Not incoherent in the sense that I don't know what I'm writing as I write it, rather incoherent in the sense that I have no particular idea where this post is going and that's the way I want it. So what's that about? It's about not needing a point, or rather finding a point through expression. That's relevant to education, that's relevant towards resisting education. As products of schooling we become docile creatures of habit. Do it this way! Use this form, that format, don't make that mistake. Conditioned ants scurrying from corridor to corridor. I resent it, I resent my schooling, I resent classes, I resent grading and I resent the idea that it's necessary. I remember how frustrating my High School experiences were. In my Math Calculus classes the teacher constantly fed us formulas/equations to practice with. Plug in the variables then calculate? But why? What are the variables, what are they doing? What are these rules for? No explanation was offered. I've been Scientifically Managed and I'm pissed off about it. What was the point? To get the job, get the money, raise 2.5 kids...pillar of the community...drive a nice car...contribute to society...I say screw society, its not on my side, I'm not on its.
Scope...to address the forces at "play", to buy that brand with a suitable sense of irony, to contribute meaningfully to the decisions of others, to inform your own decisions, layers within layers, to have real power, to meet challenges, to be more free, to rip knowledge to pieces like a rabid dog then toddle off to the kennel with the parts that tasted good, lining for the nest.
I applaud this Critical Pedagogies class precisely because there is more freedom. So well done to Curtis for slipping it through the system... it certainly is a deviation from the class norm. I fear for its survival because it is different, I hope it survives. I hope all of us in the class appreciate the opportunity it represents to freely express opinion. Weird, fresh and good.
"People are crazy, times are strange, I'm locked in tight, I'm outta range, I used to care, but...things have changed..."
wow... thanks for the word excursions... it's nice to see the internal editor shut down. i enjoyed your thoughts. i'm glad you're seeking out and engaging with your 'schooling' issues. it's all very frustrating sometimes, and to be honest, it's nice to see that you're grappling with all of this because if there is no tension then there is no movement. real education is about finding these tensions, i think. as far as the crit ped class, believe it or not, it's actually becoming a quite popular orientation to both research and teaching in our field. so it should 'survive' in some form or another- at least, i hope. shouldn't we be allowed, at some point, to talk about relevant things in a classroom environment? the trick, for me, is what to do with it once class is over.
ReplyDeleteNice reflections... i'm really enjoying your contributions to the class.