Workshops Reflection

While we are going to speak about our group's reflections on our project on Wednesday, I know none of us will have the time to say everything we want. So, I wanted to jot down some of my thoughts here.

I really enjoyed going to Second Foundations School and having two workshops. Both were unique and were organized with a different purpose, but shared a united goal of awakening students to issues of gender rights and equality.

Our first workshop was primarily focused on gender harassment. What I found astounding was that our students were quite interested in this topic. Since this was a K-12 school, we had young students as well as older high school aged students.

We came with questions to allow students to give their own definitions and we added to them. So, it was partially lecture but included their voices. At the end, we had students perform skits that where the students also included a fair solution for different harassment situations.

I enjoyed the skits the students organized and performed. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm. I think they internalized a lot of what we discussed, but also the feelings and stories that their peers brought up about being or witnessing harassment.

Our second workshop was not as successful, if based on student participation. Only half of our group was able to make it to this, and we were missing a third of our presentation. What was worse was that the two group members we were short also volunteer at the school.

I also may have made a mistake about including a historical overview of feminism. What I wanted to show was that rights were not simply given, but had to be fought for over centuries. Further, these rights can be taken away - especially with regards to women who do not have Constitutional equality in our country.

After the historical overview and a discussion about power and politics, Connor spoke about the Self-Esteem Act. Afterwards, we encouraged the students to take some sort of action. We wanted to do something that day, so we asked if they wanted to write letters.  We had brought envelopes and stamps along with the addresses of our two US Senators and Representative Keith Ellison to the workshop.

Another mistake I made was not prefacing an emphasis on personal letters. I wanted to encourage students to make personal letters since they have the greatest impact when in large numbers. Some students initially wanted to write in groups and took my comment as discouragement.

All the older students who wanted this decided to leave, which is acceptable at this student-centered school where students choose what to attend or not. The very youngest students stayed and wanted to write letters. One five-year old student told me she could not read or write but wanted to write a letter to the President. I helped her write this letter in her own words, and read back to her our draft and then had her sign the final copy. It was the very youngest students of this group who felt strongly about this subject that surprised me, I thought it might be a bit more even.

However, after taking Guidance and Behavior of Children and Youth (EDUC 1235) last semester at MCTC, I thought these older students might be resistant to this course because they feel hopeless and oppressed. They could be what we discussed in class as "not-learning" about what we were talking about. The reason I say this is because one high-school aged student knew a lot about the history. She likely knew a lot more than I did, which was unfortunate because she excused herself less than halfway into our time there.

All students were aware of advertising and its ability to hurt and objectify women. However, I feel that it takes its toll over time and few want to be reminded. This is the primary explanation I have felt so far about this experience. The other possible was from another volunteer who said that these students already had a lot of writing tasks and didn't want to take on another.

I can't help but feel that our workshop was not good enough. While we gave students a voice, it still seemed similar to a banking-system model. We presented information and included what the students already knew. We also had an action plan, although we didn't want to prevent any future actions from happening. Had the students presented a different project, I would like to think we would have been flexible enough to help them with it. Still, I think we bummed many of them out with the topic and they didn't want to consider it further as the younger students still did. Or perhaps they felt that our plan was to never include their perspective.

This is somewhat how I would feel if working as a substitute teacher. I would have one day or perhaps a few days with students, where I was expected to adhere to the lesson plan. I could take different avenues but I would still be constrained.

Even as a full-time instructor I wonder how it would be work in a district with one policy with regards to behavior. Minneapolis Public Schools has a policy where they warn students and then ask them to leave. I witnessed this in a 8th grade classroom and I was shocked that students were asked to go to the main office when their behavior was pretty minor. I don't want to feel "stuck" but I also want to find a way to push the boundaries and allow for students to have a bit more power over the classroom and what they are interested in.

Overall, it these workshops were a great experience. They have invited us back, which I have no objections to at all. Our group will meetup again after our class to work on newer ones. Further, we can consider more long-term workshops. I am curious about what replies students will get from politicians. Further, I would like to know what ideas they have to work on women and gender rights issues.

Considering the classroom

"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it." -Aung San Suu Kyi


When I met with Kristy (our classroom instructor), we talked a bit about power. Howard Dean had recently endorsed the message of a terrorist group that I know for a fact is undeserving of any support. I really didn't know what to make of it and consider it to be another corruption of a major political figure. Even now we have political figures like John Boehner, President Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf defining those in the Occupy movement as "frustrated." With so many decision makers in our society making carefully calculated statements and support of certain causes, it makes me wonder who are allies against the oppressors and who would simply join them for the right price. 

