Tag: Blog 3: Pedagogy and Power

The Banking method, a balanced method?

To Freire, the Banking Method is a structure in classrooms in which knowledge is “deposited” (72) into the students, which Freire describes as “serving to dehumanize” (75). Rather than being a mutual space where everyone learns from and teaches each other, this structure is designed to have one main teacher (the authoritative figure) while the students remain there passively.

This model is critiqued by Freire for being a form of oppression as it empowers the teacher to be the “depositor” (72) leaving the students powerless, at the expense of both the teachers and the students (more so the students, however) as everyone can always benefit from learning something.

The Banking method is contradictory to the entire idea of teaching being a mutual process between teachers and students; so if the entire focus of learning is for the sake of education, as it’s supposed to be “an instrument for liberation”, the Banking method does just the opposite- as it subconsciously establishes an existing oppressed space in classrooms.

I went to a Charter School for middle and high school, and although the immediate norm in schools globally follows the Banking method, my schools were more strict in following it. We had to sit there robotically- couldn’t get up to use the bathroom, throw garbage out, nor get tissue without raising our hand as asking the teacher first, and that’s if the teacher said yes- and pay attention. No speaking or disrupting or else it would be a demerit. However, something I was very appreciative of that my schools did, is that they were very big and open to asking questions and letting students lead discussions via seminars(in some classes). In Hindsight, I can vouch that the Banking Method’s benefits included: practicing more focus in classrooms and learning, along with more order of the learning material; however, the idea of the teacher being the only “depositor” is harmful. Therefore, students should have more of an active role in their classes not only so they can retain more but ACTUALLY learn and hopefully enjoy it. Also, the presence of teachers may be useful in case students are confused or have ‘loose ends’ that need to be ’tied up’ at the end of class, it’s all about balance for the best outcome.

Banking Model

In the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire pedagogy as the “banking model of education”. From Freire’s definition, the banking model of education aligns students of the educational system as containers for disposing knowledge into. This way of educating student he explains, enforces the process of oppression, with the students being the oppressed and the teachers the oppressors unknowingly. Despite being in a position of doing the oppression, the teachers also experience dehumanization. Both students and teachers lose their creativity and artistic expression. I don’t recall a specific experience, but I did notice something when I was younger. Something that I have recognized within myself was my need to follow directions at a young age. At some point, I was still able to freely express myself. However, I found my creativity not well-received by others because it was different from what was expected. Realizing this, I started to become stricter on my actions and eventually became comfortable with schoolwork how it was expected to be. As I grew up, I was encourage more frequently to show my creativity, even if others didn’t appreciated it. Thinking about my experience, I realized how banking model of education truly does enforce oppressive influence.

Critical Pedagogy

The Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire is a critique on the traditional education system. According to Friere, the traditional pedagogy is the “banking model of education” because it treats the student as an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge. The banking model of education is the standard format of a classroom where a teacher, the knowledge holder, shares their knowledge with the students, whom are the receivers, without any feedback from the receivers themselves.  This leads to an unfair distribution of power between the teachers and the students. The teachers ultimately have an excess amount of power, and can grade students subjectively and as they please. The students are essentially powerless because the amount of power they have relies solely on how much the teachers have given them.  I’ve been in many science and mathematics classes that were the same power dynamics between teachers and students. The banking model has led me to rely on myself more than my professors when it comes to learning the course material. In addition, I also focus more on passing the class with a good grade and less about retaining the knowledge learned in class and applying it to real life situations.  The banking model makes students memorize facts without enjoying seeking knowledge and thus are not prepared for the real world.  They may lose independence because they are trained not to think for themselves.  One advantage of the banking model that I have realized is that it can teach individuals discipline as well as being independent, which are necessary skills for real world situations.

Pedagogy and Power

To Friere, the banking model is described as a knowledge holder sharing knowledge to a knowledge receiver without any feedback from the receiver. This is known as the standard classroom model in which a teacher shares his or her knowledge with students as they feed off that given information.  This allows the teachers (knowledge holders) to be empowered because they hold the knowledge that is being given or distributed to the knowledge receivers.

I have had experience with this banking model. When I was younger I used to take karate lessons and when displayed the right techniques my teacher would go forward with the lessons and teach me new moves. By making sure I knew each of these moves before teaching me new ones the teacher allowed me to memorize all of these techniques. Which ultimately lead to me receiving a black belt. The positive aspects of this model of teaching through this experience were that I learned and memorized different moves. However, the negative aspects of this model were that I had to please my teacher through the depiction of the techniques I have learned giving him the power to choose whether or not I could move forward and lean new routines.

