human/nature

Human/Naturemailto:kpan@pdx.edu
10-08-09
A brief paper on UNST readings on critical thinking and education. ; “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths” challenges us to think critically. Telling us to be prepared for the vast differences in high school and college. Columbo challenges us to put ourselves in an El Salvadoran person’s place as he reads the title of a the book “Rereading America” and reminds us that The United States is not the only country in North America and it is the arrogance of we in the United States who take it for granted that it is the only country. Something of which I can say with pride that I am not guilty. The fact that people do not know what North America includes is evidence of the dubious quality of our education system. Columbo’s example of cultural myths was very profound in “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethk. Which to today’s generation sounds like a perverted, abusive situation, turnsout to me to be quite a sweet memory a boy has of his father. It took some critical thinking onmy part to get over the afore mentioned.Second; “Against School” by Gatto showed us one man’s opinion of the inadequacies of the public schools. Having worked in the public schools in Houston, TX, I agree wholeheartedly. The main focus for the school year was to pass the state test. Further the state test was a testfor the teachers as well. If a teacher had failing students they were seen as incapable of teaching his/her students and were not considered for promotions etc. It was holey the fault of the teacher. It was the main focus of the principal to bully teachers to pass their kids. However his opinion seemed to say that formal and or public education is not needed. He did make the point to say that the teachers and students are to blame. He did not say anything about the parents being to blame which they are more than the lion’s share of the problem. No discipline. Parents do not want to take responsibility for their childrens’ actions. Gato asked the question, “Do we really need school?” and I believe we do. I think it teaches children regimented schedules, usually good conflict resolution skills, how to get along with others, other than their own siblings and most importantly an education.Third; “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” is Freire’s point of view how we are a factory of teaching and learning. The teachers are forced to teach facts and students are forced to learn by memorization. An assembly line of mindless repetition. What Freire calls “Banking concept”. They deposit i.e. teach, we learn i.e. earn dividends (dividends to be earned later in life with a successful career). I personally find nothing wrong with teaching people to memorize facts. That is how it done. When I was in grade school we were taught to memorize times tables up through 12. Yes, there is a logic behind 12X12 but if you let a child count on his fingers/toes to figure out his multiplication table using his appendages 5X4 is as far as he will get as I know of no one who has 144 appendages. The student will have to start pulling out hair!I have met too many people from other countries who know more about our country than we do about theirs or even ours. When someone says she is from New Jersey, there is nothing wrong with knowing; “The Garden State, must grow lots of fruits and vegetables one of the wealthiest states in the country, coastal state, must have lots of tourism, closely situated to New York City and Philadelphia, lots of suburbia………………….”The object of these articles is to teach us to think critically and to think critically about education and whether it is important or not. I believe that education is the most important thing you can do for a person of any age, creed, color, etc. We cannot live whole lives without it.These articles have given me an opportunity to reflect on my own life as a student. I hated school most of my life. I bucked the systems which the authors spoke of. I ended up taking one boring, dead-end job after another because they were easy to get. Every time I get tired with one job I go to another. Every job change made me think about “what do I want to do when I grow up?” I attempted college when I was right out of high school but dropped out after 2 semesters. Then later when I became interested in the world around me I decided to go backto college, first for political science, which I finally realized that I’d never get a job as politician in such a place as Houston, TX. Second, for teaching, until I worked in a public school and realized how much I disliked children It is my deepest desire that every person in the world receives a good and thorough education so they don’t end up like me; going to college at my age with a resume as long as my arm. It is sad to find out about how low our country ranks among the other world countries ineducation, 15th in math and science and 11th in reading. This was on the “Steven Colbert”, acomedy news program which does actual news stories with a comedic twist. Being the 3Rdmost populated country in the world, with the most wealth and one of the highest GNP makes it embarrassing to be so low on the totem pole. These are just a few silly facts I’ve memorized!


L






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Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths" challenges us to think critically. Telling us to be prepared for the vastly differences in high school and college. Columbo challenges us to put ourselves in an El Salvadoran person's place as he reads the title of a book "Rereading America" and reminds us that The United States is not the only country in North America and it is the arrogance of we in the United States who take it for granted that it is the only country in North America. Something of which I can say with pride that I am not guilty. The fact that people do not know what North America includes is evidence of the dubious quality of our education system.
Columbo's example of cultural myths was very profound in "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethk. Which to today's generation, and probably rightfully so sounds like a perverted, abusive situation, turns out to me to be quite a sweet memory a boy has of his father. It took some critical thinking on my part to get over the afore mentioned.

