Written about teaching true literacy - not just being able to understand words, but how to use them to get what's important to you; using much of the method developed by Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed); containing the most concise, irebuttable, and scathing review of Ruby K. Payne's work (A Framework for Understanding Poverty) - primarily, that she had no idea what she was talking about - this is a book for understanding teaching from an entirely different point of view. I loved it because it teaches that you have to understand what people need before you can presume to give them something they'll want; none of this is accomplished without truly recognizing what they lack (usually, at the base of it, power and/or money). And, in the process, what they do not lack - ambition, drive, intelligence. I love the critical - and I mean that in every sense - analysis of the majority of programs designed to 'help' the poor. To help people, you must know them, not just their stereotypes. And you must be willing to do what works, not just what supports your view of them. Really, really, excellent book.
No comments:
Post a Comment