Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Ira Shor- Empowering Education (Connections)

While reading Ira Shor’s Empowering Education I found what he wrote about connected to some authors we have already read in class. Shor’s idea of a participatory education is great and I believe it is one of the best ways to teach children. But like Delpit, how can we teach these students the rules and codes of power if we are not being explicit. “While principles, teachers, and textbooks may lecture students on freedom, non-participatory classrooms prepare them for the authority work world and political system they will join”. This quote explains it all I think, the ‘real world’ is not very participatory, most jobs have a boss you have to answer to and do as he/she says. In a participatory classroom you don’t really learn these traits. Another author I thought about while reading was Collier, she says to embrace children’s first languages and not ignore it. I feel this relates to Shor because he wants students to participant in class and not just have them sit there and be lectured too. The more the students participate and become involved the better they will learn and the more information they will retain and use later in life. I do believe that a participatory classroom is a good classroom to have, however I believe that the children should still have rules and know who is in charge so that when they enter the ‘real world’ they know the rules and codes of power.
This Link has strategies and tips to motivate students.
In class I will like to discuss if everyone thinks that a total participatory classroom would work in schools across the country.  

3 comments:

  1. I liked your connection to Collier. It took me a while to find this connection when i was reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I definitely saw the connection with Delpit, but I liked how you were able to connect the reading with Collier as well.

    ReplyDelete