Interpreting Critical Theory

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After completing the assigned reading, I now have many different emotions about the field of education. As Hinchey states, "Critical theory is, above all else, a way to ask questions about power." Power is a very interesting term to consider and should be drawn upon by everyone who lives in today's society. As an elementary student, I can recall the dreaded testing days that came along with my upper elementary experience. I can remember the stress, dislike, and discomfort that also came along with State's mandated testing. States all across the nation are pushing their students to the max, even with breaks and intermissions between exams. "Children are explicitly taught not to question what adults tell them, and they generally accept unquestioning …show more content…

Would it have made a difference? Maybe not, but I could have had the feeling that my thoughts do matter and that someone was listening to my thoughts and concerns. I also believe that today, our students need to be provided the opportunity to express their issues or concerns within education and know that their voices do matter and that it is okay to question authority when appropriate. Understanding critical theory, I believe that we must question our past to form a better future. Philosophy is the starting point for this investigation. "Most teachers act on it without being aware that their actions reflect and sustain a particular philosophical view of the world" (Hinchey, 31). In order to understand why we, as students, are asked to complete many different tasks, teachers first must know why they are asking us to complete them. I look forward to reading more into this book and looking into the background of education and questioning the individuals who made education what it is today and the system that teaches our future generation to come what is right and what it wrong in society. I feel that this text will be a great way to access this background and to begin to understand more about the field of

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