This concerns me as well because educators have a great deal of power in the classroom. While I want to have a democratic and intellectual classrooms, this ideal is hard to achieve. I worry that I will succumb to attaining too much power or abuse it in the classroom. Will I be too worried about my career to have serious political discussion in the classroom that parents or administration may not approve of? This also includes challenging the banking system model that has long been a part of our educational system.

hooks brings up the issue of power in the classroom when stating in Teaching to Transgress, "Fear of losing control in the classroom often leads individual professors to fall into a conventional teaching pattern wherein power is used destructively." This closely relates to the statements of Aung San Suu Kyi who also says those in power can fall prey to fear and thereby become corrupt. Anyone with some amount of power should be extremely wary of this dynamic.

When I first started my classes at MCTC I knew that the old system did not appeal to me. When discussing which philosophy of education I liked the most, it was Existentialist and Social Reconstructionist. This is because I see information that we receive in schools as something that should be questioned and challenged. I also feel that students have their own interests and should have more say as to what they are learning. There also needs to be more of an academic feel to classrooms - to also include a more social aspect. 

There are have been few classrooms I have been in like Kristy's where students get to know each other pretty well. They have been the ones where teachers strive to learn students names - and also expect us to learn each others'.  Too many have made me feel like an anonymous student who simply morphs into the collective class and never was able to show much of who I am. This can be comforting because you then only worry about your own work being shown to the instructor - rather than also to your fellow peers who you've made friends with. Also, what if students don't want to open up to a classroom of others and would prefer to be less social or  not be interested enough in the material to want to think about it more critically. 

These are things I have thought about not just while in class, but also while working on our group project. I have been pondering the political and historical workshop that I am working on. It is by no means perfect or even good in its current draft form. Still, I have thought about where the students' voice can be and how it could influence the direction of the workshop and the conversation. It means I must have a strong knowledge of the subject matter and be flexible enough to take a different avenue if student interest and passion is taking me there. 

Still, if there does not seem to be direction, I can redirect things towards what I want to bring up and can still very well do so. Does that mean that I am still working under the banking style system of inserting my perspective and what I consider to be important? I couldn't argue that I am not, because I have pre-determined subject matter. Students could have a different perspective on it than what I have - for instance they may disagree with the notion of feminist "waves" or disagree that the ERA is a worthwhile Constitutional amendment. I cannot assume that my students will ever be less knowledgeable about a subject than I am. 

As an educator, I also expect that many of my students will be far brighter and more intellectual than myself. They will outdo anything I could have done at their age or even now, depending upon which form of intelligence we are considering. How do I transmit information to students and receive information from them regarding their understanding and implementation of it in different ways? This is something I haven't completely figured out yet and is lacking in my workshop. There are some social discussions and I will try to visually show them - but it is still essentially a lecture with discussions. However, if this were the start of a praxis group to take on oppression against gender-based problems in our society, it wouldn't be an awful place to start either. 

So, this is where I am currently this week: considering the  classroom and what it means to be an educator at this time and in this part of the world. I imagine that it will be something I will ponder for quite a while. 

x = [ -b ± √(b² ± 4ac) ] / 2a

Very little time was spent on researching my praxis group project this week. I will be honest that my focus was on my own education - specifically being able to apply for classes next semester. My accuplacer test for math had expired and I needed to re-take it. Honestly, this is something preferred to be avoided except graduating this spring is pretty important to me. Math for Teachers is a required course for my A.S. so it cannot be ignored.

When I first took the test, it was on the spur of the moment at 8 AM. I woke up and decided this would be the day of the test. As soon as my son was picked up on his morning bus I biked to MCTC without having breakfast. I didn't even study for any portion of the test. I pretty much set myself up for disappointment.

I passed all portions of the test at college level except for math, although it was pretty close. So, if I was to retake it I decided that finding a math book and studying up would be worthwhile. I never got a hold of a book that was sufficient. Nor did I find a website that was sufficient.

Only a few weeks ago when I was chatting with my classmate Madalynn did I hear about a good web resource: Khan Academy. It has mathematics broken down into specific lessons to include hints and YouTube videos. So, I have spent a great deal of my time since furiously going through each lesson. I feel like a procrastinator on this issue, which I am because I could have focused more on it this summer.

This last Thursday, I decided would be the day to re-take it.With no lines at the placement testing, I felt comfortable in deciding the moment to take the it. I had some coffee and lunch after my classes. I spent an hour reviewing such terms as the Pythagorean theorem, trigonometry, and geometry. I was tempted to wait another day and spend the remainder of the day on Khan. However, I resisted this and pressed on.

