The Chart:
Spectrum of educational approaches in the field of labor education.
These models are intended to represent three distinct approaches to labor education. They are simplified and incomplete, but should reflect coherent methods that we have experienced in our work. The idea is to use these models to explore how we work now, and how we want to work, where we want our work to go.
For each category, please:
Circle the paragraph that best describes how you do your education work now.
Put a star by the paragraph that describes how you would like to work.
_______________________________________________________
#1 Social Identity
Model 1
Educator is usually from the dominant social group(s): race, class, gender, language, etc.; not representative of participants.
Model 2
Educator is often from the dominant social group(s). Educator makes efforts to overcome racism, sexism, and other forms of exclusion.
Model 3
Participants are from groups involved in base. They build a group that is inclusive of all social groups and work against discrimination.
#2 Teaching techniques
Model 1
Educator lectures most of the time, with limited opportunity for questions and answers. (May use audiovisual or other presentation formats.)
Model 2
Educator teaches and entertains participants, using mix of presentation and participatory techniques. Some tasks and roles, like note taker, are assigned to participant volunteers.
Model 3
Participants teach each other, alternating the jobs of facilitating, taking notes, planning the agenda, doing background research, etc. They use participatory techniques to organize the learning process.
#3 What participants do
Model 1
Participants take notes and ask few questions. Educator occasionally asks questions to which s/he already has the answer, to hold participants' attention or to test them.
Model 2
Participants ask questions and speak in small group discussions. The educator guides the discussions, framing the issues ahead of time or using leading questions to raise particular points.
Model 3
Participants speak, ask questions, present, etc. There is extensive dialogue and a mix of whole group and small group discussion. Most questions are open-ended.
#4 Goals
Model 1
The educator operates within pre-established institutional goals and designs the agenda to meet those goals. The sponsoring institution supervises the educator and holds her/him accountable.
Model 2
The educator has some leeway to define the goals, determine the content, and set the agenda.
Model 3
The educator uses sharing activities to incorporate participants' goals into her/his plan. The participants collaborate to define the goals, determine the content and set the agenda based on their needs, concerns, and ambitions. Participants control the process democratically.
#5 Purpose and Aim
Model 1
The purpose of the education is to transfer the knowledge and vision of the institution to the participants and to certify their accomplishment of the institution's goals. The aim is to reproduce the existing power relations.
Model 2
The purpose of the education is to transfer the educator's knowledge to the participants in a way that is relevant to them, within the strategic goals set by the institution. The aim is to create new leadership for existing institutions.
Model 3
The purpose of the education is to enable the group to understand their conditions, develop strategies for change, and take collective action. The aim is to transform their conditions.
#6 Outcome
Model 1
Educators and participants are required to fit in with the institution and accept and promulgate the agenda set by those in power.
Model 2
By sharing their experience with problems identified by the institution, and studying its goals and methods, participants are brought into the activities of the institution, and given skills they can apply in their lives.
Model 3
Participants build a spiral process in which they share and analyze experiences, identify common problems, develop strategies, take collective action, then repeat the process.
#7 How participants see educator
Model 1
Participants see the educator as an expert who stands above and apart from them and has power over them. They may be intimidated by the educator.
Model 2
Participants see the educator as a friendly, talented, consultant. They may feel the educator is approachable and supportive.
Model 3
Participants see educators as a resource they can use in their work: a source for educational techniques, methods and materials. They see the educator as having a secondary role.
#8 Why participants come
Model 1
Participants attend because it is required as part of a set of obligations they have to meet (for their job, union position, etc.).
Model 2
Participants attend because the process is fun and rewarding and they see the education as valuable to them in their lives (for their job, union position, etc.).
Model 3
Participants attend because the educational process helps them become more effective and powerful in pursuing their collective goals (on the job, in the union, etc.).
#9 Success
Model 1
Educator encourages participants to strive and succeed as individuals, according to the standards defined by the institution. Educator measures their progress.
Model 2
Educator encourages participants to work together and to succeed as individuals. Educator measures participants' success as a group and individually.
Model 3
Participants encourage each other to work collaboratively to achieve the group's goals. Participants evaluate their work in terms of the goals they set.
#10 Resources
Model 1
Institution and educator produce and control the learning resources (space, materials, time for research, etc.).
Model 2
Institution and educator produce and control learning resources and make use of participants' resources (skills, experiences, etc.).
Model 3
Participants produce and control learning resources. They use their own resources and make use of outside resources (space, educators, materials, etc.).
#11 Relation to labor organizations
Model 1
Institution relates closely to official labor organizations at top levels of hierarchies. There is a relation of trust and a contractual or financial relation between the institution and the labor organization(s). The educator is an employee, with limited authority. Decision-making is hierarchical.
Model 2
The institution has some independence from official labor organizations, though there may be some political or financial dependence. The educator has relative autonomy but must remain politically neutral and support the institution's goals. The educator is an employee. Decision-making is hierarchical, with input.
Model 3
Participants are engaged in common struggles. The educational process is independent and voluntary. Participants are equal players and have autonomy in the educational process. There is a relation of trust and interdependence among the participants. Decision-making is democratic.