Friday, October 7, 2011

David Foster Wallace.

    David Foster Wallace gave his commencement speech in 2005 at a Liberal arts college.  I enjoyed his speech because I feel it is different from what I know as a standard commencement speech.
    In class, we were asked what we worship.  I believe that what I would worship is the goodness of people.  I believe that in general that people are good.  I would like to think that goodness is also a chain reaction, you can impact someones day with a smile.   I believe that people overlook this, because we are so busy with our everyday lives.  I also believe that this is more often true than in the Midwest.  Last winter I went to Wisconsin with my boyfriend to visit his family, and I was a nerved by the number of people that would look you in the eye and smile, but I believe the people are happier there.
    I think we can take what David Foster Wallace says about being aware of your surroundings, and apply it to being decent human beings.  If instead of getting aggravating with the old lady driving slow.  Instead think, maybe she can only handle her car going this fast.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Banking Concept of Education

    The Banking Concept of Education is a difficult article.  The first time I read this article I thought that it was merely focusing how the banking concept is a very effective form of teaching.  Class on Monday helped me understand more clearly, especially in the middle of the article when he gets philosophical.  After class on Monday I re-read Freire’s article and it made more sense.  Certain pieces of his article stand out to me.  I believe that when I connected these pieces to events I can relate to, I understand Freire better.
    “But, sooner or later, these contradictions may lead formerly passive students to turn agains their domestication and the attempt to domesticate reality”(pg. 320)
    This quote reminded me of the American Hippies.  Post World War II education was very important, and math and science was believed to be very important in the space age.  Art, music, writing, and self expression were viewed as not important.  The banking concept of education is very strong in 1960s classrooms.  The teacher would be in-front of the class and the children sat dutiful at their desk absorbing information.  Many children that grew up in this society, were young adults in the late 1960s and 1970s craved self expression.  I believe that these children were exposed to the banking concept throughout their childhood, and when they reached the young adulthood they became resistant to authority, and they became more aware of their selves in the world.
"a person is merely in the world, not with the world"(pg. 321)