Hello Readers,
Caveat: Another cliche: Tis' true, diba? You have to be at the right place at the right time ( for opportunities ). On a short notice, Director N told me that she'd miss class because she had to go to the South Korean Embassy to get a visa because she and her colleagues needed to "bid" and present a case justifying the University as the location for an international conference ( to take place in 2013 ). So rather than canceling class, I was asked to step in and be a substitute professor for a day. Of course, I said YES!!!
4 years of experience teaching did come in handy especially with a day's notice. The main objective/lesson of the day was to discuss the article "The Dangers of Cramming" and reading strategies, such as outlining and summarizing. The last 30 minutes of the class was dedicated to DEAR. To prepare, I read the article, did the accompanying exercises ( forgetting the 2nd part because of excitement ), and outlined a lesson plan ( including prompt questions, and main points to highlight ).
When the moment came, I was more excited than nervous ( realizing how hungry I am for teaching in this environment ). My main goal was for students to connect to the text so they'd walk away from it with something useful instead of just remembering how they "crammed" the night before to complete their English assignment ( due in class today ). Through the prompts and discussion, we indirectly discussed the text. Later we evaluated it from an academic and personal standpoint.
We didn't have time to connect ( in a more DIRECT way ) how reading strategies could help students avoid "cramming." We didn't get a chance to go over the assignment ( in hindsight, skipping D.E.A.R might have been more apt at the moment because 25% of the students didn't utilize the moment to "drop everything and read" ).
In terms of classroom management: I think I did well; I didn't encounter any major behavioral problems ( maybe it's the Filipino culture? ). Because of occasional chatter, I had to tell the class to stop talking while their classmate talked. In most cases, I'd stop talking and this strategy usually get their attention. I'd throw in a joke/pun once in while just to see if they're paying attention, and I remembered to extend my wait time ( to encourage more responses ). Sometimes the discussion carried me away ( forgetting to highlight and connect ideas ). I even learned a bit about the student culture here in the Philippines: a Math teacher's "sleeping powers," the pervasiveness of Facebook, et. al. AWESOME!!!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Auditing: NVM Gonzalez
Hallo Readers,
Professor C confessed that he likes talking and hearing himself talk so for class he tried a different approach ( increasing student talk, to limit teacher talk ). We worked with our groups, and presented our discussion findings. I felt like an anthropologist observing the group interaction ( also as observer-participant ). A leader emerged through a majority "encouragement" and consensus. If there were an organized way of going about discussing literature ( it wasn't as apparent ). The way the discussion began seemed to just "fall" into place. Nonetheless, it was interesting how methodological my classmates were in analyzing a text.
They'd start with the basic understanding of the text: setting, characters, themes, plot, resolution, et. al. Then, they'd move to theory and interpretation. And finally evaluation and further problematizing the text for future consideration ( to continue the dialogue ). Yes the process is also recursive, students would go back and forth through these different stages of reading, but usually this pattern was how the discussion began using textual evidence ( relying less on memory of the text ... this tactic may make more sense for 2nd language learners/readers ). The primacy of the word, the written word.
The leader in our group decided that a powerpoint presentation of our findings ( so tech savvy naman ) would be good so she delegated its production to the class beadle, who happened to be in our group [ class beadle is like a TA but undergraduate not graduate level ]. Our group presentation was more democratic. Group members were encouraged to pick a section and lead the discussion ( the rest would fill in information left out/forgotten ). After our presentation, Group 2 and 3 followed. Of course, G.I. C [ the one who did magic tricks from the previous class session ] had ketchup sashe as hand-outs, coincidentally his group led the discussion of NVM Gonzalez's "The Tomato Game."
