hey ya'll, i'm here to keep u #wokeaf, discussing the use of switch-side debate in pedagogical practices, and especially debates/discussions of race

Oftentimes, classroom discussions/debate that are mean't to stimulate critical thinking skills and force students to assume different positions on different subjects, turn into two ships passing into the night. How do we have productive discussions about important topics like gender or race in the classroom? Well, it might sound obvious, but there needs to be a point of stasis. This is where clash occurs and an exchange of ideas can happen, but everyone must be on the same page as to what is being discussed! If we don't establish what is to be talked about, we talk past each other with nothing of substance every reached. It is important to establish specifically what is being discussed too. So, if a student says 'black lives matter', and we get into a discussion about why 'all lives matter', students are just talking past each other. Because the implication behind BLM is that BLM as well as other lives. It is hard to see how a productive conversation surrounding social justice can ensue when this is the case! A starting point needs to be reached or students deny themselves a space from which to speak. Contesting an idea presumes agreement about what the idea actually is.

When we were reading Freire, a couple of things stuck out to me - first is that knowledge is constantly being created and recreated through communication. Second, was that the best way for a teacher-student relationship to flourish and nourish an education for students, is through dialogue. That dialogue can be provided by debates! "Dialogue is thus an existential necessity." (pg. 69) Without dialogue there can be no communication, and without communication, there can be no education.

A particularly interesting quote I found was this - "It is not our role to speak to the people about our own view of the world, nor to attempt to impose that vie won the, but rather to dialogue with the people about their view and ours. We must realize that their view of the world, manifested variously in their action, reflects their situation in the world." In other words, it's important not to brush off and silence opposing views, but rather to engage in them. However, I personally believe when a student in the classroom says something blatantly offensive, it's important to shut that stuff down and maybe quickly explain why their rhetoric is a discursively violent one.

Before I end this rant, I want to leave you with two really really interesting TED talks (I'm obsessed with TED talks). Do you remember reading Dannel's book earlier this semester regarding the vulnerability of teaching? In the first chapter or so she mention's Brene Brown's research on vulnerability and love and it is super fascinating. I think it could be really useful in expanding perceptions and being better teachers and people overall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

The second one is regarding motivation and mastery of subject, a topic that is frequently brought up in several of our texts. If you're familiar with the Khan academy, then you're familiar with Sal Khan, the voice and teacher behind a lot of the videos that get put up there. Check out his TED talk!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MTRxRO5SRA

That's all for now folks, remember to stay #wokeaf
they wanna catch u sleepin, but we stay #wokeaf
#teaching

Danny