Paulo FreirePaulo Freire

By Lisa Hollenbeck By Lisa Hollenbeck

EDU 500 EDU 500

May 8, 2007May 8, 2007

BiographyBiography

FreireFreire was born in Brazil on September 19, was born in Brazil on September 19, 1921.1921.

Educated Educated traditional upper-class boys private high traditional upper-class boys private high

school. 1934school. 1934 University of Recife in Brazil, law studentUniversity of Recife in Brazil, law student Ph.D. Thesis, “Present-day Education in Ph.D. Thesis, “Present-day Education in

Brazil. 1959Brazil. 1959 Died May 2, 1997Died May 2, 1997

"I’d like to say to us as "I’d like to say to us as educators: poor are educators: poor are those among us who those among us who lose their capacity to lose their capacity to dream, to create their dream, to create their courage to denounce courage to denounce

and announce..."and announce..."

Paulo FreirePaulo Freire

Foundations of FreireFoundations of Freire

To NameTo Name

To ReflectTo Reflect

To ActTo Act

To Name:To Name:Named the WorldNamed the World

Gave a voice to those who were oppressed, Gave a voice to those who were oppressed, so educators who served them could better so educators who served them could better battle their oppression. battle their oppression.

conscientizationconscientization - developing consciousness, - developing consciousness, but consciousness that is understood to have but consciousness that is understood to have the power to transform reality' (Taylor 1993: the power to transform reality' (Taylor 1993: 52).52).

Reflection:Reflection:Dialogue & ConversationDialogue & Conversation

'Dialogue', Freire says, 'is the encounter 'Dialogue', Freire says, 'is the encounter between men, mediated by the world, in between men, mediated by the world, in order to name the world'. order to name the world'.

Reflection:Reflection:Situational Educational Situational Educational

ActivityActivity

Freire was concerned about using the Freire was concerned about using the imagination to produce new possible imagination to produce new possible ways of naming and acting in the world ways of naming and acting in the world when working with people around when working with people around literacy's.literacy's.(Smith, 2005, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm#contribution)(Smith, 2005, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm#contribution)

To Act:To Act:PraxisPraxis

This action is not merely the doing of This action is not merely the doing of something, which Freire describes as something, which Freire describes as activism.activism.((Taylor, 1993, http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-praxis.htm)Taylor, 1993, http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-praxis.htm)

It is not simply action based on reflection. It is It is not simply action based on reflection. It is

action which embodies qualities which include action which embodies qualities which include a commitment to human well being, a search a commitment to human well being, a search for truth, and a respect for others. for truth, and a respect for others. (Carr and Kemmis, 1986, (Carr and Kemmis, 1986,

pg. 190)pg. 190)

This enables society to act in ways which This enables society to act in ways which produce justice and allow mankind to flourish.produce justice and allow mankind to flourish.(Smith, 2005, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm#contribution)(Smith, 2005, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm#contribution)

Teachers as Cultural Workers:Teachers as Cultural Workers:Letters to those who Dare TeachLetters to those who Dare Teach

Fourth Letter-Fourth Letter-On the Indispensable Qualities of progressive On the Indispensable Qualities of progressive

Teachers for Their Better PerformanceTeachers for Their Better Performance

Attributes Indispensable to Progressive Attributes Indispensable to Progressive TeachersTeachers

Humility – requiring courage, self-confidence, self-respect, and respect for othersHumility – requiring courage, self-confidence, self-respect, and respect for others Lovingness – no only for the student, but also toward the process of learningLovingness – no only for the student, but also toward the process of learning Courage – to fight, to love, and to conquer fears to be a political agent of change to Courage – to fight, to love, and to conquer fears to be a political agent of change to

improve democracy.improve democracy. Tolerance – requires respect, discipline, and ethics. Tolerance – requires respect, discipline, and ethics. Decisiveness – ability to make decisionsDecisiveness – ability to make decisions Security – confidence in one’s actionsSecurity – confidence in one’s actions Wisdom – to use both patience and impatience in unison to work patiently impatient, Wisdom – to use both patience and impatience in unison to work patiently impatient,

never surrendering entirely to either.never surrendering entirely to either. Verbal Parsimony – Those who live in the assumption of patience-impatience will Verbal Parsimony – Those who live in the assumption of patience-impatience will

rarely lose control over their words; they will rarely exceed the limits of considered yet rarely lose control over their words; they will rarely exceed the limits of considered yet energetic discourse. energetic discourse.

Progressive Teacher Qualities Create Progressive Teacher Qualities Create Schools produce:Schools produce:

thinkingthinking participationparticipation creationcreation Speaking/DialogueSpeaking/Dialogue lovelove Ability to guessAbility to guess and passionately embraces and says yes to life.and passionately embraces and says yes to life.

A school which does not quiet down and quit.A school which does not quiet down and quit.

Teachers RightsTeachers Rights

Freedom in TeachingFreedom in Teaching The right to speakThe right to speak The right to better conditions for pedagogical The right to better conditions for pedagogical

workwork The right to paid sabbaticals for continuing The right to paid sabbaticals for continuing

educationeducation The right to be coherentThe right to be coherent The right to criticize the authorities without The right to criticize the authorities without

fear of retaliation.fear of retaliation. The right and duty to be serious and coherent The right and duty to be serious and coherent

and to not have to lie to survive. and to not have to lie to survive.

Bibliography of Freire Bibliography of Freire WorksWorks

Education as a Practice of Freedom (1967, 1974) Cultural action for freedom (1968, 1970) Pedagogy of the oppressed (1968, 1970) Extension or communication? (1969, 1973) The political literacy process (1970) Witness to liberation, in Seeing education whole (1970) Education for Critical Consciousness (1973) Pedagogy in Process: The Letters to Guinea Bissau (1977, 1978) The importance of the act of reading (1982, 1983) The politics of education: culture, power and liberation (1985) Pedagogy of the City (1991, 1993) Pedagogy of Hope (1992, 1994) Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to those who dare teach (1993, 1998) Letters to Cristina: reflections on my life and work (1994, 1995) Pedagogy of Freedom (1997, 1998) Pedagogy of the Heart (1997) Pedagogy of Indignation (2000, 2004)

BibliographyBibliography

Freire, P. (2005) Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare Teach. Freire, P. (2005) Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare Teach. Westview Press. Colorado.Westview Press. Colorado.

Smith, M. K. (2005) Summary of Freire’s main Contributions and problematic areas Smith, M. K. (2005) Summary of Freire’s main Contributions and problematic areas retreived online on May 1, 2007 at retreived online on May 1, 2007 at http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/freire/freirebooks.htmlhttp://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/freire/freirebooks.html

Torres, C. S. (2002) The Paulo Freire Institute at UCLA retrieved online on May 2, 2007 at Torres, C. S. (2002) The Paulo Freire Institute at UCLA retrieved online on May 2, 2007 at http://www.paulofreireinstitute.org/http://www.paulofreireinstitute.org/