Teaching Thinking Moral And Political Norms By Elizabeth Kamarck Minnich

But when a child is reared in a nurturing and loving environment they can blossom into a free thinking questioning intelligent human being. Another article that uses these ideas to explore the problems with rigid top-down cultures is Paulo Freire’s “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education”. In this article, Paulo Freire describes two main concepts relating to how the education system functions, one which is the current problem, and one that is his proposed solution. The problematic system is called the banking concept of education. Freire explains, “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.” With this he is explaining how within the banking system teachers are the ones with all the knowledge and are of a higher power than the students, so the teachers give everything to the students and the students give nothing to the teacher. This is because the students are described as simply being responsible to absorb what the teacher has to teach them. This is due to the fact that it is believed that it is not possible for them to comprehend anything the teacher does not already understand because that would be too

Plato’s “Allegory of The Cave” and Paulo Freire’s “The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education” both contend that education is a process of freeing the chains of deception and false images that make us prisoners in the cave of ignorance. I agree with both Plato and Freire in saying that without education, like the prisoners, our perception of reality is distorted by our lack of knowledge.

When people think of the truth, people think of something that majority agree to. In the other side the author Barry Schwarts fights for the point that learning how to think it’s a personal thought. Schwartz specifies the major educational and goes over a rare question of what learning how to think means. As shown in the article peoples believes are based on others, collage education levels are dropping also the truth is being changed.

Conflicted by an inner turmoil, humans are forever consumed by thoughts of self-ignorance and importance; however, contentment with existence comes from effort in the presence we emanate. Allowing ignorance to hinder an individuals progress can lead to the destruction of someones own potential, forsaking future opportunities. The students blatant ignorance displayed when the question, "Did I Miss Anything?" is presented to the teacher. When not confronted by opposition, one can continue to remain ignorant in their thoughts and beliefs. It is up to the individual to become aware of their owns flaws, and through the support of society and friends, can achieve self realization. The presence of ego is a double edged sword that can lead to both

In Derek’s speech he describes four skills that are a solution to the problem of students not thinking. The first skill is distinction, in which we are able to tell the difference between objects, ideas, and things. The second skill is system, this enables us to construct our own ideas and deconstruct other ideas. This allows us to see everything that makes up the idea we are looking at. Relationships are the next skill that helps us to see connections between different things that we have learned. Using the skill of relationships helps us to see how everything is connected and dig deeper into these ideas. The final skill is perspectives, which enables us to see thoughts and ideas from a different point of view. Perspectives can be useful when dealing with tasks and people because it helps us to see many different thought

Thinking which the highest mental activity in a human is an action using one's mind to create thoughts and ideas. It is a discipline in which we carry out our daily activities and make decision that requires a consciousness of thought. It is also considered as a spiritual activity whereby when we are rational, we are able to able to think anything we want. Then we can decide what to do and not to do by exercising our freewill. It can also be “mindless” like when we are daydreaming or doing routine tasks like combing hair or taking a shower. The quality of our life of what we built will depend on the quality of our thoughts whereby sometimes when we are not critical thinkers it can lead to being prejudiced, inaccurate; misleading and biased.

This vertical relationship gifts teachers with an unquestionable knowledge and authority, and the students who “know nothing simply memorize the way the world ‘enters into’ [them]” (352). Based on ignorance and control, the banking concept constructs ideologies of oppression that serve to dominate and program the perception and consciousness of the students, making them behave accordingly to the society’s norms. This method of education “attempts to control thinking and action,” that dehumanizes men and women and feeds the oppressors’ purposes - which is to alienate and brainwash the public, simultaneously profiting and concentrating power, while society follows accordingly without questioning them. The lack of dialogue between teacher and students facilitates the banking effects, since the former are deprived to argue and build knowledge through assimilation, having their creativity and cognitive abilities

Over the course of many years the education system that we are all accustomed to today has faced much criticism. Many of these critics believe that the teachers are not helping these students really comprehend what they are learning. These teachers are more focused on having their students memorize the information, rather than really having them understand the knowledge they are receiving. Many others believe that both the teachers and the students should be learning from one another, instead of the teachers being this dictator that completely controls the class. This is where the “banking” concept of education comes in, “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor” (Freire 318). In this system, the teacher teaches and the students

I also agree with Freire's that the schools are just like banks where the students’ empty accounts are deposited by the teachers. The banking system of education discourages the students think critically and creatively. According to Freire, the banking system is practicing in schools to control the minds of the students. This system makes the students thoughtless and quiet in the class, so the teachers can be overruled easily on the students’ mind. (Monchinski,

