Week 2: Paulo Freire/Classmate's Comments

Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher. He is prominently regarded as a theorist of critical pedagogy. Freire gained a vast amount of skills and knowledge while attending the University of Recife in Brazil. He began his career teaching Portuguese at a secondary school. After being appointed Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Social Service he concentrated on helping the illiterate population. During this time Brazil required all citizens to be literate in order to vote. If the elections were to be well represented a literate country would be vital.

Freire got his chance to prove his teaching skills and ability to reach across barriers at the University of Recife. In forty five days he taught 300 sugar cane laborers to read and write. Freire worked in Chile for five years for the Christian Democratic Agrarian Reform Movement and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He soon wrote his most famous book, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed." This book gave him much fame and he was offered many professorships at top colleges such as, Harvard University.

Out of Freire's idea of "critical pedagogy" he preached extensively throughout his works. Freire wanted students to question their educations. He believed in interaction between the student and teacher, as well as putting an emphisis on the teacher's learning from the students. These were his ideas on modern education versus traditional teaching methods. Freire contributed a significant amount of help educating the poor populations in Latin America with a modern and new education. The Paulo Freire Institute operates out of UCLA and features many of his theories and philosohpical approaches towards education.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire

http://www.paulofreireinstitute.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFOhVdQt27c&feature=related

Classmate Responses:

1. Hilary- The stories that Oprah told made my life seem simple. the thought of either prison or no arms or legs with a precious new baby seems unimaginable. I agree, some of the stories told were hard to grasp. I was amazed at the pregnant woman's courage.

2. Kelsey- Santa Rosa? It reminds me of a little San Francisco. California? How lucky I am to live here. I love it. I also feel very lucky to live in such a greate state and I enjoy the weather.

3. Nicole- Oprah Winfrey has a tremendous influence on American culture, particularly with female audiences. I agree, Winfrey's ability to influence the media and affect American society is profound. She is a powerful voice for women all over the world.

4. Aloma- He [Obama] shows appreciation for their contributions in navigation, metallurgy, science, and the tremendous ancient Cairo library that laid the groundwork for much of Europe ’s technological explosion of the renaissance. I was unaware of how much the Egyptians have contributed to the world. The Cairo library and Cairo University have heavily influenced the region and Europe.

5. Nicole- I did not know that America will invest $1.5 billion each year for 5 years to partner with Pakistan to help rebuild their home and that America will also provide $2.8 billion to Afghanistan to rebuild their economy. That is an astounding figure the US will be spending rebuilding other countries. I did not know it was that much.

6. Marylou- Paulo Freire dedicated his life to helping people better themselves through education. I agree with Freire, education can change many lives and improve impovershed communities. Education is one of the most important aspects of life and change.

7. Katherine- California? A trendsetter state, but not always in beneficial ways. California is definately a trendsetting state. We have also had some trends that haven't been positive, I agree.

8. Chris- Muslims have given us algebra, magnetic compass and tools of navigation, mastery of pens and printing, poetry, and music. They have given us numerous things, many of which I did not have any previous knowledge of such as, navigation and printing.

9. Jason- Obama wants to encourage students to study in Muslim communities, he wishes to increase scholarships and expand exchange programs. This reminds me of Freire's emphasis on the importance of education. Obama stresses the benefits of learning and in order to achieve that, scholarships are important.

10. Lola- "Decisions come my way that require me to decide who I really am, what am I really doing this for?" I enjoyed this quote from Oprah Winfrey. I stop and ask myself similar questions when faced with challenging decisions. It is important to recongnize how certain decisions will affect us.

Week 1: Introduction

1. What is your first name only? - Mark

2. Why are you taking this class and what do you hope to learn? - I am taking this class because I want to expand my knowledge about the interactions between various cultures, past and present. I want to know why some individuals approach art, religion, and other aspects of life differently than the western world.

3. How far do you live from SRJC main campus? - 35.0 miles

4. Briefly, what do you think of when you think:

• Santa Rosa? - Santa Rosa is a mostly liberal city with trend setting ideas. It represents a fusion between the Bay Area and the rest of Northern California. Santa Rosa is a city rich in culture, tradition and originality.
  
• California? - I'll try to not present a biased view, but when discussing California it is very difficult not to. California is the greatest state in the US. It has the seventh largest economy in the world and could thrive as an independent state if it split from the rest of the US. California is a place where innovative thinkers open the doors to new ways of approaching humanity and improving our lives. California is home to some of the top public and private universities in the nation and world, so it's no secret Californians like to unleash their knowledge to the world. California is an extemely diverse state which creates a pool of new thoughts and ideas. Between San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego, there is a melting pot of cultures from every corner of the world.
  
• USA? - The United States is a great place to live. Everyone in the US is entitled to the liberty and freedom our founding brothers fought for. With authoritative regimes threatening our humanity I am thankful to live in a country where I can pursue my passions without restrictions. Since the time when the first colonies were established to present day America there has been one constant pattern, we go to extreme lengths to protect our natural rights. Some of the most influential figures have emerged in the US such as, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein and they have all affected the way people view our culture.
• North America? - North America is the third largest continent and where some very important regions are located. The United States of America, Canada, and Mexico all play significant roles in international politics. All of these areas produce significant amounts of crops and manufacture a large number of products. North America's topography features many mountains, valleys, deserts etc...
• The World? - The world is where humans and animals exchange ideas. It is a complex place where amazing buildings and inventions are created. The world can be explained through human expression.
  

5. Have you created a blog or webpage in the past? - Yes, for a previous class.

6. Regarding computers, are you on a mac or a pc? - PC

Week 1: Videos

Barack Obama addresses the histories, cultures and nations of the Muslim world, Americaand Europe (Jews, Holocaust, and Nazi Germany). President Obama does a great job discussing these regions histories and relationships with each other. He speaks about the great accomplishments of various Muslim-Americans. Obama states that Islam is a part of Americaand together we all share the same aspirations, he believes we are the, "hope of humanity." President Obama is adamant about not turning his back on Palestinians as they strive for an independent state, separate from Israel. Violence never succeeds, but peace does is the message Obama stresses. From Obama's speech I learned about how much Muslims have contributed in the areas of math, science and literature to the world. Out of Muslim innovation emerged the Renaissance and enlightenment. "E pluribus unum," in English mean, "out of many, one." President Obama believes our progress should be shared rather than formed through partnerships. Whatever is said in private, Obama will say to the public, dialogue is no longer secretive. We must listen and learn from each other. President Obama speaks extensively about once aspect of culture, religion. He states that, religions should not subrogate each other and place one's aspirations in front of others. Muslims are scattered throughout the US with mosques in every state. He says that Islam has contributed significantly to music, art, and literature. Islam and America will never be at war with each other according to President Obama.

In the second video, Oprah Winfrey is giving a commencement speech at Duke University. Her speech discusses how important it is to give back to others and she gives many personal examples such as a woman with an unusual pregnancy and a wounded soldier. His speech stresses how much help and encouragement can improve people's lives. The part of the speech that I found the most interesting was when Winfrey discussed John Jay Hooker's wife told her how beautiful she was. It was unique because she was a white woman from the south and she recognized that Winfrey, a black woman, felt out of place among white southerners’. Those are some of the words of encouragement and courage Winfrey presents in her Duke Commencement speech. Oprah Winfrey affects culture through arts and film. Film is a form of art so they both compliment each other. Winfrey has been in numerous films which depict significant historical events in African-American history and hosts a weekly television show, which partially deals with crucial issues affecting Americans and the world. She affects the way people, mainly woman, view themsleves and critical issues.