Monday, June 16, 2008

Education and the fear of freedom

If education were to be for freedom, it would have to be altered in form.

In freeing the oppressed, there is a need to free the oppressors as well as the oppressed. Paulo Freire.

Looking at how change happens through Bruno Latour I am beginning to see some value in attending to freeing the oppressors. There is a need to part people from what is, to unpeel, to detach the current habits or other chains that bind or ruts entrenched. There has to be some problematization, motivating, assembling others, making a new 'network' evolve.

I used to have problems with freeing oppressors; werent they free enough! But a revolution in education is always just around the corner and doesnt quite get here. Even when a mini coup happens, there's always another oppressor to take the place. Making a new 'net' 'work' takes work. The new assemblage seem to want to replicate the channels of the old. fIt requires active work to have change sustained

My action plan:
1. Stop stroking oppressors.
Recognize behaviours I do that could be creating these people.
Misguided flattery sustains oppressive qualities; They believe when told they are good at what they do. Keep them humble, only praise whats worthy of praise and help to reshape what needs reshaping.
2. Humanize learning. It matters that education settings consider thinking, feeling and relating in form as well as in content.

I have one of those major opportunities right now. The sort that aye very uncomfortable and not asked for.
The changes mooted are large, but could end up just the same old same old.

Taking the premise of Biggs constructive alignment a step further, there is opportunity to bring on the revolution;
how does this process, this content, through to this assessment point, align with creating more rather than less of what it is to be human. Not only how might this create more rather than less thinking, but also what is taught of relating and what it is to be more fully human.

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