Sunday, September 9, 2012
What is praxis?
In our last class we were dicussing what is praxis.
Paulo Freire (1986) defines praxis in Pedagogy of the Oppressed as "reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it." Through praxis, oppressed people can acquire a critical awareness of their own condition, and, with their allies, struggle for liberation.
What do you understand praxis to be? How will this affect your future practice as teachers?
Prof. Arlinda Lopez
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In order to define Praxis, I understand there must be awareness of many factors from which the concept is based on. Influenced by the ideas of Freire and other philosophers, I believe praxis is a combination of theory, critical reflection, sociopolitical awareness, and ethical values. Praxis is an ongoing process, the recreation of minds and impulse towards critical thinking. It’s the urge to promote equity and social justice. Also a social responsibility that’s inclusive and oriented towards freedom of thought, dialogue and mutual understandings. Praxis is guidance to unprejudiced thinking, transformation, the willingness to change views and belief systems for the better of mankind.
ReplyDeleteIn my future practice as a teacher praxis will be my lead. It will allow me to understand my students, promote critical thinking and reflect on my own teaching plans and strategies. Praxis will let me think out of the box, and work around the corners of established standards in order to enrich the curriculum. Ongoing active research, constant assessment, and changes to adjust to student needs are all factors of praxis that will influence my teacher practice. I will work with students’ prior knowledge, learn about their backgrounds, and inquire on their interests to successfully understand them. I think it’s important to put knowledge into context, and use interest for motivation to consequently achieve better comprehension. Without comprehension there can be neither understanding nor critical thinking. I will use reflective thinking by, questioning and evaluating my ways of teaching, sharing strategies and ideas with my colleagues or peers; and always reviewing, improving and updating my plan making sources. These are all elements I believe are influenced by what praxis is, and I will integrate such to my teaching philosophy.
William Valentin Cruz
After reading your post I realize how powerful Praxis can be. "transformation, the willingness to change views...for the better of mankind" We need teachers that inspire students to discover and reflect upon different points of views. The world is'nt black and white, there is so much more.
DeleteI completely agree with how you'd utilize praxis to help you think out of the box and work around the corners of the standards to enrich the curriculum. We need to make things interesting for our students and not stick to the same old things past teachers have used that has clearly not worked for years.
DeleteRosa N. Gonzalez
I believe you have painted a truly powerful picture of what Praxis is: "a combination of theory, critical reflection, sociopolitical awareness, and ethical values. Praxis is an ongoing process, the recreation of minds and impulse towards critical thinking." This definitely channels what was discussed and all the ideas presented in class.
DeleteI really like the fact that Will says that praxis is an ongoing process. It really is and it should guide us to become better educators by constantly challenging our students, the system, and ourselves.
DeleteI couldn't agree more with you Normary. Praxis should be all about transformation, change, and everyone should be able to benefit from it. As teachers, as you mentioned, we have the responsibility to improve our teaching and to make sure everyone learns.
DeleteI find Praxis to be very complex; at first it was difficult to understand the meaning of praxis. Many definitions say that praxis is the practice as distinguished from theory. There is no doubt that theory is the base of Praxis, but it is incorrect to say that praxis the same as practice. Praxis is the practical application of theory to help solve problems.
ReplyDeletePraxis can be used by teachers to help analyze and understand their students. Teachers must always use praxis. No one can finish and say I have achieved praxis. Just as our world changes, praxis will. Praxis helps teachers to transform relationships between students and teacher to knowledge to help understand better our students and themselves.
I believe praxis to be useful and important. Reflection is important, all teachers should reflect. Upon reflection is when a teacher can learn what action to take. This helps all the students in the classroom. Students education should be a teacher’s main interest.
Honestly, I find it very very complex too. For me to answer this blog was terrible mainly because I had no idea where to start, because I am not sure I get it. Though I really like your definition of "Praxis id the practical application of theory to help solve problems" it sounds like a definition that wouldn't make sense but somehow I think it helps. And I totally agree with you, reflection is very important especially when dealing with students because otherwise you get stuck and frustrated and that would only affect your teaching.
