Talking Points 10

Empowering Education
By: IRA SHOR

1.) “A curriculum that does not challenge the standard syllabus and conditions in society informs students that knowledge and the world are fixed and are fine the way they are, with no role for students to play in transforming them, and no need for change.” (pg12)
~I don’t think a student would try if they thought they play no role. In a classroom a teacher should challenge the standard syllabus and make their own syllabus to include the students participation to get the students more involved in the class.


2.) “Politics reside not only in subject matter but in the discourse of the classroom, in the way teachers and students speak to each other. The rules for talking are a key mechanism for empowering or disempowering students. How much open discussion is there in class? How much one-way "teacher-talk"? Is there mutual dialogue between teacher and students or one-way transfers of information from teacher to students?” (14)
~ I think it is important because I can remember having classes were I just sit and listen to the teacher and I don’t feel empowered to try and learn on my own. I use to just listen to the teacher and I think I would have got more from the class if I would have felt empowered to learn.


3.) “A participatory pedagogy, designed from cooperative exercises, critical thought, student experience, and negotiated authority in class, can help students feel they are in sufficient command of the learning process to perform at their peak.” (21)
~If students think they are in control of their learning the students will feel more empowered to learn. Instead of just sitting at a desk hearing the teacher go on and on the students will be able to participate in their learning.


I thought this article was good, but it was hard for me to read because I couldn’t stay focused. I had to keep putting it down and coming back to it. In the beginning of the article when it talks about how students should question “why we go to school” it made me think about my writing class. I had to write a paper on the importance of education. Before I was told to write that paper I never really questioned why I went to school. I think that this is something all kids should think about because if you don’t you will just be going to school because you are forced to go not because you want to go. I think if children want to go to school or at least know the reason for why they are going to school that they will learn better. When the article was talking about participation it made me think of this class and how it is important to participate. I think that participation is something classes need to have, but sometimes is hard for some students to do. For me I think it is getting a little easier to participate in class.