Columbo/Gatto

To begin reading with Columbo, gaining an understanding what thinking critically does consist of, helps me "try" to see the perspectives in which Gatto shared in his article. Columbo provided for me, a better understanding to how critical thinking has different aspects. He provides his basic definition on what critical thinking is and the basis from which he believes it is derived. I must say that reading him first gave me the insight on how to deal with authors like Gatto, with patience and an open mind. Culturally, as Columbo mentions, I would definitely say that my opinions and perspectives on how I see education, in particular, public education, as a necessity and a path, an opinion based on how I was raised and see things. Growing up in an inner city and moving to a rural area, I see the differences in education and how even an individuals attitude towards teaching differs.
I believe my childhood experiences are reasons for my passion in the subject. I think Gatto was bored enough to compose this silly article. While it is his opinion and it seems the article was well written, I feel his personal experiences and crummy career played a role on his biased opinion on what public education is really trying to do. I don't see public education as factories. No one cares, and I will speak for myself, about how he got screwed while he was on leave. He referenced a lot of his work on authors and educators from other universities. I disagree that our system is like Prussia. Once again, I am completely impassive about how many activities or jobs James Bryant Conan had and his negativity in general to education. I just don't like this guy.

Ironic would be the first word that came to mind when reading Colombo’s Critical Thinking, Challenging Cultural Myths. Ironic, because here I was sitting in a a seemingly traditional classroom, being assigned a reading that encouraged me to challenge traditional thinking. I enjoyed the article right away because it opened up with a sentence I immediately could relate too; “beginning college can be a disconcerting experience.” Sure enough, I had some disconcertion going on.

I particularly liked what Colombo had to say about myth and culture. I’ve always viewed culture as something rich and distinctly unique to humanity, but I never thought of it as having negative connotations, as well. Colombo stated that through culture, comes rigid customs that take a true critical thinker to break and question why those customs are the way they are.

It is within our traditional education system that we learn to obey these myths and customs and are rarely challenged to question them. This takes me strait to Gatto. The soul of Gatto’s argument is that our education system is full of flaws. it’s boring, ridged, and and encourages mediocracy. Friere shared similar views and even went as far as to say that oppression in our schools is caused by the love of death and destruction, rather then creation.

The key points of these three articles run parallel. The connections between them are blatant and obvious, and Colombo, Gatto, and Friere share very similar views. As for buffalo gals, however, the connection did not come quickly. To be honest, it didn’t really come at all. Though, I did connect it to our discussion about what separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. We made assumptions that we are the only species capable of language and deep emotions, but it could be that we’re just looking at it form a different perspective. Just like how gal saw coyote as a person, and horse saw gal as a colt. It all depended on perspective, and our perspective could be completely off. Buffalo gals was humbling in that way, and even though I didn't find a direct way to connect it to the other readings, Buffalo gals did spark a lot of critical thinking

3 readings

In reading Columbo, Friere and Gotto I came to the conclusion that education is the most important thing that you can do for any other human being. I don't want any one to end up like me goin back to school at my age. Going to one dead end job to another not know what I want to be when I grow up. It is embarrassing to know that our country is 15th. in math and science in the world and 11th. in reading. Even though I heard that on the "Steven Colbert" show which is a syterical, comedy news show in gives real news stories with a comedic twist. I dont think any thing is wrong with memorizing facts. I will email my original writing to you which gets to the point better.

