Decentering Technology: A Pedagogy of the Senses
Decentering Technology: A Pedagogy of the Senses
https://thesocietypages.org/firstpublics/2026/07/02/decentering-technology-a-pedagogy-of-the-senses/
Publish Date: 2026-07-02 12:44:00
Source Domain: thesocietypages.org
Over the last few decades, instructors have been increasingly encouraged to integrate technology into their classrooms. Whether through the use of smart board technology, the incorporation of the ever-expanding library of short videos online, and now through the embrace of artificial intelligence, techno-optimism has pervaded educational spaces. It is in this context that I have developed a counter-pedagogy, which I call a pedagogy of the senses. This is a pedagogy that intentionally centers the human experience of the world. Although I do not reject technology in the classroom, I decenter technology in preference for the bodily experience of learning. This pedagogical approach was inspired by my observations of Anna Guevara, an exceptional teacher whose classrooms have engaged with sensory experiences long before I started to explore these methods.
I have most thoroughly applied this pedagogy of the senses to the course Sociology of Latinos. In this course, we tap into all five senses to explore questions about the structural factors that shape Latine identities and lives.
We open each class period with an auditory experience which pairs a piece of music from diverse Latin American genres with the content of the class. For example, we explore deportation through the music of La Santa Cecilia and discuss the racialization and identities of Latines through Calle 13’s song Latinoamérica.
A visual experience of the classroom centers art, which is both analyzed and produced. We think through the use of art in social movements, exploring a range of political artwork and even taking a print-making workshop to participate in the creation of art. As my university is close to Chicago, we are able to view some of this artwork in person, taking field trips to the National Museum of Mexican Art and completing a walking tour of murals in the famous Puerto Rican neighborhood of Humboldt Park. Art in this space is an intentional tool…
