Comment on We don’t need no Education by admin

Thanks for your comment, Aakash. I think Freire’s work was appropriate for its time – without context it I can see it being taken as a hyperbole. We should adapt what we can from the text and apply it to judiciously to the current education system. I think this is what I wanted to convey when I said that Frier’s work presents a “pessimistic view”; hyperbole would have been a better word choice.

Comment on We don’t need no Education by Noel

I am pretty sure Freire was a Pink Floyd fan and vice versa. I can imagine a conversation between the artist and the philosopher (you can debate which is which or if they are both) would include ending the imprisonment of “epistemological curiosity” in our institutions and society more broadly. That is where I think Pink Floyd’s message is often misconstrued to mean formal education is meaningless instead of what you point out in the meaning behind the lyrics which is more about the way in which we learning and create learning environments.

I think in that conversation Freire would also not advocate throwing out the conventional “dominant” ideas, but rather building and understanding these dominant ideas as a point of difference. I had a great English teacher (who was also a Catholic nun) my sophomore-year in high school, when asked why we needed to learn grammar and rules of poetry she simply said: “You must learn the rules so you know how to break them and then you can choose whether to break them on purpose.” I had no idea how true that was for grammar and life.

Comment on I Cannot Play the Pianoforte by garynave

Awesome! Paulo Freire’s quote on language and this comment make me think of one of my all time favorite TED talks. Check it out!

https://www.ted.com/talks/jamila_lyiscott_3_ways_to_speak_english?language=en

It is a celebration of her heritage and the three different ways to talk. Every language has standards and normals.

Language is so central to culture. When people try to completely standardize language, we are essential telling those different to give up their culture.

Comment on Roger, a goat and a rabbit by garynave

I think that we have seen exactly that regarding technology in the classroom.

When technology has been used as a cool way to help facilitate conversation and critical thinking, such as in this class, it is a very useful tool.

However, when it is used simply to deposit information and reinforce the banking model, it does not inspire real learning. I’ve taken some online modules that try to “impart information” to me, and I typically just skip to the end and take the quiz!

Comment on Smarter, Dumber, or Lazier? by Noel

I am a HUGE supporter of technology because I view it as a tool that aides our exploration of the world and generates the energy need to create knowledge. That said, I am also a strong advocate for learning without technology, be that lived experiences, written or oral histories, or any other ways. My interest in this somewhat “old fashioned” way of learning is spawned from my research interests in disasters. There is a very real chance that in our life time some event such as extreme space weather events or more likely the weaponization of electromagnetic pulses will cause widespread loss of all technology generated by electricity. Surviving an event such as this will not be about “duck and cover” or even the stockpiling of rations. Rather, how do we survive on the land and use the natural resources around us without the aid of google.

Comment on Roger, a goat and a rabbit by GREG PURDY

Freire really struck a chord with me as well when I first saw his work. Immediately, I could relate to the feeling of having knowledge deposited on me from some of my former engineering profs. Interesting question about how Freire would view technology in the classroom. One thought is he may think it could be a useful tool, but could also be a hindrance if used inappropriately further reinforcing the banking model.

Comment on Teacher evaluation: how much it shows the truth? by carriekilleen

Thanks for the post! I agree that teacher evaluations are problematic, and, as a student, I am guilty of providing sub-par feedback. I would say, however, that students do not always provide a more negative view than reality on the evaluations. I think a lot of students also tend to mark in the “good” to “excellent” range on most of the questions to get through the evaluation quickly (guilty as charged: this is what I do), only taking the time to mark something different if they either really think something was done well or poorly. I have also thought that evaluation of teaching by colleagues (other professors) would be worthwhile, although that would be adding another responsibility onto already full plates.

Comment on Critical Pedagogy in Standardized Courses by Brittany Balhouse

Thank you for bringing up this issue! I, too, have gotten far more out of my courses that lent themselves to discussion and real world applications. I wanted to share a unique opportunity I had to learn the same ‘basics’ of fluid flow in two different classes at the same time, in a general fluids class and in a physiology class. I found that learning the equations in the context of blood flow in physiology was far more engaging and allowed me to better learn/apply the material. In short, I think if you take a short time to explain how the ‘basics’ are used in the ‘real-world,’ it could be very engaging for students. Good luck with teaching next year!