Podcast lecture transcript on Chapter four
In chapter 3, Paulo pointed out the major difference between animals and humans: that we have the ability to reflect and practice, reflect and practice, therefore transforming our situations, doing something about our existence…unlike animals who exist for the here and now, surviving for the here and now…humans who have not been empowered, students who have not learned of their power may operate in the same vein as animals, if they are not trained to ‘think.’ He continues in Chapter 4 to point this major difference between animals and humans: that we have the opportunity to change our situation by first posing a problem, then exercising critical thinking to begin a workable change in making the world better.
This is what Paulo is continuing to express in chapter four. Transformation of the ills, the issues of the world, not by just talking about it: to just talk about the problems is the same as being on the verbose side of the equation. To truly activate this pedagogy of social justice in the classroom, one must be actively engaged, modeling, practicing what is talked about.
Most of chapter four goes on to talk about how NOT to exercise social justice pedagogy. Friere goes on to discuss several methods of anti-dialogical behaviors: 1) conquest – this automatically sets up an 'us versus them' situation: someone who wants to conquer, and the conquered. 2) divide and conquer or divide and rule Paulo says is about people who see life in terms of their maintaining status quo at the expense of everyone else… 3) manipulation and 4) cultural invasion…
He ends the chapter by promoting what social justice pedagogy should be about: cultural synthesis of which he dedicates all of five pages of chapter 4 to talking about. I imagine his work in this book is mainly to espouse a perspective of the poor, the oppressed, one that doesn’t get told very often. His work in “We Make the Road by Walking” goes on to show how cultural synthesis could operate in reality. He and Myles Horton discuss the realities of implementing social justice pedagogy in the classroom.
Even in chapter four, Friere briefly touches on what cultural synthesis is about. It is about recognizing the voices of all people, allowing all people an opportunity to be the makers of their own world, contributors of their own existence, not at the expense of others, but with the expense of all…It would anti-dialogical to allow the oppressed to become oppressors themselves, although in their quest to be free, to name their world, to exist in fulfillment of their own humanity, the oppressed may transform in this manner: first becoming like their oppressors, but then evolving beyond, liberating both themselves and their oppressors. It is an act of love, an act of forgiveness, one that is not taught very often.
Character education may be the brainchild of espousing social justice. Perhaps this is something that can be carried out beginning with the very young in classrooms, co-teaching, modeling good behavior toward all people, including all people in classroom discourse, allowing students to express their realities, offering choices in assignments, teaching in a variety of ways, using a variety of methods. Examining each child up close when they enter the classroom, perhaps dedicating at least a week of built-in examination of each child, learning each child by name, pronouncing his or her name as he or she tells you to pronounce it, not correcting their identity. You’d be surprised how something as simple as really listening to how a student wants his or her name pronounced will identity the type of teacher you are, revealing a teacher’s prejudices. Students make judgments about whether or not you are approachable, safe, fair, equitable in your dealings from one student to the next. I am reminded of foreign students at a private school that I taught in for several years , who came to me complaining that the computer teacher next door to me just never pronounced their names correctly, and even pronounced them differently each time. They were very offended, but did not approach her, correct her. They had been drenched in the authoritative home and school life as Paulo speaks about in oppressive systems. These students were trained to keep quiet with authoritative people who conducted themselves in this manner.
The following ASCD website offers a good definition of character education, I think :
Character education involves teaching children about basic human values including honesty, kindness, generosity, courage, freedom, equality, and respect.
The goal is to raise children to become morally responsible, self-disciplined citizens. Problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution are important parts of developing moral character. Through role playing and discussions, students can see that their decisions affect other people and things. http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2011/02/character-education-for-the-digital-age.html/
I don’t think Friere in his text is talking about teachers going out trying to teach culture, specific and mainstream cultural ways of living as may be a place in a social studies classroom, but that each teacher can be a promoter of equity, social justice for all students that enter in his or her classroom. Promotion not by speech only, not by handing out a worksheet on Martin Luther King, Jr. during the month of February, or celebrating Cinco de Mayo in May or talking about the Indians and Pilgrims during the month of November to mention a few, but by praxis: that is reflecting on what it is students need in your classroom and then practicing the method of social justice or cultural synthesis.
Not throwing out or replacing curriculum, but synthesizing it, including the larger picture, telling or allowing more of the whole story or other perspectives to be told. You can practice cultural synthesis in the classroom by exercising the practice of multicultural education [that is including other perspectives in your curriculum…it may involve a deeper research, although that has been made easier with the Internet!], differentiating instruction [that is, addressing or taking into consideration the various learning needs of your students, not teaching to the middle: a one size fits all curriculum], it may involve being a mentor to some of your students, it may involve checking to see what your students' learning strengths are using multiple intelligence surveys, it may involve taking a constructivist approach sometimes to allowing students to have a place in designing their own instruction, such as giving project-based assignments that involve their learning Math, but also involves more authentic-based approaches than rote memorization of facts and theorems. For sure, in a classroom of this nature, the room is not going to be all quiet everyday, but it will involve the engagement, attention of all of your students.
I look forward to interacting with you on the DSEL 794 discussion board . Thank you.
Dr. Herring
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