DeleteDuring the class we began the discussion of Praxis. At first I honestly had not a clue what it was. After the class discussion I made the assumptions that Praxis includes theory, lesson and skills. It is “all the things that affect” in our case as future educators it is everything we do in the classroom. One of the most influential pedagogies is Paulo Freire and he says that praxis is reflection and action. He also said that through praxis oppressed people can acquire critical awareness of their condition. Praxis includes theory yet it should not be considered practice although many sources believe that it is basically practice and reflection. Praxis makes permanent changes and it is a dialectical way of thinking. It can also be described as doing something and then only afterwards finding out why you did it. As a future educator I will include praxis in my everyday classes by teaching the theory or the knowledge and then putting it into practice with my students.
ReplyDeleteThis was written by: Aixa Tello
DeleteFrom my point of view praxis is a continuous commitment from teachers or teacher educators to create knowledge when engaging, applying and practicing certain ideas (theories). This means that theorical and practical understanding becomes intertwined. It describes how education and being an educator are linked to social and moral responsibility, meaning that myself and other educators will have the obligation and duty to look out for the wellbeing of students. I believe that as a future teacher I have to live a life and be committed to obtain certain professional qualities and skills that will allow my students to create knowledge out of experiences within the classroom and outside in the world. With this said my goal would be to teach as an informed teacher, be actualized, and understand my students as learners in an educational environment such as schools. Engage my work philosophy and develop it towards my students. With praxis in mind, I as a future educator will try to make wise and professional decision towards my actions pertinent to practical applications in the classroom (changing students minds). Now I realize how important praxis is in the educational environment and outside of it, praxis = teaching which leads to learning and that can be held in a classroom or in the community.
ReplyDeleteJeiny L.Hernández Cancel
I believe your point of view on what praxis is, seems very reasonable. I think the most important concepts you mention about praxis are: it’s a social and moral responsibility, continuous commitment, and a means for understanding and transforming student minds with knowledge they will eventually use outside of the classroom. These are some of the most important ideas I have about praxis also. This is what makes it so complex, challenging and interesting. When I refer to praxis as a challenge I don’t define it as a problem, it’s more of an ongoing experience we must constantly grow from as teachers.
DeleteWilliam Valentin
Excellent interpretation on Praxis I agree with you on the fact that it is a commitment from teachers to create knowledge when engaged, applying and practicing certain ideas. Praxis is our responsibility as future educators and we have to remember that everything we do in a classroom is affecting the life of someone
DeleteAixa Tello
The Social Sciences and Education defines Praxis as the practice and/or practical side or exercise of a profession as opposed to the theoretical side of it (CED, 2009). In other words, praxis is putting a theory into action. It is putting the educational theories and philosophies, learned in the teacher preparation program, into the teaching practice. When considering that it is “opposed to the theoretical side” (theories), one must remember that praxis does include theory, it is influenced by it. This praxis consists of, or is accompanied by, action research and critical reflection.
ReplyDeleteAs a student-teacher, action research will allow me to view my strengths and weaknesses as a future teacher, and also improve my praxis. The importance of critical reflection is evident. On my own, or with colleagues, I can create a clearer image of my praxis and formulate ways to improve based on the data collected that was analyzed. It is through my praxis I will achieve professional growth and change, while benefiting my student’s development.
Sources:
praxis. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/praxis
When I first searched for a definition of praxis, most definitions I found were like the one you wrote at the beginning of your post. These definitions mention praxis as being opposed to theory. Now that I have a clearer view about what praxis really is, I agree on the fact that the integration of theories is an important part of the process. As you mention, critical reflection and action research are also very essential factors of the process. Without such, praxis would be useless, considering that these processes allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of our ways of teaching. Praxis will contribute to our development as reflective teachers and encourage critical thinking in our students. This will consequently lead us future teachers to transform their minds, and fulfill our goal of forming conscious human beings, who understand the value of social justice and equity.
