Approaching Learning Through Experience
The educational contexts we have encountered have provided a captivating and eye-opening experience for me thus far. From our readings and seminar discussions, we have discussed an occurrence that we tend to see in schools today called the “banking concept.” This concept is when schools create a fine line between the student and teacher, where the teachers are dominant in the area of education and knowledge, while students know nothing and come from no background knowledge. This in turn, has had students accept their inferior position and uncomfortable with challenging a teacher or contributing their own skills and knowledge into the classroom. But there is an importance in linking that divide and finding meaningful connections between education and personal experiences together. This is what we have been able to see through the educational contexts we have encountered from our first field placement this week at our first school. We as educators have the challenge of arranging quality experiences in which students will thrive and increase their integrative motivation to produce an intrinsic need for wanting to learn more in the future. Our readings would point out that organization is also important in the educational contexts we have encountered, but in a way that is experimental instead of structural to help promote growth. As a result, educators should try new and innovative ways to link their education with the real world.
This week, we started our first field experience at a school called La Inmaculada which is a school located in between wealthy and poor neighborhoods in Lima. The school starts from kindergarten and goes all the way up to high school. We were placed individually into classrooms and organized by our majors and whether we were primary or secondary education. I was placed into a classroom with seniors and it was an interesting first day as I noted the differences throughout the day between schools in the U.S. and Peru. The first thing I noticed was that students stayed in the same classroom all day while it was the teachers that moved from class to class. A lot of instruction and learning was also student-oriented rather than teacher-oriented which was refreshing to see as a lot of times it is the opposite in the U.S. The teachers encouraged more student output as well and they were eagerly involved with whatever subject material they were working on. I observed specifically a history class and a math class, both of which were different in teaching styles but similar when it involved with having students give their feedback and co-creating knowledge with one another.
The history class consisted of a lecture about white utopia, the effects of colonialism, and social stratification. Each student read a paragraph and would then give their input or general idea of what they thought the passage was trying to say, then the teacher would add supporting details and clarify anything that seemed confusing but still build off what the student had said. It was interesting as the teacher encouraged more of what the student thought of the passage first, and then backed them up or explained with more details. In the math class, the teacher did example problems and had one problem for students to solve on their own. Students were allowed to work collaboratively or alone and then he chose one student to demonstrate how to solve the problem on the board. As a result, the teacher became the student and the student became the teacher and created a relationship where they were co-teachers and learners, unlike the banking concept I had previously talked about with very strict lines of superiority. If a classmate didn’t understand something, the student up at the board had to break down the problem even further or explain it in a way that clarified it, showing a mutual, cooperative learning aspect between students. These kinds of environment that teachers form go hand in hand with some of our readings, as they talk about combining meaningful experiences with education to promote not just individual growth, but also social, emotional, moral, and intellectual growth, and this all happens from learning through experiences. Using this educational context, the teachers here show how they are attempting to end hierarchies between teacher and student and more towards social equalization (Freire). In our seminar, we discussed the limitations with using experiences to promote growth and interaction within students since it does take an extensive amount of time and money. But I think there are still ways to include these so that students can hone their instincts in the direction of growth and capability.
As teachers, we can use it as a base and try to incorporate or create versions of those quality experiences with a long term goal of arousing curiosity to go out on their own and discover the world around them. A supporting example I thought of was a research project in my Spanish class I had last semester where I created a study on the effects of motivation and intercultural competence after studying abroad. After researching, there was a section we had to talk about that explained how our anticipated results from our study could help in language pedagogy for a teacher. As a result, my sources and my professor helped explain to me how creating similar/natural environments and incorporating real life situations or input within the classroom for students who hadn’t studied abroad, could still increase their speaking abilities, their motivation, and understanding of their identity just a much as those students who had studied abroad. Overall, our seminar discussion and first field placement have brought for interesting observations about teaching and providing the best environment for learning and instruction for students. I am excited to see what else I learn and to continue making observations in my field placement at La Inmaculada!
On a side note, I had an awesome time this weekend spending time with some kids from La Casita for their International Day of Play and getting to play with them. These kids have so much spirit and affection for us that I always leave with a big smile on my face and wanting to stay with them longer. On Sunday, my friends Caroline, Grace and I decided to take advantage of our free time and go surfing! It was so fun (and funny to watch my friends fall off their surfboards) and I’m glad I had the chance to catch some waves after being away from the beach for so long. Maybe we’ll end up just becoming professional surf instructors instead??? I’ll keep you updated 😊