While taking the test, I found it more difficult than I had thought. During a question I found perplexing I wrote down all the different equations that might be helpful on future problems but were not currently useful. For this and other problems I substituted numbers for different variables to see if they best fit the multiple choice answers. Many problems I had remembered from the first test and had prepared for never appeared, like factoring problems.

Still, I passed the test and nearly covered the college course Math 1165. I was told that my test data would be in the system by 8AM the next day. Yet, at 8PM I registered for Math for Teachers. These will be my final classes at MCTC - at least for my Education degree.

To me math does come easier than most. It can be quite frustrating at times. On Khan, when you type in an incorrect answer, your status bar drops down to nearly nothing. You must then answer several more questions in order to master the lesson. I made the mistake of going too quickly at times and did not properly see what was being asked and made user errors when I could have mastered lessons much more quickly. So, taking your time is pretty critical and checking your work.

Whether or not Education Majors need to re-take their placement tests or not, I still think reviewing your math knowledge would be useful before taking Math for Teachers. Once you reach a challenging lesson, all that mathematical frustration returns. If you persist at the lesson and reach that "Aha!" moment where the lesson makes sense and clicks - it feels well worth it. Further, it gets you in the mode of the student. Anyone can naturally feel frustrated by mathematics and re-acquainting ourselves with that can help us see the other side of knowledge better.

I've also been informing my peers about how great Khan Academy is. It may or may not be funded by the Genghis Khan Foundation, but it's a fantastic resource!

Are we learning?

Any good student will ask this question - which was posed directly in class: whether we are learning from this class. A problem-posing classroom with students sharing power is a radically different one. It has its own set of challenges that vary significantly from traditional classrooms.

For instance, I could feel that I have no idea what I am learning. There is no test to study for. No explicit set of terms or papers that I must acknowledge currently - though I will have a paper due later this semester. I could come to the conclusion that I may not be learning much or feel completely lost.

However, I could also feel challenged. We each have a different group and project that we are working on. We set the parameters of our project and seek out the resources needed to allow it to manifest. We are also addressing something we care about. So we could see this as quite a bit liberating.

I will be honest in that I feel a bit of both. I like the group I am working in, yet it is not always easy working in groups. We have not completely nailed down everything that we are going to do. So there is a sense of unease about the project. When will it solidify?

At the same time, I have to trust that my group members will follow through with what needs to happen. We need to get our workshop lesson plans in rough draft shape by this Wednesday. That means I need to get my own part completed: I will have something prepared to start the discussion. Further, I will come with plans for the second workshop that is a follow-up and possible political action students can partake in - depending on their interests.

Next spring, I will be facilitating a group of students on their own project. I have been considering the state I have been in during this process and am sure that the students will also be confused at times and excited. There will be moments when we are unsure what direction we are going in and have to return to what are original goals or intention is.

Beyond the projects, I have thought about what bell hooks has to say about a teacher's class and their instructional styles. After reading the chapter, I considered what she had to say about class.

I do think that it is important to consider the societal expectation in a classroom. The banking system style of a quiet and orderly classroom is considered paramount. hooks mentions how important it is to allow all students to have a voice. Yet, at the same time even the students who are of wealthier families should also be valued equally.

It is often a feeling by some to reverse the inequalities in the world completely, thereby giving the most power to those least given it. hooks mentions this perspective, which obviously seems insufficient. You really need to have everyone - all stakeholders - involved if you want to create a real community of learners.

Another thing I considered was my intention in teaching. I believe in social justice but also in connecting what we learn to actual instances in the world. To apply what we read about or discover in the world is something I find quite enjoyable. Too many consider education boring because they believe it is only memorizing facts and figures that have no relation to the real world. This can feel true and even be so if you can't apply it. This is the one failing of our education system today.

Yet, going back to one's intention in starting a career is important. I think we all must remember what reasons we have and those we add on or slightly revise. We can fall astray of our ideals and stick with a profession for different reasons than we thought. Like a lawyer who goes into the business to help the underprivileged yet ends up working on behalf of the wealthy. I certainly would rather catch myself going astray before ending up in such a precarious situation.

The Lower Class and a College Education

Why should poor students not go to college? When you read as much as I do, you likely find stories that connect with former ones you have read. This last week as I perused through the Christian Science Monitor on my Kindle, I found an op-ed that decried how few students were attending college.

What the author primarily wanted to point out was that too few poor students were attending college. There is a  notion of economic mobility for everyone based on their hard work. However, students who are poor feel like they cannot even get into college without taking on burdensome debt. 

