Teaching as a Subversive Activity

What is Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman about?

• Critique of traditional education: The book argues that conventional schooling is outdated, focusing on rote memorization and passive learning rather than preparing students for a rapidly changing world.
• Call for educational reform: Postman and Weingartner advocate for a new approach that emphasizes inquiry, critical thinking, and adaptability to social, technological, and political changes.
• Role of language and perception: The authors explore how language shapes reality and stress the importance of teaching students to think critically about language and meaning.
• Schools as agents of change: The book proposes that schools should act as "anti-entropy" forces, fostering social criticism and the questioning of prevailing assumptions.

Why should I read Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman?

• Insight into educational reform: The book offers a radical critique of existing educational practices and provides practical proposals for transforming teaching and learning.
• Preparation for societal change: It equips readers with concepts and strategies to foster flexible, creative learners capable of navigating a rapidly changing world.
• Understanding language’s power: The book reveals how language not only communicates but also limits and shapes thought, making semantic awareness crucial for critical thinking.
• Relevance for educators and parents: Its ideas are valuable for anyone interested in improving education, from teachers and administrators to parents and policymakers.

What are the key takeaways from Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman?

• Inquiry over content: The curriculum should be built around open-ended, meaningful questions rather than fixed content, encouraging critical thinking and active learning.
• Language shapes knowledge: Understanding and teaching the power of language is central, as it structures perception and meaning.
• Relevance and engagement: Learning must be relevant to students’ lives to foster genuine engagement and prevent alienation.
• Schools as anti-bureaucracy: Education should counteract bureaucratic rigidity and media homogenization by nurturing independent, critical thinkers.

What is the "crap detecting" concept in Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman?

• Definition and importance: "Crap detecting" refers to the ability to critically evaluate information, identify falsehoods, and resist indoctrination—a vital survival skill in a democratic society.
• Role of schools: The book argues that schools must develop students’ crap detecting abilities to foster social, political, and cultural criticism.
• Anthropological perspective: It involves viewing one’s own culture from an outsider’s perspective, recognizing biases and prejudices embedded in language and ideology.
• Courage and freedom: Effective crap detecting requires intellectual courage and the freedom to challenge accepted norms and authority.

How does Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman define and advocate the inquiry method?

• Inquiry as a new medium: The inquiry method is a process-oriented approach where students actively engage in questioning, observing, and problem-solving rather than passively receiving information.
• Teacher’s role: Teachers act as facilitators, asking divergent questions, encouraging student interaction, and focusing on thinking processes rather than fixed answers.
• Characteristics of good learners: The method cultivates confidence, flexibility, persistence, and the ability to suspend judgment, with learners recognizing that answers often depend on context.
• Contrast with traditional teaching: It stands in opposition to content-driven, answer-focused education, promoting open-ended exploration and critical engagement.

What does "The medium is the message" mean in the context of education in Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman?

• Medium shapes learning: The structure and process of the educational environment (the medium) determine what students learn, beyond the explicit content.
• Content-method dichotomy challenged: The book critiques the separation of content and method, arguing that method itself carries powerful messages that shape attitudes and behaviors.
• Classroom behaviors as messages: Students learn to seek "The Right Answer," trust authority, and avoid questioning due to the implicit rules of traditional classrooms.
• Implications for reform: Recognizing the medium’s influence is essential for designing learning environments that foster inquiry and critical thinking.

How does Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman address the issue of relevance in education?

• Relevance is crucial: Students must perceive what they learn as relevant to their lives and survival, or risk disengagement and alienation.
• Critique of traditional curricula: Many subjects are disconnected from students’ realities, focusing on arbitrary or outdated content without meaningful context.
• Learner-centered questions: The authors propose a curriculum based on questions that students find meaningful, fostering engagement and authentic learning.
• Consequences of irrelevance: Irrelevant curricula lead to cheating, boredom, and a lack of genuine learning.

What are the key concepts of language and meaning in Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman?

• Semantic awareness: The book highlights the importance of understanding abstraction, levels of abstraction, and the direction of meaning (intensional vs. extensional).
• Language "fixes" reality: Language tends to turn changing realities into static concepts, which can mislead and cause prejudice or oversimplification.
• Language and sanity: Sanity is linked to how closely language corresponds to externally verifiable reality; psychotherapy aims to shift language from subjective to objective meanings.
• Language as a learning focus: The book argues that every teacher is a language teacher, as disciplines are inseparable from their language systems.

How does Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman describe the role of questions in education?

• Questions as perception tools: Questions shape what and how we perceive, with their form and assumptions determining the nature of answers.
• Curriculum centered on inquiry: The book promotes a curriculum built around open-ended, divergent questions rather than fixed answers.
• Types of questions: Emphasizes the importance of open-system questions that allow for multiple answers and solutions, fostering critical thinking.
• Encouraging student inquiry: Teachers should encourage students to ask and explore their own questions, making learning more meaningful and relevant.

What criticisms does Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman make about traditional schooling and teachers?

• Authoritarian and rigid structures: Traditional schools enforce rigid syllabi, grading systems, and teacher-student hierarchies that stifle creativity and learning.
• Teacher-student disconnect: Many teachers lack communication and empathy with students, especially in urban or disadvantaged settings.
• Resistance to change: The book highlights that many teachers are committed to outdated metaphors and methods, making educational reform difficult.
• Suppression of dissent: Schools often resist change and suppress dissenting ideas, hindering the development of critical, independent thinkers.

What radical proposals for teacher training and school reform does Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman suggest?

• Moratorium on textbooks and tests: The book proposes suspending textbooks and conventional testing to encourage student-centered learning.
• Role reversal and self-examination: Suggests teachers teach outside their specialties, write books on their subjects, and undergo psychotherapy to understand their motivations.
• Democratizing education: Advocates eliminating courses, requirements, and full-time administrators, making classes elective, and involving students in school governance.
• Focus on teacher attitudes: Emphasizes the need for new teacher attitudes and behaviors centered on listening, questioning, and facilitating inquiry.

How does Teaching as a Subversive Activity by Neil Postman view the impact of new media and languages on education?

• Media as new languages: The book argues that electronic media (radio, TV, computers) are new symbolic systems that shape perception and must be studied critically.
• Extending literacy: Education must expand beyond print literacy to include understanding and using new media effectively.
• Media’s influence on thought: Media influence social and cognitive processes, making it vital for students to understand their effects for meaningful participation in modern society.
• Preparation for change: Understanding new media is essential for survival and adaptability in a rapidly evolving world.