Blog Post 8

TIB Proposal and Blog Post 10

Blog Post 10

Throughout this class and in completing my course blog, I have realized that the field of education is a complex and complicated career path and not everyone is cut out for teaching. There are many aspects to education, and how one handles them is what determines what kind of teacher they are. Many of these topics have been discussed in our class and my course blog. For example, we discussed the importance of self-reflection when looking into the field of teaching and we reflected on the 10 questions posed by Herbert Kohl in Chapter 3 of Educational Foundations and personal inspiration for becoming a teacher in John Taylor Gatto’s Chapter “The Green Monongahela”. The impact that our previous teachers had on us as students was evident in this discussion and in many other discussions and how previous teachers frequently served as our inspiration for becoming interested in teaching. We also discussed the importance of developing relationships with students to learn more about them in order to educate them more effectively in Bill Ayers’ To Teach and the issue of relying on generic lesson plans instead of adapting lessons to fit specific classrooms and students from Susan Ohanian’s chapter “On Stir-and-Serve Recipes for Teaching” in Educational Foundations. Ayers also touched on the issue today in the education field with administrators, teachers and parents diagnosing students with learning disabilities sometimes prematurely instead of trying to work with them differently to help them learn in a way that works better for them. We discussed today’s issues with the inequity of district financing and also Paulo Freire’s criticism of the “Banking Concept of Education”.

Introduction

This was one of the reasons why I chose to further research Paulo Freire’s work with the banking concept of education. Through many of the readings and discussions from this class, I have discovered that there are many different strategies and approaches to effectively educate students. From what I have observed through our 3 class visits, 10 hours of outside observations, and personal experience as a student, I have been happily surprised and the many different techniques used by teachers in our area. I think that this makes sense because the schools I have visited are very different in many ways, so it is only logical for each of them to have their own different techniques and systems for teaching their specific students in their specific environment. This lead me to see the importance of Freire’s criticism and alternatives. I believe that completely relying on the banking concept of education, as criticized by Paulo Freire, is wrong to use in the teaching of today’s students and that a system where teachers foster discovery and creativity, allow for a deeper understanding of human existence, and are partners with students should be instilled in our education system instead. My observations and experiences have showed me that this topic is relevant in today’s education system and the fact that it seems as though it seems that we are no longer as dependent on the “banking concept” as we were during the time of Paulo Freire’s writings.

Problem Statement

This belief of mine responds to the techniques used by teachers in the field of education and how these techniques affect how students learn. This is extremely important because if poor techniques are used in educating students, then their schooling experience is not used properly. As we have discussed in class, we all have memories of past teachers, both good and bad. We also realize that both kinds of teachers have had an effect on us and our career decisions. This affects their future learning both in higher level schooling and also learning in the real world such as in the job atmosphere or even simply in social situations. It also affects how we view school and education as a student. I believe that the field of education is a cycle. Teachers teach pupils, and they continue to learn and teach others throughout their entire life. Therefore, teachers teach their students and some of those students may become teachers in the future and the way in which teachers teach determines if their students choose to become teachers and what kind of teachers they become and the cycle continues. So the teaching techniques used in our education system effects much more than how well students do on their tests. I plan on specifically focusing on the banking concept of education and its criticisms and alternatives, however the teaching techniques I just referred to include more than this. For example, we read Susan Ohanian’s chapter “On Stir-and-Serve Recipes for Teaching” in Educational Foundations, which also discusses teaching techniques and how to be a good teacher. Similar to the criticism of the banking concept, she criticizes “stir-and-serve” lesson plans. She discusses how each classroom is different and therefore lesson plans and teaching techniques need to be different for each of them. That is the most effective way to teach specific classrooms and students. This is similar to the problem of banking education. Both are critiques of techniques for inadequate teaching in the field of education. With this paper, I hope to find out more specific alternatives to banking education and the specific impact that it has on students. I want to see evidence and examples of how affects students as they grow up and continue the cycle as adults. I believe that the effects of teaching techniques such as banking education can be seen throughout many different aspects in students’ lives. With this paper, I hope to reveal why the criticisms and alternatives to banking education are so important and relevant in our education system today. I also hope to see how our education system is currently using these alternatives as I connect my research to my outside observations and experiences. Through the class assigned readings and discussions and along with these personal observations and experiences, I have realized that alternatives are currently being used to combat this issue and I hope to convey this realization in my paper.

