Futures Education Pedagogy - My Reflections

I feel more favourably disposed towards Jungk’s workshops which have the following phases:

1. Critique – complaints and criticism about the immediate problem are collected;

2. Fantasy – various processes, such as brainstorming, are used to generate “Utopian schemes” that might resolve the problem;

3. Implementation – the most popular suggestions for action are identified and checked for practicality;

4. Follow-up – detailed action plans are reviewed and finalized (Hicks, 2004).
I see in this pedagogy, strong elements of Freire’s ideas. It will help the learner to:
• develop critical examination skills to question the reality;
• allow for student participation through brainstorming sessions (though at this stage, there should be no criticism or condemnation of any student’s submission however grandiose or Utopian they may seem to us);
• develop and improve the students’ decision making skills by allowing them to sift through various submissions and decide on which ones are found to be most practicable;
• And by leaving the option of a review before final decision is taken, the learners are free to experiment, always knowing any error will still be corrected.
This idea of “Reflection – Action – Reflection” really excites me because it will truly make learners learn to make decisions and freely accept responsibilities for misjudgments. The fact that the method leaves room for review will encourage student participation. They’d feel free to air their views since they are sure it is not yet final, and that they themselves or their peers could, during review, help make it better.
This method blends in perfectly with my classroom practice. It certainly gives enough room for student participation which is very important to me as a teacher. It is from the contributions of students that we learn if the lesson is being understood, and how the message is being interpreted.

Incorporating this pedagogy into my curriculum and classroom practice will pose no problem because it will work well with the cooperative learning style which I use. Using the group method, any topic can be addressed, and students guided to analyze the present reality of the topic, envision an alternative future, make projections for the future and outline practicable plans for making the envisioned future a reality.