The Freire Project


Organization name: The Freire Project

 

Web site:http://freireproject.org/

 

Where are they working? (country/region): Online/international

 

What professional development programs related to peace education do they offer? (program names, content):

 

Forums

The website includes a set of discussion forums for educators to discuss critical pedagogy and related issues in theory and practice.

 

Teacher Resources

This page includes lesson plans, teacher discussion forums, and links to other lesson plan websites on related topics such as radical math, multicultural education, and critical media literacy.

 

Videos

A number of videos can be watched streaming on the website and also ordered on DVD. They include:

 

Why Critical Pedagogy?

A 15-minute video introduction to what critical pedagogy is and what it means for teachers and the world. Three major scholars/practitioners of critical pedagogy discuss what it means in three educational sites.

 

Other videos feature discussions and dialogues with influential practitioners, scholars, authors, and educators from all around the world talking about how they view and use critical pedagogy, placing it in the context of each of their unique circumstances.

 

Groups

Educators who participate in the project and wish to learn more and engage with others around particular aspects of critical pedagogy can join online groups around topics such as LGBTQ issues, media literacy, and urban education. The group pages include space to post new resources (including event announcements, websites, and videos) and information around the topics. Groups have also been formed for participants in particular conferences and events in order to facilitate further communication, collaboration, and resource sharing. These groups are open to everyone, not just participants in the specific events around which they were formed.

 

Critical Pedagogy Reading Room

http://freireproject.org/content/resources-0

 

Links to all kinds of documents, primarily essays and articles, about critical pedagogy in a variety of subject areas. The page is organized like a virtual library, where visitors can click on links to access documents about topics including:

 

 

Texts can be downloaded in Word and pdf formats and are cross-referenced among different subject areas using tags.

 

Critical Pedagogy Wiki

http://freireproject.org/freirewiki/welcome-critical-pedagogy-wiki

 

An amazingly extensive resource. The main article includes a detailed overview of Major Influences; Notable Contributors; Philosophical Principles; Critical Questions; Interconnections with other subject areas; Research Methods; Paulo Freire Centers; Additional groups engaged in critical pedagogical work; Journals; Concepts, Terms, and Language of Critical Pedagogy; and References.

 

At the very end of the main Wiki article there is a link to an exhaustive list of other related and overlapping topics for specific Wiki entries, including critical race theory, postcolonialism, queer theory, African-American studies, social justice, social changes, gender studies, globalization, indigenous knowledges, democracy, academic freedom, conscientization, and many others. Many of these entries are, however, blank or incomplete, though visitors are invited to add to them.

 

What are their best practices? What can we learn from them?

 

Most websites for professional development programs include primarily text-based resources and media, so this program is unique in its extensive use of video. This is a great resource for hearing talks and interviews with people who have a diverse variety of unique experiences practicing critical pedagogy in many settings around the world.

 

This is a very community-oriented site in which there seems to be minimal moderation in the groups and forums--everyone involved can join and post. Additionally, the focus is very explicitly on critical pedagogy not just as a set of theories, but on practical application, and what this practical application means in domains from teaching to teacher education to research. The variety of angles from which the wiki, the videos, the library, and other resources explore how critical pedagogy is used could be very valuable for teachers, whether critical pedagogy is new to them or whether they are experienced in applying it already.

 

In addition, they link to an incredible number of other resources and serve as a sort of clearinghouse for critical pedagogy information. The wiki article and library give an exhaustive list of books, centers around the world, and other websites and programs.

 

Do they charge for their services? If so, how much?

 

No--services are free and mostly provided online.