Environmental Issues Around Me

With this week's learning module, all I can say is WOW. I've learned so much about the environment and how people contribute to it and how people can hurt it. An article that I really liked that I read this week was called "Bring It". It started off as a mother talking about how her son and his peers helped his school become more environmental friendly. They saved the schools tens of thousands of dollars and the school was able to do it's part in helping the environment by using biodegradable products and using water fountains instead of water bottles. Then I watched a video that discussed the process in which we consume and put waste on our planet. I'm actually truly disturbed that the United States takes up a small percentage of Earth yet we used 1/3 of the resources offered by Earth and still take the resources from a third world country. 99% of the world's products are made to be trashed by 6 months of use. That's not okay. Companies should be making products that last years and have multiple uses but of course that's not a way in which they would be making millions. This learning module is all about community, environment, and place based education. I think that it was really important to also read the article titled "American Education from a Tribal Perspective". It suggests that American Education should be evolving more and be more spiritual and mindful of the environment around one another. I think that maybe once a month schools should take kids to areas and show them the importance of the environment and how it benefits the community around you.

Bell Hooks and the "Banking Concept"

After reading about the Banking Concept by Freire and reading a piece of writing by Bell Hooks, I would say that Bell Hooks completely rejects the Banking Concept. The Banking Theory "turns them into "containers," into "receptacles" to be "filled" by the teacher. The more completely she fills the receptacles, the better teacher she is. The more meekly the receptacles, the permit themselves to be filled, they better students they are" (Freire, 1). Hooks believes that students should not just sit there and consume the information given to them by the professor or teacher. Hooks believes that the teachers and students of a classroom should be interacting and participating with one another. He also believes that the students need to be aware of the information that they are learning and understand what that information actually means. I completely agree with Hooks. If I was a theorist or trying to become a teacher, I would absolutely with no doubt in my mind, reject the Banking concept. In my opinion, the banking concept belittles students and the knowledge they bring to the class before the teacher educates them on other information. Hooks' learning theory called engaged pedagogy which, "emphasizes well-being. That means that teachers must be actually committed to a process of self-actualization that promotes their well-being if they are to teach in a manner that empowers students" (Hooks,15). I am a firm believer in Hooks' learning theory. I think that teachers need to be in the right state of mind and believe in their students and empower them to enjoy and be conscious of the subject matter they are learning in a classroom. You can fill students up with as much information as you want, but are they going to retain it? Are they going to be able to apply it to real life situations? Are they truly understanding the material they are presented?