Monday 5 August 2013

Condoning Censorship?

Yesterday, I shared some ideas about Postmodern Principles and teaching with new media.  This morning, another thought occurred to me while watching Jay Z's "Picasso Baby":

*heads up: anyone who might be offended by a few swears & artistic expression shouldn't watch this*

What if Jay Z was a student in my class?  Would I be stifling his creativity because I only allowed him to make art the way I wanted him to?  Are my projects a creative facade, making me appear to have control of my classroom, while suffocating any true original thought?

I really admire Ian Sands.  He's an excellent art educator... creative ideas, engaged students, and the willingness to question what he does (maybe the best part of all):


If we were students in our own classrooms, would we have freedom to learn, or would our efforts to push the boundaries be silenced?  



So... if we silence the voices of our students, are we condoning censorship?  What would happen if we questioned our methods, and we didn't like what we saw?  Would we change anything?


2 comments:

  1. I just sat here yelling at the screen , "Yes! Right! I Know! Yes,yes,yes!" Thank you for making the video because now I don't have to. This is the conversation I have with myself and any one who even looks interested every darn day!

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    1. We're in such a tumultuous time -- education is in a constant state of flux & reform, and unless we take a good, hard look at what we do and what our students need, we'll be lying to ourselves about our own contributions as teachers. Thank you for your comment!

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