Category: Leadership Topics for Discussion Group 1

In our discussion group today we talked about how Freire thinks students are trash. Basically he says that we only memorize certain information that we need to know for a test or exam. But we might not understand the concept completely and that might cause the students to forget the information in the long run. We talked about how maybe it would be a good idea that teachers go more in depth with what they are teaching and spend more time on it. This is so we don’t have to study and basically teach our selves the information we need to know. Because there Is a reason we have teachers they know the information a lot more than a student and can teach it better. This is why students can get an A in a class but not be that smart on a subject. They can get certain multiple choice testing information right but they might not get the whole concept.

Group: Mimi, Mia, Ethan, Emily, John, Leanne

In this discussion we talked about memorization and how it is not equivalent to learning and understanding information. We all recalled that in high school after taking a quiz or test we forgot the information. In the conversation it came up that high school is generally the same academic path for everyone and it is usually free; whereas, in college the material that you study is customized to what you want to learn, and you are paying for your education. This can be a motivating factor as to why it makes information more important to understand than memorize. We talked about how high school teachers know certain things are required but pointless so its okay if students only memorize it temporarily. Memorization can help a student in the short run but not in the long run. Certain jobs in the real world require memorization such as nurses for example; however, they must learn and understand how to use them for them to be useful and be permanently memorized.

Ava H, RJ W, TJ F, Kira A, Sam W, Katherine S

From our discussion we thoroughly discussed that throughout most of the story we could tell that the author was trying to convey that the teacher has mostly all of the power. We stated that the teacher is the adult and has went through lots of schooling to which they are very knowledgeable. On the other hand we believe that the students can educate the teacher. For example the students can educate a teacher about trendy news or young advocates that the teacher might not know about. A learning environment shouldn’t make the student a slave, it should work both ways so that we can prosper and learn together.

Group: Grady, Haley

Abbey Johnson, Isabella Desario, Leah Schreffler, Sami Kakar, Dana Roeder, Nick Nolan

The majority of what we discussed was that in our current education system, students are being taught to memorize information, rather than being taught to understand the information presented to them. Many students memorize facts for an exam and then forget the information soon after. People in our group talked about how a classroom can almost become robotic because the class is being presented to them in a very cut and dry way. A common idea that we brought up is that it would be beneficial for students to experience information in a hands on way, rather than reading from a textbook or listening to a lecture and powerpoint. I believe that this lecture format could be most improved in higher education, like high school and college. It is at this stage in a students educational career that they usually decide their career path. If they lose interest, then they might lose the opportunity to follow their passions. A few ways in which a classroom could become more engaging is through hands on demonstrations, guest speakers, and field trips. Ideas like this could help students to understand information, rather than just memorize it for a short time and then forget about it.

Group: Mia, Mimi, Leann, Ethan, John, Brandon

In our discussion group, we talked about how Freire compares students to trash cans. From our earliest days of education until the moment we receive our high school diplomas, we, as students, are forced to learn an abundance of academic material that we may never remember. Because teachers solely focus on covering material efficiently and completing chapters and assessments, students have no choice but to know material before a certain deadline. This method of teaching results in students simply memorizing material, rather than actually understanding it. Not only do teachers treat students as trash cans, but often the material they are providing is trash as well. All students have requirements of what classes they need to pass in order to further their education. Because students do not have a voice in what material is necessary to learn, it is common for them to dislike what they are being taught. Forcing students to be interested in subjects in which they are not is an ineffective teaching strategy. If teachers were to provide students with information that they both understand and are interested in, students would no longer feel like trash cans.

Group: Riley, Jake H, Nick, Tyler

Riley lead an interesting discussion on Friday regarding if students are just robots who follow their teachers and what they say without learning basically. I found her question to be true to a certain extent. I believe the student is a direct representation of the teacher. If the teacher takes the time to know their students and get on a level where they can actually engage the thought and learning process that works for that student, then I feel like they will be successful. However, when the teacher just lectures to the class and follows the schedule to a “T”, then I feel like its more the student trying to keep up by memorizing information and then after a paper or exam, they forget it all. This method may work for some teachers and students but it surely does not apply to most and certainly not me. I feel teachers who know their students and students that know how to engage learning from their teacher’s learning will be a lot more successful and actually retain information. So in total the four of us that met came to the same conclusion and I truly believe it to be so.

We talked about what the author meant when he said that teachers and students are opposites. Basically saying that the students had no input or choice about what was going on in the classroom. They were to be governed solely by the teacher and do exactly as they said. We believe, in the modern classroom, that this is no longer true. In modern day classrooms there is input and discussions with students to make the class run more smoothly to ensure that everyone can get a grasp of what is being taught and not simply be a bank for knowledge but actually know and understand what is being taught. We agreed that this theory could still apply to older teachers who have taught like that in the past, while younger teachers are more open to opinions from the students and value engagement in what they are teaching. As this theory may have been true when this was published, we can see a clear change in how classrooms are now run in more of a joint effort from the teacher and their students.

