Public Pedagogy

Before researching any particular topic, I browsed over the topics while flagging categories that I thought would be interesting based on what I would think each topic would entail. I narrowed it down and randomly selected ‘public pedagogy’. I then thought to myself, ‘What do I think public pedagogy means?’ Quickly using my minute knowledge of public pedagogy, I thought “The place where something is taught and the idea of where someone can be taught”.

After briefly reading Biesta’s (2012) work on public pedagogy and the idea of a permanent breakfast, I believe I know even less about what public pedagogy means than I did before. I pulled a few quotes and points of information to try and grasp what public pedagogy is, one quote spoke about how much “work on public pedagogy focused on the analysis of how media, culture, and society function as education forces…” (Biesta, 2012). Another quote found shortly later in the chapter mentioned “…the idea of public pedagogy can also be understood in a more political way, which is as in an educational intervention enacted in the interest of the public quality of spaces and places and the public quality of human togetherness more generally” (Biesta, 2012). Thinking about these two quotes, I took away public pedagogy and the connectedness to society, modern culture, and the powerful influence of media. Additionally, how politics play a role in public pedagogy, and the idea of trying to improve connectedness as a step to improve education.

Now is this what public pedagogy is about? I am not too sure. But I am interested in learning through different articles, book chapters, and other readings and potentially other suggested topics from Assignment 1 description to hopefully dial in my understanding and importance of public pedagogy. As well as, figure out how public pedagogy relates to education, curriculum, and pedagogy as cultural and social practices, which is part of the course description of ECS 203.