Module 2 delves deeply into how education influences power and identity, particularly when
viewed through the lens of ethnic studies. The message couldn’t be clearer: education isn’t
neutral. It either maintains the status quo or shakes things up. What really caught my attention
was how all the readings and films insist that traditional schooling pushes students to accept
inequality, while ethnic studies gives them the tools to think critically and fight back.
Freire’s “banking method” idea is central here. He says schools treat students like empty vaults,
just waiting to be filled up with information, instead of letting them participate in their own
learning. That hits even harder when you see the student activism in Agents of Change: The
Longest Student Strike in U.S. History, students flat-out refused to let the education system
erase their identities, demanding something that actually mirrored their lives. And those clips
from CNN and HBO? They show these battles are still alive, especially as ethnic studies get
challenged or banned.
The common thread is that education can set people free, but only if it’s rebuilt around real
conversations, representation, and some sharp thinking. Ethnic studies classrooms like the
ones in the videos help students tie lessons to their own stories and the world around them,
basically flipping the “banking model” upside down. At the same time, all the resistance these
programs face shows just how much they threaten the people in charge.
Discussion Points
Freire – Pedagogy of the Oppressed
1. Freire says the “banking model” pretty much turns students into robots, just memorising
information instead of actually thinking for themselves. If schools never push students to
question anything, is that education, or is it just control? And honestly, do you see this
popping up in today’s classrooms that are obsessed with testing and rote memorisation?
2. He talks a lot about dialogue; it’s supposed to be the way forward. But let’s be real:
schools still have hierarchies, and teachers still hold most of the power. Can you actually
get equal dialogue in a traditional classroom, or is there always a bit of top-down
control?
3. Freire links education directly to bigger systems of oppression, which makes you
wonder, can education alone create social change, or do you need political and
economic shifts to really make a difference?
Agents of Change: The Longest Student Strike in U.S. History
1. Students in the film risked everything for ethnic studies. That says a lot about how much
representation matters in education. Would students today stand up like that, risking
their own success just to change the curriculum?
2. The strike didn’t happen because schools wanted it; they dug their heels in until students
forced their hand. Does this mean real change only happens when people disrupt the
system, not by waiting for slow, gradual reforms?
3. The film shows students from all kinds of backgrounds coming together. In today’s world,
could we pull off that kind of unity, or have divisions made big student movements
harder to achieve?
Visiting an Ethnic Studies Class – CNN
1. The CNN classroom focused on dialogue, identity, and real experiences. How does this
shake up our idea of what “academic” knowledge even means?
2. People say ethnic studies is too political or biased, but honestly, every form of education
pushes some perspective. Is “neutral” education real, or just something people pretend
exists?
3. Students in the video seemed way more invested in what they were learning. Should
student engagement and personal connection matter just as much as test scores?
An Ethnic Studies Program Sued The Lawmakers That Banned It (HBO)
1. When lawmakers step in and ban ethnic studies, it raises the question of who gets to
decide what students learn. Should politicians control the curriculum, or is that a job for
teachers and the local community?
2. Education is clearly political. If the things we learn are up for debate, how do students
develop critical thinking without just soaking up whatever agenda is pushed?
3. Attempting to ban these programs seems like an effort to wipe out certain stories. What
does that say about how knowledge shapes power and shapes who remembers history?
Dr Q Pedagogy of the Oppressed
1. The video highlights how ethnic studies ties what students learn to who they are. It
makes you wonder if traditional education left out voices that matter, and what does that
mean for how students understand themselves and the world around them?
2. You can see students getting more into the work when it actually matters to their lives.
It’s a lot like what Freire talked about: learning by really thinking and participating, not
just memorising facts. Maybe we should put this kind of engagement at the center,
instead of sticking to old-school teaching.
3. There’s also the argument that ethnic studies make students sharper about social
issues. When school pushes students to question power and the world’s systems, does
that automatically make it political? And honestly, is that something we should worry
about, or is it exactly what education’s supposed to do?
Closing Reflection
Module 2 shifted my view of education. It’s not just about absorbing facts; it’s about shaping
identity, power, and resistance. Freire lays out the theory, and the films fill in the reality, showing
the fights happening right now for meaningful, empowering education. Together, they make it
clear: education’s future comes down to whether we keep students passive or turn them into
active thinkers able to question and change the world around them.