“The teacher chooses the program content, and the students (who were not consulted) adapt to it.” (Freire 59) But yet, “skill obtained apart from thinking”, (Dewey 559) “consequently leaves a man at the mercy of his routine habits and of the authoritative control of others” (Dewey 559) It is precisely these dehumanizing situations in the classroom that have shaped the opinions of the following educational philosophers. Paulo Freire identifies the teacher as an oppressor which “fills the student with the contents of his narration” (Freire 57) With a similar complaint John Dewey defines a teacher as an authoritarian in the classroom, which stifles creativity. He believes “thinking is the method of intelligent learning.” (Dewey 559). While Hsün Tzu says, that “learning should never cease.” (Hsün 544) He also believes there is a need to suppress the natural instincts of man, because humans have an evil inclination. In one form or another all of these views express the need for the educator to have control over the pupil. Whether it is through religious practices and rituals of discipline, narrative education, or by lack of experiential involvement, the main concept is the need for dominance over the student. There needs to be a balance of power within the educational system, so the dehumanization can stop. This balance will be achieved when looking at what has been implemented from these beliefs and seeing where there is still room for improvement.

One thing I did not understand very well while I was in school as a child was that effective schooling shouldn’t teach its participating students what to think, but rather how to think. The way I see it, as I imagine personally and understand from my time spent attempting to comprehend pedagogical theory, is that education’s main function is to help people form dispositions for thinking that they can use to be successful and happy in their lives; frames of mind, or worldviews, so to speak, that enable problem solving and one’s ability to perspectivize the world around them in such a way that they may possess or acquire tact, grace, or passion, and in ways which are honest and productive, indeed conducive to socialized human life. I believe that it is a fundamental human interest to live a good and wholesome life, be it by whatever reasonable qualifications a person may offer for that. People, I believe, desire communication, and have an interest in hearing others and being themselves heard, as do they desire to enact and also act upon cultural or social rituals that reinforce equality and justice, and so forth. The problem with this ideal, however, is that many historical, cultural, economic, psychological, and sociological forces obstruct it. Though my telling of it here may seem abstract on one level, which I certainly would not argue, I also would do an injustice in failing to point out that these are matters of practical significance as well. They are often simple

Deresiewicz talks about Edmundson and how one of his teachers used the same method as Socrates, the teacher of Plato, and echoed his opinions back to him, which forced him to deconstruct and reconstruct his own words. This created an unfamiliar and uncomfortable environment where he was taught “not what to think, but how.” Deresiewicz encourages the same approach to be used for college students to provide the basics of how to think. Although this seems like a simplistic approach, one thing Deresiewicz fails to point

The purpose of education brings power and knowledge to life. Education has the power to evaluate you. Education is given to everyone for equal opportunity. It gives you the capability to succeed in life. In “The Banking Concept of Education” one of Paulo Freire’s main idea expresses thoughts on how education is suffering from narration sickness due to the relationship between the teacher and the student. Freire believes that the Banking Method of Education simply fills the students with the contents of the teacher’s narration and causes a lack on their creativity, critical thinking, and free expression. By the students just sitting in the classroom listening to the teacher and not engaging in any type of conversations, limits their ability to really understanding what is being taught to them.It also limits the use of what is being taught to them with reality. The method fails because it lacks communication between the teacher and the students in which it also disconnects the content from reality. Referring to the song we listened to in class our education is teaching us how to uplift another community but how is it helping us be more enlightened on our well being in our own community. I thought education gives light to life through the skills and knowledge taught and with education individuals can achieve greatness in life but I feel that is not the case anymore. Some may say it depends on who is teaching you because for example a white teacher trying to teach you African

Since my childhood I have always been told ‘Education is the key to success!’ and there is absolutely no other way to achieving beyond more than just survival in this fast-paced but deeply cruel and competitive world. That was a concept endlessly hammered into my head by society, it however never appealed to me simply because of the fact that I found it a concept, something which according to the Longman dictionary of Contemporary English is defined as an idea of how something is, or how something should be done.

Every person, throughout their life, develops a unique standard of morals. Morals help to establish personal opinions, choices, and both social and private behavior. Overall, Morals craft personality, an attribute special to each individual. However, many people struggle to identify the place of origin of which their morals were initially acquired. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, follows the moral development of Jean Louise, or “Scout”, and her older brother Jeremy “Jem” Finch as they grow throughout the course of the story. While a personal experience can help to establish moral beliefs, the greatest production of major moral education is obtained through one’s elders when they are an adolescent. Scout and Jem are constantly taught moral lessons from their father, Atticus, who provides the children with a wise and honest statement about current conflicts. Miss Maudie serves as one motherly figure and gives Scout and Jem hope, optimism, and judgement. Calpurnia is another motherly figure and teaches the two children about manners. Aunt Alexandra and Mrs. Dubose are both representation of what the children hope to avoid in maturing but each ghastly figure provides a deep lesson in respect and honor. Each elder that is present in Scout and Jem’s daily life serves as an outlet for a moral education.