The works we read from NVM Gonzalez incorporated food imagery and symbolism ( a cultural benchmark; "we are what we eat" ) in his stories from his collection The Bread of Salt and Other Stories. ( plus the role of the writer in establishing a new literacy, never stop writing ). It's weird how the progression of these authors' writing subjects seems to resemble my own inquiry ( this is the first time I've been exposed to their work, so it's not plagiarism but maybe a collective psyche/consciousness/sensibility ). We share similar ideas, we were exposed to similar environments, we had similar propensities/experiences ( just different time periods, and I'm not "published" still in the works, just fermenting, who knows if it'll ever be cooked, maybe raw forever ).
Professor C confessed that he likes talking and hearing himself talk so for class he tried a different approach ( increasing student talk, to limit teacher talk ). We worked with our groups, and presented our discussion findings. I felt like an anthropologist observing the group interaction ( also as observer-participant ). A leader emerged through a majority "encouragement" and consensus. If there were an organized way of going about discussing literature ( it wasn't as apparent ). The way the discussion began seemed to just "fall" into place. Nonetheless, it was interesting how methodological my classmates were in analyzing a text.
They'd start with the basic understanding of the text: setting, characters, themes, plot, resolution, et. al. Then, they'd move to theory and interpretation. And finally evaluation and further problematizing the text for future consideration ( to continue the dialogue ). Yes the process is also recursive, students would go back and forth through these different stages of reading, but usually this pattern was how the discussion began using textual evidence ( relying less on memory of the text ... this tactic may make more sense for 2nd language learners/readers ). The primacy of the word, the written word.
The leader in our group decided that a powerpoint presentation of our findings ( so tech savvy naman ) would be good so she delegated its production to the class beadle, who happened to be in our group [ class beadle is like a TA but undergraduate not graduate level ]. Our group presentation was more democratic. Group members were encouraged to pick a section and lead the discussion ( the rest would fill in information left out/forgotten ). After our presentation, Group 2 and 3 followed. Of course, G.I. C [ the one who did magic tricks from the previous class session ] had ketchup sashe as hand-outs, coincidentally his group led the discussion of NVM Gonzalez's "The Tomato Game."
The works we read from NVM Gonzalez incorporated food imagery and symbolism ( a cultural benchmark; "we are what we eat" ) in his stories from his collection The Bread of Salt and Other Stories. ( plus the role of the writer in establishing a new literacy, never stop writing ). It's weird how the progression of these authors' writing subjects seems to resemble my own inquiry ( this is the first time I've been exposed to their work, so it's not plagiarism but maybe a collective psyche/consciousness/sensibility ). We share similar ideas, we were exposed to similar environments, we had similar propensities/experiences ( just different time periods, and I'm not "published" still in the works, just fermenting, who knows if it'll ever be cooked, maybe raw forever ).
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Random? irony in surrealism
Namaste Readers,
So, I'm enjoying my literature class in Philippine-English and Filipino American Literary Postcoloniality, in other words lots of postcolonial theories. It's been 3 classes so far, and it's surreal.
I'm sitting in class; the Literary Fanatics throw around [postcolonial] literary terms: subject positioning, imperialism, symbolism, problematizing, themes, foils, formalism, textual, structural, literacy, epistolary form, sub altern, allusion, representation, plot, resolution, psychoanalysis, historical, sociological, aesthetics, poetics, major, incidentals, irony, and many more. I follow along using context.
I'm thinking about my childhood and growing up. The thoughts I tried aritculating are somehow articulated through the use of abstraction ( in theories ). Or are the literary terms (maybe) the closest way to translate the inarticulate? ( Maybe this subject is too close for comfort [subjectivity subjugating objectivity?] ).
We talk about the "inarticulate." I participate; the general ideas that I share fall on deaf ears ( appearance wise? ). A classmate participates condensing an idea into a term, and murmurs of agreement are made audible. At times the situation seems ironic. We talk about heirarchy and hegemony et. al.; I'll share a thought, which usually receives no responses ( or very subtle responses ).
On the other hand, the professor will say exactly the same thing I say, verbatim, BUT he gets heard. Because of his status, his voice is important enough that it garners the attention of students' ears ( we're not conversing WITH each other; we're talking TO the professor, so in a way that we're critiquing the system, we're also enforcing it ).
