blog 6

The Banking Concept   

               

                When reading chapter 8, The Banking Concept of Education, my mind was blown. I had to re-read line by line just to understand one concept. But one passage of this chapter stuck out like a sore thumb to me. “The individual is a spectator; not a re-creator. In this view, the person is not a conscious being; he or she is rather a possessor of a conscious: an empty “mind” passively open to the reception of deposits of reality from the outside world.”

                This made me question education in general. Do we just have minds and are fed information? Is the only purpose for our minds to be told information and for us not to seek out personally how or what we want to learn? Has my previous education been robotic? I went to school and sat in a desk for 6 hours looking at the chalkboard, my textbook and my teacher only. At the end of the day I did not really have a choice on how I wanted to learn and 50 % of the time I did not even retain the information. So the big question I wonder with the banking concept and this quote is “do we have a choice on how and what we want to learn?”

                The quote above clearly shows that individuals are something not someone. It does not value the individual and their interests. It treats them like an object. Think about it, in school the top of our heads are sliced open and the teacher is just stating information. The teachers demonstrate they are all knowing and have the authority. The student is just there to learn to information. But there are many simple solutions to prevent this type of robotic teaching. In chapter 3, Why Teach?, ties in greatly with opposing the banking concept. To prevent from students being robots regarding learning, teachers really need to care and be innovative with their teaching techniques. Teachers should really ask the question,” why teach?” before they even step foot into the classroom. They should ask questions like; why do I want to teach?, what kind of young people do I want to work with, what type of school do I want to work in? “and so on. The main way to stop the banking concept is to have innovative teachers and curriculum chose to the student’s minds and liking.

                For students to retain information, it has to be to their interest and in an out of the box way of learning. In the beginning of the year, I believe teachers should have set goals but let their class adjust or pick how they want to learn them. Instead of students sitting in a desk all day and teachers talking, students should do different learning activities to retain the information. Whether its hands on, going somewhere, creating something, the lesson should stick in the student’s minds. The more exciting the lesson is the more the children will want to learn and retain the information taught. Lastly, teachers should realize they are also students. To stop the banking concept and students just being an object to learn, teachers should realize their students can teach them at the same time. It is a give and take relationship.

                I never truly realized how my education, maybe not to a great extreme, was the banking concept. For years, I just sat in classrooms and listened to teachers talk. Occasionally, we would get a movie clip but it was nothing that got me off my feet to learn. Coming to JCU though was such a change. My professors are very innovative in their lessons. In Edu. 100, I am retaining so much information because I actually go OUT of the classroom and get first hand experience. Lastly think the banking concept is used in many schools, but schools are starting to be more innovating with teachers. Mercer elementary and Beachwood middle school were absolutely amazing with their teaching style. The teaching was catered to their student’s interest. The students did more than just listen to a teacher talk in class. They would create videos, do hands on work and many more fun learning activities. I think these schools break away from the baking concept and their students really retain the knowledge. Overall, I think the baking concept is an old fashion learning style that may work for some people, but it is not an effective learning style for most.

Field Blog 2 Beachwood Middle School

Beachwood Middle School

       The first thing I noticed walking into Beachwood  middle school was the strong aroma of garlic bread and two security doors. I observed the school was very open in space.  I interpreted the vast amount of openness meant there was a big student population.. I was wrong, there is actually 320 students in the school. Having diversity in this school is no issue. Besides African Americans and whites, there are many Jewish and disabled students! I noticed there was blue alarms around the halls and in each classroom. I interpreted this as just an alarm for everyone. When I asked it was actually for deaf students. I learned Beachwood middle school is one of the few schools in Ohio with a program for deaf students. Surprisingly, like Mercer elementary school, there was much art work on the ways. This was art work in Chinese about the student which is really cool because it personalizes the school to the students.

    

      During 3rd period, I observed 7th grade science. The first second I entered Mrs. Spence's classroom, I was greeted with such warm and kindness. The kids were asking me me questions about myself. One student even gave me thumbs up because he saw I was writing with my left hand. I was shocked, when I was in 7th grade I was watching Hannah Montana and this kid was noticing how I was writing. I noticed all the students had brief cases. I interpreted this as the new style. I was wrong, the students each have a laptop and carry it in brief case bags. Also, I noticed a kid with a heavy speech impediment because I am in speech therapy classes. The other students actually interacted with him like a normal student. This surprised me because when I was younger if you had a speech impediment, others excluded you and you were separately taught.

