Comments on: What Would Paulo Freire Do If He Was A School Superintendent? http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/19/what-would-paulo-freire-do-if-he-was-a-school-superintendent/ ...For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:45:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: ddeubel http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/19/what-would-paulo-freire-do-if-he-was-a-school-superintendent/comment-page-1/#comment-6638 ddeubel Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:11:47 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=5846#comment-6638 I hear what you are saying Aaron. I've read some of McLaren's writing over the years along with Giroux. I'll have to read Life of Schools - particular since I spent several years teaching in that battlefield - inner city Toronto St. Jamestown. It was frustrating - just the walls put up to bring in the elderly, the outer community into my classroom. Fortress is an appropriate word compounded by overworked, undervalued teachers. Cheers, David http://eflclassroom.com I hear what you are saying Aaron. I’ve read some of McLaren’s writing over the years along with Giroux. I’ll have to read Life of Schools – particular since I spent several years teaching in that battlefield – inner city Toronto St. Jamestown.

It was frustrating – just the walls put up to bring in the elderly, the outer community into my classroom. Fortress is an appropriate word compounded by overworked, undervalued teachers.

Cheers,

David
http://eflclassroom.com

]]> By: Aaron Fowles http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/19/what-would-paulo-freire-do-if-he-was-a-school-superintendent/comment-page-1/#comment-6629 Aaron Fowles Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:48:32 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=5846#comment-6629 You should check out Life in Schools by Pete Mclaren. It's critical pedagogy as applied to inner-city Toronto. A great read, but he takes Freire's pedagogy into the political arena, which I don't quite like. The book is written in sections, but I think they're out of order, myself. Anyhoo, I love Freire's work. I'm on a Google Group bearing his name, but there is little activity. I believe that schools should serve communities, but instead they serve curricula. Thus we get schools that aren't aligned with the communities they serve. Have you ever noticed how schools look more and more like fortresses instead of community centers? You should check out Life in Schools by Pete Mclaren. It’s critical pedagogy as applied to inner-city Toronto. A great read, but he takes Freire’s pedagogy into the political arena, which I don’t quite like. The book is written in sections, but I think they’re out of order, myself.

Anyhoo, I love Freire’s work. I’m on a Google Group bearing his name, but there is little activity. I believe that schools should serve communities, but instead they serve curricula. Thus we get schools that aren’t aligned with the communities they serve. Have you ever noticed how schools look more and more like fortresses instead of community centers?

]]> By: ddeubel http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/19/what-would-paulo-freire-do-if-he-was-a-school-superintendent/comment-page-1/#comment-6626 ddeubel Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:30:16 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=5846#comment-6626 Larry, Great stuff and I need more reflection like this in my own life... As it applies to ELT - I think Freire should be our patron saint. Really and truly. With language - learning and the curriculum of necessity has to be so closely infused and linked to the learner's world and apriori knowledge. Language acquisition needs this "glue". We should all as teachers, build our curriculum and instruction with the help of students: through needs analysis and surveys (empowering students to be responsible and owners of learning) through the culture and life of the student (stories/beliefs and culturally specific content) through the active participation and creation of students (what I call SCC - student created content) Freire's pedagogy really suits ELT to a tee. English teachers would benefit from reading about his life and thought. Good to know you and others are putting some of those ideas into practice. David http://eflclassroom.com Larry,

Great stuff and I need more reflection like this in my own life…

As it applies to ELT – I think Freire should be our patron saint. Really and truly.

With language – learning and the curriculum of necessity has to be so closely infused and linked to the learner’s world and apriori knowledge. Language acquisition needs this “glue”. We should all as teachers, build our curriculum and instruction with the help of students:

through needs analysis and surveys (empowering students to be responsible and owners of learning)
through the culture and life of the student (stories/beliefs and culturally specific content)
through the active participation and creation of students (what I call SCC – student created content)

Freire’s pedagogy really suits ELT to a tee. English teachers would benefit from reading about his life and thought. Good to know you and others are putting some of those ideas into practice.

David
http://eflclassroom.com

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