Adult Education for Social Change by DrRobbins https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp Reflections on Highlander Center en-us 2016-10-31 17:08:01 UTC 2025-12-03 12:56:45 UTC hello@padlet.com Missy Gill https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134662857 This was a super interesting interview, and there were several things that stood out to me. I’d never thought about how the formal education system teaches us how to function within that exact system, and essentially we’re trained to keep that system going. Very interesting!

I also loved when he spoke about how he and his team learned how to learn from the people and relate to their experiences by strictly censoring their use of jargon. Then they began getting to know the people well enough to figure out what they actually wanted to learn before advancing their own hopes/agenda for that population (I loved his example of first helping to fill their bellies before discussing ideas such as democracy and brotherhood). I think this is key to the potential for adult education as a form of activism. At its core, I think activism is all about helping people in both the ways they want to be helped as well as opening their eyes to ways that they need to be helped/liberated but may not realize in the moment. I see how this connects to critical thinking too with the styles that he and his team used to help them dream for their futures and pursue greater equality. I’ve never equated adult education with activism before, but from this interview I see how intertwined they are!
]]> 2016-11-02 02:03:39 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134662857 Johnson  https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134676359 I think Myles Horton is my new idol. He may be the symbol of radical thinking who challenge the system. Even though he was well off but consciously he knew that "nothing will change until we made changed themselves". He became the iconic figure in which he sparked a social movement in which our society question and reevaluate whats right and whats wrong despite all the criticism and threats he has faced.  What he has said was powerful in which we educators need to be reminded. 
you don't simply teach people things, but you help them learn through facilitation. you have to understand their experiences and analyze their experience and build on that. each person have a individual seed that needs to be cultivated from their own individual identity to a community.  Teaching and facilitate learning is a powerful thing in which you can educate leaders of the community and they themselves will facilitate learners to others. Once a community has been created, you work together to become a better person and learn from each other. ]]> 2016-11-02 05:23:47 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134676359 Brian Meza https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134798937 What if all of our students, all of us, could experience a class led by Myles Horton?  He was so deeply and naturally connected to mission.  His philosophy of education and the teacher as facilitator came first, where his actions then flowed from this value system.  Focusing on people, not societal structures or institutions, sticks with me.  His view of immensely capable adults whose past must be honored and cultivated translates well into a classroom setting.  What if all teachers viewed their role as trying to help students analyze their interior, their past, in a partnership?  His philosophy is deeply Ignatian, focusing on pluralism and helping people find and nurture their gifts.  He begins with their context, builds on it with them in solidarity, and encourages them to assert their rights as their experience.  His larger view of context struck me as well – “changing society by understanding it”, deeply knowing the system first, then questioning it.  The idea of changing a system of adults fitting in, to a system that cultivates personal gifts toward an ideal of collaboration also reminds me of the dissonance required for any change.  His relentless commitment to facilitating leadership with storytelling and analogies reminded me that what we do with our students on a daily basis is also a step toward larger systemic change (moving from context and experience to ACTION).

]]> 2016-11-02 14:49:28 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134798937 Diane Tyshkun https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134964296 Myles Horton has always been an advocate for his beliefs. In fact the video begins by stating  that he has been locked up, beaten, and in handcuffs for standing up for his beliefs. Imagine if we fought so fiercely for what we believe in. His quote “nothing will change until we change really stuck to me. It is incredible that Myles horton opened up a school with the mission of teaching individuals to take charge of their lives and the circumstances they are currently facing. Myles Horton showed the true potential of using adult education as a form of activism. He used adult education to make a  visible difference in the world. His entire goal was to empower individuals so that they are able to stand up for their rights, and beliefs. Highlanders philosophy was the belief in people and not institutions. He went on to state that the true purpose of education is to prepare people to live to their fullest potential. In his eyes school systems are simply preparing individuals to fit into the current system, whatever that may be. Instead, we need to be teaching students to be individuals. All of Myles Horton’s thoughts allowed me to realize the true power we have as adult educators. We have the ability to inspire and empower individuals to reach their fullest potential. We need to encourage adults to become critical thinkers and stand up for their rights. We have the ability to ignite change!

It would been so incredible to experience his teaching! This was incredibly inspiring!

]]> 2016-11-03 01:23:54 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/134964296 Feney Perez https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135439877 "Nothing will change, until we change -- until we throw off our dependence and act for ourselves." –Myles Horton 

The potential for adult education as a form of activism is that significant learning experiences and real liberation is achieved through participation.  Therefore, educators also take on role of the activists in helping to link education to participation in social change. Myles Horton’s participatory approach to adult education supports democratic social change because he argues that information and empowerment can be put in the hands of oppressed people.  Horton’s belief that poor working-class people could learn to take charge of their lives and circumstances reminds me of Paulo Freire’s transformative education and liberation.  Both Horton & Freire reject the banking concept of education and helping people discover within themselves “the courage and ability to confront reality and change it.”  In connecting this video to this week’s reading on critical thinking, Myles Horton uses his privilege (white, male, cis) to leverage social change and he shares how he has put his life on the line (beat up, locked up, handcuffed etc) in support of his values and beliefs.  How many of us can truly say that? As for how I plan to use this new form of knowledge towards democratic social change, I feel that I first need to liberate my own education and deficit modes of thinking before I can ignite capacity in others but I believe that my participation in this process is the most critical step as Horton states in the opening quote. 

