Comment on Jigsaw-Zigsaw: An Adventure for Every GEDI by MiguelAndres Andres

Thanks for sharing the experience of the Jigsaw. I however did not find it very useful for the way it was applied. I think that each of us wrote a piece of the assignment and then we put it together. As individual pieces they work, but as a one piece document, I find a lot more challenging. I think the assignment would have been more successful if we would have had more structure, or even a higher more defend assignment, this way, all of us would have contributed our part into one piece assignment, and not multiple segments within.

Comment on Won’t We Need to be Able of Critical Thinking Ourselves? by MiguelAndres Andres

Thanks for your thoughts on critical Thinking, which is obviously an skill that needs to be paid attention in education. I would like to add that teaching, is a way to continuously learning, and critical pedagogy plays a role in making the goal of the class to acquire certain knowledge by the end of the term, rather than the instructor providing the knowledge tot he students. This way to see education, allows for students to critic and think deeper about the constructs build in class. .

Comment on The What and the How of Critical Pedagogy by brooks92

I’m glad you highlighted the ‘humanizing’ aspect of CP. Reading last week about the ability of educational institutions to suppress the masses gave plenty of 1984 flashbacks: –

Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

We must acknowledge the power we have as educators. Further, we should relinquish some of that power, as the CP approach advocates, to avoid any Distopian-style futures.

Comment on Won’t We Need to be Able of Critical Thinking Ourselves? by Vanessa Guerra

I agree, when we realize that teaching is about becoming a learning facilitator, rather than an expert that teaches information, we start creating learning communities within our classrooms, a community that emphasizes collaboration between classmates. I wonder what would have be the case if in the Armani example the professor would have not only adequate learning strategies to all the needs of the students, but also if how would have re-directed help to the class, calling on students to create an environment of mutual collaboration.

Comment on Jigsaw-Zigsaw: An Adventure for Every GEDI by brooks92

It is so bizarre to hear from multiple engineering students that there is not a strong experiential bent to teaching styles. As a spectator, engineering seems like the most hands-on, problem-solving based discipline of any! I would love to be an engineer (if I had the time or ability); you actually make things! I can’t think of anything more rewarding. Well maybe Paediatrician, but there is not many.
I used to live with a couple of engineers (in the UK mind) who were constantly working on assigned projects, building drones, pipes, bridges, etc. I had just assumed that this was the norm because it makes such intuitive sense, but evidently not. What is the engineers justification for ever deviating from such an approach?

Comment on Critical Pedagogy by brooks92

Interesting, I grew up with a slightly different version. “Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Give a Man a Fishing Rod, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime”.
I like your’s better, because it involves more active participation and communication between teacher and student. The emphasis is on acquired knowledge rather than material possessions. My version runs the risk of ignoring the identities of your students, and resulting in the age old joke: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Give a man a fishing rod, and he’ll break it up for firewood… or swap it for a fish”.

Comment on Who Knows How to Use a Screw Driver? by dinagadalla

I enjoyed the post, the illustrations went very well with what you’re trying to deliver. I particularly liked the last one (balancing lives) since, as a student, I’ve seen students excel and reach higher potential through the opportunities they were given as ‘smarter’ students. Yet ‘less proficient’ students seemed to develop on a much smaller scale (if they did at all)- the focus of educators is not necessarily a balanced one.

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