Field Post 9: Gesu Elementary (11-11-16)

During my third visit to Mrs. Clary's 3rd grade class, I got the opportunity to give two students a spelling test. Even though this is nothing major, it meant a lot to me and I really enjoyed it because it was something different than just simply observing the students and I got a very tiny taste of what it's like to be a teacher. I arrived just as the students were coming back from recess, so I administered the test while the rest of the class was getting settled, using the restroom in groups, and reading silently. Again I saw how interested this particular class is in reading, as I have explained in previous posts. Upon my arrival, one student ran up to me before I even saw her and gave me a hug and excitedly said " Yay! You're back!" After everyone was settled, Mrs. Clary directed the students to take out their math notebooks. They were learning multiplication and different "strategies" they can use to find the answer until they have all their math facts memorized. Mrs. Clary had them each individually think of a fact (such as 3x4) and then give the answer and 5 different strategies to find the answer. Once they finished this, they brought them up to me to show me what they had learned. They were very proud of themselves and I realized that by doing this, they were also learning the concepts even more because I know when you try to explain things to other people, you learn them more yourself. After that, they were assigned to use the iPads in groups of about 4 to make a collage of math strategies using an app. The students weren't really sure how to use this app yet, since it was new so I got to go around to all the groups and help them. I thought it was really cool how they were strengthening their math skills while also strengthening their problem solving skills. The students finished off the day by cleaning out their desks and their lockers.

Blog Post 9: TIB Essay Annotated Bibliography

Thesis: I believe that completely relying on the banking concept of education, as criticized by Paulo Freire, is wrong to use in the teaching of today’s students and that a system where teachers foster discovery and creativity, allow for a deeper understanding of human existence, and are partners with students should be instilled in our education system instead.

Cho, Daniel, and Tyson Lewis. "The Persistent Life Of Oppression: The Unconscious, Power, And Subjectivity." Interchange 36.3 (2005): 313-329. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

This article analyzes Paulo Freire’s criticism of the banking concept of education and further addresses criticisms to his alternative, the theory of critical pedagogy. Cho and Lewis work to show that in order to amend today’s education system, we must take into consideration the criticisms of Freire’s alternative in order to make sure that it is the best possible improvement for our education system. However, they also stress the fact that “the real culprit in this situation is the persistent life of oppression itself” and because of this, liberation cannot be attained unless all forms of oppression are overcome.

I believe that this article will be a good source of analysis as to why the banking concept is wrong in our education system.  I will use this resource in my TIB essay to further explain my reasoning for agreeing with Paulo Freire’s alternative to the banking concept. This article will also help me in criticizing this alternative in order to further show what actions I believe our education system should undertake in order to better benefit both students and teachers.

Gallagher, Kristen. "Teaching Freire And CUNY Open Admissions." Radical Teacher 87 (2010): 55-67. Education Research Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

This article analyzes the “archival document, “Eighteen Demands” for open admissions to City College of New York, created by Black and Puerto Rican students in 1969” Kristen Gallagher pairs this document with Freire’s chapter “The Banking Concept of Education” to further analyze if this open admissions concept would coincide with Freire’s criticism of the banking concept and his alternative to this concept.

I plan on using information from this article in my TIB essay for a further analyzation of Freire’s banking concept of education. I also believe that this source will provide an interesting application of Freire’s criticism of the banking concept of education to more specific topics in our education system, such as open admissions. I plan on using this source to further explain how I believe that applying the banking concept to teaching today’s students is wrong and will also use it to deepen a better alternative, continuing to draw from Freire’s concepts.

