Notes 13 September 2004
Intro to Freire's thought, contrasts with
Marxist philosophy, clarifying the context of some common words used by
Freire
EDCI 6306
Friere
13 Sept 2004
First assignment:
- list people for the village that Friere would include / view (list these by looking at his lens)
- list 2 different perspectives (voices) that you disagree with, and think about arguing from that perspecive
- include idea of third world and first world, is first world sometimes in third world (as far as problems) or
The Act of Study from The Politics of Education
the poor become self-educated
until we become aware of who we are as individuals and human beings (cultural too) it is hard to think reflectively (we need identity first)
my thought: the fact we don't let K-12 students write in textbooks says a lot about our predominant metaphor for education as the learner = empty container, and the activity is trying to fill the container with content
say to students: we are going to talk to this book
p.4 Friere's use of word "consume" seems to imply a wasteful relationship with an idea?
- he is criticizing a consumption model of education
- he not only objects to banking concept of education, but also as seeing the peasant as "the empty man" (p. 44) who consumes whatever the elite gives them
he very much emphasizes active role, critical role, and creative role
he said he is not trying to create little Paulo's everywhere, everyone needs to recreate him
For Friere in his Marxist tradition, education is a continuing emancipatory process
In China until 1990s it was illegal to read Friere's books
Freire was deeply rooted in
- Marxism
- existentialism
- Christianity and Catholocism (including mysticism)
not a fundamentalist / orthodox Marxist
believes if we don't have hope and are not optimistic about our potential for change we won't get there
- he writes often of hope and joy
- the more we say that's the way it is going to be, you side with the rich/powerful (status quo) and he advocates NOT supporting their position
the kind of leftist that Friere doesn't like is the defeatist / pessimist
Friere would say there is a moral obligation to engage for change
- this is an ethical mindset: do you side with the oppressors or those who are oppressed
Suzzane made a point that later works like "Letters to Christina" tend to be more "accessible" works in terms if being able to understand them
- we are starting with the most difficult works (older/earlier works) and moving to the easier
- it also helps to see how the thinking of a person evolved over time
In some circles there is an idea that learning is easy, it should always be fun, it should almost be effortless
- he says education of all things should not be boring and dull: there should be pleasure and excitement
- he also said education is hard work and requires discipline and sustained inquiry
- unless we learn to think well and it becomes a pleasure, then we don't really know the pleasures of thinking
Dewey says about joy in something, a person ought not to go into teaching if they don't have a passion for the subject matter
Freire says the same thing about thinking, passion for learning
- people should like to play with ideas (Dewey also used this phrase)
Freire said this almost 40 years ago, we still have the banking concept of teaching in place / the hungry person
- that is why this is counter-cultural for schools to get people to think
- it is also sometimes not "safe"
Key idea of Freire: if something triggers deeper reflection even if it is not the main subject of the class, that is really getting into exploring thinking (from "The Act of Study" p. 3)
Friere wants us to walk away tranformed when doing critical thinking
- not just criticize
he uses "critical" in an evaluative sense (not just meaning negative criticism)
- reflective may be a more neutral term
Freire vs Marx
- Freire things utopia is possible but not perfect (may not use the word ideal)
- Marx thinks utopia is possible and ideal
Friere thinks that class is unusually important but it is NOT the only issue that matters
- ethnicity, other things matter
- b/c he is an existentialist, he has a greater emphasis on the individual than a Marxist would
- for a thoroughgoing existentialist, the most important entity in a society is the individual
-- Friere has that strand of thought, tho it is not a dominating / overpowering theme
the intrinsic worth of each individual is emphasized more by Friere
- less emphasis in idea of sacrificing some lives for an ideal like other Marxists might
Neither Marx or Freire came from a childhood of poverty, but they were both scarred in a healthy way by it
- they identified with it
- like the scar of a c-section: it is there because of the birth of something positive
Notion of study for Friere:
- systematic and critical attitude and discipline
- critical posture in study
sometimes glaring mistakes in Friere's work can be attributed to translation
word "subject" by Friere: subjects are active, where objects are passive
- invention, creation, action is done by subjects
Latin origin of word student: someone engaged in the pursuit of learning, and active versus a passive person
- sometimes we tend to overestimate the active role of listeners
word "appropriate" is used to mean apply something to our lives, see how it is relevant
Emerson and Dewey also says this: when you are oppressed you are sensitized to things that you are not exposed to / opened up to if you lead a sheltered/prosperous life
Dewey in poetry speaks to benefits of having experienced lashings
choice and creativity and imagination are also involved in addition to genetics and environment
Idea that if you are born with power, you likely don't want to give it up.
