Critical Pedagogy 

 

Group Names: Ria Hollister, Monika Kuster, Meghan Naka, Tamsin Bell

Presentation Date: February 5th, 2020 

 

  1. Summarizer/Visualizer: Ria 

 

The author broke down her findings from the interview in a structured categorized format making the content easy to follow along with.  The purpose of this essay is to understand how a teacher would go about applying critical pedagogy within their classroom based on students’ life experiences. The question that drove the research is to discover whether or not there are positive results for teachers to use critical pedagogy in the classroom.  When looking at this study, the teachers who were interviewed were those with no training or prior experience with critical pedagogy and who work with students with little to no political awakening due to their socio-economic privilege (Leanna, 1). The teachers in this study were teaching in a Canadian city with high economic status which influenced the information they brought into the classrooms to teach, thus elevating student knowledge based on lower economic status.  The importance of critical education is expressed throughout this study and the importance of students developing skills to think for themselves and deciphering how their education and society looks. Education currently is based off of a Eurocentric approach focusing on western achievements. Critical pedagogy aims to create a well-rounded global education and raise the statistics of matriculation of students from lower economic status. To conclude her study, the author believes there is an importance for teachers to come together and share their teaching experiences allowing for more creativity and knowledge to be integrated into the classroom, providing students with the best learning environment surrounding this idea of critical pedagogy.  

 

  1. Webber/Questioner: Monika 

How can we as Teacher Candidates begin to implement Critical Pedagogy into our lessons and units now so it is common practice when we enter into full-time teaching?

         One of the primary ways that we as TC’s can work to incorporate critical pedagogy into our lessons is in the way we can interact with our students. We need to be mindful, open, and receptive to learning about our students and who they are. Getting to know our students, their backgrounds, and interests will help to allow us to know what socio-economic status they fall into, and from there how we can cater their education to ensure they succeed and are given opportunities. We can include more discussion into our lessons, and within the subjects we teach can allow for more inquiry-based learning so that the students are able to relate through their own lived experiences. We can be mindful of incorporating more global events, issues, and stories into our teaching that represent a more culturally diverse world, and move away from the Eurocentric views our education system currently employs. If our students come from a place of privilege we can work with them to create an open discussion of privilege, socio-economic status, and opportunity so the conversations are more normalized and students have a deep understanding of the concepts so that moving forward they are able to better recognize and make positive steps away from it. This can work with ourselves as future educators as well. In recognizing privilege among ourselves and opening the lines of communication we are better educated and more comfortable with bringing these themes to our students. Education begins with us, and the more informed we are the more prepared we are to tackle these issues within the classroom.

 

How do we as new teachers address the generation gap between seasoned teachers and the lag in implementing the new curriculum and ideologies?

         As a new teacher, it is important to stand by what you have been taught in your teacher education. In a situation where there are veteran teachers set in their ways, we should take initiative in sharing our ideas but more importantly the successes in the new curriculum and critical pedagogies. It is important to not discredit the opinions and experience of the older generation, but to take the information and to modify to fit the current education trends. We cannot alienate the veteran teachers as we as a school community cannot function to it’s best potential without mutual cooperation and respect. Sitting down as a team with both new and veteran teachers, and going over the school’s goals regarding education to ensure that though views of teaching may differ, there is a mutual understanding of what the team wants the students to take away from their learning. Engaging in ongoing professional development with teachers throughout the district to ensure that knowledge and practices are up to date. Teaching has changed so much in the last fifty years, making way for new teachers of all ages that bring individual stories and knowledge and we should work together to bring our knowledge together to ensure that our students receive the best education we can. 

 

  1. Wordsmith/Passage Picker: Meghan 

 

Definitions: 

  1. Critical Pedagogy – 
  • Definition: is a teaching approach inspired by critical theory and other radical philosophies, which attempts to help students question and challenge posited “domination,” and to undermine the beliefs and practices that are alleged to dominate.
  • Explanation: It allows students to generate questions and determine the direction of their studies, while teachers participate as equal, fellow members of their shared community. So an example of this would be similar to the inquiry projects we have been learning a lot about this semester. Giving students the ability to come up with questions and allowing them to find the answers. This approach usually has the teaching guiding the students as opposed to the teacher teaching the students. 

