2012 Abydos Learning Teachers' and Trainers' Conference | Conference Them
26th Annual Teachers' and Trainers' Conference
Downtown Sheraton
Dallas, Texas
March 22-25, 2012
Abydos Learning International/NJWPT
Critical pedagogue Ira Shor defines critical pedagogy as:
"Habits of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official pronouncements, traditional clichés, received wisdom, and mere opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context, ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object, process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass media, or discourse" (Empowering Education, 129).
Critical pedagogy was heavily influenced by the works of Paulo Freire, arguably the most celebrated critical educator. According to his writings, Freire heavily endorses students’ ability to think critically about their education situation; this way of thinking allows them to “recognize connections between their individual problems and experiences and the social contexts in which they are embedded” (The Freire International Project for Critical Pedagogy).