Social Reconstruction

Teachers have the power to make small changes to the culture and lives of their students. Will you introduce new ideas or repeat social norms you’ve learned? (FYI: There is no ‘correct’ answer.) The video below depicts several images that relate to social reconstruction. If the video does not show up below you can view it on YouTube by clicking this link. A transcript of the video is also available buy clicking this link.

An Interesting Conversation

The video below is the last public interview of Pualo Freire by LiteracyDotOrg. Freire was a Brazilian educator who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.) He is best known for his influential work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, considered one of the foundation texts of the critical pedagogy movement. From the video you can gain enough exposure to his ideas choose if you’d like to learn more, beyond what we cover in this course. If the video does not show up below you can view it on YouTube by clicking this link. A transcript of the video is also available by clicking this link.

What Makes a School Environment Positive?

Here is an excellent article discussing what makes a positive school environment: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_create_a_positive_school_climate

A Word on Principals…

Evaluating a principal as future supervisor can be tricky. Here’s a great article by a teacher to give you a few ideas: http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2009/02/18/021109tln_rigsbee.h20.html

Below is a video of Dean Jim Ryan’s 2015 Harvard Commencement Address. If the video does not show up below you can view it on YouTube by clicking this link.

What is Culture?

Below is a video of of an interview of Malcom Gladwell by Katie Couric. At minute 9 Gladwell speaks about various cultures. While listening ask yourself if you prefer a melting pot approach or an assimilationist approach to diversity? If the video does not show up below you can view it on YouTube by clicking this link.