Sadownik, S.A. (2022). Emotional language-Pedagogy of the Oppressed.pdf
Abstract
Paulo Freire popularized the Portuguese term conscientização, in
his work Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970). His book noted students as
oppressed by an education system by singling out the teacher-student
relationship and offered insight into policy changes and approaches to
teaching that considered student-centered education and the development
of student discourse. Fifty years later, this paper presents a critical
investigation of the impact of technology devices used in education
among vulnerable and marginalized populations as a highly significant
and needed focus, given the rapidly increasing reliance on
internet-based technologies across the increasingly diverse communities
comprising our public educational system. Current school technology
agreements and poorly worded surveillance policies may silence
vulnerable and marginalized populations voice or agency for students
challenged by past trauma, lived experiences, emotion dysregulation or
specifically a Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD). Teachers,
administrators, technology staff and school board members were asked
questions related to their understanding of policies related to
technology and surveillance of devices such as laptops, cell phones,
iPads and school sponsored BYOD programs. The information collected
served as an indicator for which to measure the content knowledge and
experience of the participants as well as the individual perceived goals
or intentions of the participants school in relation to surveillance of
staff and students. Data collected during the study indicated
surveillance is attributed to five themes: well-being, assessment,
policy, security, punitive. Key findings included: an assumption that
school technology agreements included the use of personal devices and
schools may not uniquely identify inappropriate behaviour. Additionally,
assumptions informed the personal use of technology during school hours
with administrators and IT staff referencing general larger district
acceptable use policies assumed to be accepted as applicable to all
technology equipment and general use. Assumptions regarding the
enforcement of the technology agreement applications to personally owned
cell phones at school, were enforced during tests; and considered
generally accepted privacy concerns by students and staff related to the
inappropriate recording of others through taking pictures; video; but
extending to accessing social media. Finally, IT staff and
administration shared parental concerns of the surveillance of students
on Google and phones.
