Bird Droppings March 28, 2025
Making a difference each day
“Dialogue is the encounter between men, mediated by the world, in order to name the world” Paulo Freire
A Brazilian educationalist and one of the most influential thinkers of the late twentieth century popularized the term “dialogue” in his writing. As I read about Freire this morning, a word in his vernacular that is particularly interesting in terms of praxis for teachers is the horrible battery of tests required for certification. For Freire, a meaningful act is “acts which shape and change the world.”
“Man must prove the truth, i.e., the reality and power, this sidedness of his thinking in practice…. All social life is essentially practical. All mysteries which lead theory to mystics find their rational solution in human practice and the comprehension of this practice…. The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.” Karl Marx, 1845 Theses on Feuerbach: II, VII, XI
It is through thinking that events gain meaning and change. It is not simply thinking but applying these thoughts.
“It is not simply action based on reflection. It is an action that embodies certain qualities. These include a commitment to human well-being and the search for truth, and respect for others. It is the action of people who are free, who are able to act for themselves. Moreover, praxis is always risky. It requires that a person ‘makes a wise and prudent practical judgment about how to act in this situation” Carr and Kemmis, 1986
Wise and prudent actions are not often employed in most human situations, and it is rare that people consider the world’s or the community’s best interests. We live in a more self-oriented society; one characterized by hedonism.
“Dialogue in itself is a cooperative activity involving respect. The process is important and can be seen as enhancing community and building social capital and to leading us to act in ways that make for justice and human flourishing.” Mark K. Smith, 1997
There are pieces here that I started with a word dialogue and have moved through rather rapidly, covering the concept of praxis. However, after reading Mark Smith’s comments, the idea of human flourishing impresses me. I believe we perpetuate humankind’s species and ideals, as well as our thoughts. I did a questionnaire for the State Department of Education last Thursday. The questions discussed standards and assessment, combined with uptight teachers, with only five weeks or so left till the end of the course tests. This is now standard in most states, but part of quantifying progress; however, I question whether we are making strides in education. It becomes all about cramming pieces of information into the limited capacity of teenagers’ brains. I recall Sydney J. Harris’s comparison to stuffing sausages. In our great effort to quantify, we have stripped quality.
“Educators have to teach. They have to transform transfers of information into a ‘real act of knowing” Paulo Freire
So, cramming and pouring vast amounts of information into students to take a test that had to be pushed up due to the calendar and state parameters makes a lot of sense. How much water can be poured into a one-liter bottle, and how many state officials will it take to determine the answer? A summer or two ago, I recall administering tests to students with learning disabilities, almost a paradox in and of itself: reading graduation tests. I looked across at my water bottle, and it hit me: can we put more than a liter of water in a liter bottle? Immediately, I thought to freeze the water, which expands when chilled, and then heat it again, causing expansion. How do we put a gallon of information in a one-liter container, or is it ten gallons of material?
Back in the winter of 2019, on a trip to the mountains and a walk-through visit to the Foxfire Museum, it became clear that it is possible to fit ten gallons of knowledge into a one-liter container. The museum curator and guide held up a copper device and discussed the mainstay of mountain life in years past, “moon shining.” The device he held up was a condenser used in the production of white lightning, grain alcohol, or moonshine. Theoretically, you can condense and distill those ten gallons to whatever capacity. You teach the necessary aspects, borrowing from Freire, by transforming transfers of information into ‘real acts of knowing.’ This is the key to effectively applying context to the content. Then it will be remembered and provide the latitude to advance thinking, and that person’s direction in life, and make a difference. Please keep all those in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts, and be sure to always give thanks, namaste.
My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,
Mitakuye Oyasin
(We are all related)
docbird
The daily meanderings of a teacher 