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Who Taught You That? Why Paulo Freire's Ideas Are More Urgent Than Ever

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@jorgebscomm for @empowervmedia [Image credit: epitome ] I n 1964, a Brazilian literacy educator was arrested by a military junta for teaching peasants to read; not as a technical skill, but as an act of political awakening. His name was Paulo Freire. He was imprisoned for seventy days, then exiled. The book he wrote in exile, Pedagogy of the Oppressed , became the third most cited academic text in the social sciences worldwide. It was also banned in the country that made it necessary. Today, Freire's framework is a structurally prescient toolkit for an era of algorithmic information management, concentrated media power, and psychological manipulation at scale — and it may be the most important thing we haven't been taught. Freire's central critique was of what he called the banking model of education : the treatment of students as passive receptacles into which educators deposit pre-approved knowledge. The banking model fails pedagogically as it actively reproduces t...

A New Era of Connectivity: Decentralised Social Media Ecosystems

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By  @jorgebscomm for @empowervmedia FACT CHECKED ✅ A s concerns about data privacy, censorship, and monopolistic practices grow, decentralised social media ecosystems present a promising alternative. This article explores the concept of decentralised social media, its benefits, challenges, and potential impact on society. By understanding the principles and implications of decentralised platforms, we can envision a more democratic and secure digital future. Decentralised social media ecosystems present a promising solution to concerns about privacy, censorship, and monopolistic practices. (📷:  williambrackman ) The Shift Towards Decentralisation In an age where a few major corporations dominate the social media landscape , concerns about data privacy , content censorship , and monopolistic practices have become increasingly prominent. Decentralised social media ecosystems offer a compelling alternative, promising greater user control , privacy , and freedom of expression ....