Robi, Sarah, Kyle, Gabby, Sabrina, Timothy

During our discussion group we talked about how Freire refers to students as trash. Students have to memorize information to do good on the test. They usually don’t actually learn the information and will most likely forget it all after the test. If teachers took more time to teach the material, students would never need to go back and reteach themselves it. Teachers throw information at students like they are trash cans. Freire thinks that teachers aren’t actually teaching the students so they will learn it, he thinks that they are telling students information to see how well it can be memorized. Most students do good on the test they take right after the information is giving. They will forget some or all of the information when it’s time to take the midterm or final. Freire did a very good job at explaining how teachers teach and how most students don’t actually learn.

Group: Mimi, Mia, Ethan, Emily, John, Brandon

Group: Mimi, Mia, Ethan, Leann, Emily, John and Brendan

During our discussion we talked about how the education system uses us as trash receptacles when it comes to learning and retaining information. We talked about how we feel like educators just throw useless pieces of knowledge and information at us and expect us to remember all of it for a test. We also talked about how the teachers are told to keep teaching a certain way even if they do not agree with it because that is how knowledge is tested. Yet we all said how we do not retain any of the information and basically have to relearn everything every year especially when it comes to math or useless history facts. We basically are just a product of our teachers and the amount of work they put into teaching us something will reflect on us.Over all our group had a good discussion on what Freire was trying to convey on how teachers refer to us as trash cans when it comes to learning in school. 

During the group discussion we talked about how Freire calls his students trash. The students don’t learn they just remember and once the test or assignment is over, so is the knowledge they need. He talks about how teachers don’t care about their students and if a student really wants to succeed they have to really try themselves.  The teachers are motion and lifeless beings. They are there to tell you how to memorize, not how to learn. Every year students forget how to do old material and need a refresher, but that wouldn’t be necessary if the student learned it the first time. Someone in the group discussion made a good point on how students are trash cans and the teachers are just throwing the trash at us hoping it will stick, but that is not always the case.  Freire thoughts on education is that the teachers aren’t really teaching as much as they are just telling students information.
Group: Mimi, Mia, Leann, Emily, John, Brendan

Isabella DeSario, Abbey Johnson, Sami Kakar, Nick Nolan, Dana Roeder, Leah Schreffler

In our group discussion, we agreed on the idea that students memorize information rather than learning it. Many students that study for a test try to cram all of the information in by memorizing it. A few days later, that information is forgotten because there was no active learning process in retaining the information. Memorization has become a huge part of our education. I agree with Freire, that “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositors and the teacher is the depositor.” I think it would be more beneficial to students if teachers let their students experience the lesson rather than just listening. Students just read out of the textbook and memorize instead of understanding and taking in the material. Teachers need to be creative in ways to get the students to learn the material. Guest speakers and field trips are two examples of effective ways to teach students in a real-life learning experience, so that they can see the information applied to real life rather than memorizing a text book alone.

During the discussion, we talked about if we agree or disagree with the idea of education becoming an act of depositing and students being the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. Everyone in the group agreed that we believe this is happening in education today. We talked about how teachers should become more hands on with what they teach instead of giving the information to the students and making them memorize instead of comprehending. I believe that this pertains to mostly high school from what I have experienced. Students need to understand the knowledge they are being taught to help better their education instead of listening to information that comes in one ear and goes straight out the other. Having a class where the teacher gives the students readings out of a textbook and no review of what they read about is a waste of time for the students and for the teacher. Education should be about understanding and reviewing information in a class in order to be successful. This topic is important to me because my high school’s education system was very similar to this concept and I believe it has affected my ability to learn. Being taught memorization with no comprehension puts me behind as a student. I agree that teachers teach students in this way and I believe it is a major problem.

Discussion with Dana Roeder, Isabella DeSario, Sami Kakar, Nick Nolan, Abbey Johnson

During our meeting we discussed the topic of students being the “depositories” and I believe it depends on the circumstances. Certain types of education and teaching can very easily do well for a student. Many students benefit from hands on teaching and experiences. Doing experiments or just being more involved in a lesson are proven to be much more helpful for those learning. Other types such as lectures or reading out of a textbook may not be as beneficial to pupils in a class. Students sit in a classroom and are told information more often than not and are expected to memorize from a book or notes which not always the best way to learn. The student is left out to dry while the teacher spews information for them to keep. Paulo Freire points out an important fact within this piece that should be understood by teachers and professors around the globe; students cannot be held to an expectation to understand information when it is just thrown at them.