dgr-maestro-en-progreso

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Asexual woman and A sexual woman:

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Canon/Headcanon likelihood chart

So I've been thinking about @macdenlover 's "levels of headcanon" chart (about how heavily a HC is influenced by canon), so I decided to make my own scale about how likely a HC is to be true (including different levels of canon) using queer cartoon characters as examples :)

I just spent an hour making this because I was bored. Enjoy. Image description under the cut.

Inspiration:

ID courtesy of @hatreds-og-imagedescriptions (thank you!!)

[ID: a chart going from 10 to 1, with explanations of the ratings on the left and images of characters with queer flags and descriptions of said characters on the right.

10: "Explicit canon. Clearly stated in the original media." Trans Barney from Dead end Paranormal Park. "Barney says "I'm transgender"".

9: "Implicit canon. Never explicitly stated, but 100% canon in the original media". Nonbinary Raine from The Owl House. "Raine never says "I'm nonbinary," but uses they/them and is never referred to as a man/woman (also, confirmed by Dana)".

8: "Creator confirmation. Never stated in the original media, but confirmed canon by the media's creator". Aroace Lilith from The Owl House. "While never mentioned/implied in TOH, Dana has confirmed that Lilith is aroace".

7: "Heavily implied. Never confirmed, but likely true (either by canon evidence or creator implication)". Genderfluid Nimona from Nimona. ""Aaand now you're a boy" "I am today" (anyway, the whole movie has trans/GNC themes)".

6: "Possibly implied. Hinted at in the original media, but could be explained as something else". Trans Doofenschmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. "Doof COULD be transmasc, or the whole "raised as a girl" thing could just be for the bit".

5: "Fanon. Never confirmed, but generally accepted by the fandom". Aromantic Alastor from Hazbin Hotel. "While only confirmed to be ace, most of the fandom also sees Alastor as aromantic".

4: "HC with evidence. Headcanons supported by a dedicated fan's detective work". Bisexual Mabel from Gravity Falls. "People have noticed bi flag stickers hidden on Mabel's scrapbooks".

3: "Canon neutrality. Could be true, could be false, but overall makes sense and doesn't contradict the original media". Genderqueer Pleakley from Lilo and Stitch. "Maybe Pleakley is genderqueer, maybe he just wanted to crossdress for the mission, who knows? That's why it's a headcanon."

2: "I made it the fuck up. Based on vibes, has absolutely nothing to do with canon". Bisexual Megamind from Megamind. "No evidence, no explanation, he just has Disaster Bi™ vibes".

1: "Um? No? But go off. Directly contradicts canon (but who cares, that's why it's fun)". Trans Stanley Pines from Gravity Falls. "Even though flashback scenes prove Stan is AMAB, some people HC him as transmasc." End of ID.]

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Reflection - Third Chapter Done

As many of you know, I've been reading "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire for a while now. What first started as a project where I would read 14 books in 14 weeks, all centered around pedagogy, education, and critical thinking and education, turned into a slow churn through just one book, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". This is due to a multitude of reasons, such as recent employment, personal situations, and overestimation of my available time and, frankly, my willpower. "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" is easily the most difficult experience I've ever had in reading comprehension. To a certain extent, the intricate academic language of the book is necessary, as it helps put specific and purposeful labels and concepts in an order that makes the information as thorough as possible.

As to how I feel after my completion of the books main portion, I have mixed, mostly positive feelings. First, I'll start with my feeling of "enlightenment" (I know it's intense, I don't know what other word to use). "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" takes what I, and most other people, know about education, civil involvement, and humanity, throws it at the window, and convinces me that I've had it all wrong. I'm not just talking about "me" that used to be a "centrist" while in high school. I'm talking about the current "me" that refers to himself as a leftist and as a socialist.

Throughout my reading, I often felt conflicted and frustrated, as so many things that I've taken to be true when it comes to civil involvement might not be the best options. Paulo Freire's strict disdain for "communiqués" and propaganda seem heavily antithetical to the heavily publicized and slogan-ridden world of today's social media platforms and bumper stickers. In fact, I still don't fully agree with Freire on this topic, as disdain for propaganda can only, in my opinion, truly work in a bubble. However, Freire has convinced me to put similar effort into dialogue and mutual understanding than I would into propaganda.

