"The Critical Pedagogy Reader" by Peter McLaren

“The Critical Pedagogy Reader”

I really enjoyed this article, especially how the author broke it down piece by piece in order to define the categories or concepts he was trying to disclose.  My favorite section and the one I will pay most attention to was the section on ideology.  I completely agree with the stance that he takes on that most people have preconceptions on how and why schools should be run a certain way or who/what the problem with education today has come down to.  The act of pointing fingers at whoever is causing the problem seems more important than looking for a solution as to how we can fix the issue.  A lot of times the pointing of fingers becomes a racial or prejudicial issue dealing with where you were born to what kind of economic status you have acquired.  The important issue is to acknowledge that each person comes from a different background and join forces together to look towards a better future for our students.  What I did not agree with is that the idea of ideology is a negative concept.  I believe that ideology can be used as a tool for narrowing down ideas into an actual achievable solution or plan for the future of education.  Brilliant and seemingly impossible ideas are often proven possible further down the road.  Isn’t this what we want our students to do anyway—reach for the stars?  Perhaps it is time to listen to our own advice.  I also enjoyed how the idea of ideology is broken down to be a social construct rather than rule of law.  For many teachers, teaching the same thing the same way has been effective or so it would seem to them.  Nowadays changing those ideals and structures of the classroom is actually more beneficial.  Keeping in mind that ideologies are forever changing, as teachers, we need to keep changing our teaching towards better and more effective methods that create the largest basis of learning for our students.