In Paulo Freire’s, The Banking Concept of Education, ideas of student-teacher relationships are presented. Issues of being oppressed as students are brought up. In some educational settings the teachers oppress their students in a narrative character. The teachers teach their students in a manner that the teacher is the supreme authority and knows everything. The student is inferior and knows nothing. The students are to receive the information, repeat it, memorize it and repeat the process, this is known as the banking concept of education. This method is argued to limit the students creativity, individuality and their ability to think critically. The humanist theory of teaching contradicts the theories of the banking concept of learning. Humanist encourages their students to think critically, preparing them to be able to handle real life situations. In the end it obvious that with the humanist theory a student will be an independent thinker and will be more prepared for the real world. The students who were oppressed through the banking concept of learning will not be well prepared for real life situations and will be unable to think on their own.
Plato’s, The Allegory of the Cave form the Repulic, Book VII, talks about ignorance and learning. Plato stresses the idea that one needs to open their eyes to the world and be aware of their surroundings. You can not go through life looking at things in the same light or one-sidedly. Plato’s message to the audience is that you cannot be successful going through life with your eyes closed, or being ignorant. Plato proposes an alternate role of the teacher than in Frefire’s essay. Plato says teachers are to be facilitators in learning. Students are already full of knowledge. The teachers help the students realize their full potential by facilitating them and asking them questions. Plato believes that we learn through reasoning.
Both authors propose that the best way to learn is through individual critical thinking. Students and teachers are a team, not opponents with one being better than the other. Students learn just as much from their teachers as teachers learn from their students. One is not properly educated if they are oppressed or go through life ignorantly. A student most learn to be open minded and think for themselves.
3 comments:
I have had so many teachers that have taught through "the banking concept." The teachers that I like the best and learn the most from are those who challenge me and let me think for myself. Why can't all teachers be that way? You make a really good point when you say that students must learn to think for themselves. If they don't, they will not be able to live on their own or succeed.
Wow, students know everything. That's funny. What is different about Freire's and Plato's role for the teacher? Give some examples from the text to better explain this idea. Also, watch your grammar and spelling in your blog. It makes for a difficult read if there are too many.
I like how you described students and teachers as a team. I've never really heard them described as that, even though it makes so much sense. In education, as with most other things in life, working as a team can get the students and teachers a lot further than if they view themselves as separated.
Post a Comment