New: International Journal of Critical Pedagogy

Joe Kincheloe's introduction to the new International Journal of Critical Pedagogy. Exciting! Here is the first issue. (Also worth reading, Kincheloe's book, Critical Pedagogy.) The Freire project has also launched a number of blogs, although I'm not sure of the frequency of posts.

The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy wants to be an open-access on-line journal, totally uninterested in turning a monetary profit for anybody or any organization, that helps redefine the nature of critical scholarship (and scholarship in general), transformative community building, individual and social change, and education. We want to be brave in the struggles against the oppressive imperial machine conquering the world, yet humble in our countenance and sense of selfhood.

Kidventions

I've been having some of my fifth graders come up with inventions, an assignment that I described as "things that would make their lives easier."

It's always eye opening to see how assignments are interpreted. One student who told me that she had "done the wrong thing" pointed to her answer: "If I had a father." One of those eye opening moments...

Anyways, here are some of my favorite "inventions":

• The mega super ultra auto mobile of wind energy – a flying vehicle that uses air for its energy source and can fit up to 25 people and goes over 1,000 mph
• Teeth brushing vision goggle – shows you where you have to brush
• Talking mirror
• Flying pencil- comes to you when you clap your hands and say “pencil come here.”
• Pencil that connects to your brain to just our ideas instead of wasting time writing
• Never-charge laptop
• Non-hurting need that sucks up blood
• A car that runs on water
• Hair maker
• A purse that looks small but is huge inside
• Shoe tie-er: shoe that ties by itself
• Machine that reduces pollution
• Solar power school bus
• Shirt that changes design and size