Sometimes it's disappointing because the inquiry seems pointless ( as if questioning only happens in a classroom space full of hypotheses and theories ). Maybe silence makes more sense.
So, I'm enjoying my literature class in Philippine-English and Filipino American Literary Postcoloniality, in other words lots of postcolonial theories. It's been 3 classes so far, and it's surreal.
I'm sitting in class; the Literary Fanatics throw around [postcolonial] literary terms: subject positioning, imperialism, symbolism, problematizing, themes, foils, formalism, textual, structural, literacy, epistolary form, sub altern, allusion, representation, plot, resolution, psychoanalysis, historical, sociological, aesthetics, poetics, major, incidentals, irony, and many more. I follow along using context.
I'm thinking about my childhood and growing up. The thoughts I tried aritculating are somehow articulated through the use of abstraction ( in theories ). Or are the literary terms (maybe) the closest way to translate the inarticulate? ( Maybe this subject is too close for comfort [subjectivity subjugating objectivity?] ).
We talk about the "inarticulate." I participate; the general ideas that I share fall on deaf ears ( appearance wise? ). A classmate participates condensing an idea into a term, and murmurs of agreement are made audible. At times the situation seems ironic. We talk about heirarchy and hegemony et. al.; I'll share a thought, which usually receives no responses ( or very subtle responses ).
On the other hand, the professor will say exactly the same thing I say, verbatim, BUT he gets heard. Because of his status, his voice is important enough that it garners the attention of students' ears ( we're not conversing WITH each other; we're talking TO the professor, so in a way that we're critiquing the system, we're also enforcing it ).
Sometimes it's disappointing because the inquiry seems pointless ( as if questioning only happens in a classroom space full of hypotheses and theories ). Maybe silence makes more sense.
Random? modern day isolationism
Namaste Readers,
One day in ESL Practicum, Director N lectured on the basics of speech giving: Inform audience of topic; Inform audience using illustrations of topic; Inform audience of topic's summary. I had a chance to apply these concepts during a "Study Abroad" presentation I gave for her International students enrolled in the Asia Leaders Programme ( a joint venture between University and United Nations affiliated University of Peace in Costa Rica ).
I got through my presentation ( emphasizing the benefits of "Talking with People" in spite of fear of speaking English ) even if crudely. The Q and A section was more difficult. Unlike my other formal interviews, this wasn't as specific. The questions were broad ranging from language issue and discrimination, to culture and history. I think I gave a clear answer, but sometimes my thinking got convoluted ( due to levels of literality, nuances of words, background info both personal and social et. al. ). In the end, I felt "worldly." However, after hearing the topics most of them talked about in their presentation, I felt naive ( like I've experienced a modern day American Isolationism ).
Student J talked about her experience being an intermediary between the Philippine National Army Guard and an indigenous group in the Mindanoa region of the Philippines. One of her parents belonged in the Tagalog tradition, while another is part of of the indigenous group. So she translated a history presentation from English to Tagalog to local Dialect in hopes of communicating with the indigenous group the importance of nation-building and unity ( and avoid violence ).
Student S talked about a situation in Sri Lanka involving genocide and Western Media's unfair portrayal of his country. Student D talked about the conflict that arose from East Timor's recent independence and the crisis in 2006. Student T talked about his experience in Japan's Trading Companies and Japanese students lack of motivation to study abroad ( in order to secure a job in Japan ).
In spite of the "heavy" subjects, there were also "light" presentations intermittently dispersed ( a breather for the audience ). Student F narrated his experience on an island without modern plumbing. Student O from Cambodia told us about a Charlie Chaplin movie, "The Kid." Student C suggested different tourist spots to visit while in Cambodia. Student L talked about traffic in Manila, Philippines. Student A from Japan talked about the Portuguese language.