What I also found intriguing was that students as early as 5th grade start lamenting about their post-secondary options if they are poor. Their academic performance stalls as a result of this helpless feeling. This tied directly to an article in Ed Week which cited research from Fordham Institute showing that students who start out as elementary high achievers fall by later grades. Poorer  students tend to descend more between grades than any other group. Now add the fact that teacher tend to be paid less to teach minority and poor students. We have a situation that is clearly not going to work for our students or society. 

I was also reading Booker T. Washington's autobiography Up from Slavery this week. He very much believed a hard work ethic would improve the living standards of African Americans. He did not see the future persecution of Jim Crow manifesting itself. 

Earlier generations lived through the Depression and WWII and enacted the New Deal and the GI Bill. Social safety nets were created while many were able to attend college for the first time. Those who took advantage of a college education were quite successful and supported further government participation in post-secondary education. We now have government-backed loans and Pell grants to help students.

However, the price of college tuition has risen faster than inflation. States are starting to back out of funding them. Parents and working students wages are not keeping up with inflation, especially for those with less education. If things continue, it doesn't seem far-fetched to see populace less educated than it currently is. 

On YouTube, an organization that purports wanting to prepare others for hyperinflation has been advertising an anti-college video. Essentially,they believe that student loan debt will bankrupt future generations. To me, there message is confusing and seems hyped. If we are going to experience hyperinflation, then college would be an excellent investment because your loans will be worth less money if the interest is lower than inflation. With government loans at 6%, I assume this would be a worthwhile risk. Still, I worry too many youth and young adults will see this video and assume college really IS a scam. It's been seen by over 2 million which is pretty high, though much lower than a Lady Gaga video. 

What we need to start doing is making sure that poor students can go to college if they want to. They should be academically and mentally prepared for the task as well, which means throughout their schooling. They say parents of 3rd graders should be talking about college already (sorry, I cannot remember where I heard this - but it does make sense as this is the age many start to consider their future more). As a society, I worry that we are leaving many behind and think we should work to make sure as many of our students can be as successful as they possibly can. 

Communication is key

This is something that should seem obvious. I cannot say I fully understand the third chapter in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, but a few things stand out.

For instance, Freire wrote, "It is not our role to speak to the people about our own view of the world, nor attempt to impose that view on them, but rather to dialogue with the people about their view and ours."(96.) This makes sense to me because it says a lot about many who think they know the solutions to problems yet do not ask others their perspective. There can be a huge disconnect between economic and educational elite and the common people.

What I found interesting that overlaps with our Feminist group was that school girls in Chile have been occupying their school for several months. The police have retaken the school several times, yet they consistently take it back as well. The young students persevere because they believe education is a right and that the country should return that right to its people. This is a huge demand, yet their president currently opposes anything but a for-profit and free-market post-secondary school system.

I appreciate the decoding phase that Freire writes about, because it gives us a concrete idea of what we should be doing so that no one is left out of being understood. It's like uncovering a mystery in the cliched mansion where you neglect to interview the staff. At least, that is my understanding of it.

I continued to think more about the importance of communication this last week. It seems so obvious, yet is required if groups of people want to be effective. I did spend a bit of time at the People's Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. One thing that we were continually reminded to do was to talk to each other and discover why we were there. Everyone had different issues and we were meant to discover how these were connected. We may have not thought about or felt a specific issue was important, yet now we knew someone who did and they would tell us why.

I also attended a march where one of the speakers spoke about community in simpler terms. He said communication + unity = community. We cannot be a community if we are not united in our various causes. This presents a challenge to all movements for change,.

Varying Perspectives in our Ever Changing World

I appreciate online media because I can see many different perspectives. Two photos have surfaced that "poke fun" at the hypocrisy of the two newer political factions in our society. The Tea Party is against all taxes while the Occupy Wall Street movement opposes corporate greed.Both groups want systemic change in our society.

While the Tea Party group believes taxes are bad and should be lowered or rescinded altogether, not everyone believes this. Skeptics of their view point out that we have all depended on and still do depend on the government for many services. Those opposed to much of the Tea Party movement point out that government acts in ways that benefit our society yet no single individual would be able to do on their own, such as educating all children in K-12 schools.

While, the Occupy Wall Street movement believes that corporations are not acting in responsible ways, some disagree with them.  This photo was created to point out that occupiers own products created by corporations. Those who oppose the occupiers believe corporations are "job creators." Any conditions placed upon corporations are seen as hindering their ability to create jobs, therefore are the root of our economic downturn.

