2/23 Reading Response: Critical Pedagogy

I was not in total agreement with Ann George’s “Dreaming of Democracy.” Several points were intuitive and thought provoking; however, there were several points that I contend. I remember in the Harker presentation (new candidate talk), a question was asked regarding his thoughts on the purposes of English 110 and 1102. One of the professors stated that she believed, in such classes, that the priority was to teach the students to be good citizens in a democracy (something to that effect). Harker disagreed and stated that the priority of the teacher in English 1101 and 1102 is to give the students the skills to be good readers and writers.

I agree with Harker. The purpose of English 1101 and 1102 is to instruct on skill sets, analysis, etc. However, I am a womanist, and I can see many valid points in the George argument. Our world is not a vacuum. There are many outside influences that affect our outcomes. I believe that good reading and writing skills can empower and socially transform individuals. I suppose I just do not believe that citizenry and democracy building are the main goals in an English 1101 and 1102 classroom; however, it can be an added benefit.