Kyle Owens
Topic 4 – project 2
Teaching without teaching
What exactly is good teaching? This is a question that has gone unanswered for quite some time. Walker Percy and Paulo Friere; authors of The Loss of the Creature, and The Banking Concept of Education, have spent much time trying to answer this question. Although Percy and Freire both value the role of the teacher, they caution against the act of teaching. Freire states “The people subjected to domination must fight for their emancipation”(1968) . In this case the students have to fight for their education. From a students point of view I agree with many of the ideas of Percy and Freire. Professors should be able to cater the lesson plan to the specific needs of the students. As Percy identified, the educator can do nothing for the student. In order to achieve teaching without teaching at West Chester University, classrooms need to become student based and incorporate styles of learning that benefit the students individually. Some ways real student learning can be implemented include project based learning, student led classes, personalized learning environments and experiential learning. For me, the most concrete idea that came to mind was implementing project based learning in the classroom.
Project based learning can be beneficial to many students, specifically those who struggle with standardized tests. Replacing standardized tests with projects, students will be able to essentially teach and learn themselves. Students will be able to work at a pace that is most beneficial to them. Freire and Percy views would strongly support this idea. As stated previously, although Friere and Percy value teachers, they believe in “avoiding the educator’s direct presentation of the object as a lesson to be learned.” (1975) Students would be more inclined to work on their own schedule in a way that is most productive to them. In addition, students should have both options of working in groups or working independently, as each student benefits from these options differently. When only one option is offered some students are at an advantage, while others are put at a disadvantage. I believe that this is essential for this topic, all students know how they learn best. Project based learning is a large part of the marketing class for my major and I have seen positive results. Percy believes students do not all benefit from the same premade lesson plans and class rules that have been used for years. I believe giving the students some leadership and responsibility in the classroom will solve this problem.
Good teaching without teaching should include input from the students on how the course content is delivered, as all students have their own unique ways they learn best. Student led classes will give individuals at West Chester University more leadership in the classroom. This can be done by implementing student led discussion groups and speeches into the curriculum. The way the class would be managed would stem from the thoughts and beliefs of the students themselves. Students do not learn from a prepackaged idea that the teacher creates, students have to think for themselves. As Percy has identified,‘”For there is nothing the educator can do to provide for this need of the student, everything the educator does only succeeds in becoming, for the student, part of the educational package.”(1968) In order to achieve teaching without teachers at West Chester University classrooms need to become more student led by incorporating styles of learning that benefit each student individually. Students will better relate to each other when in a learning environment that personally fits them. Percy further explains this by stating “The educator is well aware that something is wrong, that there is a fatal gap between the students’ learning and students’ lives.” ( 1968 )College students have been taking classes for 12+ years and are able to identify what learning styles will be most beneficial to them.
Another idea to encourage good learning through teaching without teaching includes letting students learn with others who share their same needs and preferences to create a more personalized learning environment.This can be executed through a number of surveys to find strengths and weaknesses, and the best learning strategies of each student. These different classes would include the same workload, however they will be presented in a different manner. Classes with 200+ students sharing the same lesson plan seems non authentic. Percy reiterates this by stating,“It is now apparent that as between the many measures which may be taken to overcome the opacity, the boredom, of the direct confrontation of the thing or creature in its citadel of symbolic investiture, some are less authentic than others.”( 1975 )This would specifically benefit my large marketing class. In this overcrowded classroom some students are succeeding while many others are falling behind. I believe students find it easier to become non engaged when the student to teacher ratio of about 1 to 150.
Lastly teachers can keep students engaged while teaching without teaching by implementing “experiential learning”. Experiential learning is the process of learning through experience, and is more specifically defined as “learning through reflection on doing”. Hands-on learning can be a form of experiential learning, but does not necessarily involve students reflecting on their product. An example of this would be the professor of my marketing class taking students on a field trip to a marketing firm. This would give the students a hands on experience in the marketing world. Experiential learning may also include internships, studies abroad, field research, and service-learning projects. This can be implemented at West Chester University if the institution is able to partner with local businesses. This would be beneficial since Percy does not believe the professor truly knows what life is like for the students. Percy emphasizes this when stating “the educator whose business it is to teach students biology or poetry is unaware of a whole ensemble of relations which exist between the student and the dogfish and between the student and the Shakespeare sonnet.” (1975) This quote further proves the teachers are out of touch with the minds of the students. Experiential learning would personally benefit me as I am a marketing major who learns best by doing.
In conclusion although Percy and Freire value teachers, they believe in “avoiding the educator’s direct presentation of the object as a lesson to be learned.” (1968)These ideas show that students themselves have more to offer in the classroom. The students should be a part of the teaching experience just as much as they are a part of the learning experience. By implementing project based learning, student led classes, personalized learning environments, and experiential learning students are able to receive a much more beneficial education. Project based learning will help kids who struggle with test taking succeed. Student led classes will give students a much more in depth understanding of the topics being taught. Personalized learning environments will allow students to learn at a pace in which best fits their needs. Last but not least experiential learning will benefit kids who learn best from hands on experiences. If teachers can begin to give students a voice in the classroom they will be able to relay what teaching techniques work and which do not. Although this is mainly beneficial to the students this will help professors gauge how to teach future classes. Overall Friere and Percy make great points to show why and how students can take control of their education.