What unites both groups opposing these populist political movements in the US is that they are realists. Essentially, they point out that "this is how it is and how it will continue to be."As Paulo Freire would put it in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, "The oppressors are the ones who act upon the people to indoctrinate them and adjust them to a reality which must remain untouched"(94.). They paint the illusion of a static world that has never existed - things are always changing.

If the Tea Party were successful in cutting taxes it would mean significant cuts in government spending. Many argue that this dramatically change should already occur as for every $1 in taxes received the US government spends $1.40. The near default on the US government debt this last summer is an example of how serious this group wants to be taken in our political arena. We may see mandatory cuts and a possible Constitutional amendment vote if Congress cannot follow-through with its compromise to resolve that impasse.


If the Occupy Wall Street movement is successful, then we could see corporations being more highly regulated. Their current unlimited spending in politics might be thwarted through a Constitutional amendment. Environmental and labor laws would be strengthened and enforced much greater than they currently are and be applied globally to equalize the economic playing field.
What I appreciate both photos show is that we are all interdependent. However, we must decide what directions we want to take our society. This means delving into issues, researching them, taking sides, and constantly reassessing things while actively pursuing that change. Simply, things are always changing and we should along with them.

As far as my perspective, I have paid attention to both of these movements. Tea Party folks believe they are being oppressed by the government and its high taxes. However, I found this chart from Reuters that counters the argument that taxes are excessively high. Taxes are essentially the lowest in six decades, and through many that are considered great for our nation economically. Oppression in the form of grueling taxes is clearly not something I would consider a problem given this context.

However, the other issue they bring up of having a balanced budget should be addressed. If we are spending 40% more of what we are making in taxes, that is equivalent to about 6% of the economy. That means that without other countries and investors pouring money into our Treasury bonds, we would lose 6% of our GDP in one swipe. We also must pay this borrowing back with interest. Therefore, I do agree with their argument that spending is out of control. The question is, do we raise taxes or make cuts to our spending? The Tea Party movement has ruled out taxes, but the debt to GDP graph clearly shows that taxes have historically been higher.

So why are people in the Tea Party and Wall Street movements so angry about current conditions in society today? Both groups are fed up and angry enough to organize around economic issues. Have wages not been keeping up with inflation?

Looking this date up, I found that median wages have essentially been slightly increasing since the 60s. However, they have not been increasing along with productivity. The biggest graph to likely set off warning bells and perhaps inspired the Occupy Wall Street movement is the one showing wages compared to the top 1%.

When you think about how often people in the US go without necessities like health care, it seems natural to get upset about this inequity. Clearly there are those with the means to help those lacking resources. So far, there is little that has changed these dynamics.

While I think one can ponder these two different movements and what they could mean for our society, it comes back to communication. Do those who are for or against these movements speak the same language? Tea Party folks watch Fox News while Occupiers may not watch TV but listen to MPR and Democracy Now. The media many are choosing to listen to may not always speak to the same issues or use the same words. They have their own unique words and ways of conveying news stories that seem to be diverging just as our political parties are moving further apart. What is just as important as what media we consume is whether we are critical of what we are perceiving in the world.

As Freire writes, "Only dialogue, which requires critical thinking, is also capable of generating critical thinking. Without dialogue there is no communication, and without communication there an be no true education." (92). What both groups need to do is research the situation we are in in society and start discussions about what needs to change. This seems a simple matter, yet it is not something people are particularly good at all the time.

We tend to belong to different sets of beliefs and values long before we delve into them. Some people would rather justify what they already believe rather than challenge them. To challenge yourself on issues and values would mean that you would have to become vulnerable and admit being wrong. The myopia of those who have political discussions has become quite extreme so that some choose not to identify with any group and seek to distance themselves from it.

One occupier who stayed overnight in Minneapolis at the plaza stated: "I'm a schoolteacher. I'm 61 years old, I didn't want people thinking it's just the lunatic fringe progressives doing this or liberals." Beaudet said. "I want them to understand that it's normal people who feel this way and I'm a normal person." Then there are others like presidential candidate Hermain Cain who says the occupiers should get or create jobs if they want to resolve systemic inequities in society and blame themselves for not being able to do so yet. I can surmise from this that the schoolteacher is the one much more apt to question ideology before speaking or taking action.

I certainly feel that problem-posing education would look at issues these groups bring up. We should research to realize the extent of announced problems. Then we should seek to find viable solutions for them. The banking system clearly cannot take up these issues without students pondering more and more questions themselves, that a teacher may not be able or want to answer. However, if we are to be educators of students who are to deal with all the various issues of our world, a problem-posing educational approach would allow students the room to research and discuss much more the things they will be dealing with during their lives.