McCarter, William Matthew. "Education And Learned Helplessness." Teaching American Literature 6.1 (2013): 69-72. Education Research Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

This article discusses how today’s high school teachers create a learning environment where students are taught to be helpless, and teachers are urged to tell students what they are to learn. William Matthew McCarter explains how instead they should be urged to discover and create on their own. He ties this Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and “The Banking Concept of Education” and how this learned helplessness is a direct example of the banking concept at work and how it is disadvantageous to students.

I plan on using this article to examine how the banking concept is evident in today’s teaching and the disadvantage it is putting the students at. This will be one of the reasons why I believe that we cannot fully rely on the banking concept of education. This articlce also gives alternative ideas to the banking concept, similar to Freire’s alternatives and I will use some of these ideas to form my own opinion of how I believe certain aspects of the banking concept are required along with certain aspects of Freire’s alternative are the best way to educate our students.

Roberts, Peter, ed. "Ten Years On: Engaging The Work Of Paulo Freire In The 21St Century /." Studies In Philosophy & Education 26.6 (2007): 505-570. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

This collection of articles the importance and relevance of Paulo Freire’s teaching in today’s society. The articles discuss the Freirean philosophy of the alternative to the banking concept of education. Peter Roberts further analyzes Freire’s theory of oppression and how it affects how we educate our students. He also compares Freire’s philosophy the works of Lorenzo Milani and Hermann Hesse's novel The Glass Bead Game.

I plan on mostly using this source to show the importance of Freire’s teachings and criticisms of the banking concept of education in today’s education system. Even though Freire died in 1997, his philosophies are still extremely relevant and applicable today and his legacy remains. This collection of articles will give my TIB essay examples of how important certain ideas of Freire’s are important in today’s education system. I plan on using this idea to explain what aspects of Freirean philosophy I believe to be more important and effective.

Field Post 8: Gesu Elementary (10-25-16)

For my second visit to Mrs. Clary's 3rd grade class, I arrived at the beginning of the school day at 8 a.m. It was extremely interesting to see how the students acted at the beginning of the day versus right after recess in the middle of the day. As the students came in, they all would put their belongings away in the lockers. Some chatted amongst other classmates while they moved around the classroom preparing for the day ahead. Mrs. Clary was sending down what appeared to be attendance sheets and other documents that students turned in to the office via the "office runners". This is another job that Mrs. Clary assigns to new students each day and they seem to be into it because I think they like the sense of purpose and responsibility that it makes them feel. They all settled down when the morning school announcements started. and after announcements, they eventually all took out whatever book they were reading at the time and read. For the next part in the students reading class, they had an option to vote for either a Halloween  themed short story from the "Scholastic" magazine, or the next chapter of the Halloween themed book that they were reading together as a class. They chose the magazine article and they followed along in the short story with the audio version. The students got really excited when they found out there was an audio version to go along with the story because they enjoy hearing someone else read the story to them as they follow along. There were discussion questions throughout the story that we stopped and discussed together and I think this was easier for them to think about and grasp because they could listen and comprehend at the same time. They discussed many aspects of the story, including the deeper meaning, which was very impressive. From my perspective, I thought the story was very enticing to young readers and it also passed along a good message, which was that you shouldn't let yourself become invisible in a new or intimidating environment, which I think is really important for young children to learn. 

After the reading portion of their day, they moved into the phonics lesson, which was review of short and long "e". For a review they played a game in which students would go head to head to compete to name words that included the short or long "e" sound (whichever Mrs. Clary would ask them on their turn). The students really enjoyed it and I was surprised at the good sportsmanship that they all showed. They knew that they were supposed to go out of line if they lost and wait until the end of the game and there were no issues. Even more surprising is how one girl came in late to the game and she only had to beat one person because there was no one left and Mrs. Clary allowed both her and the girl she beat to get a prize because she knew they both deserved it. 

After 2 visits to Mrs. Clary's 3rd grade class at Gesu Elementary, I have grown extremely fond over the idea of becoming a teacher.