The pedagogical framework for this project draws on several approaches from fields such as Education, Philosophy, Psychology, Cultural Studies, ICT, Media Studies, and Communications.
Inspired by John Dewey, we take a progressive and transformative approach to education, emphasizing the development of the human potential through exploration and experimentation, always in connection with the environment. We borrow Paulo Freire’s ideas on critical pedagogy to create a learning experience where students’ knowledge, values and cultural references are always taken into consideration. Through a problem-posing pedagogy that emphasizes a dialogical relationship between students and teachers, the activities lead to what Freire called Praxis, that is, critical reflection and transformative action.
This Media Literacy project follows a social constructivist approach to learning, putting students in the centre of the educational process whilst bringing attention to the collaborative nature of learning within specific cultural and social contexts. We follow Jerome Bruner’s idea that the teacher should not be simply delivering content, but instead facilitating the learning process together with students, with emphasis on the social nature of learning. Just like Berthold Brecht in his Epic Theatre, we believe teachers should provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of what is being taught.
In Lev Vygotsky’s work, we find the theoretical rationale for the playful and fun nature of our learning activities, helping children to use their imagination to understand how symbolic representations work and create meanings. We follow Seymour Papert’s vision that production and hands-on practices are key for activities involving technology in the classroom to engage students in a more effective way. We use his constructionism theory as an important reference for the enquiry-based learning involving real situations where students learn by making.
Finally, the pedagogical framework owes a great deal to the years of experience that Ricardo has had with the Bridge21 educational model in Trinity College Dublin. The format of all workshops and courses you find on this website have been inspired by its activity model, which values team- and project-based, technology mediated and cross-curricular learning activities.
Key Skills
The pedagogical framework is committed with the Digital Strategy for Schools developed by the Department of Education and Skills in order to “realise the potential of digital technologies to enhance teaching, learning and assessment so that Ireland’s young people become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and global citizens to participate fully in society and the economy” (Digital Strategy for Schools, 2015-2020).
Media Aware pedagogy is also committed to promote in its activities the key skills for 21st Century put forward by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) for both Junior and Senior Cycles.
Junior Cycle Key Skills for 21st Century
Senior Cycle Key Skills for 21st Century
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