Dewey: more harm has been done by those in power than has been done by the masses
For next time:
- Politics Look at p 54-59, politics as it relates to dialog
- Pedagogy of Oppressed p 89-93
- also earlier assignment Education for Critical Consciousness: p 1-58
- also Letters 1 and 2 from Christina
13 Sept 2004
First assignment:
- list people for the village that Friere would include / view (list these by looking at his lens)
- list 2 different perspectives (voices) that you disagree with, and think about arguing from that perspecive
- include idea of third world and first world, is first world sometimes in third world (as far as problems) or
The Act of Study from The Politics of Education
the poor become self-educated
until we become aware of who we are as individuals and human beings (cultural too) it is hard to think reflectively (we need identity first)
my thought: the fact we don't let K-12 students write in textbooks says a lot about our predominant metaphor for education as the learner = empty container, and the activity is trying to fill the container with content
say to students: we are going to talk to this book
p.4 Friere's use of word "consume" seems to imply a wasteful relationship with an idea?
- he is criticizing a consumption model of education
- he not only objects to banking concept of education, but also as seeing the peasant as "the empty man" (p. 44) who consumes whatever the elite gives them
he very much emphasizes active role, critical role, and creative role
he said he is not trying to create little Paulo's everywhere, everyone needs to recreate him
For Friere in his Marxist tradition, education is a continuing emancipatory process
In China until 1990s it was illegal to read Friere's books
Freire was deeply rooted in
- Marxism
- existentialism
- Christianity and Catholocism (including mysticism)
not a fundamentalist / orthodox Marxist
believes if we don't have hope and are not optimistic about our potential for change we won't get there
- he writes often of hope and joy
- the more we say that's the way it is going to be, you side with the rich/powerful (status quo) and he advocates NOT supporting their position
the kind of leftist that Friere doesn't like is the defeatist / pessimist
Friere would say there is a moral obligation to engage for change
- this is an ethical mindset: do you side with the oppressors or those who are oppressed
Suzzane made a point that later works like "Letters to Christina" tend to be more "accessible" works in terms if being able to understand them
- we are starting with the most difficult works (older/earlier works) and moving to the easier
- it also helps to see how the thinking of a person evolved over time
In some circles there is an idea that learning is easy, it should always be fun, it should almost be effortless
- he says education of all things should not be boring and dull: there should be pleasure and excitement
- he also said education is hard work and requires discipline and sustained inquiry
- unless we learn to think well and it becomes a pleasure, then we don't really know the pleasures of thinking
Dewey says about joy in something, a person ought not to go into teaching if they don't have a passion for the subject matter
Freire says the same thing about thinking, passion for learning
- people should like to play with ideas (Dewey also used this phrase)
Freire said this almost 40 years ago, we still have the banking concept of teaching in place / the hungry person
- that is why this is counter-cultural for schools to get people to think
- it is also sometimes not "safe"
Key idea of Freire: if something triggers deeper reflection even if it is not the main subject of the class, that is really getting into exploring thinking (from "The Act of Study" p. 3)
Friere wants us to walk away tranformed when doing critical thinking
- not just criticize
he uses "critical" in an evaluative sense (not just meaning negative criticism)
- reflective may be a more neutral term
Freire vs Marx
- Freire things utopia is possible but not perfect (may not use the word ideal)
- Marx thinks utopia is possible and ideal
Friere thinks that class is unusually important but it is NOT the only issue that matters
- ethnicity, other things matter
- b/c he is an existentialist, he has a greater emphasis on the individual than a Marxist would
- for a thoroughgoing existentialist, the most important entity in a society is the individual
-- Friere has that strand of thought, tho it is not a dominating / overpowering theme
the intrinsic worth of each individual is emphasized more by Friere
- less emphasis in idea of sacrificing some lives for an ideal like other Marxists might
Neither Marx or Freire came from a childhood of poverty, but they were both scarred in a healthy way by it
- they identified with it
- like the scar of a c-section: it is there because of the birth of something positive
Notion of study for Friere:
- systematic and critical attitude and discipline
- critical posture in study
sometimes glaring mistakes in Friere's work can be attributed to translation
word "subject" by Friere: subjects are active, where objects are passive
- invention, creation, action is done by subjects
Latin origin of word student: someone engaged in the pursuit of learning, and active versus a passive person
- sometimes we tend to overestimate the active role of listeners
word "appropriate" is used to mean apply something to our lives, see how it is relevant
Emerson and Dewey also says this: when you are oppressed you are sensitized to things that you are not exposed to / opened up to if you lead a sheltered/prosperous life
Dewey in poetry speaks to benefits of having experienced lashings
choice and creativity and imagination are also involved in addition to genetics and environment
Idea that if you are born with power, you likely don't want to give it up.
Dewey: more harm has been done by those in power than has been done by the masses
For next time:
- Politics Look at p 54-59, politics as it relates to dialog
- Pedagogy of Oppressed p 89-93
- also earlier assignment Education for Critical Consciousness: p 1-58
- also Letters 1 and 2 from Christina
Posted: Mon - September 13, 2004 at 08:18 PM
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Published On: Sep 13, 2004 08:50 PM
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Published On: Sep 13, 2004 08:50 PM