Student T talked about 3 types of drinking bars ( with music from cds, w/ music from live/rock band, w/ lady dancers a la cabaret ) found in Bangkok, Thailand. And Student R, also from Japan, talked about Reggeaton. I gave them my contact information, just in case they wanted to spend EXTRA time practicing English speaking and English writing ( I hope they take up my offer ... can you just imagine the stories? ). After they complete this Pre-Training in the English language, they'll be off to Costa Rica to begin their Master's Program ( next month: August ). Talk about motivation, diba?
One day in ESL Practicum, Director N lectured on the basics of speech giving: Inform audience of topic; Inform audience using illustrations of topic; Inform audience of topic's summary. I had a chance to apply these concepts during a "Study Abroad" presentation I gave for her International students enrolled in the Asia Leaders Programme ( a joint venture between University and United Nations affiliated University of Peace in Costa Rica ).
I got through my presentation ( emphasizing the benefits of "Talking with People" in spite of fear of speaking English ) even if crudely. The Q and A section was more difficult. Unlike my other formal interviews, this wasn't as specific. The questions were broad ranging from language issue and discrimination, to culture and history. I think I gave a clear answer, but sometimes my thinking got convoluted ( due to levels of literality, nuances of words, background info both personal and social et. al. ). In the end, I felt "worldly." However, after hearing the topics most of them talked about in their presentation, I felt naive ( like I've experienced a modern day American Isolationism ).
Student J talked about her experience being an intermediary between the Philippine National Army Guard and an indigenous group in the Mindanoa region of the Philippines. One of her parents belonged in the Tagalog tradition, while another is part of of the indigenous group. So she translated a history presentation from English to Tagalog to local Dialect in hopes of communicating with the indigenous group the importance of nation-building and unity ( and avoid violence ).
Student S talked about a situation in Sri Lanka involving genocide and Western Media's unfair portrayal of his country. Student D talked about the conflict that arose from East Timor's recent independence and the crisis in 2006. Student T talked about his experience in Japan's Trading Companies and Japanese students lack of motivation to study abroad ( in order to secure a job in Japan ).
In spite of the "heavy" subjects, there were also "light" presentations intermittently dispersed ( a breather for the audience ). Student F narrated his experience on an island without modern plumbing. Student O from Cambodia told us about a Charlie Chaplin movie, "The Kid." Student C suggested different tourist spots to visit while in Cambodia. Student L talked about traffic in Manila, Philippines. Student A from Japan talked about the Portuguese language.
Student T talked about 3 types of drinking bars ( with music from cds, w/ music from live/rock band, w/ lady dancers a la cabaret ) found in Bangkok, Thailand. And Student R, also from Japan, talked about Reggeaton. I gave them my contact information, just in case they wanted to spend EXTRA time practicing English speaking and English writing ( I hope they take up my offer ... can you just imagine the stories? ). After they complete this Pre-Training in the English language, they'll be off to Costa Rica to begin their Master's Program ( next month: August ). Talk about motivation, diba?
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Eat, eat, eat: a delicious diet in 3-D
Mange Readers,
The circumstance brought upon by a food budget can have positive results. A delicious diet in 3-D plus weight-lifting and running CAN create a leaner, healthier, and energetic you ( you'll never know, diba? so try mo, now na! ). ***[ Below are guidelines that can be adjusted according to your motivation, proportion, body type, et. al. ].
The Diezmos Delicious Diet (3-D) consists of:
-Decreasing your diary and rice (carbs) intake significantly ( suppliment with tofu/soy, such as silk tofu [taho], OR other soy products )
-Increasing your fruit, vegetable, and legumes/beans intake ( with the help of fruit powder mix and vegetable pills, and other multi-vitamins from GNC ) [ plus local produce is cheaper than premium red meat ]
-Splurging on protein; if given the choice, choose Chicken over beef et. al. You get more nutrition for your buck ( the Native Chicken in the Philippines is not as plump and pumped up with hormones, but still tasty )
-Utilizing good fats, such as omega 3 fatty acids from Fish[es], awesome avocados ( also known as Mayan for testicles, lol ), and mixed nuts ( also good for snacking ). Did you know that good fats are vital to the well-being of your organs' and their functions?
