Entry #1

During week two, our readings surrounded the topic of education, and some of the underlying systems within it. Some of these systems included the banking method, where teaching is approached as transaction of information as opposed to understanding the information and being able to form an individual opinion on it. Through it I was able to distinguish the diffrent methods that I have been taught; and understood why I would understand materials at diffrent rates. In chapter two of the book “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, Freire described the banking method saying “In the banking concept of education, knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing” (Freire, p.72).

An important theme surrounding the readings was about power over students. Freir covered how oppressors benefit  from having  people view the world in their points of view. But the oppressed of a society have a completely diffrent reality that would conflict. There comes a point where people need take responsibility of what they are being taught, and speak up when their realities conflict.

However, this is not only the educators fault, as most have been “filled” in the same way. During Hooks reading, she mentioned that educators would be criticized when they formed a close and open relationship in classrooms. Concluding that joking around would make you a less than educator to them. In my opinion forming this uphill bridge between students and educators is not education but instead forcing a already formed opinion onto others. But when a classroom/lecture haul is a space with open dialogue, that’s is when learning is most effective.