On Freire:
"I see that some of you are having a easier time with Freire... I am not. He seems to hop all over the place, throwing 10different ideas at me every couple of sentences. That being said, here are some of the ideas that I got from this reading:
"As the oppressors dehumanize others and violate their rights, they themselves also become dehumanized."
This is an important concept to me, as it directly relates to my fears about my future as a teacher. Teachers, in their "authority" as oppressors, often dehumanize their students- they begin to view them not as individuals or people, but more like cattle or some type of herd they are in charge of. By dehumanizing their students, they themselves become dehumanized. They lose touch with their humanity. The biggest example I see with this is the increase of standardized tests and those test scores being used to determine things like funding or the school's quality. The students are being viewed numbers rather than individuals with their own educational needs.
"Conditioned by the experience of oppressing others, any situation other than their former seems to them like oppression."
Oh, man. this is a big idea, isn't it? This is something that can be seen in our own society for sure. Sometimes people are so used to what they "have," that they view any change or compromise as oppression. When I think about this concept, I think about political parties. Sometimes political parties within our government are so caught up in receiving "their" way, they no longer can differentiate between oppression and compromise. It's insane. In particular I am thinking of politicians that determine policies regarding female reproductive health. Politicians get their way, get their way, get their way, and then a woman asks for government assistance for birth control and all hell breaks loose because they view demands for birth control as oppression against their religion. This seems like it can turn into a pretty long rant, so I'll stop here.
"For the oppressors, 'human beings' refers only to themselves; other people are 'things.'"
This flows nicely from the ideas I mentioned above. Oppressors become so wrapped in "the system" that the idea of society as a whole becomes just a "thing" rather than "human." There is a selfish quality that (to me) seems inherent in oppression, and this selfishness sometimes causes a distorted view of reality- particularly in regards to other humans (and especially the oppressed.)
"For them, to be is to have and to be the class of the 'haves.'" - I am having hard time relating this to education, but I can certainly see how it applies to the materialistic nature of our society. We want want want THINGS. We want new cars, we want tablets, phones, and money! People begin wondering how one can truly be human if one does not have material possessions, because "owning" seems to be "natural."
"trusting the people is the indispensable precondition for revolutionary change."
Wowzers. This might be one of the best things I've ever read in my life. I have no idea if I believe it, but it's such a huge idea that I can't help but be drawn to it. Revolutionary change cannot happen because of one individual- one must trust in other people (and risk an act of love) in order to make real change happen. It is so easy to become disillusioned with humanity, to think of society as a "thing" rather than people, but if we are ever going to improve the world, we must trust each other to do the right thing and be capable of intelligent thought.
"Self-depreciation is another characteristic of the oppressed, which derives from their internalization of the opinion the oppressors hold of them. So often do they hear that they are good for nothing, know nothing and are incapable of learning anything -- that they are sick, lazy, and unproductive -- that in the end they become convinced of their own unfitness."
This is a concept I can easily relate to education. How often have you seen a discouraged student tell a teacher that they can't do something because they are "stupid." I had a sixth grader tell me she was "too stupid" to read a book and that she will never get her "basic" grade (they used the terms below average, approaching basic, basic, and mastery for grades) because she was just a "below" student. Are you reading this? A child had internalized the negativity she had heard regarding her performance on a stupid test, and now she thinks she's too stupid to read. A CHILD. I don't think I need to explain the significance (and the repercussions) of such a thing."
"One issue that confuses me in this is just how aware the oppressors and oppressed are when it comes to their situation. I can't really tell if Freire is assuming that a majority of the population is thinking in terms of "oppressive reality" or if he thinks that most people aren't even aware of the situation.
The way my mind seems to be relating this education is that teachers fill both the oppressor and oppressed role, but that it is difficult to change that on an individual level because it is a "systematic" issue. I think that maybe the best way this relates to education is that teachers must ensure that they are "humanizing" their class and that students still feel like people at the end of the day so that the teachers create students that are able to make these big changes to the world.
I like what Freire says about the world and people do not exist apart from each other- it seems so obvious, but I think it is easy to separate this idea of "the world" and then "people." Individuals (themselves), their family and friends- they are PEOPLE. They view "the world" as this intangible idea, as if somehow the world was not made up (and controlled) by other human beings and because they don't see it as made up of real human beings, they view it as unchangeable and something they cannot touch. "People" don't really feel a solidarity with the idea of "the world." I feel like I'm ranting a bit and that it doesn't make sense. "
On Tate:
"Once I finished this article, I had walk away from my laptop. I just couldn't find the words to express what I learned or how I felt after reading. That was 30 minutes ago. I am still not sure if I am ready to write, but I will try. The bitter cynicism that clings to your mind like a leech, the insecurity that feels as though it will never leave, the realization that one must accept and embrace an "embarrassing" past... It was all too familiar. Tate's article is thoughtful, insightful, and full of excellent points about writing, language, and education. I found a lot of truth in his point regarding "the stories we tell ourselves" affecting our life (and attitude.) His reinterpretation of his own life experiences led to him reinterpreting education, an idea not lost on this education major.
Tate's focus on the hard line between "high society" academia and the language of "the working class" is one that I feel has been slowly disappearing (though of course it still remains) due to the amount of information that is available to "the working class" through the internet and other technology. Now, books and journals are available to almost everyone, though the academic environment is not always there. There are now academic blogs, vlogs, podcasts, forums, websites, and more that are not only available to the privileged academics, but also to the everyday person simply looking for more information. TEDtalks is a great example of academics using a more relaxed, casual language to express complex ideas. Tate's acceptance of his own personal language contributed to his growth as a writer, and turn his attitude into one that can reach students in a more honest way than his original methods. This release of control (including Tate's control over how his students percieved him) seemed to be the catalyst for his improved teaching methods. It's incredibly interesting. I loved the syllabus story. The fact that he values his student's ideas and opinions is wonderful.
I think that it is easy for teachers to become bitter with their profession- particularly high school teachers. They seem to be valued much less in our society than college professors. When the passion for their subject and for teaching is gone, the students can always tell. The teacher's attitude affects the students just as much as it affects the teacher.
There are a ton of points that I'm missing here. At any rate, this was a fascinating chapter to read. "
On Dewey:
"In these two chapters, Dewey outlines the characteristics of both traditional and progressive education, particularly the epistemologies related to each. Those that favor traditional education typically do so under the belief that learning means "acquisition of what already is incorporated in books and in the heads of the elders" and there is a focus on organization and routine.With progressive education, there is a focus on experience, and how the student can grow from their own ideas and experiences.When Dewey speaks of progressive education, he mentions that progressive education forms out of "discontent within traditional education.", but he is sure to mention that progressive education comes with its own set of problems.
Thought this text is over 70 years old, it definitely resonates with me as a student from a traditional education system. I know well the "boredom" that comes to be associated with learning when one is sitting in the same classroom every day, at the same time every day, expecting the same lecture... however I know now that there is a middle ground where traditional and progressive ideas meet. I know that classrooms in which student experience can lead the curriculum while still retaining some of the structure associated with traditional education can be great classrooms. In my experience, it is hard to get students to learn to differentiate between the educational experiences and the experiences that aren't really teaching them anything. As a "lifelong" student, I have found that I really value classes that give me the freedom to choose how I explore the content. I feel that when I come to a conclusion on my own, or when I use my own interests as a guide for learning, I retain information much more easily. "
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