Reflection 3

D. Leroux                                                                               Harry Reddin    A00311697

Banking vs. Problem Posing Education

           

The banking method or the deposit of money into bank account is commonly used to describe the relationship between teacher and student. Another common metaphor used is, a students mind is an empty receptacle where the teacher deposits information.  Problem-posing education is a Freire concept which breaks with the aforementioned vertical pattern characteristic of the banking education method posing the new teacher-student with students-teacher relationship. The teacher is no longer merely the-one-who-teaches, but one who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught also teach. They become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow.

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 Paulo Freire argues that within this currency exchange the emphasis should not be placed on the words themselves but must be further broken down into reflection and action.   Freire stated that an empty word is transformed through praxis and this action ultimately transforms into the education process itself.   Freire focuses on a delicate balance centered upon the appropriate amount of action taken in the learning process and warns that if the dichotomy between verbalism and activism is not kept in check, the result will be an unauthentic dialogue.

           

The banking method as we discussed in class as the Central Bank theory is representative of how oppression is embedded into teaching. Through the dialogical process changes can be made within these ideologies, so that if a strategy does not have the desired effect, changes can be made to rectify the problems.  Paulo Freire studied the phenomenon of this dialogue and specifically the relationship between teacher and student in his critical pedagogy.  It was this educational movement, guided by passion and principle where he desired to help students develop consciousness of freedom, recognize authoritarian tendencies, and connect knowledge to power and the ability to take constructive action.

If examined, the education system of today’s society can be related to how the banking theory has been enforced throughout the early school education years with a tendency to take a more relaxed approach as student’s progress through the system.  A relationship definitely exists between learning to be a critical thinker and the methods used in teaching, yet many educational settings follow this cookie cutter approach of the banking method of education, which Freire describes as problematic.  Looking inside the walls of this very institution, Saint Mary’s University, students and teachers alike are still constrained by specific policy that is reflected by the banking method infrastructure of the university itself.  How is a theater or lecture hall to be perceived as anything other that a back drop for the banking method described by Freire.  These top down limitations are still in place in today’s society and reaching this end goal of homeostasis between reflection and action is what Freire argues to be a difficult endeavor.

 The learning process is still looked at by many as a top down relationship, where knowledge and power are intertwined.  Paulo Friere focuses on social justice and disagrees with this style of relationship, stating relationships are central for learning to effectively take place.  Although very philosophical at times, specifically in our course readings, Freire in the Pedagogy of the Oppressed creates a two step recipe for a successful didactic teacher learner relationship.  The first consists of essential ingredients such as love, humility, faith, hope and the second contains critical thinking.  With these two key sets of ingredients Freire believes that libertarian education is achievable.

In conclusion Paulo Freire emphasizes learning should not focus so much on the outcomes themselves but on the wide variety of learner and teacher needs. Freire’s early years living in poverty were instrumental in that shaping him and drove him to be such a proponent of social justice, particularly social class and knowledge.  Paulo Freire is a great proprietor of free will and the libertarian education process. Constraints in today’s society such as the commonly used banking method are oppressive examples that are used in education process today and are looked upon by Freire as obstacles that prevent the people from feeling like the masters of their own thinking.  Problem posing education removes the restraints attached to the banking method and uses a multiple faceted approach that can be better adjusted to the individual students needs.   The alternative often looks like this......Classic banking method....