goal of pedagogy and do you agree or disagree that it is beneficial in the classroom?

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  17. My question would probably be would having critical pedagogy cause the classrooms to become more political in the aspects of teaching? It allows alot of new knowledge and allows for alot of dialogue and arguments but i would assume by doing so it brings in alot more current political problems/situations so would the class end up bringing in more political stand points? and if so how would they keep politics out of it to make it fair for all students?

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  18. Rebecca Mendoza Vasquez

    How can critical pedagogy be implemented in an elementary classroom setting?

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  19. Jieun Hwang
    If students are taught critical pedagogy then would that have a positive impact in shaping their
    personalities or who they are as a person?

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  20. At what age is it "appropriate" to teach critical pedagogy and to what extent for each grade level?

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