     

      When class started, the teacher never once taught from the front. She moved from the back to the middle of the room and would occasionally sit on students desks. Even though the students were quite chatty, they had constant eye contact and engaged with the teacher at all times. Mrs. Spence really connected the lesson to her students everyday life. For example, when talking about force she went up to the students and made them push their hands against hers. If they were hesitant she would make a joke like " come on , did you not put on deodorant? Lift those strong arms." I saw the students faces light up when she did this. Also, she pulled up a Superbowl commercial and tied this into the lesson. Instantly the kids were engaged.

   Audi commercial shown

     Mrs. Spence had a key teaching concept- give the students the answer and make them explain. She repeated " claim + evidence + reasoning = explanation. Instead of a student just giving an explanation, she made them find proof through pictures, videos, diagrams and in THEIR own words. From observing this classroom, even though it looked boring, it was full of creative minds.

   Overall, I was stunned by this school. Beachwood middle school is with the times of technology and puts their students to an advantage by teaching this. The behavior and atmosphere was spectacular and no doubt I would send my future child there!

open blog 5

Can’t Control Who You Love

           

          Discussing topics about LGBTQ can be such a touchy subject. Most times, people will just nod or shake their head and say “uhuhh” when others are talking about gays or lesbians. The subject of LGBTQ personally touches my heart. Personally, I am 100 % supportive to gays. I believe you do not control who you like and that a person should not be put to shame for liking the same sex. Also, it is not any of your personal business if someone likes their same sex. It is their love life not yours, so support it or stay out. I come from a very religious family so supporting gays is looked down upon not because my family hate gays but because they think it goes against the religion. I do not care if my family looks down upon me for that because I feel supporting LGBTQ is the right thing to do.

             

          In my high school LGBTQ students were not supported. They were that kid at recess left out at dodge ball. Students did the two worst possible things to LGBTQ students- criticize and shun. One of these negative aspects is hard enough on an individual. Students in my high school would make inside jokes about the gays in my school. They had no resistance going up to the LGBTQ student and crucifying them in cruel words. Besides ripping apart a LGBTQ student, other students would exclude this person from activities. No one really wanted to have a gay in their group. The teachers ignored the hatred toward LGBTQ students. The administration knew there was bullying of LGBTQ students, but never really put a stop to it. I questioned how could I go to a Catholic school and not only the students, but also administration ignore the problem of LGBTQ being ripped apart and ignored. I think one main reason why the administration at my school never solved issues of LGBTQ being bullied was because they were not up to the times. My school was very old fashioned. I think the administration did not want to be looked down upon by the church for supporting gays. Of course my presumption could be wrong but my school never even brought up the LGBTQ community. The lack of the school talking about this not only made them blind to the LGBTQ community but was a great excuse for not letting students be educated on LGBTQ.

             

       Seeing how hostile students were to LGBTQ students is hearting breaking. My friend was gay and he constantly got made fun of. He did not care though. He knew he was fabulous and successful. Coming to John Carroll I was so surprised how supportive not only the students but administration was to LGBTQ students. There is a club for LGBTQ students and this is a Jesuit school. I find it so cool that at JCU students do not judge person if they are gay. After all, they are the same bone and flesh as we are. Overall, I would love it if society would accept LGBTQ students but probably will never be completely possible. I think all schools should have programs informing students about LGBTQs’ and how as a whole we should accept them. Schools should show the harmful effects of bullying gays. It truly can affect their health and lead to suicide. I think having a program to inform students is an easy and lesson that will stick with them for the rest of their life. Lastly, keep in mind just because someone does not think like the “normal” does not mean they are any way less than a human then us.

 Here are some website or organizations informing or supporting GLBTQ!

http://www.glad.org/  (advocates and defenders)

http://www.glma.org/ ( medical support)

http://www.glnh.org/ ( support in general)