]]> 2016-11-04 16:30:50 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135439877 Sara Robertson https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135571292 How have I never heard of Miles Horton?! Or if I had, why did his name and mission stick with me!? His humanity, humor and  intelligence are deeply inspiring. There are so many gems in this interview. I love that he was inspired by the Bible and Shelley. I especially love how he explained that "you don't teach people things--you help them to learn," and that you learn how people learn so that you can help. His whole life was rooted in helping people understand that they have power, and that they just need guidance to  realize it. He puts motivation squarely on the shoulders of the learners, but argues that it is an educators' role to help them realize their power. His immersion in and understanding of the poverty his communities experienced gave him a unique perspective on how "small" people can make big waves. For me as an educator, it means letting my students them know in my word and deed that they matter, that they can make a difference if they choose, and that they can choose to free themselves of some of the rules that we assume we all must obey if we want to succeed.]]> 2016-11-05 22:15:13 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135571292 Rose Ann E. Gutierrez https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135582232 I find it fascinating that this interview took place in 1981, yet the ideas Myles Horton discussed is still relevant in today's society. Although we have seen changes throughout American history, unjust institutions and inequitable systems are still very much in tact. Horton's work has continuously been to challenge the system through social advocacy and activism; additionally, he has learned to help others learn about themselves and used this tool to empower them to be leaders. I wholeheartedly agreed when he said that he doesn't believe we live in a democracy because for a true democracy to exist, the system can't continue to run its course to solely benefit those in power. Yes, there are mechanisms that may be perceived to benefit and provide historically minoritized populations opportunities, yet at the end of the day, who does it truly benefit? This made me think about interest convergence, which is one of the main tenets of critical race theory. Moreover, Horton recommends that we, as a society, must challenge unjust laws in addition to entertaining the own possibility of our own revolution of the current time. This absolutely made me think about how critical this election is for our country.

Furthermore, Horton is a great example of an individual who leveraged his white, male privilege to enact change during his time. While these identities were not explicitly stated during the interview, it can be recognized as soon as the interviewer described those who opposed and tried to obstruct his work. If Horton was not a white male, do you think he would have lived to tell his own account of his story, especially with the type of radical advocacy associated with his work during his time? Horton possessed the competency to work with adult learners and communities of color; he placed their narratives at the center, so they could understand how their biography interconnected with history. In effect, people were able to take control of their lives and become empowered to tackle larger society and dismantle systems of oppression. This type of work must begin from an internal process from the individual. Horton knew this and capitalized having people understanding their experiences, build on them, and transform not only their lives, but also others.

This interview made me think of one of my favorite quotes by Frank Zappa, "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."]]> 2016-11-06 06:35:05 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135582232 Amy Woodward https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135648365 "I don't believe in training people. You liberate people and they'll train themselves." 

This quote particularly stuck out for me. As with bell hooks and Patricia Hill Collins and other educators that we have either read( in excerpt in the textbook, or as supplemental material) the important thing is that we trust our students to develop their own perspectives with their powers of critical analysis, and organize on their own. 

Secondly, I like seeing that he integrates several frameworks and "synthesizes" them (as he put it). These include: racial equity, anti-statism/anti-authoritarianism and Marxism. 

Am I missing any? Did anyone hear him mention other frameworks or theories?  

What I like about his synthesis is that it inspires me to work on improving my foundational knowledge. He is an educator, but he knows so much more than just his subject: economics, politics, history, sociology and organizing. 

What I can pull from that is that if Horton is modeling what an activist educator looks like, and we want to be activist educators ourselves, then we must be knowledgeable. 




