Critical Pedagogies

Name of facilitator: Matt Eichler
Location: U of M Nicholson Hall 145
http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/maps/NichH/
Time: 11 am-1 pm Saturdays, 9/27-11/22 (with at least 2 saturdays off. We'll determine number of sessions at first class.)
E-mail: eich0041@umn.edu
Course description:
According to Joe Kincheloe:
* all education is inherently political and all pedagogy must be aware of this condition
* a social and educational vision of justice and equality should ground all education
* issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and physical ability are all important domains of oppression and critical anti-hegemonic action.
* the alleviation of oppression and human suffering is a key dimension of educational purpose
* schools must not hurt students--good schools don't blame students for their failures or strip students of the knowledges they bring to the classroom
* all positions including critical pedagogy itself must be problematized and questioned
* the professionalism of teachers must be respected and part of the role of any educator involves becoming a scholar and a researcher
* education must both promote emancipatory change and the cultivation of the intellect--these goals should never be in conflict, they should be synergistic
* the politics of knowledge and issues of epistemology are central to understanding the way power operates in educational institutions to perpetuate privilege and to subjugate the marginalized--"validated" scientific knowledge can often be used as a basis of oppression as it is produced without an appreciation of how dominant power and culture shape it.
* education often reflects the interests and needs of new modes of colonialism and empire. Such dynamics must be exposed, understood, and acted upon as part of critical transformative praxis.
In this vein, this class will aim to assist you in getting to think a new future for education. Whether you are a current or former student or a current or future teacher, this course will help to conceptualize traditional education as a tool of domination. We will have conversation, sharing, and practice of methods to support critical pedagogy. This course will focus on bring critical pedagogy to communities and to people. We make change through little steps, not by being the critical elite!
We'll decide how many weeks to run the class at the first meeting - at least four times probably.
What experience do you bring to this class?
I work with community groups and other groups that do non-formal and informal education on a regular basis. In addition, I teach graduate level classes and write online courses at the University of Minnesota. I have worked as an educator with all age groups. I recently completed my Ph.D. in Adult Education at the University of Minnesota. My research is about the experiences of straight ally-activists of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.