Recognizing Oppression

In class, we discussed what Freire meant in the first chapter of "Pedagogy of the Oppressed."  One aspect of the reading that was discussed was the lack of solidarity among those who are oppressed. Freire wrote, "...the oppressed are reluctant to resist, and totally lack confidence in themselves"(64.).

Asia stated that she was being harassed by a supervisor, yet no co-workers would come to her aid. She felt alone in a circumstance that she is not in control of and only hopes that the union rep can help. Thankfully the site is union because she cannot be fired for any petty reason. However, management's intent of making her quit or go on family leave early because she is pregnant is appalling.

I certainly have had a similar experience. I worked at Mystic Lake Casino for 7 years and was fired for being a political blogger. Of course, I was never told that this was explicitly why, nor ever in writing. At the time, without naming my employer, I had described in a blog a current "no talking" policy whereby employees could not speak to each other while at work. The draconian rule created the most hostile work environment I have ever endured, because it applied only in circumstances where supervisors chose to enforce it.

When I was fired, I received no assistance from co-workers when I sought to appeal it. However, this was in the first few months of what would be the recession in 2008. Therefore, only co-workers who were also fired within the first week offered to assist me, of which there were several.

What is ironic about this situation is that my employer was the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux  Community, a Native tribe living in dire poverty only a few decades ago. Yet, Freire also mentions the possibility of this circumstance when stating, "...the oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend to become oppressors, or 'sub-oppressors'"(45.). Essentially, our society has systemic issues that cannot be resolved simply by alternating the chairs of power. Instead of remaining disempowered by oppressors, Freire recommends that the oppressed use praxis to attain liberation, which is defined as,  "...reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it."(51.). 

After our discussion, we made human statues to represent something we took from the reading. The photo above is our group, where we decided to show horizontal violence or the oppressed vs. the oppressed. Above us were the oppressors who were using us like puppets, because it is in their interest that we use our anger, disillusionment, and frustration on each other rather than turn it on our oppressors. Freire had a great deal more to say about this situation, so I won't dwell on this topic.  However, I agree with him that we should find ways to redirect our actions against our oppressors at their points of greatest vulnerability.

In the feminist work group, we discussed what our project could be. What gained the most support was starting an after school program that could empower girls. We have not discussed in great detail what the curriculum will be. However, we feel there are enough members to be able to sustain the project a few times a week after school. This will likely evolve as we have more discussions in and outside of class. In the mean time, I ponder the many issues that women face in our society.

This last summer I found it ironic that Megyn Kelly of Fox News defended the Family Medical Leave Act. She even states that it is weak in that most of its benefits are unpaid. So, Asia has to endure not only a harsh work environment during her pregnancy but little or no income after. This is an injustice to families that need not be, yet it persists. I believe this is because our politicians have sold out to the oppressors. As a society, we really do have a lot more to work on.

Feminism and Freire

I have not finished my reading of "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed," however I am feeling that everything in our class up to now has been leading up to this reading. Nearly every article and excerpt we have read has referenced Freire's philosophy on education. Obviously a core belief is that education should empower those who are oppressed in society, rather than continuing to perpetuate the very same inequities.

Our class did read the first two chapters of "The Art of Critical Pedagogy." In our introductions we each mentioned a piece we thought was the most powerful or what we had questions about. Many mentioned the statement that "Urban schools are not broken; they are doing exactly what they are designed to do"(1.). This is a pretty disturbing fact when it is so obvious that too few students are prepared for college and the work environment after high school.

The purpose that for this arrangement is stated to be our societal belief that there must be failures if there are successes. The second stated reason for this are class differences, enabling some students to be better prepared for school while others must struggle to try to keep up. Some students parents have time and resources to assist them, while others do not. Further, those with resources, to include social connections, are better able to maneuver to higher academic planes and access higher paying employment options afterward.

The author references Freire in that the goal should be "towards liberation from oppression..." in employing the five steps of the cycle of critical praxis within a classroom environment. The first step being to identify a problem. This is what we did in class with our issue discussion, in what was aptly called "issue speed-dating."

We each spoke to each other one-on-one for a couple minutes about an issue we were passionate about. My issue was our societal addiction to fossil fuels, specifically oil. This was acknowledged by my peers as a legitimate societal problem but they were focused on other important issues. For instance, the group I joined was the feminist group. Another group that was formed was the GLBT Bullying group.

The second step our groups must take is to research the problem. We have not delved into this yet, as we have not decided what we will specifically do. However, I can try to think about current events and my surroundings through a feminist lens.