Blog Post #3: Pedagogy and Power

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire was a book that criticizes the conventional education system. The banking model Freire proposed is that students only receive, file, and deposit what the teacher provides. The only thing students are learning to do is memorizing information that the teacher “deposits” in the students’ brains. The job of teachers is not so the students can memorize as much information as possible but to teach and get the students to think and analyze the work that is given. The problem the students have is never reach full understanding the knowledge because of the lack of context or they don’t have any reason to apply it to anything to appreciate its full value. Freire believes this turns students into better explain as “storage units” while the teachers are the depositing knowledge into, explaining the banking model title. Freire states this is a misguided system of education, where teachers are the oppressors and the students are the oppressed. This model of education greatly empowers the teacher and disempowers the student.

I keep trying to think of when (if) I’d ever experienced the banking model and  I can’t really seem to recall.

 

Pedagogy and Power

The banking model is a way Paulo Freire described and critiqued the education system. This model shows a student as an empty container being filled with knowledge by their educator. Freire argued  that teachers don’t communicate with the students, they make “deposits” and the students are expected to receive, memorize, and repeat the information. This empowers the teachers because they have the power to instill anything they’d like into the students, but this is at the students expense because they don’t develop a creative process. I’ve experienced this all throughout elementary school and high school. The teacher taught the information and I was expected to spit back their words on tests and essays. It wasn’t completely negative, I learned all of the facts about the subject I learned about and did well on all of my tests and assignments because it was all memorization. Now that I’m in college, I have a say and in most of my classes we have discussions about the topic we are learning about. I enjoy writing creative essays and expressing my opinion.

Pablo F. & The Banking Model

Freire calls traditional pedagogy the “banking model of education” because it treats the student as an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge. However, he argues the learner should be treated as a co-creator of knowledge. Freire rejects the banking approach, claiming it results in the dehumanization of both the students and the teachers. He also argues that the banking approach stimulates oppressive attitudes and practices in society. Instead, Freire advocates for a more world-mediated, mutual approach to education that encourages the co-creation of knowledge. According to Freire, this “authentic” approach to education must allow people to be aware of their incompleteness and strive to be more fully human. I agree with Freire, I think that the only way to be successful in current academic settings is simply memorization and not actually learning. That’s we we forget everything when classes end.

Pedagogy and Power

What is the Banking Model?

The Banking model is a term Paulo Freire uses, to explain how the education system works. In the Pedagogy of the Oppressed Freire describes the Banking Model as students being like “empty containers” that they are “filled” by teachers and our sole purpose is to “receive, memorize, and repeat.” or “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.” like banking. In other words the teachers know everything and the students know nothing. This empowers teachers for we as students are taught to accept the information given without questioning it, taking away the chance for us to think critically.

The closest I have come to encountering this model was with a teacher who gave great amounts of information with out clarifying it. She would expect us to know everything and wouldn’t really tell us why it was important often just leaving us memorize. It sometimes made it harder to understand but it also made you put in more effort into the class.

Image result for paulo freire

Pedagogy and Power

Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who wrote an influential book called Pedagogy of the Oppressed. In this book he touches on the idea of education where he states that the learning method is most likely the “Banking Model”. Freire refers to the banking model in order to criticize the way education is provided to the student. In his own words Freire says that students’s brains are like an empty container that can only be filled with knowledge from the teacher. Furthermore in the classroom only the teacher is allowed to talk and is the only person wise and knowledgeable. In the other hand, the student is not to speak nor challenge the knowledge given to him/her. This method clearly empowers the “intelligent” teacher and oppresses the student.

In my own case, I have experienced the banking model while I was in First and Second grade. I studied in Mexico my whole elementary school, but in the beginning I had the same teacher for two years. She was very mean. If any of the students had a question she would tell us to shut up, literally, and she would follow that sentence with “you are only allowed to speak when I ask you to.” She also used violence as a learning method because she would hit the students with a metallic ruler which would provoke tears on us. The only acceptable knowledge came from her and only her. It is until now that I have learned what that experience is called. However during that time the only positive thing I could get was to continue into third grade where teachers where more humane. 

Pedagogy And Power

Pablo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who support the idea of Pedagogy. Pedagogy is the academic discipline with the theory and practice of teaching and how these influence student learning. He related to the term called “banking model”  which he explained the wrong method of how the students are learning. The banking model is describing as a negative way of students being educated every day.

The banking concept of education has received many criticisms. Freire describes this as when the teachers directly fill the minds of the students with information and the student themselves accept it without any questioning. The teacher informs, and the student listens in to return. The students are not allowed to challenge and ask any questions. Therefore, the students have no freedom in learning and do not gain any knowledge. Most students basically memorize all the information before taking an exam, but have not fully understood the concept of learning it.

For example, when the professor tells you read the textbooks and you will be able to find all the information you needed. This is the part when the students have no clue in learning something because the book does not always give a perfect explanation and may not also provide the right information.