Chapter 6: “I Have Gotten Braver”: Growing and Sustaining Critical Mathematics Pedagogies through a Teacher Community of Praxis

2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (13) ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Emma Gargroetzi ◽  
Izzy Hendry ◽  
Angela Jeffreys ◽  
Andrew Patel ◽  
Gina Wei
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Mathematics Teaching ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Critical Mathematics ◽  
The Face ◽  
Critical Pedagogies ◽  
Math Teaching ◽  
K 12

Background Mathematics education is not often identified as the locus of radical social change work, with these topics assumed instead as fodder for social studies or language arts lessons. As such, teachers of mathematics can struggle to find avenues for their commitments to social and educational justice in their mathematics teaching spaces. Purpose This study examined the practice and experiences of 10 math educators participating in a voluntary teacher learning community focused on critical pedagogies and math. The purpose was to identify the core learnings and challenges made possible through this learning community. Setting and Participants The Critical Mathematics Teacher Collaborative (CMTC) consists primarily of preservice and early career K–12 teachers, all of whom teach math and seek to develop their own math teaching practices through frameworks of critical pedagogy and social justice. An informal, nonhierarchical learning community, CMTC uses a cycle of critical reflection and action: We read and discuss theory to inform visions for critical mathematics teaching, and we workshop participant-designed lesson plans to support moving from vision to action. Research Design The study was collaboratively designed among members of the group as a self-study. Bidirectional interviews were conducted among 10 participants, transcribed, and analyzed. Conclusions Four core insights were identified. Participating teachers (1) desired to be able to engage in critical work in mathematics teaching spaces, (2) were nurtured by accountability to a community that supports putting ideals into practice and continuing to examine these ideals, (3) benefitted from praxis—having a space to connect theory to the practices of daily classroom teaching, and (4) provided allyship to each other in the face of challenges to teaching for social justice, shaping not only their mathematics teaching but also teaching in spaces beyond mathematics. Examples of critical mathematics pedagogies in action in the classrooms of participating teachers are included, as well as appendices with readings and a sample agenda for use by teachers wishing to model a learning community of their own after this one.

Integrating Critical Pedagogy With Teaching Statistics for Social Justice

2019 ◽  
pp. 538-561
Author(s):  
Basil Conway IV ◽  
Kristin Lilly
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Middle Grades ◽  
Race Theory ◽  
Pedagogical Content ◽  
Critical Thought ◽  
Teaching For Social Justice ◽  
K 12

The following chapter describes the creation and implementation of a “Content Underpinnings” course for graduate students in middle grades statistics that required students to complete a teaching for social justice lesson in a K-12 classroom. The content underpinnings course consisted of three major goals that promoted critical thought: critical race theory (CRT) and teaching for social justice (TSJ), statistical pedagogical content knowledge, and statistical content knowledge. A review of research related to each these goals is integrated with student implementation of a CRT/TSJ lesson, along with details on how this research guided the course creation and implementation. Implications and suggestions for including CRT and TSJ in mathematics are suggested as a tool to promote equity, access, and empowerment for democracy in teacher education.

scholarly journals Editorial: Imagining and Building a Culturally Inclusive Learning Community

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Snezana Ratkovic ◽  
Denise E. Armstrong ◽  
Catherine Hands
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Knowledge Network ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
Inclusive Learning ◽  
The Face ◽  
Applied Education

With the rise of globalization, internationalization, and the interaction and exchange of individuals and organizations across their nations’ borders, there has been an increasing interest in issues related to equity, inclusion, and social justice. Yet strategies for achieving equitable environments that embrace ideals such as safety, diversity, inclusion, and social justice for everyone regardless of their diverse backgrounds (e.g., sexual orientation, ancestry, ability, income, race, and religion), remain elusive in the face of the diverse educational goals. What does this mean for educators? We devote this second volume of the Teaching and Learning Special Issue to this question, while recognizing that creating safe and equitable educational environments is a complex and challenging task, even for those educators who are committed to social justice work (Dei, 2003; McMahon & Armstrong, 2011; Ryan, 2012; Shields, 2004; Solomon, 2002; Theoharis, 2010). In order to create inclusive learning environments, educators need to develop a wide variety of skills, which includes acquiring and mobilizing knowledge, honouring students’ and parents’ voices, bridging cultural boundaries, developing networks and alliances, and accessing needed resources (Armstrong, Tuters, & Carrier, 2012; Ryan, 2012). To facilitate this process, Brock University, Western University, OISE/University of Toronto, and their local school boards in the Niagara, Peel, and Thames Valley districts, developed, organized, and facilitated a series of workshops and conferences in 2012. These events were supported by the Knowledge Network for Applied Education Research (KNAER), and the three participating universities, as well as community and school district partners. What follows in the next section is a description of the conference at Brock University, which first appeared in Volume 7, Issue 2 of this special edition.