DeleteWilliam Valentin
RAISA LLENZA
ReplyDeleteI understood that praxis is that process when one in this case an educator takes it to the next level. Praxis is teaching and challenging what has been learned. When praxis is being used it is to change the way one thinks about something not to make them change their point of view, which, could happen. Its purpose is to make that individual be sure, understand, and be well aware of their thoughts and ideas.
How will this praxis affect my practice well by knowing what it means that it is in other words enhancing what is being teached. Teaching is not about making them memorize but have them think and consider their surroundings, as well as reflect on their perspective.
I really like your comment about enhancing what is being taught, I got to be honest I hadn't thought about it like that, but I really like it. I also agree with your proposition of not making them just memorize but to go beyond that and consider every aspect that can help them have a new perspective and then think critically all on their own.
DeleteYour comment was great Raisa, you chose your words wisely. It gave me another view of Praxis, your key word was think, and this is exactly a thinking theory or progress.
DeleteTaking it to the next level is key in this interpretation on Praxis. It in fact is a challenge that we have to overcome every single day as educators.
DeleteAixa Tello
I completely agree with you, Praxis is supposed to help enhance the educations the students are receiving and they aren't supposed to memorize the lesson; the lesson is a means of knowledge that the student should be able to utilize.
DeleteRosa N. Gonzalez
I liked some key words that you used like: enhancing(what is being taught), think(to think and consider their surroundings) when talking about praxis. I believe that this is what Freire is referring to: "oppressed people can acquire a critical awareness of their own condition, and, with their allies, struggle for liberation". Once we have full attention of the students' mind, have them reflect, explore, question the matter being discussed this way they can "acquire critical awareness" and therefore achieve a higher state of understanding their own ideas.
DeleteJeiny L. Hernández
What I believed Praxis to be was:
ReplyDeletePraxis= theory -> creating knowledge out of experience-> application of both
Now I understand Praxis to include theory (being the basis of it) and it helps us transform our relations to knowledge so we can understand better how to take action on how to interest and help improve learning to others. In other words I understand it to be an interest for finding ways to transform knowledge in a way we can know to proceed or fake action in order to help us learn. It helps you reflect on how to proceed in teaching. Although, to be completely honest I still have doubts concerning on what praxis really is.
I think praxis will help me as a future teacher because of what it takes to happen. Praxis is based on theory and every teacher needs theory. Also, praxis is about transforming knowledge into a way that everyone (no more submission or oppression) can benefit from it, and therefore everyone can learn. This is important because as teachers we have to make sure that everyone learns, no matter what its needed Praxis supports that everyone must benefit. With this, praxis, a teacher can transform his teaching ways to make sure that every person profits and learns.
Praxis is defined by a dictionary as the act of exercising or practicing an art, science or skill. But praxis is much more its translating an idea into action, and moreover acting upon reality rather than theory. Praxis is not just as simple as taking action based on reflection. It’s making a commitment to develop human well-being and the search for truth, and respect for others. In contrast with practice which is portrayed as the act of doing something and it’s mostly related or contrasted with theory as the means of acquiring knowledge; praxis goes above and beyond to demonstrate that knowledge shouldn’t be the only ending product of education. But praxis doesn’t require knowledge as the means to obtain the end result of a situation. It’s thinking about the bigger picture about what we want to achieve and in the process form and alter the ways we might achieve that.
ReplyDeletePraxis is a process that puts a person and their minds to work it involves interpretation, understanding and applications of any given situation to come up with solutions. When we as teacher involve praxis in our line of work we take part in not only shaping but the future but realistically changing the world and our society. Praxis will affect my teaching in the fact that it might as well make me a better teacher. It will help me have a better understanding of people and we as teacher need that primarily so we can provide an excellent education to our students. Finally, praxis will affect my practices as a teacher in ways that knowledge is the pathway and not the accomplishment.