]]> 2016-11-06 23:37:12 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135648365 Alex Levinson https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135667883 Wow! What an advocate for humanity! This really reminded me of the saying, "teach yourself out of job." Or allowing the students to take the hand in their own learning and you simply guide them along. I love that he builds those around him to recognize the power within themselves. This is exactly how our classrooms should be run, and what a lesson to make things relevant for the upcoming election. It is amazing this took place so long ago and that I had never heard of it because these are very strong ideals and I would have benefited from knowing about this sooner. Very interesting and incredible interview. ]]> 2016-11-07 03:49:33 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135667883 Patrick Malone https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135672089 The interview with Myles Horton was a lesson in what the driving principles behind education and, in particular adult education, should be and is surprisingly applicable to the state of our education system and our nation today. The underlying message that I take from this talk is the idea that education is currently being used to perpetuate the system that created it and keeping power in the hands of the wealthy. He speaks about his early days trying to find work as a teacher and talks about how he was unhappy that the schools were not what he thought they were going to be. They were “molding people instead of liberating people.” As we currently teach people to fit into the system that currently exists, we are not empowering them to better their situation in life. It is the very system which we are preparing them to fit into which has led to the current power structure which keeps the wealthiest in power and oppresses minority. By continuing current practices, we are fitting into a self-sustaining cycle of income inequality and racial discrimination. In teaching adults, we need to be teaching a deeper understanding of how the system works and give people the tools of change.  “I don’t believe in training people. You liberate people and they’ll train themselves.” It is our task in adult education not just to teach content, but to teach people how to think critically and analyze complex issues. This is the way to enact political and social change to improve the lives of all people. ]]> 2016-11-07 04:51:29 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135672089 Lori Yu cutelomi https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135673346 Listening to Myles Horton’s interview is very empowering.  To create lessons on what he talks about analyzing experiences, building on those experiences and being able to transform those experiences into tools that adult learners are comfortable with creates a strong foundation and self-identity.  This interview was also inspiring that we should build leaders to lead communities and not to use people like “nuts and bolts”.  Educators need to believe in students and trust their students to believe to be able to help them learn and grow.]]> 2016-11-07 05:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135673346 Kelsey Hayton https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135673686 I very much enjoyed listening to Myles Horton's interview. Adult education can be a form of activism in several ways. First of all, adult education has the ability to liberate people - to empower people. I love that Horton points out that one does not teach one how to organize. By providing learners with the tools they need, they feel empowered to teach themselves how to organize. Secondly, I like that Horton points out that first people's basic needs must be met before they can think more critically. If they don't have clothes or food, they are not concerned with starting a revolution. They just want what they need to survive. That is why it is so important to really get to know the learner and what is relevant to them. It is just as important as the instructor to learn from the experiences of the student (even though, I hate using this binary of student - teacher). People will fight for things that are meaningful to them - it is just a matter of cultivating those seeds (as Horton says) that already exist in one's mind but have been squashed by hegemony. If we can get people to be cognizant of unjust laws and practices and not be afraid of punishment for what they believe in, then adult education can be a driving force towards change.]]> 2016-11-07 05:23:39 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135673686 Brittany Goff goffb28 https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135676779 Thank you, Dr. Robbins for assigning this film! I really enjoyed listening to Myles Horton and his discussion of social change and education.  Adult education can certainly be a catalyst for social change by empowering students to use their knowledge to communicate their beliefs.  I really liked Horton’s ideal about liberating people so they can train themselves.  Liberating a person allows them space to learn, grown, and conceptualize their word, which can lead to social change in itself with new ideas and communication about the choices we have in how we live our lives.  I was fascinated by Horton’s point about how we teach in such a way that we simply prepare people to thrive in that one particular environment.  How can we expand the viewpoint and help our students be prepared for anything?  I feel the potential for adult education to serve as a form of activism is ever-growing. 

]]> 2016-11-07 06:19:14 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135676779 Anthony DeVIto https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135677028 "Nothing will change until we change. Until we throw off our dependence and act for ourselves." This is what I think adult education is about. While working with one another should be the goal, when there's no one to work with i.e. a newly recognized social problem, we must teach our students the above so they can be that catalyst and start the movement and work with others.]]> 2016-11-07 06:23:26 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135677028 Samantha Huckabee https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135677500 What a really interesting interview! On the eve of our presidential election, I feel that this really pertains to our current situation. Horton talks about educating the electorate to understand how our democracy doesn't work and the average person doesn't have much say over who gets elected. In an election with the two most disliked candidates in recent history, this advocacy rings really true. If more people were involved and learned about what was going on, maybe we would have more choices that better reflect the values of the people.
I also found it interesting when he said, "You don't teach people things as adult, you help them learn." He talked about using people's experiences to help them learn and to move forward. Working with a variety of people, he helped them reach their potential and make changes in their own communities.
]]> 2016-11-07 06:31:36 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135677500 Adriana Jackson https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135682756 The quote that kept coming up for me in conversations over the past week has been Myle's story of the movement in the south and the accusations against Highlander running the show. Myles states the police came and padlocked the door and says something to the effect of the police padlocked highlander but highlander isn't a building, it's an idea, and although the police physically shut them out, the ideas were within- a powerful analogy to education and free thought and how education can be looked at today. I also had a discussion with my family regarding the Myles' thoughts on how we prepare students to live in the society in which they were born into, shape them to be nuts and bolts of a machine, and not to think or do outside of the box. It was fascinating to have this conversation with my father who is very much aligned with the thought that everyone has a place in society and everyone needs to "be in line" and have a job to keep the economy afloat, etc., whereas I align more with Myles and understanding systems of oppression and how to work around these systems to uplift students and make sure they are not products of the environments in which they are born into. 

]]> 2016-11-07 07:33:30 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/t7fz8a1f8dkp/wish/135682756