I found the video on instruction of LGBTQ issues (mainly gay/lesbian) in schools to be highly engaging and thought-provoking. Certainly in our conversations we discussed the issue at both a pedagogical level and at the familial/societal level as well and at least I realized that it was something about which I am still quite uncertain. We talked about the difference between teaching students what is "right vs. wrong" vs. simply bringing and raising awareness for our students (thereby implicitly providing them with a basis on which to develop their own judgments). I think this is a conversation that we must continue to foster in our class - but I think that Ryan's question is absolutely valid. While I don't have an answer to it, I think we must also think about the way in which we have these conversations and the effect that they have on our experience as teachers.
From our discussion on Freire, I could not help but get somewhat frustrated by the seemingly ideal problem-posing system (vs. banking) because - and I mentioned this to my group - given the strict adherence to state educational frameworks that is expected of teachers, sometimes there is simply either no time for such dynamic lessons, or the students lack the knowledge to adequately make use of them. While I absolutely think one system is clearly and significantly better, I think it is also necessary for us to consider what is truly realistic in our classrooms.
No comments:
Post a Comment