Understanding the World: Critical Consciousness

What?

In his 1963 speech, “A Talk to Teachers,” James Baldwin describes the paradox we are confronted with when we think about the education system. On one hand, we know that “the whole process of education occurs within…

A Flawed Education

Through generations, education has been an ongoing system that millions of people go through from kindergarten to college. It is a system where it provides people with knowledge to help people thrive in the world. But there is an argument about education where individuals have said it is a…

The Unspoken Reality of Neutrality

What? Throughout the excerpt of We Make the Road by Walking by Freire and Horton, the authors emphasize the importance of education that cultivates critical consciousness rather than an education that conditions people to accept the status quo. By accepting the status…

Cultivating Critical Consciousness

What? Draw on all three readings to discuss how you now understand the importance of an education that cultivates critical consciousness…

Shifting Consciousness

In the published conversation between Paulo Freire and Myles Horton, “We Make The Road By Walking”, the two educators talk about social change prompted by the critical and inclusive approach to education. Freire points out that if we do not go beyond conventional learning, we end up in a…

Critical Reflection 2: Critical Consciousness

The education system is designed to teach and create an obedient society. Students are taught to stick to the status quo, which is ultimately determined by the dominant group. Thinking back on my own education, I can see how one-sided all the…

Education for Social Change

What? All three readings portray the importance of an education that encourages critical consciousness. An education that conditions their students to follow the status quo creates adults in the workforce and society that keep to themselves and do not challenge themselves or…

A Teacher’s Role

The commonly used term used in school classrooms called “critical thinking” is a vital skill taught to be valued attempted to be mastered if one wanted to succeed not only in their academics but also in pursuing their career. Critical thinking describes the analysis of facts within a situation to…

Better Education Leads to a Better Life

After this reading I have a better understanding of the purpose of an education. Although the main purpose really is to educate, the underlying purpose is to teach students how to think for themselves. In the reading “A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin, he…

Stepping Stones

For this week’s reading, we learned about the importance of an education that cultivates critical consciousness instead of an education which forces students to accept their position in the hierarchy of society.

The Impact of Education

What? Throughout these three readings, I noticed that education was seen as unfavorable for African Americans as a result of a history of injustice. However, there were always people who were willing to make a change in this dynamic to provide equal opportunities for everyone despite…

Education = Empowerment

In “We Make the Road by Walking” by Freire and Horton, the reading focuses on the purpose Highlander Research and Education Center was created. This school is aimed to help African Americans fight for their inequalities through the process of education. The more they are educated, the…