-Having healthier merienda, such as more mix nuts, raisins, oatmeal raisins et. al. intermittently
Supplimentary Exercises (secondary to 3-D) include:
-Weight-lifting 2-3 times per week ( overall: chest, arms, back, legs, core, et. al. ). Did you know that after efficient weight-lifting your body continues to burn [bad] fat 2 hours later? How wonderful is it to put only 1 hour's worth of time and get 3 hours' worth of work? Bargain!!!
-Running 1-2 times per week for one or two sets of 3Ks
-Anything that'll increase your heart beat in a healthy way ( Some recommend at least 30 minutes of daily exercise [in the broadest term], where such criteria is met ). Also depending on your body type, a 2-1 ratio of resistance (weight-lifting) over cardio (running) OR maybe its inverse/reciprocal OR maybe as a whole.
REMEMBER!
-Have FUN!
-CHEAT at least once a week on whatever junk food your heart-stomach desires ( such as dairy and rice etc. )
-Never, never ever sacrifice DELICIOUSNESS, diba?
Happy Eating and Exercising! (^ _ ^)v
The circumstance brought upon by a food budget can have positive results. A delicious diet in 3-D plus weight-lifting and running CAN create a leaner, healthier, and energetic you ( you'll never know, diba? so try mo, now na! ). ***[ Below are guidelines that can be adjusted according to your motivation, proportion, body type, et. al. ].
The Diezmos Delicious Diet (3-D) consists of:
-Decreasing your diary and rice (carbs) intake significantly ( suppliment with tofu/soy, such as silk tofu [taho], OR other soy products )
-Increasing your fruit, vegetable, and legumes/beans intake ( with the help of fruit powder mix and vegetable pills, and other multi-vitamins from GNC ) [ plus local produce is cheaper than premium red meat ]
-Splurging on protein; if given the choice, choose Chicken over beef et. al. You get more nutrition for your buck ( the Native Chicken in the Philippines is not as plump and pumped up with hormones, but still tasty )
-Utilizing good fats, such as omega 3 fatty acids from Fish[es], awesome avocados ( also known as Mayan for testicles, lol ), and mixed nuts ( also good for snacking ). Did you know that good fats are vital to the well-being of your organs' and their functions?
-Having healthier merienda, such as more mix nuts, raisins, oatmeal raisins et. al. intermittently
Supplimentary Exercises (secondary to 3-D) include:
-Weight-lifting 2-3 times per week ( overall: chest, arms, back, legs, core, et. al. ). Did you know that after efficient weight-lifting your body continues to burn [bad] fat 2 hours later? How wonderful is it to put only 1 hour's worth of time and get 3 hours' worth of work? Bargain!!!
-Running 1-2 times per week for one or two sets of 3Ks
-Anything that'll increase your heart beat in a healthy way ( Some recommend at least 30 minutes of daily exercise [in the broadest term], where such criteria is met ). Also depending on your body type, a 2-1 ratio of resistance (weight-lifting) over cardio (running) OR maybe its inverse/reciprocal OR maybe as a whole.
REMEMBER!
-Have FUN!
-CHEAT at least once a week on whatever junk food your heart-stomach desires ( such as dairy and rice etc. )
-Never, never ever sacrifice DELICIOUSNESS, diba?
Happy Eating and Exercising! (^ _ ^)v
Monday, July 4, 2011
Manila Internship: consistency (w5)
Kamusta Readers,
While last week was the most off beat week, this week was the most consistent. The consistency reminded me that I do have limits (diba?). By Friday evening I was brain-dead, nonetheless, an awesome week full of insights.