One thing that I thought about after leaving class was how the GLBT Bullying group could change its name to the LGBT Bullying group. There is a lot of discussion about how acronyms should be ordered and its significance. So, when I caucus with my fellow feminist group, we can decide whether to approach their group with this. I think it would be win-win for both groups. Then we can move onto other issues that need addressing.

Engaged Pedagogy and Rule Making

We discussed the Teaching to Transgress in class and what it means to have an engaged pedagogy based on the text. We listed all the various forms it can take and not take. For instance, it involves the teacher as a healer but not a psychologist or counselor. The goal is to have a teacher actively recognize each person's own life struggles We listed that a teacher would have to be understanding and able to relate to their students. This also involves showing your weaknesses as a teacher as well and your shortcomings, like if you do not know something or have made mistakes in your own past.

What I find about this idea is how dangerous it can be if the instructor is not thoughtful about the way in which they manage themselves. They must know their own strengths and weaknesses. They must have the right attitude and orientation before entering the classroom. When those conditions are lacking or reduced then there is potential for problematic consequences. However, acknowledging that you have a problem can actually help students emphasize with your situation. Students always know that something is awry with adults, even if they choose not to share them.

One classroom story that exemplifies this is when President George W. Bush was in a Florida classroom on 9-11. The students were reading him a story and knew something was on his mind. One student thought he looked like he had to go to the bathroom. When a Secret Service agent whispered something in his ear, they all knew it was something awful by the way in which he reacted. The former President felt that he was showing resolve by not giving an immediate response or leaving the class, yet the students all knew something was terribly wrong.

What this story tells is that even someone with charisma to convince the nation and Supreme Court that he should be President of the most powerful nation on the planet can't hide his own emotions. Even the most skilled teachers will have a difficult time lying about their internal emotions to their students. These students will know what is going on, so why not share with them in an appropriate way what might affect things in your class?

Rule Making

What I also appreciated in class was our discussion about what we expected of each other. In essence, we were creating the standards by which we would abide by. We spent about half of our class period discussing them. Often we would reduce the amount of standards by combining them with larger, vaguer concepts. This led to a few disagreements and some conciliatory resolutions.

We then discussed what the role of conflict would be in the classroom. Rather than seeing conflict as something to avoid at all costs, we can choose to resolve it and learn at the same time. We didn't delve into a longer lesson about navigating conflict  but it was a lesson nonetheless. There are various different models of conflict resolution and you could say that our instructor believes in a shared power model. Therefore, we students will have a greater share of say in how to resolve our differences than is typical. 

In a future post(s), I will return to our classroom rules and assess how the class environment fared with them. I suspect that things will go smoothly but that personality and value differences may bring up unforeseen issues. Time will tell how effectively we go about resolving them. 

Teaching to Transgress

We started reading Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks this week.  The author really wants us to consider teaching to be much more exciting, especially if we can take it beyond its limiting boundaries. Obviously, many people do consider teaching to be boring. My partner is an educator also but would prefer to write instead. Alas, teaching is what will bring in money until she publishes a best seller!

However, I intend to be an educator. My own belief is that not only education is important, but how we apply it is also. Do we really question as much that goes on in the world? How much do we really analyze and later return to?

This is what hooks write about with regards to engaged pedagogy. Do we simply memorize facts and figures, or do we weave knowledge into our lives? Do we enable our students to use the information to see fewer limitations in their lives? These are some things that hooks wants teachers to be able to do.

What I found invaluable is the insight given with regards to attending public schools before and after desegregation. When she was in a segregated school, African American teachers taught her differently than the white teacher in the desegregated schools. She was expected to submit to authority while simultaneously was devalued in her abilities by white instructors. This experience really shaped how she perceived the purpose of schools and how they could and should be for all students.

I really enjoyed much of what she had to say to include this: "I learned that far from being self-actualized, the university was seen more as a haven for those who are smart in book knowledge but who might be otherwise unfit for social interaction"(16.). She goes on to say that there is a sharp differentiation in the lives of educators, that they are solely to be unbiased disseminators of information in the classroom and not speak of their lives outside it.

To me, this seems quite typical, as no instructor wants to be labeled biased. However, I do not know of any instructors who I did not find a bias. Whether they choose to let me know where they stand on something, I listen for cues in their reactions and the words that they use. Some instructors have surprised me because they can and do grade students on their politics and background more than they would like to admit. It seems a lot like journalists, who claim to be unbiased but we all know that they are.

Further, we do see teachers outside of the classroom. They do exist in the real world, which does surprise students. I have had some college instructors warn us ahead of time that yes, we may run into them around town to include the natural food co-ops. I think instructors should be a bit social, though none absolutely have to be extroverts - though this helps.

