Reading Response #1

I think the year is starting off well, everything we have read I was able to relate to in some way and compare the text to situations in my own life. Of the three readings Gatto stood out the most to me, all of his major points I could relate to in some way and his wording was easy for me to understand making the concepts he was talking about easier to break down. When we broke down into small groups to discuss the reading I brought up a quote my history teacher from the year prior had up on her whiteboard throughout the year, “If you are bored you are boring.” It’s simple and completely relates to the first subject of Gatto’s piece. I fully agree with the idea, you can always combat boredom in some way. Even in a class where the subject matter may not be exactly to your liking if you find one part you can take an interest in you can fight the urge to fall asleep or text your friend who is sitting two seats away.

The above mentioned teacher was always looking for new ways to get the class involved, which brings me to Ferire’s ideas on the educational style of banking. We rarely took notes and commonly had group discussions and debates where we were encouraged to speak our minds and at times take a side we wouldn’t unless being prompted. It made the class think in a way they wouldn’t normally and broadened our learning experience by teaching us to think for ourselves and outside of our normal realm of thought. Having her teach history in that way was interesting and made me stop to think about the actual necessity of the banking system. History classes are typically taught in a banking nature, you are given text to read and dates to memorize. But if you can take a class like that and change it up to teach the basic background but allow room for people to grow as critical thinkers, shouldn’t you take that opportunity? To me it seems like an easier answer, yes!

~Ariel M.