In ESL Practicum, we did a speaking exercise, called J.A.M. ( Just A Minute ), and a rationale behind the articles ( "For A While," "The King's English and I," "Globish," and "Wronging English" ) includes awareness ( of code-switching, colloquialism, cultural criticism, politics, puns, transliteration, et. al. ) and other attitudes and backgrounds important in learning a language. We reviewed different Reading Strategies as well.
Director N and I discussed possible reasons for a disconnect that happened between students' listening to direction and completing class task; I suggested delaying information to improve student focus. Another revelation occurred during a peer review exercise. I was working with Student R when I realized how when I was voicing agreement, I was very explicit, but if I were to voice disagreement, I would imply through questions ( politeness in order to avoid confrontation? ).
In the office, the Library Project went by faster with music in the background. Secretary V and I also discussed various administrative tasks, such as data analysis, logistics, and public relations. I was reminded of the table function in Word, which emphasizes user-friendliness while avoiding redundancy. Project Data Gathering has been revised. My updated task involves a lesson in Philippine geography ( locating participants' school and type ). Trend analysis will be done by Project Manager M et. al.
I added the revision suggestions for my UbD article and submitted it. Director N also told me that my comments for Writer P's article overlapped/shared similarities with Project Manager M's concerns. We're a bit short on article submissions, so Director N told me to re-review the first 2 UbD articles submitted, and make general comments for further development.
On a different publication, Runner J and I went over his abstract, chapter 1, and chapter 2. We have a system of underlining, highlighting, and asking questions ( An advantage of an editor outside the field is the type of questions that arise; nothing, not even insider's basic knowledge is taken for granted ).
While last week was the most off beat week, this week was the most consistent. The consistency reminded me that I do have limits (diba?). By Friday evening I was brain-dead, nonetheless, an awesome week full of insights.
In ESL Practicum, we did a speaking exercise, called J.A.M. ( Just A Minute ), and a rationale behind the articles ( "For A While," "The King's English and I," "Globish," and "Wronging English" ) includes awareness ( of code-switching, colloquialism, cultural criticism, politics, puns, transliteration, et. al. ) and other attitudes and backgrounds important in learning a language. We reviewed different Reading Strategies as well.
Director N and I discussed possible reasons for a disconnect that happened between students' listening to direction and completing class task; I suggested delaying information to improve student focus. Another revelation occurred during a peer review exercise. I was working with Student R when I realized how when I was voicing agreement, I was very explicit, but if I were to voice disagreement, I would imply through questions ( politeness in order to avoid confrontation? ).
In the office, the Library Project went by faster with music in the background. Secretary V and I also discussed various administrative tasks, such as data analysis, logistics, and public relations. I was reminded of the table function in Word, which emphasizes user-friendliness while avoiding redundancy. Project Data Gathering has been revised. My updated task involves a lesson in Philippine geography ( locating participants' school and type ). Trend analysis will be done by Project Manager M et. al.
I added the revision suggestions for my UbD article and submitted it. Director N also told me that my comments for Writer P's article overlapped/shared similarities with Project Manager M's concerns. We're a bit short on article submissions, so Director N told me to re-review the first 2 UbD articles submitted, and make general comments for further development.
On a different publication, Runner J and I went over his abstract, chapter 1, and chapter 2. We have a system of underlining, highlighting, and asking questions ( An advantage of an editor outside the field is the type of questions that arise; nothing, not even insider's basic knowledge is taken for granted ).
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Dissertation notes 5: Intro to Paulo Freire
According to Paulo Freire, injustice in today’s world exists because the ‘culture of silence’ prevails, where “some confuse freedom with the maintenances of the status quo” (18). In this culture, people are divided into 2 groups. The ‘oppressed’ are exploited, and they follow the ‘prescribed’ “guidelines of the oppressors” (28). The ‘oppressors’ exploit the oppressed, and their ‘false generosity’ and ‘false charity’ further perpetuate injustice.
In spite of their world outlook, they are both 'afraid of freedom': “the oppressed are afraid to embrace freedom [and its consequences, while] the oppressors are afraid of losing the freedom to oppress” [and of the ‘destructive fanaticism’ of the oppressed] (28).