In my own words, praxis is basically an experience or situation to which you want to practice or improve some aspects. Theoretically, praxis is defined as a practice that enables the person going through the action to engage with the situation as a committed thinker and actor. In other words, the praxis involves some kind of commitment towards what you are trying to improve. First, you need to identify what you need to make better. Then, you need to plan some kind of strategy based on observations and techniques to make the necessary adjustments to make the improvement. Afterwards, you end up with a series of results in form of audiovisual recordings or observations which will be helpful for the adjustments needed. This kind of reflective teaching involves praxis because it is the way we practice our teaching. Praxis is never static nor it remains the same because there will always be changes in our education and philosophy. It is up to the teacher to establish their praxis and decide what can of teaching they want to practice with their students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea, teachers need to have a commitment towards their student's education in order to improve the aspect that aren't working in the process. It also important to note the dynamics concerning praxis. If we want to be effective educators we can't allow ourselves to become stagnant.
DeleteI agree with Carlos because we live in a world which is constantly changing. As becoming a teacher, we cannot stay with the same techniques; it must be adjusted with each individual (student). This way we can guide our students in a different manner. Even though curriculum's are set one way, we must use our creativity to gain a better result from each and one of them. Therefore, different strategies become part of in a daily basis.
DeleteI tough praxis was,simply the art of practicing and learning. after the class given on praxis, I have an understanding of what it is now. Is the capacity to create or transform something, so that it can benefit everyone. For a lot of people it’s used to change the world.
ReplyDeleteEvelinda Rivera
I'm glad you understood what Praxis was, and thank you for your concerns in class. It helped most of us have a better understanding about what praxis really is. This comment as well help me learn it better. I liked how you called it an art, because praxis is just like abstract art, difficult to understand at first, but beautiful and clear once over-viewed.
DeleteTo be honest, Praxis is still confusing in my view. My classmate’s comments have cleared some doubts.
DeleteThankfully for my fellow classmates, I have understood my professor’s class. Praxis is not a moment in time; it’s a form of reflection. It is the action of practicing for a transformation in educating. This is not simple, in time you will view and think of you practice in class. Changing good or bad habits and custom. It is action which expresses certain qualities.
... My cellphone does not let me comment on the blog and that is where I write all my reflections. :/
Thanks for your comments Shei. It is of the most importance for us to clear our doughts on anything we might have, after all we are always on a process of learning. As future teachers, as class mates we should always help one another when it comes to undersatanding something.
DeleteEvelinda Rivera
At first, it was a little confusing, but after we all gave our opinion and when the professor explained praxis; I understood it better. This matter is for the whole world to accomplish, because the same way philosophers kept achieving their goal for the benefit of everyone, we must do it too. Is an ongoing process, in which critical thinking, comprehension and analysis are used to perform a better perspective each day. In other words, one must transform reality to benefit all humankind.
DeleteKathleen Gomez Sanchez
ReplyDeleteAccording to Paulo Freire; what I understood to be PRAXIS is the individual awareness of transforming not only yourself but the world itself. Place a little seed of sand to better the education by utilizing the learning process around real life situations in the context of the everyday. We come face to face of our vividly experiences and how they affect us that’s why we have in our hands the power to find ways to make a change. As a teacher we need to be involved and integrated deeply in the educational experiences, we should not be abide by the politics we should allow the awareness of the issues in today’s education and the need to acquire a different condition.
As a future teacher we need a cognitive recognition of the shift of the times, we are living in a different world today and with it come students with a variety of culture, background, skills, attitude, social status, economy in others. We should be aware of the diversity; what are the student’s needs and the ways we can prepare them to confront real life situation in the 21st century. As teachers we need to find ways of transform the way we teach not only the life of our students but to go far, a good example is working with colleagues to make class effective, community and parents in a way we can reinforce the students achievement and if we can make proposals to better the education center on student growth and development.