I also feel inspired, motivated, and optimistic, which I give Paulo Freire many thanks for. This book has helped me understand the value of true love, a love that seeks to humanize, one that isn't held back by a "neutral" direction of love, but instead one that focuses on the validation of humanity for the oppressed, and seeks to love the humanity even for the oppressor, which is stripped of their oppressive power and gains their humanity once more. To hate the power of the oppressor is to truly love humanity, and thus the liberation and humanization of the oppressed. This isn't the liberal love of "love even the oppressor, as you could become the oppressor yourself if you're lucky, loving, and deserving enough", this is the kind of love that says, if you truly love the humanity of all people, then you must hate those that embrace the power to strip them of said humanity.

Technically I'm not yet finished with the book; I'm on its fourth chapter, where the book clarifies and expands on some of its major concepts. A full paper on the book is what I have my eyes on next.

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Two ideas for others

I don't keep an idea close after a week of not acting on it, so for those reading that would be interested, a paper / long written post on the paranoia that people like Jordan Peterson have with society is something that would be good to read. Also, a paper on the lack of accessibility of academic content due to academic language would be great as well!

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Reflection - Alcoholism and the Working Class

As I continue to read "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire, I came across a retelling of a problem-posing story and the reaction of the participants. The story was recounted in a discussion group that, simply put, had the aim of finding, discussing, and delving into the topics and themes present in a community in Santiago. The hypothetical presents a drunkard passing by three younger people. When commenting on the hypothetical, the participating residents commented that the only person they respected among the characters in the story was the drunkard, as they could relate to him. They immediately recognized what that character was "coding" for: they saw him as the most productive character in the story, drinking to subdue his pain from the heavy work he endured and the low wage he was given for it. While there are multiple things to take away from this story, the focus here is the recognition and breakdown of reality that the participants engaged and aided each other with, including the investigators as participants themselves. The participants recognized the source of the problem, which is the first step in breaking out of the fatalistic tendencies of seeing the world, people, and humanity in general as incapable of change.

Many would be compelled to say that alcoholism and a man who engages and suffers from it simply has no virtue. This is an incredibly moralistic and, frankly, damaging mindset. However, it is what is most often employed in the world of education and politics.

The damage of this mindset comes from its obfuscation to the real problem, one which, while it has many facets, truly comes down to a general theme: the effect the ever-increasing toll of Capitalism has on the human being.

A moralist might take this and state that, while this person might not have the best conditions at work, the alcoholism is what's truly destroying them. The issue with this, however, it that, as "banking" education (education that focuses on an authority depositing irrefutable, never-wrong information on the object) often does, it doesn't focus on the cause of the issue. At its core, the cause brings forward the result, in this case, awful conditions and physical and mental anguish leads to a desire to make the pain go away without many resources, which, in this case, is alcohol.

I go back to the comments from the participants to zoom in on one more thing: the lack of judgment. In these discussion groups and circles, part of the breakdown of topics is trying to stay away from making rigid distinctions on what's right and what's wrong. More importantly, cause, effects, and the humanity granting or destroying results of those effects must take precedent.

As I continue to post these reflections, I am better able to digest what has easily been the most difficult book I've read. Thank you for your patience so far, I hope to have a fully developed paper on the subject of this book soon.

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Pedagogy of the Oppressed and its Comments on Propaganda

As I continue to chug through Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed", one of the most notable and informative sections of the book has been my most recent read. This section of the book, which can be read near the end of the books third chapter, dives deeply into the process of investigation of a community's "thematics" (code for the various key aspects, contradictory struggles, and overall parts of a society) and how to craft an educative program for, and most importantly with, that community.

I'm no expert, and this section of the book, similar to the book as a whole, has showed me so. So far, this has been the most difficult portion of the book to digest. There are so many different philosophical and pedagogical concepts used in intertwined fashion in this section that, for my current stage of development as an aspiring teacher, it is very hard to keep up. Since I will be working on an overall breakdown of the books teachings as the point of culmination for this specific project, I'm just going to reflect at my experience so far.

