I am a strong advocate of critical pedagogy. I believe that language the most powerful tool we possess, and the ability to wield this tool is the greatest gift we can give to our children. I believe that language can and should be used to challenge domination, whether explicit or implicit. I believe that schools have an obligation to produce critical thinkers capable of evaluating their environment so that they can rise above it and think beyond it. While this is important for all children to learn, it is especially important for minorities and urban youth, who often fall victim to implicit domination.

I believe strongly that teachers are not “dispensers of knowledge” (as phrased by Freire) but rather co-constructors of knowledge. Recent technological innovations allow children to create and expand upon knowledge in ways that were previously unimagined. With technology, children are given the means with which to engage in authentic and meaningful activities. This critical approach to teaching insists on three criteria in order to have a high pedagogical impact: children must be active constructors of their own knowledge, rather than merely regurgitating facts obtained by others; inquiry must be grounded in a field of knowledge with specific facts, vocabulary, and theories; finally, lessons must contain value beyond the classroom. The important thing to realize is that lessons must contain all three of these criteria, and not merely use parts of the whole.

I believe that the new frontier of critical pedagogy rests in the technological revolution. The internet, with its proliferation of “free knowledge” and open-source code perfectly embraces the goals of critical pedagogy. Prestige is unnecessary when building a website, starting a blog, loading pictures, or investigating a topic. I plan to use technology, particularly the free web 2.0 applications, to enhance and foster a critical community of learners in my classroom.