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Pedagogic starting points and approach

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My pedagogic outlook is based on process-oriented methods, investigative schemes and laboratory-oriented methodologies. Modes of working and learning are tried out and developed through unconventional, situated experimentation, which provides a testbed for ideas, prototypes and projects aimed at developing new educational methods operating at the intersection of architecture, emergent technologies and the commons.

My teaching practice is genuinely mediated through digital technology, and draws its inspiration from hacker ethics (Himmanen, 2002), the free software movement (Stallman, 2002), and the critical epistemologies arising from feminist techno-science (Haraway, 2002) and philosophy of science (Stengers, 2010).

My teaching philosophy is inspired by Paulo Freire’s concept of Critical Pedagogy, which applies notions from critical theory and the tradition of social movements to the field of education and the study of culture:

“Teaching as an inherently political act, reject the neutrality of knowledge, and insist that issues of social justice and democracy itself are not distinct from acts of teaching and learning.” (Paulo Freire).

My pedagogic principles emerge from a combination of two strong beliefs and powerful methodological tools:

- In the beginning, there is a lab!

The Laboratory here stands for a whole methodology that creates the setting for a collaborative architectural culture and practice, where strategies and proposals are developed through joint practice-based research. This doing-it-with-others approach seeks to generate a work environment where different interrelated subjects and projects can be explored, both individually and in groups, and a shared base for common knowledge and action is established. While architecture is the main discipline, lab methodologies encourage multidisciplinarity. Future architects are trained to also think beyond architecture, to reflect on the discipline in relation to other disciplinary and ontological frameworks.

- In the beginning, there is a map!

I understand the concept of map in its Deleuzo-Guattarian sense, as "more action than representation; the map, rather than represent a world that is already given, involves the identification of new components, the creation of new relationships and territories, new machines" (Deleuze & Guattari, 1980). A cartographic practice that "is no longer limited to a drawing that represents a geographical territory in two dimensions - but, as a tool of knowledge and production of the real, it extends to any (re) presentation of a complex situation that situates on the same (metaphorical) relations and heterogeneous elements, social, political, mental or technological processes, events, places, imaginary, etc". In-between the artistic and the scientific modes of cognition, cartography as a learning tool for collective action and agency: the map as performance.


 

My pedagogic attitude towards my students is mostly oriented towards encouraging and supporting the development of their abilities for critical thinking and radical imagination. I believe self-education and the exploration of new fields of knowledge are tools for self-empowerment, and I try to foster my students' awareness of their epistemic privilege and social responsibility but also about the importance of a playful approach to education. As Bell Hooks said: "The Academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where paradise can be created".

My pedagogic attitude towards myself as a teacher is based on a profound belief in the importance of continuous self-education through critical epistemologies, experimental practices and disruptive technologies. This continuous training and learning happens not only in the context of conferences in a wide spectrum of academic fields (whether I participate as lecturer or attendant), but also in citizen laboratories and grassroots learning communities.

The context where I work has a direct impact on my teaching, and I adapt to it as the occasion arises. In that sense I am very much influenced by the idea of 'situated knowledges' (Haraway 1988), and the radical collaborative practice proposed by the Situationist International.


 

A short list of my literature references include:

Freire, P., 1996. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 2Rev Ed edition. ed. Penguin, London.

Haraway, D., 1988. Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective. Feminist Studies 14, 575.

Lafuente, A.; Alonso, A., 2011. Right to Know, New Technologies and New Communities of Citizenship. University of Nevada, pp. 145-160.

Lafuente, A.; Alonso, A., 2010. Amateur Versus Professionals Politics, Citizenship and Science: International Journal of Technoethics, v. 1, n. 2, p. 37–45.

Stallman, R.M., Lessig, L., Gay, J., Lessig, L., 2002. Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman. Free Software Foundation, Boston, Mass.

Stengers, I., 2010. Cosmopolitics, Posthumanities. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

Himanen, P., 1999. Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age. Floris Books, New York.

Hooks, B., 1994. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, 1 edition. ed. Routledge, New York.





