BEDA 15 - The Social Reconstructionist

After you have been an educator for a while, you start to realize that teach and make content decisions based on an ideology. Last semester I put a name to my ideology. I became a Social Reconstructionist. Yep, that is me. A socialist soccer mom/librarian. My ideas of socialism are not however based on an economic structure. I would have to say I still camp in the capitalism tent, although, I would say on a higher ethical ground than many in our great nation. My socialist instincts are related to academic freedom and the view that education should better society through generous sharing, tolerance, empathy, and understanding.

I realized my ideology by studying a small book; Dare the School Build a New Social Order by George Counts.

I would not frequently use the term "fascinating" to describe a professional reading in curriculum/education theory, but this collection of three speeches delivered by Counts are more than fascinating. Add timeless, thought provoking, and at times, unsympathetically reproachful to those of us who consider ourselves progressive educators and parents.

The relevance to today's economic, political, and educational issues, which were first raised by Counts in 1932, then again in the 1978 preface of this edition, are uncanny, and a bit disturbing. The preface writer (Wayne J. Urban) does not believe, in 1978, that Counts should be labeled prophetic. However, we might want to reconsider this statement now that another 30 years have passed and, notwithstanding a few outdated terms circa the industrial revolution (i.e. replace "machinery" with "technology"), this book still reads fresh. If Counts was not a prophet, then I would definitely grant him the title of visionary.

In the 1930's Counts was actively denouncing the "evils" of the free market (i.e. a few very wealthy creating unwarranted recession for the masses) and how unregulated overindulgence and greed had lead to environmental destruction, energy crises, poor agricultural practices, hunger and starvation, mass unemployment, political corruption, and basically, the unraveling of the American Dream. His call to action was based on the need for educators to help prepare America's youth to combat these social injustices in an ever changing, technically advanced, and global society. Hmm, sound familiar?

Educators, he explained, must be professionally and powerfully organized so that they may demand the right and the autonomy to create appropriate curriculum for their students. Above all, educators must be willing to stand strong in the face of opposition by politicians, business leaders, and the few elite local decision makers, and be able to thoughtfully articulate and argue their positions. After all, Counts himself was accused repeatably of being a communist (which he was not) and a socialist (which he was) but continued to unabashedly defend the rights of the "masses" in a democracy.

At first I was a bit dismayed after finishing this book. I kept wondering "why after 70+ years are we still dealing with the same issues in our educational institutions and society as a whole" and "why can't the teaching profession secure the autonomy and power needed to effectively educate our students?"

However, Counts' message is also inspiring. For example, I found hope in idea that the truly "core" need of education, or the "why" we teach has not changed much, if at all, in the last 70 years; even when the content, or the "what" we teach can and should be organic and change continuously depending on cultural and technical needs of current society.

I found myself in line with Counts' belief that in the classroom teachers should not act as if they are unbiased, unfeeling, and unchanging members of society. Students, he said, should not be sheltered from adult situations and moreover teachers should in fact model how they make decisions based on their experiences, education, spiritual, and political beliefs. In this way, the teacher help create a socially and politically aware classroom where students learn (in one of many settings) how adults function productively, ethnically, and compassionately in the world outside the school.

To achieve such an environment, Counts believes that educators should not have to teach a dictated curriculum formulated by economists, business leaders, politicians, and the elite local "few", who do not have personal, in depth knowledge of the needs of their classroom community.

BEDA 14 - Blogging for Fiction

I have two problems with being a blogger. My first problem is that I find it very difficult to write short blogs. And I really need to make this one brief.

My second problem is that I want my blogs to be meaningful and interesting to the people who read them. Is this really a problem? Well, only if you don't have a real audience. There may be a future for me in writing fiction after all. I have invented a fictional audience that I feel some responsibility for. Does this make me crazy?

Actually, I have many other problems with being a blogger. Being the reining queen of typos for one, and not really wanting to market my blog for readers is another. However, I do not wish to discuss this today, as it would be another long and boring blog.

Since I have made up you, my loyal audience, I will blog briefly about the two fictional books I read this weekend.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - SCI FI - 4 stars

Think of a time in the future when basically the world has went to the crapper. The United States has become a nation of one totalitarian capital (center) city and 12 outer districts. To keep the outer districts from rebelling, again, the capital imposes many terrifying economic and legal controls. One of those being the Hunger Games. Every year, two teens (one boy and one girl) are chosen from each district and forced to participate in the equivalent of a massive cage match to the death that lasts for weeks on end.

Super realistic sci fi with an emotional but in no way gratuitous punch. A bit depressing but nothing my teen readers can't handle. And, there is a follow up book on the way. Maybe a whole series???

Feed, by M.T. Anderson - SCI FI - 3 Stars

What do you know? The whole world has went to pot! Corporate American has taken over the minds, lives, vocabulary, and entire cognitive existence of developed countries. In order for their children to fully participate in this culture, most families in the middle to upper class brackets have wireless networks implanted in their newborns brains. Now almost of the entire civilized world experiences life through the "Feed." The Feed is a web of pushed and on-demand media that the brain automatically controls. This includes chatting with friends, listening to music, watching TV shows, looking up websites, making online purchases, and the futurist equivalent to getting high; going "mal" by downloading warped sites to the feed. Kind of sounds sweet until Anderson gives us a taste at what a world run by and for commercial enterprise would eventual become.

I recommend this book in audio format. I think perhaps it is a more sensory rich experience hearing this book instead of just reading the words. Mostly because by listening to the audio book, you get to hear the Feed, the pushed advertising, the manic programs, and the variations in tone of the chatted conversations versus the real talking ones. Of course, after listening to this, I was like all dadada, and big meg doing that thing, like talking like those kids in the book, ya know unit?

And there you go, a snap shot of my sci fi weekend where I guiltily read for fun instead of for intentional enlightenment.

Happy guilt-laden reading for all!