Thank you for sharing! Something that was proposed to me from a student perspective is, What are the aim(s) of education? and What are you hoping to obtain from it? I believe having students think about those questions assist the instructor in utilizing methods or instructional strategies to create intrinsic motivation through aligning activities or assignments that are authentic and meaningful to the student.

I concur, students lack the necessary strategies to connect the dots or either their misconceptions haven’t been clarified, so it becomes difficult to connect the dots. I agree, learning and memory consist of practice, recall, exposure, and elaboration, in which sometime students don’t get enough of to strengthen both memory and cues over an extended time period.

Fabulous post! I share much of the same sentiments. With wifi easily accessible on any campus or public/private establishment and cell phones, computers, digital hand-held devices, iPads, iPods, digital notebooks, and etc. at our finger tips it has become second nature to consistently check social media sites, emails, text messages, course management systems, and etc. in which I find myself immersed in much of the day and find it difficult to unplug at times. I find technology so ingrained in me and the things I interact with that you become more automated, because it’s so easily accessible. I don’t think its technology that impedes or intrudes on daily lives or learning, but perhaps more or less the end-user and the contexts its being used. For example, you’ll have a face-to-face conversation with someone and they might find it difficult to converse without being distracted by an electronic device or social media. So, I concur, its wishful unplugging, but in this day and age, its slightly unrealistic. Great post & thank you for sharing!

Great post! I believe technology has its place in the classroom, but with it comes with advantages and disadvantages. I think technology to some extent is helpful, but harmful to learning as well if misused. Finding a balance with the use of technology, instruction, and learning goals would assist with appropriate times to incorporate technology into the lesson.

So, perhaps the instructor could make connections with activities or in-class assignments using technology from a social integration approach, so that students are more engaged and not off-task or to provide students with more autonomy and empowerment, the instructor could allow the students to select activities or assignments to incorporate technology within reason. I can understand both stances in regards technology.

Thanks for sharing!

I concur, it depends. We have become so immersed in the digital realm of operational functions throughout the day, because to some extent technology revolves around much of the things we interact with, so technology has a vital role or position in our day-to-day. I think technology is a great source and lends many opportunities, but to echo what most have shared, “Too much of a good thing, can easily go awry” . I believe if used under the appropriate guidelines and conditions, then technology has a major benefit in enhancing the learning experience as well as personal.

Great post!

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Great imagery! I concur; the banking concept eliminates agency, democracy, and ownership of students’ learning and their learning community, so it leaves the instructor as the sole proprietary to impart/construct knowledge. In contrast, the problem-posing concept is beneficial to students’, because it permits students with the ability to openly share their ideas, thoughts, knowledge, or experiences as well as question and assert their viewpoints, which then allows peer-to-peer educating/discussing different perspectives.

The open space creates learning in deeper levels of cogitation and an even more depth of knowledge in probing and questioning the instructor, so it would be imperative for the instructor to consider the ways they open discussion(s) and mediate discussion(s) in the learning environment. There are pros and cons to both concepts, but the instructor is tasked with identifying a balance between both concepts to have students demonstrate their understanding of the specific topic to challenge the instructor, provide opportunities for students’ to demonstrate their knowledge in teaching their peers and the instructor, occasions where students will learn solely from the instructor, and learn from their peers, but most of all learn from themselves.

Excellent post!

I appreciate your perspective! In reflecting on critical thinking, the initial process is critical in it self, because it leads to questioning and reflecting if the previous thoughts, ideas, or knowledge was correct, incorrect, misleading, or a misconception (It is like a built-in self-monitor or self-check of knowledge to clarify, refine, expand/elaborate more on). Critical thinking permits the exploration of those daily insights. The more explanation of the reasoning used in constructing those thoughts, ideas, or knowledge and defending your position with peers, colleagues, or within your learning community, the more you become confident and establish high self-efficiency and self-empowerment in the specific discourse, which can surpass beyond the learning environment or the engagement/interaction of other individuals can lead to your “Eureka” moment, challenge older ideas within the discourse, or influence the construction of new ideas, thoughts, and knowledge within the discourse.

Great post!

Thank you for sharing! I concur, critical pedagogy is grounded in both practice of a deeper understanding of “Self ” through self-criticism, critical self-reflection, and self-consciousness of the values that inform your teaching to prepare students with reasoning and logical skills as well as understanding students’ knowledge and values they challenge or deal with directly in learning communities.

Critical pedagogy is significant in learning environments, because whether students realize it or not, but their building autonomy, self-regulation strategies, soft-skills, social skills, and active listening skills when interacting with their peers, which creates empowerment within students as critically engaged learners as well as exposing other opportunities for students to make appropriate moral decision(s) that will enable them to accept a sense of accountability to their peers when those opinion(s) are spotlighted.

Thank you for sharing! Thank you for sharing! You raise valid questions, but I believe it aids to some extent if the teacher is aware of their own hidden biases, cultural assumptions, and stereotypes that possibly could impede learning, and contingent upon the age of students, it can be advantageous to have an open dialog about sensitive topics. I like to think of it as, we don’t always have to agree, but the key is being respectful and valuing other people’s thoughts and opinions as well as including everyone within that course community.

Ultimately, I don’t think hidden biases are controlled 100%, because actions are done unconsciously to some extent, but being aware, open, and optimistic aids in moderating those biases. Create an environment where each student has a shared input on the expectations, roles, rules, and responsibilities within the course community, which provides him or her with ownership, self-regulation, and autonomy over what and how they learn.

Great post!

I really appreciate the construction of brave spaces in your classroom, but I also believe you created a safe space, because the bullets provide a general atmosphere of mutual caring, respect, and support among all members in the class as well as demonstrating the value of each member and a genuineness to provide social support to one another when pushing back or agreeing with ideas or points from their readings.

Its like the brave space has transitioned into the safe space, because the bullets imply that this environment is open or accepting for students to present their authentic selves without feeling judged, which creates a reassurance in participating (including students who are painfully shy or introverted), but to also take risks in having a difference of opinions then their peers and with the built in social support to challenge and/or change.

Ultimately, the brave space nicely intertwined a safe space element, because each bullet is an interaction standard or community expectation with peer-to-peer interaction, individual interaction, and student-to-teacher interaction, which creates that sense of belongingness for the student while in this space and a place where their voice and their peers’ voices are valued, respected, and appreciated.

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