Team: Gabby L, Riley B, Amanda J, Leah S
Topic #1: The space of education at WCU. Freire’s challenge for us to reimagine the ways in which we learn doesn’t just ask us to re-shape ourselves intellectually; Freire’s ideas also suggest a need to re-shape the spaces of education. Use your understanding of Freire’s ideas to analyze the space of education at WCU, identifying and proposing the means by which WCU space can be developed to achieve the ends of Freire’s concept of learning.
Thesis- Creating a different way of learning needs change not just from the teacher but from the atmosphere of the classroom. The layout of all classrooms are almost exactly the same. Creating smaller classrooms instead of lectures will allow students to become active in discussions. Taking advantage of the areas we have (such as classrooms in dorms that are not used) and allowing students to use these resources can create a new way of learning.
Quotes: “The teacher talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable. Or else he expounds on a topic completely alien to the existential experience of the students. His task is to “fill” the students with the contents of his narration—contents which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them and could give them significance” (Freire 1)
“Based on a mechanistic, static, naturalistic, spatialized view of consciousness, it transforms students into receiving objects. It attempts to control thinking and action, leads women and men to adjust to the world, and inhibits their creative power” (Freire 3)
David Heffron
The thesis is very strong and clearly states valid points that connect well with Freire’s essay.
I like the idea of smaller classes but if that’s not possible for bigger universities, I think you could come up with other ways to make a bigger class become more interactive so that learning occurs.
Jason Riberio
One positive- I like the idea of interaction within the smaller groups and being more interactive in discussion
One negative- the only problem with limiting class sizes and changing lecture rooms would be the decline in students being able to participate and decline in school population
I think your idea is good and may be beneficial to students. More students are likely to zone out In the 300 person lecture than a small classroom. I believe it could go into a little more detail on how it will help students, but the thesis is overall very good. I would say the second quote works better than the first, but it still applies. Overall very good.
Positive Reinforcement- smaller classrooms would definitely help students communicate more and be more involved in the lessons. It is a good idea to compare them to lecture halls.
Constructive criticism- what kinds of new ways of learning will students be able to create by using these resources?
The quotes chosen will be beneficial when writing about the space of education because the classrooms are set up so that students just get “filled” with information but by changing the classroom arrangements, students can be more involved in education.