Definition of nature:
I wanted to look in the dictionary or on line to give the "official" definition , then mine however dictionary.com was rather lengthy so I choose the ones which most agree with my personal definition so first we'll go with dictionary.com.
1. the material world, esp, asa surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activivtes.
2. The natural world as it iexixts without human benngs. As mountains trees etc.
3. A primitave, wild, condition; an uncultivated state.
4. The original, natural, uncivilized condition of humakind.
Definition of human.
1.or or pertaining to characters of or having the nature of people.
2.Consisting of peopole: the human race.
3.Of or pertaining to the soccial aspect of people: human affairs.
These are the ones from the dictionary which most fit my dedinition. My point and most likiley the point of the instructor is that the 2 words are intertwined and can hardly be descrived or defined as one without defining them together and using "human" in describing "nature" to describe "human"

Human/Nature RR

Reading Response: Colombo, Freire, and Gatto Down With the Public Education
It's very apparent when reading the articles by Colombo, Freire, and Gatto that they share a very strong opinion on the public education system in America. Colombo, Freire, and Gatto see the public education system as this tyrant that wants to take over the creative individual, abolish all critical thinking from the youth, and create the perfect consumer for America. In many ways I agree with what Colombo, Freire, and Gatto have to say about the public education system, it's taking away the passion and inspiration that is supposed to go with learning, but going as far as to say that the public education system is like “banking” and that our minds are nothing but capsules that are being filled with pointless information that all “average” and “general” people that need to be ruled by society should know seems extreme. We might be forced by law to stay in school for a certain amount of time and be forced to take certain classes in that time period, but many people continue on in that same heartless public education system and take something great away from it. If it wasn't for the public education system we would all be left to find a way to pay for expensive private schooling or be taught by our parents, and in no disrespect, but the times and exceptions of education are changing and many parents nowadays can't keep up with the rigorous learning that we are now entailed to have, just as a basic knowledge. So yes, maybe public education takes things away, but if the student really wants to know and learn they will take it upon themselves to make it happen and learn much more from it then just having it shoved in their “capsule” by some teacher.

Reading Response 1 by: John Wall

Reading Response 1
Throughout my first in FRINQ, we read three assigned readings which for the most part I enjoyed. The readings opened my eyes to some common problems we as students run into today. Colombo talked about the problems with students not being able to think critically and cultural myths. Gato talked about how the problem of boredom in school creates problems and that school doesn’t allow students to explore their interests. While the most recent Freire talked about how the schools sole function of teaching is like a banking account. These all have a common theme of students not being able to reach their full potential in school.
Within the readings Gato and Freire the problem seems to have to be with the teacher and or environment. Due to the practice of how teachers educate students is the idea of banking. As the student sits in class their brain is just to remain an open account while the teacher fills it with information. This is just like a lecture class because if all the students are just listening and not responding they become bored. Both the students and teachers can control this boredom if the teachers would allow the students to question the material and become critical thinkers with Colombo thought students should be able to do.
In conclusion, schools need to force teachers to allow for a more challenging yet open minded environment so that students can become critical thinkers. This would help control the problem of boredom throughout school.

Believing in Education

After reading the Colombo and Gatto articles I felt like a lost cause. What these two authors were saying was that I was a lost cause. Because I was part of the public education system I am now supposedly not capable of thinking critically. I and many others are testaments to the fact that people can go through the public school system and and turn out able beings. It is human nature to continuely try to improve things, such as the public school system. Anything can be improved but I believe the biggest step towards improving our educational system is to actually believe in it. For anything to succeed one must first believe. Honestly believing in something is something that comes natural to every human being but over time we lose sight of that fact. I believe an article that discusses the topic of believing and how powerful it may be would be much more benficial.

Hindering Critical Thinking

After reading the two articles written by Colombo and Friere, my previous perception of the education system was challenged and as a result adjusted. In Colombo’s article three major points stuck out. Public education has a single purpose of creating or developing an average human to meet the standards of society. Second, speaking from experience he stated that education was boring for both the teacher and student. The greatest point he made however, was in his conclusion where he said that it is up to the parents to teach their child ways of critical thinking. While I wasn’t a fan of the majority of the article, this idea needs to be spread throughout. Despite the fact that our children may spend more time with their teachers than their parents, the parents need to take initiative and be proactive if they want their child to rise above the average human that our education system breads.
In parallel, Friere’s article also speaks of how our current education system hinders creativity. He explains this using the example of a banking system. This states that the student is like a bank account in that the student is always receiving knowledge from the teacher. This is a one way relationship. The teacher teaches and the students only gain. He goes on to say how a better education system would contain a symbiotic student-teacher relationship where the teacher is teaching the student aswell as learning from the student and the student is learning from the teacher aswell as teaching the teacher. For the most part I belive that both student and teacher should ‘know’ their places, it does benefit both sides if student and teacher can keep an open mind with their relationship. Many times I think that the teachers are the only ones aware of this. Students may not even realize the impact of what they said in class or wrote in a paper has on their teacher. I’m quite positive that my perspective will change though because the teacher student relationship is much different in the collegiate atmoshpere. I have yet to come to any epiphanies.

