Critical Pedagogy
What is Critical Pedagogy? As stated by Burbules and Berk (1999), "It [Critical Pedagogy] is an effort to work within educational institutions and other media to raise questions about inequalities of power, about the false myths of opportunity and merit for many students, and about the way belief systems become internalized to the point where individuals and groups abandon the very aspiration to question or change their lot in life." Critical Pedagogy views the critical person as "one who is empowered to
seek justice, to seek emancipation. Not only is the critical person adept at
recognizing injustice but, for Critical Pedagogy, that person is also moved to
change it."
The philosophers and scholars well known for Critical Pedagogy are: Paulo Freire, Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, and Ira Shor.
Although I wasn't aware of the ideology supporting Critical Pedagogy a few years ago, it seems that my interests aligned with this concept for some time. My educational journey at U.O.I.T. helped me to put a name to this area of interest, and to pursue it further in my future studies.
For the critical pedagogy theme, my reflections have been added to each artifact rather than at the end of the theme in order to provide a more specific and detailed input.
The philosophers and scholars well known for Critical Pedagogy are: Paulo Freire, Henry Giroux, Peter McLaren, and Ira Shor.
Although I wasn't aware of the ideology supporting Critical Pedagogy a few years ago, it seems that my interests aligned with this concept for some time. My educational journey at U.O.I.T. helped me to put a name to this area of interest, and to pursue it further in my future studies.
For the critical pedagogy theme, my reflections have been added to each artifact rather than at the end of the theme in order to provide a more specific and detailed input.
Critical Pedagogy Artifact 1. This artifact reflects my efforts to understand and untangle some of the issues associated with commonly held perceptions on the topics such as culture, racism, and privilege. It provides some explanation on the topics of culture of racism; linguistic, cultural and biological diversity; cost of privilege; belonging and health as posted on the course wiki for the Social and Cultural Context of Education course (EDUC 5005G). The underlying reasons for the choice of topic “Costs of Privilege” (wiki #1) was based on my on-going questions about privilege. Why would those people who have privilege want to unpack it, and what would they gain from unpacking their privilege? This question was posed to address the self-serving part of human nature, in order to find a response that may influence those who would prefer to keep status quo rather than to make the effort to change.
Wiki #2 reveals how positive workplace and social structures that support inclusion and belonging help to increase overall health of its people. Reflecting upon it, it seems almost a common sense that promoting health and wellness for people would benefit our health care system, and would reduce the overall burden on our public health care costs, which may be the necessary incentive for the politically motivated individuals. It seems to be a practical direction for our health care sector, whatever our motivational reasons may be. However, connecting research studies with the correlation between the effects on health and inclusion/exclusion of people is an important first step. The next step in the process may be on how we can implement changes to our workplace to make it more inclusive. Perhaps, these changes could be considered for all other aspects of our society.
Wiki #3 is based on an article that reveals the social hierarchy underlying U.K.’s new immigrants’ social structure, and the tension that keeps fear and suspicion sustained. The authors, Back et al. (2012), seem to reveal a psychologically damaging and racist culture.
Wiki #4 details the reasons why linguistic, cultural, and biological diversity is essential for human health and survival on earth. It seems that the biblical “Tower of Babel” would mislead us if we were to apply it consciously/ subconsciously to the health and benefits of linguistic and cultural diversity in our interpretations according to the experts in the linguistic field. The link to a video by David Bellos provides some explanations as provided in the artifact.
(This artifact was posted on the course wiki (EDUC 5005G). However, the link for the wiki page for the course is no longer available. The content uploaded to the course wiki is shown below on the attached document).
Wiki #2 reveals how positive workplace and social structures that support inclusion and belonging help to increase overall health of its people. Reflecting upon it, it seems almost a common sense that promoting health and wellness for people would benefit our health care system, and would reduce the overall burden on our public health care costs, which may be the necessary incentive for the politically motivated individuals. It seems to be a practical direction for our health care sector, whatever our motivational reasons may be. However, connecting research studies with the correlation between the effects on health and inclusion/exclusion of people is an important first step. The next step in the process may be on how we can implement changes to our workplace to make it more inclusive. Perhaps, these changes could be considered for all other aspects of our society.
Wiki #3 is based on an article that reveals the social hierarchy underlying U.K.’s new immigrants’ social structure, and the tension that keeps fear and suspicion sustained. The authors, Back et al. (2012), seem to reveal a psychologically damaging and racist culture.
Wiki #4 details the reasons why linguistic, cultural, and biological diversity is essential for human health and survival on earth. It seems that the biblical “Tower of Babel” would mislead us if we were to apply it consciously/ subconsciously to the health and benefits of linguistic and cultural diversity in our interpretations according to the experts in the linguistic field. The link to a video by David Bellos provides some explanations as provided in the artifact.