"Certainly it was naive for me to imagine during high school that I would find spiritual and intellectual guidance in university settings from writers, thinkers, scholars... More than anything they seemed enthralled by the exercise of power and authority within their mini-kingdom, the classroom"(17.). As she says, there certainly is a lot of power a teacher has over the classroom setting. However, students should be able to find the space to sort out what questions they have about what they are learning and how to apply it to their lives. I did say this above, but I believe this is also what she is saying here. Educators can't be guidance counselors or social workers, but they can do more with what they are teaching and how than what is currently done widely.

To start off with...

"We are continually faced with great opportunities which are brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems." ~Margaret Mead

I am quite excited to embark on a journey to the unknown in my education class "Public Work in Urban Schools and Community Sites." Well, things are not entirely unknown. I will learn what it means to be involved in a Public Achievement initiative and how that can apply to educational settings. I will be working with a group of fellow education majors to take on an issue that we feel needs to change.

Part of me really wants to start this as soon as possible. Another part of me has no clue what that issue will end up being or what we will do to ensure that it becomes. That in itself is what can really make it an educational experience. We have to define the problem and what will be create a step towards an adequate solution. While doing so, we must create our own tools as we go.

I will feel more comfortable as I learn each of the primary concepts of Public Achievement, which we will do over the next few weeks. Having only one class so far, I really have enjoyed meeting my classmates. I have previously met many in my class, which really makes it feel pretty cozy. The best class I have ever had at MCTC was a public speaking class where we all got to know each other extremely well, which I assume will happen this semester also.

Anyone who gets to know me well likely knows I care about a great many issues. These would include issues on the environment, labor, and human rights. The reason I became active in politics was because I felt things needed to change - and they still very much do. So let here are of some potential things my group could take on:

1) Gathering support for a carbon tax.

Why would anyone support a tax when it seems like we are in a very anti-tax political environment? In Washington, austerity may be the name of the game, but we in Minnesota need not play. Our state an federal government can't seem to balance the budget without seeking to balance it on students and the poor. This is occurring while global CO2 levels rise at a relentless rate, risking catastrophic climate change. Why not seek a solution that even economists will agree resolves two issues at once?

A carbon tax could fund things that do not currently have dedicated funding in Minnesota, like transit. Depending how significant it is, it could pay back money currently being borrowed from our public schools. Minnesota is also very energy dependent on other regions. We could reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and use some funds to support renewable energy and electric car infrastructure. At the federal level, these same arguments for supporting a carbon tax can be made. There are plenty of ways a carbon tax could greatly benefit our state and nation.

2) Pedestrian crosswalks

I live in south Minneapolis and spend some of my time as a pedestrian. Likely many of those who own cars even spend time crossing streets from time to time. Yet somehow, all of the paint for crosswalks has vanished. It has been several years since any have been repainted.

This is not a new issue to me, as I have wondered about it since Franklin Avenue was repaved this spring. I spoke to a city employee who informed me that south Minneapolis was scheduled to have its pedestrian crosswalks repainted sometime this summer. It hasn't happened yet and summer is nearly over. The problem I was told was funding. Yet all the paint for cars and even bike lanes have been painted on these streets. Shouldn't pedestrians be part of the picture?


3) Sweatshops

I consider sweatshops a form of modern slavery. Workers in foreign countries get menial pay for products we pay top dollar for in harsher work conditions. I'm not sure what to do about it exactly but think something should be done. If nothing else, informing consumers in our country of how to circumvent the worst purchases would be one solution.

4)?

Who knows what other issues my classmates will bring up. Many will likely be superior to what I have brought forth. So I will want to jump on board of something amazing! Anyone else out there have any thoughts or ideas?

This blog will focus on my time learning about and then enacting a Public Achievement project within educational settings. Some questions I will be pondering during this endeavor is how Public Achievement fits within education. Should it be as my subtitle assumes, an integral part of education?

I believe that Public Achievement projects can implement and enhance what we learn in the classroom. Learning facts and figures is important, but so is doing something with them. Further, students who have a passion for resolving something will be more apt to learning new things that enable them to do so.

As out instructor let our class know, there are philosophical reasons for using Public Achievement in the classroom. It is not  traditional to America's dominant education philosophies of perennialism or essentialism. Rather, it would fit within a social reconstructivist philosophy which has a focus on societal change. So, this blog could also be seen as my journey trying out a new theory in a hands-on way.

So, readers, let me know what you think and ideas you have as time goes on!