Colombo and Le Guin

In “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths”, Gary Colombo encourages us to go beyond the obvious meanings in day-to-day life. Colombo tells us that in order to think critically, we must explore and question the facts we are given, rather than simply accepting them as true. In order to achieve this, we must be able to look at the world through the perspectives of others. We must be capable of looking beyond our own cultural beliefs and myths, our own ideals. Only by beginning to question our own cultural myths may we learn to think critically by questioning other aspects of our society.

In Ursula Le Guin’s “Buffalo Gals”, we delve into a myth that is far from traditional. In Le Guin’s story, we enter the lives of the animals. We learn about their personal lives, their lovers, and their messy rooms. It is a rare occurrence that we think about the personal lives of the animals in our world. We instead see animals as creatures driven by instinct, acting purely out of their necessity to survive. Le Guin’s piece allows us to think critically by questioning the traditional myths and assumptions we have about animals.

Colombo states, “By questioning the myths that dominate our culture, we can begin to resist the limits they impose on our vision”. Perhaps Le Guin’s intention was to open our eyes to the generalizations we make about animals on a daily basis, encouraging us to think critically about their true impact on our lives and our world.

Gatto, Colombo, and Paulo Freire

While reading the essays I'd have to say the one I enjoyed and agreed with the most was John Gatto, he was very relate able and all of his points, from my experience, were spot on. He explains that both the teachers and the students are at fault, he mentions that both the "students and teachers as virtual factories of childishness". To me this statement is very significant, the children are bored and the teachers typically aren't interested in what they are talking about and as a result the children don't learn and the the teacher gets frustrated, which is childish and makes it a bad learning experience. Being bored in school or with life breeds laziness which effects how well the student will do when he "gets out in the real world" as they say. He also touches on the fact that teachers hands are tied, the school board and other forces make it hard for them to teach in a style more engaging for the teacher and the student. Paulo Freire's essay was very strong and analytical, almost as if he was speaking about his topic from a distance and in metaphors. One of his comments I liked was the students "tend simply to adapt to the world as it is and to the fragmented view of reality deposited in them". I strongly agree with this, in school you are separated from the world and how it works; it's like the military, the military is a way of life and then there is the civilian life. Students are not exposed to the hurdles of life, they are not even prepared for it; what a company wants, how to apply for a job, etc..All in all I think that Colombo, Gatto, and Freire all made very good points but I think Gatto's was the most agreeable for me.

Colombo and Gatto

I thought that the Colombo and Gatto reading were similar based on the theory of thinking critically and managing ourselves. The idea of thinking critically spoke out to me because it made me step back and take a look at how I learn. I realized I was one of the students that just memorized the work to pass the test, and by the time the weekend came I'd forget what I learned. But, with the skill of questioning and applying what you learn to real situations, your overall knowledge expands and allows you to maintain what you learned. Opening our minds and looking past "obvious meanings" creates so much more for us to understand and think about, also allowing us to learn to accept others.

I felt that the differences between the two articles were that the Colombo reading seemed to focus on how cultural myths hold power on us, and how they hold us back from opening our minds. And the Gatto reading focused on the schools, and how they hold us back. I think I enjoyed the Colombo reading a bit more just because the Gatto reading seemed preferential to the idea of schools being meant for "conformity" and "to reduce individuals to the same safe level". He didn't really give another view in the article. Also I felt like the Colombo reading was a bit more encouraging in making us become critical thinkers, whereas the Gatto reading made me feel like we've been stuck in this prison-like system called school. 

Overall, I feel like a got quite a bit out of both readings. The Gatto reading allowed me to see that being bored is all based on me. I need to not waste time, but really focus and make an effort to learn. The Colombo reading made me think about opening my mind wider, and looking at different views instead of just the ones I grew up to believe.

Olivia F.