My pedagogic outlook is defined by process-oriented methods, investigative schemes and laboratory oriented methodologies. Modes of working and learning are tryout and developed through situated and unconventional experimentation, where ideas, prototypes and projects are tested with the aim to develop new forms and educational methods within the intersection of architecture, emergent technologies and the commons.

My teaching practice is genuinely mediated through digital technology. It is inspired by both the hacker ethics (Himmanen, 2002) and the free software movement (Stallman, 2002), as well as by critical epistemologies to techno-science coming from feminism (Haraway, 2002) and philosophy of science (Stengers, 2010).

My teaching philosophy is linked to Paulo Freire’s Critical pedagogy, as a philosophy of education and social movement that has developed and applied concepts from critical theory and related traditions to the field of education and the study of culture:

“Teaching as an inherently political act, reject the neutrality of knowledge, and insist that issues of social justice and democracy itself are not distinct from acts of teaching and learning.” (Paulo Freire).



My pedagogic starting points are a combination of two strong beliefs and powerful methodological apparatuses/tools:


- In the beginning, there is a lab!

Laboratory as a method, where conditions for an approach that involves a collaborative architecture culture and practice are created, where the strategies and proposals are developed through collaboration and practice-based research. The aim is to create a work environment where individuals can develop issues and projects, both individually and in groups, in a collective spirit to create a common base of knowledge (doing-it-with-others).  While architecture is the main discipline, laboratory methodologies encourage multidisciplinarity, where future architects are trained to think also beyond architecture. Architecture in relation to other disciplines and ontological frameworks, from Political Philosophy to Environmental Humanities, from Antropology to Science Studies.


- In the beginning, there is a map!

The Laboratory here stands for a whole methodology that creates the setting for a collaborative architectural culture and practice, where strategies and proposals are developed through joint practice-based research. This doing-it-with-others approach seeks to generate a work environment where different interrelated subjects and projects can be explored, both individually and in groups, and a shared base for common knowledge and action is established. While architecture is the main discipline, lab methodologies encourage multidisciplinarity. Future architects are trained to also think beyond architecture, to reflect on the discipline in relation to other disciplinary and ontological frameworks.

- In the beginning, there is a map!

I understand the concept of map in its Deleuzo-Guattarian sense, as "more action than representation; the map, rather than represent a world that is already given, involves the identification of new components, the creation of new relationships and territories, new machines" (Deleuze & Guattari, 1980). A cartographic practice that "is no longer limited to a drawing that represents a geographical territory in two dimensions - but, as a tool of knowledge and production of the real, it extends to any (re) presentation of a complex situation that situates on the same (metaphorical) relations and heterogeneous elements, social, political, mental or technological processes, events, places, imaginary, etc". In-between the artistic and the scientific modes of cognition, cartography as a learning tool for collective action and agency: the map as performance.




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My pedagogic attitude towards my students is one of support of the development of their critical thinking and radical imagination; of both empowering their self education and exploration of new fields of knowledge related to architecture. I see self-assessment and feedback as an interactive and open dialogue process; to empower mutual support in between them; commonality and the importance of the knowledge commons and sharing culture. To be both self-reflective and conscious of their epistemic privilege and social responsability as students, but also the importance of playful approach to architecture. As Bell Hooks sayed: "The Academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where paradise can be created".


My pedagogic attitude towards myself as a teacher is based on a profound ethical belief in the importance of continuous self education in critical epistemologies, experimental practices and disruptive technologies. This continuous training and learning happens in the context of a wide spectrum of academic fields conferences (being myself lecturer or attendant), but also in citizen laboratories and grassroots learning communities.


The context that I am working in affect my teaching crucially, and I adapt to this in each occasion. In that sense I am very much influence by the idea of situated knowledges (Haraway 1988), and the radical collaborative practice proposed by the “Situationist International”.

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A short list of my literature references include:
The full list of references can be accessed in web-based format in my Zotero page.

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In this web-based portfolio I am documenting my teaching experience by providing examples and the valuations and opinions that demonstrate it by providing documentation as evidence.

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  1. Pedagogic Porfolio Pablo DeSoto