Integrating Critical Pedagogy With Teaching Statistics for Social Justice

2021 ◽  
pp. 806-829
Author(s):  
Basil Conway IV ◽  
Kristin Lilly
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Middle Grades ◽  
Race Theory ◽  
Pedagogical Content ◽  
Critical Thought ◽  
Teaching For Social Justice ◽  
K 12

The following chapter describes the creation and implementation of a “Content Underpinnings” course for graduate students in middle grades statistics that required students to complete a teaching for social justice lesson in a K-12 classroom. The content underpinnings course consisted of three major goals that promoted critical thought: critical race theory (CRT) and teaching for social justice (TSJ), statistical pedagogical content knowledge, and statistical content knowledge. A review of research related to each these goals is integrated with student implementation of a CRT/TSJ lesson, along with details on how this research guided the course creation and implementation. Implications and suggestions for including CRT and TSJ in mathematics are suggested as a tool to promote equity, access, and empowerment for democracy in teacher education.

Critical Review of K-12 Filipina/o American Curriculum

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Halagao ◽  
Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales ◽  
Joan Cordova
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Application Development ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Curricular Content ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches ◽  
Critical Literature

This research study provides the first comprehensive and critical literature review of K–12 Filipina/o American curricula found in formal and informal educational settings. Thirty-three Filipina/o American curricula representing a diverse array of authors, audiences, content, and pedagogical approaches were reviewed. The authors of this study developed a “Critical Framework of Review” rooted in critical pedagogy in order to analyze the historical development of Filipina/o American curricula along with an analysis of major topics, concepts, guiding theoretical frameworks, pedagogical approaches, and outcomes. The review concludes with a discussion and summary of the overarching themes of Filipina/o curricular content, instruction, and impact gained from this study and recommendations for the application, development, distribution, and research of more Filipina/o American K–12 curriculum resources.

Toward Jerusalem: A journey of the eternal now (A Sermon)

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-107
Author(s):  
Richard Francis Wilson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Martin Luther ◽  
The United States ◽  
Paul Tillich ◽  
Dietrich Bonhoeffer ◽  
As I Lay Dying ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Martin Luther King

This article is a theological-ethical Lenten sermon that attempts to discern the transcendent themes in the narrative of Luke 9-19 with an especial focus upon “setting the face toward Jerusalem” and the subsequent weeping over Jerusalem. The sermon moves from a passage from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying through a series of hermeneutical turns that rely upon insights from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Will Campbell, Augustine, and Paul Tillich with the hope of illuminating what setting of the face on Jerusalem might mean. Tillich’s “eternal now” theme elaborates Augustine’s insight that memory and time reduce the present as, to paraphrase the Saint, that all we have is a present: a present remembered, a present experienced, and a present anticipated. The Gospel is a timeless message applicable to every moment in time and history. The sermon seeks to connect with recent events in the United States and the world that focus upon challenges to the ideals of social justice and political tyranny.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and the calls of humanistic social work: Exploring the developmental-clinical social work concerns of the pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 002087282110079
Author(s):  
Robert K Chigangaidze
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Clinical Social Work ◽  
Health Community ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face

