Teaching and Critical Pedagogy
SCHOOL
AND SOCIETY
ES 395
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"Skim, Scan, and Copy" Materials: Chapter 9
This is, arguably, one of the more important chapters. To the point, the chapter deals with textbooks, curriculum, and censorship. Because all of us are going to teach and are likely to work with textbooks and assigned curriculum, it is important to deconstruct what we are teaching and what kids are expected to learn. What is meant by the 'hidden curriculum'? What is mean by a 'null curriculum'? Why is it important for teachers to know both? Who decides curriculum? How is curriculum affected by society or politics? What is critical pedagogy? Why does this class spend time talking about critical pedagogical theory? How does it apply to this chapter and this class?
These are just a few of the critical questions to consider as you read Spring as you consider the following:
- Do some checking into curriculum. Specifically, check out history and how it is portrayed/taught to K-12 students. Ask yourself: Is there anything missing? Remember, the 'null' curriculum? It asks what is not there. For instance, find out something about the real story behind Christopher Columbus . How is his 'story' taught to kids of all ages? Ever thought about Thanksgiving ?
- W hat do you know about history, really? How is it taught in schools? For example, what did you learn about Helen Keller ? The Mexican-American War ? What about Vietnam ? Ever thought about George Bush's family and connection to Nazi Germany? Henry Ford's connection to the Nazis and his anti-semitism ? What do you really know about Bin Laden, and America's history in the Middle East? Jim Crow ? Do you know that IBM worked with the Nazis ? What did you learn or not learn in school? Who decides what you do and do not know? As a future teacher - regardless of any subject area - is it important to raise the question ?
- You could look into Howard Zinn or Jim Loewen's books to find out more information about a number of issues related to the 'teaching' of Native Americans , slavery , women's rights and suffrage, gays and lesbians , etc.
- Have you ever heard of Lies My Teacher Told Me by Loewen?
- Find and copy off a list of banned books in this country's schools. Share with the class. What books are on the list? Why are they there? What ideas do some of the books convey to readers? Why would anyone want to ban these books? How does this make you feel as a teacher? Who should control ideas? Who should decide which ideas should be taught? Who does? Do an investigation of censorship and share the results with the class. Give us an idea of what's going on in the nation.
- Look into issues related to the 'dumbing down of textbooks' and something called the 'mentioning phenomenon'. What are the effects? How are students being affected by watered down textbooks? Any reason why textbooks are being dumbed down? What does this affect critical thinking or critical inquiry? On society ? What about textbook creators? How do they decide content? Any censorship issues at work here? Give us an update .
- What about Sex Ed ? How is sexual education handled in this country ? Is is effective? Should there be a concern if you are an educator?
- What about the current debate over 'Intelligent Design'? How should science be taught in schools? Creationism or Evolution? Should kids/society be taught that the "T-Rex has such big teeth . . . so he could open coconuts?
- Consider documents/sites/resources/search engines that are blocked electronically in public schools/libraries by software such as CYBERsitter, CyberPatrol, or Surf Watch. What happens when ideas are blocked? Is this a form of censorship? Who should determine which ideas are to be blocked and those that are not? What about the government and the idea of 'web scrubbing'? Should we have access to our government ? Should we know what is happening and what decisions are being made? Isn't that what democracy is? Check out Peacefire , create a discussion in class and explore the critical issues related to the Internet and censorship.
- Find out more about John Dewey and the idea of 'progressive education'. What is Dewey trying to get at? How do his theories continue to affect teaching and education? Should they? Why/why not? Discuss results.
- Become an expert on critical pedagogy and critical teaching theory. What is it ? Is it important? What are the essential questions that the theory(ies) raise? Who is Paulo Freire ? Why is his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed important? Who are Peter McLaren and Henry Giroux? What does each say about education?
- Find books and/or articles written by Giroux and McLaren , notably Giroux's Border Crossing , Channel Surfing , and Fugitive Cultures ; and especially McLaren 's Life in Schools . What can these books teach us about kids? Society? Schooling, society, and politics?