Transformative pedagogy

The world is changing – fast. The only constant is change. Traditional education is fairly static, with a teacher transferring knowledge from the one who knows to those who do not. To some extent this may be fine and necessary. But this approach does not prepare for change. Rather it prepares for passively accepting change without asking too many questions.

Transformative pedagogy involves engaged learning. It is democratic. It utilises ideas from Pablo Freire, such as dialogic education rather than “banking education“. A relevant education is not limited to a classroom, but seeks to contextualize the issues by the surrounding areas and people as parts of the learning environment. A problem-posing approach to education involves listening, dialogue, action and reflection. Transformative education demands active and engaged students, asking critical questions, and  search for additional information at other sources as well as those given in a curriculum. The students are trained in information literacy: searching and critically assessing the information obtained. The assessed information should then be placed in a context and used for example to solve a problem.

The students must collaborate and negotiate meaning with peers and in intergroup relations. This is usually an efficient way to avoid superficial learning and to develop deeper understanding. Cramming just for a test is as a rule avoided. Constructivist and socioconstructivist pedagogy (Dewey, Vygotsky, Sæljø, Lave and Wenger, Bruner, Biggs, etc) are common approaches to education. Collaborative learning is crucial for gaining experience in team work and key 21st century skills. See easy e-book: Together we can.

In transformative education, an important concept is the “Communities of practice” (Wenger, 1998) and “Knowledge building communities. With the introduction of ICT and online education, there is a considerable potential for increase and a transformation from a simple classroom to  complex virtual classrooms with participants collaborating irrespective of time and place. The socio-constructivist pedagogy is obviously crucial, and any of the following approaches may add to the online learning environment

• pedagogy of work (pupils learn by making useful products or providing useful services);
• co-operative learning (based on co-operation in a productive process (Note the discussion cooperative vs collaborative learning. See e-book: Together we can!);
• enquiry-based learning (a trial and error method involving group work);
• the “Natural Method” (based on an inductive, global approach);
• centres of interest (based on children’s learning interests and curiosity).

Source: Transformative education

Pedagogical approaches to online education

“Democracy cannot function without an informed citizenry”  ||   A barefoot college (TED-lecture)   ||     The Revolution of the Mind is Underway  ||  Changing education paradigms  | |   Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution  || Schools kill creativity (Ken Robinson)    ||  Changing education paradigms  ||  Seven Characteristics of Good Learners  | |  The Case for Investing in Girls  ||  Human development report 2013 | Education Plays Key Role in Advancing Women, Girls, and Communities  (WB 2014)  |   || A short intro to the Studio School (TED lecture)  | | The Moral Power of Free Universal Higher Education   || Is An End to Testing Madness Closer Than We Think?  || 4 Arguments That Scream “Save Public Education!” ||   The US Common Core standards ||  What Do Standardized Tests Actually Test? ||  Dark zones  education || American Schools Are Training Kids for a World That Doesn’t Exist  || Using transformative pedagogy when teaching online   ||  Education desperately needs a revolution? Agree or disagree?  ||  Active learning – How to create an active classroom experience with technology.    ||  Sir Ken Robinson – Learning {Re}imagined   ||  How Memory, Focus and Good Teaching Can Work Together to Help Kids Learn  ||  Project based learning  ||  Curiosity: The Heart of Lifelong Learning  ||  8 Ways to Develop Critical Thinking Skills with EdTech || Using transformative pedagogy when teaching online || What Is Education? Insights from the World’s Greatest Minds  ||

Transformative pedagogy prepares people for change.

Transformation now
Our economic system depends on GROWTH. However,  the Earth’s  ecological systems breaks down from more economic  growth.

We need a transition from the present consumer society to a sustainable society. To ease the transition, we must collectively learn to cooperate, to treat each other and the earth with dignity and respect. In short, we need a paradigm shift.

Stages in a paradigm shift 
We have had a good period of economic growth and millions of people have been improving their living conditions. However, the basic conditions for this improvement are not stable, as can be seen in the present financial crises.

Many of us gradually become aware of an accumulation of unsolved problems like climate change, peak oil, enormous capital accumulation in “wrong” places,  depletion of ecosystems, pollution, lack of freshwater, depletion of natural resources, more storms, floods and droughts etc. As an increasing number of people become aware of the problems, there will also be a number of increasingly vocal and aggressive paradigm defenders. They will propose more and more extreme and absurd measures to prevent change, and they will aggressively deny reality.

At certain points there will be increasingly severe crises. There will be acute problems and non-linear, dramatic shifts. Extreme and unpopular measures will be taken. There will be a rapid depletion of the resource base, and important actors within the old paradigm will understand the picture, and leave the old ways of solving problems. At this stage there will be a competition for finding radical solutions – a paradigm competition. This stage requires creativity and an ability to think “outside the box”. A new paradigm will be established after a more or less painful transition. The sooner we start working on the transition, the better.

The Earth – our pale blue dot   |  Transactional vs. Transformational: What Kind of Teacher Do You Hope Your Kid Will Have? ||

The Movement Action Plan: A Strategic Framework Describing The Eight Stages of Successful Social Movements

Over to a green economy  ||   The sustainable society of 2040

5 Things We Learned in 2013 That Could Move the Needle on Sustainability

The State of the Debate on Climate Change: Transformational Change Needed

Development must be about transformation

The Question Game: A Playful Way To Teach Critical Thinking

Claims, Evidence, Reasoning

Public Intellectuals Against the Neoliberal University  ||  Critical thinking   ||    Do you think?  ||  Open mindedness and critical thinking  ||  7 skills that students need  ||  Foundation of critical thinking  ||  Critical thinking introduction (academic video lecture)

Ten top tips for transformation

Global Citizenship Education | UNESCO 2014 | Preparing learners for the challenges of the 21st century

Flipping the classroom   ||   Flip teaching  | |   Why I gave up flipped instruction  ||   The future of education,  ||

5 Everyday Actions That Help Leaders Grow

School Is a Prison — And Damaging Our Kids

“Reign of Error”: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools  |   5 Devastating Facts About Charter Schools You Won’t Hear from the ‘National School Choice Week’ Propaganda Campaign  |  What’s Wrong With the Test-Centered School? |

Critical thinking for dummies in short videos: 1  2   3   4   5   6

Critical thinking for children 1  |   Critical thinking for children 2

Critical thinking for children 3  |  Critical thinking for children 4

Critical thinking for children 5

Recharge learning – critical thinking

10 Great Critical Thinking Activities That Engage Your Students

Reality-based learning  ||   How social media can drive the growth of sustainability

Why Americans are so ignorant  ||  How Schools Have Become Dead Zones of the Imagination  || Is There an Alternative to Accountability-Based, Corporate Education Reform? ||  How Pakistan fails its children (NYT Oct 2014) ||

Community based adaptation courses