Subject: SD and critical pedagogy

Posted by Richard Turnock on 10/8/2008
In Reply To:SD and critical pedagogy Posted by Stephen Crowley on 10/8/2008

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Comments by Eric Stiens:

“…how systems thinking in general, and SD- oriented curriculum in particular, can be a critical pedagogical tool for both encouraging deep-level questioning of the institutions and structures of society and working towards their transformation.”



"…deep and critical questioning of the social/economic/ political structures that are part of the issue being examined"

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Comment by Steve Crowley

“The tools that allow exploration of interactions can readily lead to an awakening of awareness that opens doors for learners.”

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From Wikipedia:

“Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach which attempts to help students question and challenge domination, and the beliefs and practices that dominate. In other words, it is a theory and practice of helping students achieve critical consciousness.”

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My suggestions:



Develop curriculum materials for students to build dynamic models of organizations and structures that create domination of people. This might make sense for a social studies or history class.



An example might be the use of behaviorism by teachers in the classroom. Self-esteem is a stock. Positive affirmations by the teacher increase the in-flow to the stock. Self-talk by the student regulates the self-esteem stock by negative or positive self-talk managing the outflow from the stock. This is where dialogue tools like the ladder of inference might help make students aware of their self-talk. Building a dynamic model might show students how to improve their self-esteem by changing their self-talk.



Behaviorism, as used by teachers, was an attempt to dominate students so that their self-esteem was increased and as a result they behaved better in the classroom and learning improved.



Richard