Topic #2 Student Power
Team: Myself
Working Thesis: In Freire’s “The Banking Concept of Education” he explains the reality that teachers cannot produce student learning or freedom. The role of student power at West Chester University happens within the students and their choices. The new society changes a student to adapt to the rest of their life, Students learn on their own within their own time and choose when to listen in class and participate.
Quote #1: “Education as the exercise of domination stimulates the credulity of students, with the ideological intent (often not perceived by educators) of indoctrinating them to adapt to the world of oppression. “ ( pg 3 par 9)
Quote #2: “The teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his or her own professional authority, which she and he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students” (page 1 par 8)
I like what you say’s about the role of student power happens first with the student and their choices. If the student doesn’t care about what they are learning they won’t assimilate what they are being taught or care about what they are hearing from the teachers. I think that is a strong argument and a good one. Your second quote really helps with your argument.
My only argument is that it can be difficult for a student to want to take their learning seriously if their past education has been more the banking method of education. Did the student’s high school teachers concentrate on just filling the student’s mind with information so that the student can pass all the standardized tests? If the student is comfortable with being spoon-fed information by the expert (teacher) in high school, how can they just switch gears to take their learning into their own hands as a freshman at WCU?
Team Members: Nick Nolan, Abbey Johnson, Isabella DeSario
I agree with all that you are saying about student power being important, especially on a campus like West Chester’s. You seem to have a strong understanding of what you want to talk about, which is further substantiated by the quotes that you chose.
However, I think that the prompt was more geared towards what power the students can have on their own, even without the aid/support of the teachers and school. I believe that your response should be aimed more at action the students can take on their own to show power. I really appreciate the idea that you have about student participation, but I think you should further expand on that point and be a little bit more specific.