(This artifact was posted on the course wiki (EDUC 5005G). However, the link for the wiki page for the course is no longer available. The content uploaded to the course wiki is shown below on the attached document).
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Critical Pedagogy Artifact 2. The analysis and synthesis paper written for the Foundations of Leadership course (EDUC 5201G), as shown in Artifact 2 below, contains much information about the values, the culture, and the vision for the future of our society - relating it back to the praxis aspect of Critical Pedagogy.
By reflecting on leadership, what it means to be a leader to ourselves, to the community around us, and to the global world at large, we can visualize the "big" picture of where we are, and where we may want to lead our world for our future generation. Although this paper at first describes some of the uncertainties and ambiguity associated with the word leadership, it leads the reader to a more definitive reason for understanding the importance of leadership and the associated responsibilities for each individual living on Earth.
Leadership is an individual responsibility that has collective consequences. Fairholm and Fairholm's (2009) definition of leadership as a "values transfer" process help us to connect with some of the concepts of leadership that we experience, or understand “(1) through the leader’s example, (2) through forming cultures within which followers can come to trust their leaders enough to follow them, and (3) by reflecting their authentic core self, their soul or spirit – in their relationships within the group and with all stakeholders” (p. 4). This core self, soul or spirit seems to refer to the values and the sense of identity and meaning that one connects within one's self. Another key word in Fairholm and Fairholm's (2009) definition of leadership seems to be the word, relationships. It is the type of relationships that we form with others that seems to distinguish a leader amongst others. There are many other models and definitions of leadership which may be more inclusive and comprehensive. There's a leader in each and every one of us ready to emerge, or may already have been active every day.
The pedagogical connection to leadership is in the development of leaders through critical awareness and engagement in the societal issues facing our global world. Creating an environment where leadership skills can grow and flourish especially in our young people, the leaders-to-be of the future, would provide a sustainable environment in the making of a better world.
Analysis and synthesis paper on leadership for the Foundations of Leadership course (EDUC 5201G)
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Critical Pedagogy Artifact 3. This artifact links to the ScoopIt website which consists of a specific theme of interest that can be collected on the internet by setting the search filter with the key words relevant to the topic of interest. Reflections on each of the artifacts collected on the ScoopIt website are detailed on the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Culture website under the caption "Theresa Shin's insight."
Many of the articles collected in my ScoopIt website focused on the teaching aspect of culture, intercultural communication and critical pedagogy.
Please click on the following link to be directed to the ScoopIt website: Computer-assisted language learning and culture - this website features a collection of videos, articles and commentaries selected to provide insight into the connection of culture, technology and learning. My personal commentaries have been added to each of the artifacts collected on the website for the Special Topics in Education and Digital Technology - CALL course (EDUC 5199G).
Critical Pedagogy Artifact 4 is a problem-based paper on "How should we teach culture in a language-based course?" in the Special Topics in Education and Digital Technology course (EDUC 5199G).
How should we teach culture in a language-based course? is based on the problems observed from the material collected in the ScoopIt website as shown above. A review and further analysis was made to articulate some of the difficulties encountered in teaching culture in a classroom.
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problem-based_paper_-_how_should_we_teach_culture.pdf | |
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Critical Pedagogy Artifact 5. A link to Dr. Sonia Nieto's presentation on "What does it mean to be an outstanding teacher of students of diverse background?"
This artifact relates to the teaching of culture in a diverse learning environment. Sonia Nieto asks questions about what it means to be an outstanding teacher of students of diverse background. She states that teaching is advocacy, and it’s political. She also argues that all students are students of diverse backgrounds. Nieto quotes one of her retired teachers, who is considered as a sociocultural mediator.
Nieto emphasizes that we need to “meet the students where they are, and take them someplace else, and have them carry who they are along with them.” She also describes the importance of critical self-reflection before we can create a student-centered teacher. In the video Sonia Nieto mentions Paulo Freire, Critical Pedagogy, and associated Critical Pedagogy with teaching excellence in a diverse classroom.
This artifact relates to the teaching of culture in a diverse learning environment. Sonia Nieto asks questions about what it means to be an outstanding teacher of students of diverse background. She states that teaching is advocacy, and it’s political. She also argues that all students are students of diverse backgrounds. Nieto quotes one of her retired teachers, who is considered as a sociocultural mediator.
Nieto emphasizes that we need to “meet the students where they are, and take them someplace else, and have them carry who they are along with them.” She also describes the importance of critical self-reflection before we can create a student-centered teacher. In the video Sonia Nieto mentions Paulo Freire, Critical Pedagogy, and associated Critical Pedagogy with teaching excellence in a diverse classroom.