Blog Post 6: Blog Post-It

I thought one of the most important parts of Freire’s argument in “The Banking Concept of Education” was on page 106 where he says “From the outset, her efforts must coincide with those of the students to engage in critical thinking and the quest for humanization.” Here and throughout the chapter, he highlights the need for students and teachers to be partners in the education process. This means that the teacher is not simply the omniscient educator installing knowledge into the students without their say or participation. Instead, learning is happening on both sides of the equation. The student learns from the teacher, and the teacher learns from the student in many ways as well. I think that this is one of the main problems with the banking concept that Freire is trying to convey. Another point in this chapter that I specifically post-it noted was on page 109 where he says “But one does not liberate people by alienating them. Authentic liberation-the process of humanization-is not another deposit to be made in men.” Here, Freire wants to show that the fix to this problem cannot be hypocritical. The cycle of banking must be broken completely. It does not make anything better if you use the banking concept to end the banking concept. My partner and I discussed that based on our experiences as students, and our individual field observations, it seems we have mostly come away from this banking concept in grade schools and high schools, but we personally are experiencing this banking concept now as college students. We wondered what Freire would have to say about that and if he would stand by his opinion as conveyed in this chapter or if he would claim that college education is different.

Blog Post 5

Rofes argues that while groups and organizations that work to raise awareness, give support, and make connections between the LGBTQ community and the heterosexual community are positive. He calls for a more radical movement that targets the source of the inequities. Liberal approaches have to do with gradual shifts while radical approaches are more fundamental and involve a massive transformation. I think that the groups that we discussed in class that we’ve seen in our schools such as GSA are all liberal approaches.

Rofes also describes childhood as being very formative. He explains how his childhood was somewhat traumatizing and how he believes made him who he is as an adult. He explains how in order to avoid the traumatization of children, they need to be given more rights. They need to not be treated as property of their parents. He calls for young children to be able to vote. These solutions that Rofes presents are examples of radical approaches, which challenges the contemporary understanding of childhood.

My vision for the school I hope to be teaching in would be very inclusive. I hope that the students of all ages realize both sexual and other differences amongst them and embrace them and try to learn more about each other instead of victimize each other. I hope that this school reflects a change that occurred in our world as well. I think that if these inclusive ideas that Rofes talks about begin in schools and sort of try to make up for children who come from tough or “broken homes”, the world will follow in the footsteps of the schools.

Field Post 2: Shaker Heights Middle School

By “building bridges” Bill Ayers means a few different things. One way is very literally building a bridge for Bingo, the turtle. One group from our class extended this bridge to mean that there is a bridge within the individual students as they become more knowledgeable and thoughtful in the classroom. Another bridge that Ayers gives is a bridge from childhood to adulthood which is being told through the story of Zayd. The third bridge Ayers describes is the bridge between students and the differences they share (specifically, racial differences). The last example of bridge building Ayers gives is the bridge between the illiterate adults with their own walks of life, and the world around them. In all the examples given, Ayers describes how in each situation, the bridge building isn’t forced upon the people building them. Instead, there is a sort of moderator in each scenario that introduces, fosters, and supports ideas that lead to bridge building. For example, Bill moderates his students in the construction of the bridge, and he supports his son Zayd when he goes on his transformation to adulthood. Similarly, Avi tries to foster bridge building between students in his classroom with discussion. However, he feels like the larger bridge outside of the classroom was never finished, which is unique to this example. Sal Adams supports the adults and encourages them when they find something they’re passionate about to become a part of their community that they used to feel separated from.

One bridge I specifically saw in the classroom of Shaker Middle School was the bridge between student and teacher. The teacher I observed taught the math lesson and spoke to the students in a way that put him on the same level as them. He did not talk down to them or discourage them when they got the wrong answer. He gave them all the information they needed, but not too much as to give away the answer. He allowed the students a chance to think things through by themselves, but in a way also made it feel like he was working through it with them.

Sitting in the 7^th grade math class made me completely flash back to my middle school days learning math. It was really interesting to see how they were learning the same lessons I learned when I was younger, but now they’re using different techniques and solutions to similar problems, which I think is super metaphorical.