Education then has the potential to become the neutralizer of this injustice. IF the ‘Banking Concept’ is used then Education enforces conformity through ‘antidialogical’ actions, such as conquest, divide and rule, manipulation, and cultural invasion. BUT, Education can also be the means to practice freedom IF ‘dialogical’ actions and encounters with others include cooperation, unity of liberation, organization, and cultural synthesis.
The oppressed can start freeing themselves and their oppressors from the unchanging, static, and fatalistic viewpoint of the world. They can start fulfilling their ‘ontological vocation’ to “be a Subject who acts upon and transform his world, and in so doing moves ever to new possibilities of fuller and richer life individually and collectively” (14).
However, ‘actions’ are not enough; ‘reflections’ are necessary. Together they form, what Freire calls, ‘praxis’ ( not ‘verbalism’ or ‘activism’ ). In praxis, “they discover themselves as [reality’s] permanent re-creators” not inhibited by any ‘prescription’ of inferiority (51).
Once the oppressed and the oppressors are truly liberated, they achieve ‘conscientizacao,’ which refers to “learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions, and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality… [because] reflection upon situationality is reflection about the very condition of existence” (90).
Thus “to exist, humanly, is to name the world, to change it. Once named, the world in its turn reappears to the namers as a problem and requires of them a new naming. Human beings are not built in silences, but in word, in work, in action-reflection” (69).
Hence, the ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed,’ according to Freire “makes oppressions and its causes objects of reflection by the oppressed, and from that reflection will come their necessary engagement in the struggle for their liberation” (30).
Further Readings:
In spite of their world outlook, they are both 'afraid of freedom': “the oppressed are afraid to embrace freedom [and its consequences, while] the oppressors are afraid of losing the freedom to oppress” [and of the ‘destructive fanaticism’ of the oppressed] (28).
Education then has the potential to become the neutralizer of this injustice. IF the ‘Banking Concept’ is used then Education enforces conformity through ‘antidialogical’ actions, such as conquest, divide and rule, manipulation, and cultural invasion. BUT, Education can also be the means to practice freedom IF ‘dialogical’ actions and encounters with others include cooperation, unity of liberation, organization, and cultural synthesis.
The oppressed can start freeing themselves and their oppressors from the unchanging, static, and fatalistic viewpoint of the world. They can start fulfilling their ‘ontological vocation’ to “be a Subject who acts upon and transform his world, and in so doing moves ever to new possibilities of fuller and richer life individually and collectively” (14).
However, ‘actions’ are not enough; ‘reflections’ are necessary. Together they form, what Freire calls, ‘praxis’ ( not ‘verbalism’ or ‘activism’ ). In praxis, “they discover themselves as [reality’s] permanent re-creators” not inhibited by any ‘prescription’ of inferiority (51).
Once the oppressed and the oppressors are truly liberated, they achieve ‘conscientizacao,’ which refers to “learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions, and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality… [because] reflection upon situationality is reflection about the very condition of existence” (90).
Thus “to exist, humanly, is to name the world, to change it. Once named, the world in its turn reappears to the namers as a problem and requires of them a new naming. Human beings are not built in silences, but in word, in work, in action-reflection” (69).
Hence, the ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed,’ according to Freire “makes oppressions and its causes objects of reflection by the oppressed, and from that reflection will come their necessary engagement in the struggle for their liberation” (30).
Further Readings:
Georg Hegel’s “The Phenomenology of Mind”
Frantz Fanon’s “The Wretched of the Earth”
Albert Memmi’s “The Colonizer and the Colonized”
Gajo Petrovic “Man and Freedom” from Socialist Humanism
Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of Hope," "Pedagogy of the City," "Learning to Question," and "Education for Critical Consciousness"
Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of Hope," "Pedagogy of the City," "Learning to Question," and "Education for Critical Consciousness"
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