First off, something that immediately intrigues me, and I often recognize myself as reacting somewhat negatively to, is the rejection of the value of propaganda in this section, as well as the book overall. "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" seems entirely against the very notion of propaganda. While I understand that propaganda as an umbrella term that is often associated with the likes of brain washing (both by our society and the book), to say that propaganda can't be effective for a good reason seems like a slight stretch to me. Propaganda is, yes, how many people have been lead to a fatalistic view of society and their condition, as various television shows, radio broadcasted music, and podcasts have normalized the very "nature" of oppressive existence under Capitalism as "the natural direction of human nature". If propaganda were only to be associated with the material that has led our social conscious to be okay with the current state of things, then I would understand the negative stigma behind it. However, propaganda can also be interpreted as tenant union pamphlets, distributed manifestos and lists of demands of a striking workforce, and election campaign distributed materials of socialists running for office. In a world ran by social media, an ever-growing dependence on quick bites of information, and every politically-charged podcaster having a newsletter, the necessity for propaganda on behalf of any true humanist, leftist, and socialist seems undeniable.

I preface this next statement by acknowledging my naiveté: I haven't struggled much in my life; I haven't gone through a lot of the things that someone like Paulo Freire has. That said, I think it unproductive to dismiss propaganda for justifiable and humanist causes because of its "brain washing" capabilities. I may have the luxury of being able to sit down and digest theory and try to put it into practice, but that person who wants to unionize and just needs to be pointed in the right direction might not. Propaganda could get that person to the things and organizations they need.

I plan to expand on this subject further once I finish the book and write my larger piece. Have a good one!

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Getting Out of a Recent Rut

For the past week I've been using a basic routine that I had generated for me using an AI. I decided to start every day at 7am with either a morning walk, run, small workout, or just some simple hobby. To preface, I'm incredibly lucky for my current situation, as I'm able to live in somebody's home with my fiance with incredibly minimal fees. Given some circumstances that had led me to decide to be unemployed, I was experiencing episodes of depression where I would go to bed at 4am, end up waking up at 2pm, and have nothing productive planned for the rest of the day.

Part of what spurred this was that I'm currently waiting on a temp service to give me an assignment in a university. I was being told every time I asked that I could not receive a specific date for when to receive an assignment, but that things would be ramping up soon for the Fall semester. Of course, this was and continues to be frustrating. My therapist, once hearing this news, recommended I try looking for jobs again, because, clearly, I feel worse now that I have no structure and no income.

So that brings me back to my routine. My current routine is built around the following: developing skills and piece for my portfolio and resume such as continue my readings on education, continue my blog, learn HTML, learn and do more writing, and learn Linux (this one specifically has been very challenging). This coupled with specific times to eat, giving myself specific blocks for free time, prioritizing time with my fiance, and making sure I do at least a minimal level of exercise has helped greatly.

Also, as someone with OCD (thankfully medicated), something often happens where I place intense feelings of shame upon myself after I go off-course from my routine. I've been making the conscious effort of giving myself grace when these things happen. They're totally normal. The important thing is to remember what can't really be pushed off, such as appointments with people, deadlines, and, potentially, my shifts at a retail job I have an interview for.

I really hope I get this job; it's for a company who's products I've used my whole life, plus the overall package of the workspace, hours, responsibilities, and pay seem to fit me way better that my previous job.

By the end of next week I should be finished with "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". It's a lot more dense than I expected, but I know this is a learning curve I must break through to better be able to digest and properly use its contents and those similar.

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

Paulo Freire - Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Halfway In - Thoughts

Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Opressed is a book that seeks to both dismantle and help replace the current model of awareness in a world ruled by the rich, built by the poor, and, most importantly for this books purpose, a world and reality that endangers, belittles, and constantly oppresses the oppressed.

One of the problems Freire first addresses is the phenomenon of the oppressed defending their own oppression as a symptom of oppression. Freire breaks down some very basic concepts to their roots while addressing this phenomenon. We live in a society where you are either a haver or a have not. If you're a have not, it is your task to create for others to have, with little to no impact on where the fruits of your creation and work actually go to. In a sense, the worker and the creator are themselves things to be had by the haver, the oppressor. Speaking of the oppressor, the oppressor thrives off of this control; the oppressor has and continues to want, even when the have not has nothing and is losing even more. The oppressor takes away the humanity of the oppressed, and given that humanity involves respecting the liberated state that is humanity of the people, the oppressor is also, of course, inhumane. Humanity itself, under this system, is defined by having; if you do not have, you are then not human. This is not to give the oppressor a breather and say "you're not at fault, you're just a little rich guy!", it's more so to point out that when one strips the oppressor of their extra “having” and power, the oppressor goes back to being human as well (the oppressor turned human of course sees themselves as oppressed after this, but that’s a topic for another time).

