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inquiry_from_an_anti_library's review
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.0
This book is talking book, in which Horton and Freire conversation was transcribed and edited. The central theme is the impact of education and the educator. The educator is considered an authority figure, but need to be prevented from becoming authoritative. Providing freedom with limits, otherwise the they loss the respect of students or become repressive.
How idea spread is also discussed, as the speakers try to elucidate how to spread ideas without intervening too much. Intervening too much is seem as taking away the freedom of speech of others. Telling other what to do takes away their ability to learn to do the task they need.
Both speakers have created communities around voting rights. Each discussed how they helped people obtain literacy skills which was the qualifier for voting. It seems that the major reason for the success of the community education programs that they created was due to the them first listened to what the community needed and what did not work, then created an educational program that helped the community. Taking the communities discomforts with certain types of speakers and places, both speakers help their nations become more democratic by giving the ability for more people to vote.
The book is not for everyone. The conversation was more based on Horton’s experience with Highlander, a program that educated people on how to be an activist. It would actually be wrong to call this book a conversation. Both speakers just shared their views on a particular issue and rarely did they go back and forth within a certain issue. No real disagreement or questioning their own or each other’s views. Just supporting each other and expressing the way they see the others view. There were a few instances that that expressed a belief that some people know more than others and the need to raise the knowledge of the others. Helping people learn and giving them the ability to handle tasks is good, but the expression of intellectual superiority over others contradicts their own methods of education.
How idea spread is also discussed, as the speakers try to elucidate how to spread ideas without intervening too much. Intervening too much is seem as taking away the freedom of speech of others. Telling other what to do takes away their ability to learn to do the task they need.
Both speakers have created communities around voting rights. Each discussed how they helped people obtain literacy skills which was the qualifier for voting. It seems that the major reason for the success of the community education programs that they created was due to the them first listened to what the community needed and what did not work, then created an educational program that helped the community. Taking the communities discomforts with certain types of speakers and places, both speakers help their nations become more democratic by giving the ability for more people to vote.
The book is not for everyone. The conversation was more based on Horton’s experience with Highlander, a program that educated people on how to be an activist. It would actually be wrong to call this book a conversation. Both speakers just shared their views on a particular issue and rarely did they go back and forth within a certain issue. No real disagreement or questioning their own or each other’s views. Just supporting each other and expressing the way they see the others view. There were a few instances that that expressed a belief that some people know more than others and the need to raise the knowledge of the others. Helping people learn and giving them the ability to handle tasks is good, but the expression of intellectual superiority over others contradicts their own methods of education.
haagen_daz's review
4.0
Fascinating book where two rad old men talk about their rad old lives. Lots of cool stuff in here about how they think about education, social change, and living life. Totally fun, and seems like it'd be useful if you're at all interested in empowering the people around you and/or education or just how some very interesting people thought and lived their lives.
Reading this book kicked off a whole swarm of poorly-formed thoughts about how to live my life. I want to re-read this book in a few months- hopefully it will help those thoughts fall into place. If this plan works I'll come back and update to a 5.
Reading this book kicked off a whole swarm of poorly-formed thoughts about how to live my life. I want to re-read this book in a few months- hopefully it will help those thoughts fall into place. If this plan works I'll come back and update to a 5.
ellsbeth's review
4.0
This book was an intriguing read that sometimes reinforced my philosophy on education and sometimes challenged it. Published in 1990, the ideas discussed are still very relevant to current events both in and outside the realm of education. I appreciated the cognitive dissonance.
xanthippe513's review
4.0
Had to read this for school, but very much enjoyed it. Easy to read, great introduction to critical pedagogy. Loved the idea of how the book was written- a series of conversations were recorded and then transcribed. There was a great conversational connection between Horton and Freire. I intend to look into more of Horton's writings.
boithorn's review
5.0
"The more people participate in the process of their own education, the more the people participate in the process of defining what kind of production to produce, and for what and why, the more people participate in the development of their selves. The more people become themselves, the better the democracy."
- Paulo Freire
- Paulo Freire
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