Week 12

This weeks readings include Brown chapter 26, and Kumar chapters 11 and 12.

"Critical pedagogy" is something that perhaps at the beginning of this course, we were unsure of what it meant. Now I am sure this phrase means something different to each and every one of us. It encompasses what we believe about teaching within it's own context, based on our particular beliefs. What does your critical pedagogy mean?

This chapter discusses teaching being a subversive activity. This is something that is very important for our future classrooms. Teachers should not be passive agents that distribute information to our students, but instead, critical agents for change who work to instill these values in their students and as Brown states, help them become "crap detectors". We are not only language teachers, but we are also helping students develop and grow through critical pedagogy. They should be prepared for social, economic and political systems and become  individual learners you think and behave for themselves and intellectually. Brown goes on in his chapter to discuss "hot topics" that may be adressed in our future classrooms which involve human rights, gender equality, nonviolence, racial/ethnic discrimination, political activism, health issues, environmental action and more. These are all very controversial topics which involve critical thinking. Because these topics can be very personal for students, Brown included a numer of ways we can deal with these controversial issues that make their way into our classroom. Before he even discusses these guidelines, he does state that teachers need to have social responsibility, which means they will fully resepect the values and beliefs of all students.

As we know our classrooms are not isolated from the rest of the world, instead they include political, social and economic factors. Kumar mentions this as well when he states that no classroom is an island unto itself.  Instead, "It is influenced by and is a reflection of the larger society of which it is a part" (239). I have always supported creating a critical pedagogy in the classroom, but how can you do so while still being socially responsible? What is our role as a teacher? Brown discusses teachers being there to create first an atmosphere of respect for all students opinions, beliefs and ethnic or cultural dicersity. teachers are also responsible to include opportunities for students to learn about these topics, and have the opportunity to examine and analyze all sides of an issue. With doing this the teacher needs to maintain morality and ethics in the clasroom atmosphere. Today, teachers everywhere are involving global concerns and social responsibility in their classrooms. Why do you believe this is important? How will you do this in your own classroom? What are your concerns?

Brown also discusses five moral dilemmas that may be involved in our classroom of critical pedagogy. I believe these are very important to mention because if we are aware of them, we are more likely to consider them in our classroom atmosphere and the activities we do. We need to be aware of the cultural biasses of communicative approach, avoid adding to disempowerent, analyze our matierals, remain neutral and consider assessment standards  which may have cultural and ocioeconomic bias.