Kathleen Gomez Sanchez
ReplyDeleteMy response to Eve Vega
I also wasn't clear about PRAXIS until the proffesor explain the concept according to Paulo Freire. It is the way of transforming our cognitive recognition of everyday experiences and take action to improve it especially as a teacher in the learning process; is not merely applying it throught practice but is so much more.
Kathleen Gomez Sanchez
ReplyDeleteMy response to Raisa LLenza
I belive as Raisa that students should be taught in a way the can related to real life situations and make them critical thinkers,not just conforming with what they have been told but take action to make changes. Especially in this times were there have been a shift in the education with technology and in other topics and issues we are facing now a days.
I found Praxis confusing when I started reading about it online. The definitions weren't clear and just didn't make sense. But after our discussion in class Arlinda cleared up my doubts by explaining that praxis is reflection and action upon the world to transform it in order to serve interests of all human beings. Praxis reminds me of the Action Research in a way, because it involves reflecting. And in the PowerPoint it says "We need to identify constraints in order to maximize the impact of our action in a given situation in the light of the theoretical framework of praxis". My perception of Praxis in the educational field would be that it is supposed to help us grow professionally, to teach our students in a way that suits ALL of them. It will affect my future practice because I will be focusing more on my students, give them the tools to critically analyze things and give them the best education I can possibly give them so that we don't finish the lesson with them learning but with a means of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteRosa N. Gonzalez
In my opinion, praxis is a constant transformation in which will benefit the whole world. Most of our philosophers used praxis to develop knowledge for the interests of all humankind. We live in an Era where changes occur within a day, a month or a year. Therefore, we must be in the front-line. As a matter of fact, it involves critical thinking, comprehension and analysis. Overall, the ultimate goal is the change that will benefit everyone. According to Freire, “Praxis is the reflection and action upon the world to transform it in order to serve interests of all human being”. As an educator, this is our satisfaction at the end of each year; when we teach our students the correct way to use their thinking cap, analyze and comprehend better by themselves.
ReplyDeleteExactly! as future educators we have to try teaching in ways that at the end of the year the students can look back and say "hey i learned this and that and now i believe this way, etc". We have the duty to transform children that one day will grow and become leaders in the community, rulers, educators, etc.
DeleteJeiny L. Hernández
For me, praxis is something hard to understand and hard to reach; but when you get to understand it, you want to do everything possible to reach it. Praxis is a cyle; a process where you take in everything you know and have learned about theory, and put it into action. But it goes much further than just practice; it somehow engages theory, practice and teaching in students in a way that will result in an effective teaching-learning process for the benefit and well being of all students. If we can accomplish this, we can make a difference in our society, and therefore, the world. This is why we were discussing in class that praxis seeks to transform or impact the world we live in. To reach praxis day to day in the classroom, we have to have in mind what we have been discussing in class about recognizing and respecting diversity, about how to teach this generation and anout becoming those reflective teachers. These and many more, are all factors that you have to have mind if you want to reach praxis.
ReplyDeleteAt first when we started discussing praxis in class I felt a bit lost, even though a couple of my colleagues and me started discussing the term praxis before class. We got to the conclusion that praxis is when you apply what you have learned. A lot of sites said that praxis was practice. But, the professor said that information was very FALSE (wrong). I learned the praxis is what I use to understand my future students (jail bait). I learned that I couldn’t come one day and say: “I achieved praxis!” If my teachers would use praxis maybe the relationship between my teachers and me would have been better. Praxis will help me reflect and and better myself with my students; even though this is part of my lesson plan.
ReplyDeletechristopher vale
I already commented, but I noticed it replied to another classmate's reply.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, Praxis is still confusing in my view. My classmate’s comments have cleared some doubts.
Thankfully for my fellow classmates, I have understood my professor’s class. Praxis is not a moment in time; it’s a form of reflection. It is the action of practicing for a transformation in educating. This is not simple, in time you will view and think of you practice in class. Changing good or bad habits and custom. It is action which expresses certain qualities.
... My cellphone does not let me comment on the blog and that is where I write all my reflections. :/