Small Groups – SEE/JUDGE/ACT exercise – Rodney King/LA Civil Unrest

Popular Education in Practice - Basics – Practicing Paulo Freire’s methodology in group settings

Freire's program is often called a problem-posing approach because learners are trained from the beginning to look at what is wrong about their lives and community. As learners begin to dialogue with each other and read and write, they learn how to use their new skills to improve their lives and communities. Key – focus on participants’ needs and interests; learners may be more motivated if the content of the program is centered on community needs and interests.

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS

Ø Get acquainted with the participants - know about their life and work settings

Ø Get the background and facts about the issues that affect them

Ø Select the generative themes the class will explore. Generative themes are cultural or political topics of great concern or importance to learners

PRODUCE THE CODES

Ø Create a concrete symbol [drawing, video, photo, puppet show, etc.] that represents the Generative themes

1. SEE

2. JUDGE

3. ACT

Popular Education Process - Repeat 3 basic steps over and over

Keep up with changes in the situation as experienced by the participants

SEE – to visualize the situation as the participants experience it

Ø Brainstorm issues/problems

Ø Ask the participants to describe the situation represented in the code

Ø Ask them to define the problems in the situation

Ø Make the link between the participants and the problems – concrete and widespread?

JUDGE – to judge the situation, develop your own opinions/views, deepen understanding of the problems

Ø Ask – why did this happen?

Ø What are the immediate causes and root causes [socio-economic, political, cultural] of these problems?

ACT – to act to change the situation

Ø Who is working to improve the situation or deal with the problems?

Ø Participants’ critique of current efforts and development of our own solutions

Ø Discuss and carry out short term and long term action

5 basic popular education concepts –

1. Dialogue - mutually respectful conversations in class are central to real learning vs. ‘banking approach’ to education

2. Praxis = informed and committed action [the process of integrating theory and practice] – key is building community, self-determination

3. Conscientization for oppressed people - Building consciousness with power to transform reality; ‘naming the world’; building a 'pedagogy of the oppressed' or a 'pedagogy of hope’

4. Experience matters – focusing education on people’s lived experience; LITERACY; search for words that have the possibility of generating new ways of naming & acting in the world

5. Address POWER dynamics – transcending the divide btwn teachers and learners; teachers as learners; & some shared responsibilities.

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