Bird Droppings June 15, 2012

Critical Pedagogy is not a dirty word

 

            This time of year I am traditionally back and forth to North Georgia the past four or five summers to a program taught by faculaty from Piedmont College and housed on the Foxfire Property in Mountain City Georgia. Teachers from literally around the world show up to learn about this simple approach to teaching. Over the years of my own research I have met and discussed learning and education with hundreds if not thousands of teachers and trainers. One quote that has stuck with me is from Max Thompson of Learning Focus School fame.

 

“It’s not about the teaching it’s about the learning” Dr. Max Thompson

 

            Yesterday afternoon while at Foxfire a good friend joined us who had been a student of and staff member from 1970-76. Laurie Brunson Alteri again is back as a staff member at Foxfire working in the office of the museum. Laurie talked about many things in the two hours she kept the teachers and teachers to be entranced with her love of and enthusiasm for the program. But she warned it is not a template to follow it is far more and that is where so many teachers fall short. We all tend to be lazy and want to open the box and poof everything falls in place and that is not how it works.

 

“In biology when you dissect a frog and look at all the parts after you are done all you have is a dead frog” Laurie Brunson Alteri

 

Far too many dissect and then miss the whole point of a way of teaching or way of life. Laurie used the idea of an organism a living organism and my small bit of Greek language acquired in a by gone era remembered a word Koininia, which means community. Laurie suggested a classroom should be like an organism alive and growing changing as it adapts. This is how she described her experiences in Foxfire.

            Another student in the class during the following discussions pointed out how personalities often create great classrooms. But personalities of teachers cannot or is difficult to be replicated. Ron Clark’s school came out in the discussions and his success. However as I thought I began seeing parallels between various programs and approaches to teaching and one caught my eye from the Tara Redwood School.

 

Essential Education Pedagogy developed by Tara Redwood School and Essential Education includes the following:

•  Knowledge of the inner world of thoughts, feelings and emotions is as important as knowledge of the outer world

•  An integrated and interdisciplinary approach to learning is preferable to one that fragments and divides knowledge

•  Individuals often have dramatically different learning styles; all learning styles are valid and must be both acknowledged and nurtured.

•  Learning rooted in direct experience far surpasses in depth and endurance learning by indirect methods

•  Generally accepted subject matter can be enhanced by integrating a Essential Education approach and accompanying methods and techniques  

•  The intuitive wisdom of the individual can be developed by dialectical discussion and debate exploring philosophical, spiritual and moral themes.

Tara Redwood School. 5810 Prescott Road. Soquel, CA

 

            Over the past few days I have been exploring my own idea of pedagogy how do I see my teaching and instructional methods. I have borrowed extensively from Carl Rogers who was controversial in 1968 and his ideas still are considered perhaps utopian to borrow a few words from a friend. It is difficult to piece together I have found as so many aspects of how I view teaching are themselves controversial as well. I have borrowed over the last two days from Max Thompson, John Dewey, Elliot Wiggington, Foxfire and today the Tara Redwood School. So much of our world view also reflects through our ideas, perceptions  and interactions each day and is directly influencing upon our pedagogical conceptualizations.  Having for most of my life being involved directly or indirectly with in working with and teaching exceptional children and adults I am always on the lookout for new and innovative ideas. I tend to stick with things that work well and always are fine tuning those that I do use.

            I mentioned my use of the Foxfire Core Practices and tools have myself developed such as a trust scale I put together back in 2003. Numerous times I have brought up my use of animals in my classroom and addressed the impact that being involved with snakes for example has on attitudes and especially on developing trust with students. I do believe relationships are a key to teaching building and maintaining positive relationships with students can open doors to learning.

 

“Schools have been captured by the concept of accountability, which has been transformed from a notion that schools need to be responsive and responsible to community concerns to one in which numbers are used to demonstrate that schools have met their minimal requirement.” David Purpel, 1989, Department of Curriculum and Educational Foundations, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

 

In our world of accountability in education test scores rule. With the factory oriented mentality leading the way in teaching many do not allow time for relationships and or care to have that as an aspect of who they are as a teacher. John Dewey over and over again emphasizes community as a key in building an effective learning situation.

 

“From the beginning, learner choice, design, and revision infuses the work teachers and learners do together.” Foxfire Core Practice one

 

“The work teachers and learners do together clearly manifests the attributes of the academic disciplines involved, so those attributes become habits of mind.” Foxfire Core

Practice two

 

 “The work teachers and students do together enables learners to make connections between the classroom work, the surrounding communities, and the world beyond their communities.” Foxfire Core Practice three

 

Foxfire is based on working together and involving the community of the school it is about building and establishing relationships and I have found in my research long lasting relationships between students and teachers are critical. Part of my own approach has been using Facebook as an extension of my class room. Many photos from school events are posted as well as my own daily journaling. Occasionally a former student will send a note thank you for the thoughts or just what I needed today. Recently I received one of those notes from a student from ten years ago when I first came back to teaching. That made my day.

 

“Critical pedagogy considers how education can provide individuals with the tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society, and thus to deploy education in a process of progressive social change. “ 21^st Century Schools

 

            As I was reading various articles and papers this morning John Dewey again is continually through the pages of critical pedagogy, experiential learning and Foxfire. Much like in so many other theorists and practitioners works Dewey seems to crop up.  When I read this short note from 21^st Century Schools about Critical Pedagogy several key elements caught my attention. Education strengthening democracy and social change almost directly parallels John Dewey. 

 

“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” John Dewey

 

“The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.” John Dewey

 

As I wonder about how should we really be teaching children I keep coming back to providing context for the content. With accelerated lesson plans and curriculum maps and everybody trying to attain a one hundred percent pass rate on the various tests that we are mandated to give to students in Georgia and across the nation little time is left for context. We are leaving the most valuable learning by the wayside in order to get the quick score on a test. I end each day with please lets us keep all in harm’s way on our minds and in our hearts. As I am pondering maybe we should include children subjected to a battery of standardized tests that do little more than provide the numbers David Purpel writes about in doing harm. One last thing to end the morning wanderings please always give thanks.

namaste

bird