Any health outbreak is beyond the biomedical approach. The COVID-19 pandemic exposes a calamitous need to address social inequalities prevalent in the global health community. Au fait with this, the impetus of this article is to explore the calls of humanistic social work in the face of the pandemic. It calls for the pursuit of social justice during the pandemic and after. It also calls for a holistic service provision, technological innovation and stewardship. Wrapping up, it challenges the global community to rethink their priorities – egotism or altruism. It emphasizes the ultimate way forward of addressing the social inequalities.

scholarly journals Confronting repressive ideologies with critical pedagogy in science classrooms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilton Lodge
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Classroom Discourse ◽  
Science Learning ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Science Classrooms ◽  
Free Process

AbstractThe focus of this response to Arthur Galamba and Brian Matthews’s ‘Science education against the rise of fascist and authoritarian movements: towards the development of a Pedagogy for Democracy’ is to underpin a critical pedagogy that can be used as a counterbalancing force against repressive ideologies within science classrooms. Locating science education within the traditions of critical pedagogy allows us to interrogate some of the historical, theoretical, and practical contradictions that have challenged the field, and to consider science learning as part of a wider struggle for social justice in education. My analysis draws specifically on the intellectual ideas of Paulo Freire, whose work continues to influence issues of theoretical, political, and pedagogical importance. A leading social thinker in educational practice, Freire rejected the dominant hegemonic view that classroom discourse is a neutral and value-free process removed from the juncture of cultural, historical, social, and political contexts. Freire’s ideas offer several themes of relevance to this discussion, including his banking conception of education, dialog and conscientization, and teaching as a political activity. I attempt to show how these themes can be used to advance a more socially critical and democratic approach to science teaching.

Critical Pedagogies in PETE: An Antipodean Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod Philpot
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
New School ◽  
Physical Education Teacher Education ◽  
Critical Pedagogies ◽  
Pete Programs

In the 1990s, New Zealand and Australia rolled out new school physical education curriculums (Ministry of Education, 1999, 2007; Queensland School Curriculum Council, 1999) signaling a significant change in the purpose of physical education in both countries. These uniquely Antipodean1 curriculum documents were underpinned by a socially critical perspective and physical education teacher education (PETE) programs in both countries needed to adapt to prepare teachers who are capable of engaging PE from a socially critical perspective. One way they attempted to do this was to adopt what has variously been labeled critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogies as a label is something of ‘big tent’ (Lather, 1998) and this paper reports on the published attempts to operationalize critical pedagogy and its reported success or otherwise in preparing teachers for the expectations of the socially critical oriented HPE curriculum in both Australian and New Zealand.

scholarly journals COLLABORATING AT MICROSCOPIC AND MASSIVE SCALES: THE CHALLENGE AND VALUE OF COVID ISOLATION FOR CRITICAL INTERNET STUDIES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Herman ◽  
Annette Markham ◽  
M.E. Luka ◽  
Rebecca Carlson ◽  
Danielle Dilkes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Microscopic Level ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Internet Studies ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Independent Life ◽  
Global Events ◽  
Collaborative Space

Global events like a pandemic or climate change are massive in scope but experienced at the local, lived, microscopic level. What sorts of methodologies and mindsets can help critical internet researchers, functioning as interventionists or activists, find traction by oscillating between these levels? How can we push (further) against the boundaries of research methods to build stronger coalitions and more impactful outcomes for social change among groups of scholars/researchers? This panel presents four papers addressing these questions based on a large scale online autoethnography in 2020. This “Massive/Micro” project simultaneously used and studied the angst and novelty of isolation during a pandemic, activating researchers, activists, and artists to explore the massive yet microscopic properties of COVID-19 as a “glocal” phenomenon. The challenge? Working independently and microscopically through intense focus on the Self but also working with distributed, largely unknown collaborators, in multiple platforms. The emerging shape of the project itself showcases the challenges and possibilities of how research projects at scale can (or don’t) reflect and build social movements. The panel’s four papers situate the project through a kaleidoscope of perspectives featuring participants from 7 countries, who variously explore: the value of the project for precarious or early career researchers, how MMS worked as both collaborative space and critical pedagogy, how non-institutional or playful experimentation in asynchronous collaborations can lead to new synergies; and how MMS developed an independent life of its own, beyond studying COVID to generating multiple communities of future digital research practice.

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