 

  1. Social Transformation 
    • Definition: is the process by which an individual alters the socially ascribed social status of their parents into a socially achieved status for themselves. However, another definition refers to large scale social change as in cultural reforms or transformations

 

  • Explanation: in the reading, they were using social transformation as a way of describing their hope for the future of education. Using it in terms of the large-scale social change, hoping that by allowing students to develop their own thinking and learning they will be able to challenge existing social structures. An example of this on an individual level would be someone growing up in a low-income family and transitioning into a higher socioeconomic status. On a large scale an example would be challenging the existing social structures, for instance, gaining the right to vote would be a social transformation.

 

 

  1. Praxis 
  • Definition: is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, embodied, or realized. “Praxis” may also refer to the act of engaging, applying, exercising, realizing, or practicing ideas.
  • Explanation: In the reading, they use this word to refer to a teacher’s critical pedagogy practice, how much of the approach are they using in their classrooms.  

 

Passages 

  1. “Educators determine what is passed on to students as legitimate knowledge and culture, thereby reproducing existing culture and beliefs (Shaw, 2010). This system has the effect of privileging Western European accomplishments over others, which keeps these forms of knowledge entrenched in the dominant culture. The result is the naturalization of an unequal society, where some students are empowered while students outside of privileged groups are pushed further into poverty and powerlessness”

Explanation:. This passage really shows that in teaching their needs to be a wide variety of topics covered. Bringing in different cultures and experiences is important in giving the students the background to make them an informed citizen. Teachers determine the topics that are covered in the classroom and it is important that teachers are taking the time to consider the content they are showing. Does this content allow students to see what is happening in the world, or is it only focusing on Western European accomplishments? Culture is a huge part of a person’s identity and the classroom should be a place where students can explore other cultures as well as their own. This passage really makes the point that teachers have the ability to open their student’s minds to the world and not just explore the dominant culture students are exposed to every day. 

  1. “ He has found, however, that a lack of knowledge and skills in an area does not exclude the possibility of meaningful student engagement. Learning in such an area should build off of students’ existing knowledge. Students can even direct such lessons by asking questions.”

Explanation: This passage demonstrates that as teachers it is our opportunity to guide our lessons towards the students. Even though they may not have personal experience or knowledge about a topic it does not mean they cannot contribute to the learning process. The last part of the quote says how students can lead the lesson just by asking questions. When students aren’t familiar with the subject area it doesn’t mean that they aren’t curious or have thoughts about it. This really speaks to the inquiry method, allowing students to create questions and work to answer it. This can be done project-based, or even just by asking the teacher and having a conversation about the questions they have. This passage reminds me that it is important to include the students in their learning even if it is a completely new subject for them. 

 

  1. Actualizer: Tamsin

Discussion Speed Dating Activity

Each student will receive a Discussion Speed Dating Thought Sheet to fill out prior to the activity. The point of this Thought Sheet is for students to see the questions and to have 2 minutes to jot down their ideas prior to sharing in the activity. The idea’s students initially record are to guide them during the activity. During Discussion Speed Dating students will then share their responses in A/B partner style. For the activity, students will be divided into two groups, group A and group B. Group A and group B will stand in a line facing the other group so that everyone has a partner. The Discussion Speed Dating questions will be read aloud to the class, on the Thought Sheet, and will be displayed on the PowerPoint presentation. Partner A will then have 1 minute to share their response with their partner, then partner B will have 1 minute to share their response. This will be followed by 1 minute of collaborative discussion. When finished, group A will move to the right one person so that they have a new partner B. The second question will be read and displayed and the activity will repeat. 

 

References 

 

Introduction to critical pedagogy. (n.d.). Retrieved from 

https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Introduction_to_critical_pedagogy

 

Johnson, S. M., & Kardos, S. M. (2005, May). Bridging the Generation Gap. Retrieved January 

31, 2020, from 

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may05/vol62/num08/Bridging-the-Generation-Gap.aspx

 

Katz, L.  (2014). Teachers’ Reflections on Critical Pedagogy in the Classroom.  UCLA Journal 

of Education and Information Studies, 10(2), 1-20. 

 

Omondi, S., & Omondi, S. (2018, July 20). What is Social Transformation? Retrieved from 

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-social-transformation.html

 

Praxis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/praxis