As a whole, the book’s main focus is liberation. Liberation is what leads to true humanity, and the book primarily makes the case as to why a radical and critically conscious mentality is the foundation that must be built and supported to achieve this liberation. A critical perception of our subjective personal experience and the objective state of the oppressed leads to one becoming a subject instead of staying as objects of the oppressors actions and oppression. By subject, we are referring to being one that knows and acts, which helps one recognize and self-affirm their oppressed state.

Freire also points out the potential pitfalls that appear while trying to navigate this oppressor-oppressed dichotomy driven world. The most important pitfall that can occur is one's attempt to defend the status-quo in substitute of advocating for liberation. This is a subconscious effect at many times, so it's important to recognize that their isn't always a malicious intent behind this behavior; it is harmful nonetheless. This is what is often regarded to as "capitalist reality", or, in broader terms, justifying the existence of an oppressed working class as a necessary evil. It can involve small things such as defending price increases after a minimum wage raise in your town or county, and it can even go as far as the common "well, without landlords, how else would we rent an apartment?". It, of course, can go much further than that.

What can lead or follow this is an attempt at "personal freedom" through the form of not just accepting reality, but investing , figuratively and literally, into its success for one’s success. Those who succeed in this system then justify its existence through the form of "if I could do it, so can you!", thus creating an oppressor, that justifies oppression, since it pulled them out of their oppressed state. This, of course, is unsustainable, as established oppressors gain even more, the oppressed lose even more, and those oppressed-turned-oppressors will inevitably be back at the bottom soon enough.

This very critical approach to perceiving and living in the world is what this book and its pedagogy is built on, Speaking of pedagogy, (finally!) what exactly does pedagogy have to do with any of this? Pedagogy, or "the art or science of teaching, education, and instructional methods", is at the root of helping us discover how to navigate this difficult world, and how to transform it. The world has an objective reality built on the collection of everyone's subjective experience, but that doesn't mean that this reality cannot be transformed. The same way we moved from feudalism to capitalism, we can move on to something better.

When it comes to curriculum, there isn't a specific, laid out list of readings and practices that Freire points to, which makes sense, given that it would go against the critical nature and the "healthy doubt" advocacy the books stands on. Instead, it mainly focuses on an approach and change of status in both the classroom and the world in general; instead of having teachers hold an unyielding authority that deposit "banks" of unfaltering information onto the student, the relationship between teacher and student becomes one and the same, "student-teachers" and "teacher-students". This approach helps develop collaborative problem solving and understanding of the many subjective experiences that must be examined and considered to transform the objective reality of the world for the better. Teacher-students pose problems to the student-teachers, student-teachers provide their input, and teacher-students then reconsider their previous stances as the student-teachers did when they were presented with the problem. This, at its core, is dialogue, its living with the world instead of simply in it, and it is essential for revolutionary change, liberation, and humanization.

I'm learning much more about myself and what I can do as both an individual and, more importantly, as part of a collective. So far, the most important lesson I've learned is this: change is absolutely possible, but it will only happen once we embrace the fact that we're apart of a group, no one person or savior can change reality.

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

I'm taking too many notes.

Currently reading Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, incredibly informative book! My issue is that I keep trying to write notes as if I'm trying to write a summary in the moment. This doesn't help at all, because all I end up doing is just writing more than I read in a way. I'm going to be changing things up and will be instead working on reading and highlighting, then giving myself 30 minutes to write notes from my reading into my notebook. I think forcing myself to have an allotted time just for notes is going to help 1. get the reading done faster, 2. get my notes more succinct and purposeful. I'm way past the week I was supposed to have for this one book. I want to get this done so I can continue with some momentum. I also would like to prioritize my health above my reading. Haven't been to the gym in weeks, haven't cooked in weeks as well, plus I could definitely overall be taking much better care of myself. Here's some video links to what I've been watching that has helped me realize all these things and also organize and develop my process:

[dgr-maestro-en-progreso]

First post!

I don't know how to use this my fiancee is teaching me.