Three Concepts and their Relation to my Place of Employment
The first concept I chose (philosophy of education) is from Orr (1991) regarding environmental education and implementing it in all facets of curriculum. All campuses of the University of Minnesota are trying to “green” their campuses while at the same time, involving students in the process to help them better understand how what they do can affect the earth, both good and bad. Students arrive on campus worried about what their roommate will be like, how good (or bad) the food might be, and for some, how they will be able to afford college. When they graduate, they will be much better-rounded, many of them participating in service learning, clubs and organizations, and even courses dedicated to some sort of environmental aspect, erasing some ignorance and replacing it with the right type of education. Upon graduation, or even long before, the educational myths that Orr talked about are long gone, and the re-thinking of education is underway. McLaren (2003) also brings up, under the concept of critical pedagogy, the “passion for ignorance that has infected our culture” (p. 92), and a teacher’s responsibility to encourage students to use what they’re learning to find their place in the world, regardless of their class or culture. Working for a university where I was once a student gives me a different prospective as to what opportunities the university provides. Not a day goes by that there’s not something being offered to students where they can learn more, particularly from our international students offering their services to teach their native language, or give more by volunteering their time to help others such as reading to children, bringing meals to senior citizens, or building a house for the needy. These and many other opportunities are staring students in the face and they cost nothing, yet I’m not sure many will realize the value of them until they are older and looking in from a parent’s or educator’s perspective. Finally, for the concept of critical technology, I chose the reading by Knight and Masselink (2008), as they too discuss the condition of ignorance and it’s appearance in communication, particularly in an email format to instructors. While I’m not an instructor, I receive emails from applicants that have email addresses like beer_me_2_nite@hotmail.com who ask questions about the status of their application, but don’t even bother to put their name in the email. First of all, if you are trying to get into college, could you at least get a new email address that reflects the wonderful student you want us to believe you are? Secondly, not signing your name is disrespectful to anyone, but particularly if you need me to get back to you and I don’t even know who you are; the worst part is, it happens all the time. We have entered the “culture of informality” (p. 1), but apparently, I was taking the time to sign my name on an email when it happened.
8 comments:
I think that the millennial generation simply doesn't see the hierarchical structure that other generations have used. For example, I find in the workplace that I see everyone on same level working towards a common goal--student success. But there are some Baby Boomers and GenXers who simply don't include me or leave me out of the loop because I am new in my field. They believe communication should be done bottom up instead of flat leveled.
So, I when it comes to communicating to faculty and staff they communicate as though they are text messaging.
I do feel that students grow and learn how to respect teachers and understand when to use the appropriate language by graduation. But, initially we have to setup expectations so they understand what is expected of them.
Lisa-
You said, "initially we have to setup expectations so they understand what is expected of them." I do agree that a certain level of respect is taught in higher education and expectations should be set forth, but what happened to the parents whose job it once was to do that? Are parents possibly to blame for the disrespect and laziness we are starting to see more of, or is this something that has been happening for years, and we are just taking notice because we are now older and wiser? It would be good to have the perspective of a veteran teacher to see if they've noticed a decline in respect as new generations arrive in their classrooms. Perhaps it's the result of more single-parent families and more two parent families out working who are falling into a lifestyle where all they do is work, pick up the kids, eat dinner, and go to sleep, spending less time interacting with their children, leaving them to learn from society instead. Both my husband and I work, and I often find myself falling into this rut, but I notice it and it bothers me, so I am often correcting my actions to make sure I am frequently interacting with my children. Sometimes this comes with a cost, such as not getting my homework done in a timely manner or not getting to work out as much as I'd like, but my kids are the most important facets of my life, so I am happy to sacrifice just about anything in order to raise them right and teach them manners and to respect others. Educators should have expectations set, but respect should be taught early on. Sorry for all the tangents, but it all seemed to be related somehow!
Erica-- Question-- are you saying that that as critical educators it's important to make education socially and environmentally responsible but if the minds aren't ready, capable, or mature enough (consumed with their own worlds, school, social settings), it won't take or transfer?
I'm going to post a comment in your section if you don't mind as I'm having difficulty finding a way to post twice in my own small group.
I enjoyed your posting Erica on how our campus is going "green" and teaching our students about how what they learn can impact society. What students learn should be useful and to see them take action on what they've learned and apply it to real life situations tells us that they truly understood the meaning and purpose. For example, yes our campuses have been going "green", but we have to feel proud knowing that our students were the ones who started a petition when they heard we were looking into building a new dorm, that the dorm would be sustainable and built with "green" products. Their voices were heard and now we are breaking ground for our dorm based on what they learned and applied to their real world situation. Do you think students would get more involved (emotionally) with some concepts if they had projects that applied what they were learning to real world situations? Would they get it?
Ted,
I've been struggling trying to answer your question regarding my post, but I'm not really clear about what you are asking. In my thinking, when I wrote the original post, I was more or less trying to say that critical educators are key in slimming down some of the ignorance that many of us have until we seek more education. I think that many students do understand the importance of education and pay some attention to what's happening in school, but there are always other things that seem to be more important, or at least as important. It is not until many students are more mature that something finally clicks and they finally understand what educators and other stakeholders in their education meant when they said or did something. As a parent, I am constantly saying to myself, "That's why my mom said this or said I shouldn't do this." 15 years later, the lightbulb came on.
Mary-
Absolutely I think people feel more attached to something they had a hand in doing, especially if it's something that becomes implemented on their campus. They key is to be involved in a project that you are interested in. Generally, if you aren't interested in the project or it's outcome and who it will benefit, you probably won't care what becomes of it. However, there are some cases where people became involved in projects that they weren't excited about, only to become the leader in the end!
Erica,
I think that our society is so fast paced. Students are going to school, getting picked up from day care, and then going home. I think that parents try really hard to instill respect, politeness, and key values as do teachers. But, I think that influence of the internet, chatting, IM, television, etc. are also influencing student behavior.
We are always moving moving moving. We are always on a time limit
We are always skimming articles to move to the next assignment
Grabbing dinner on the go
Quickly IM a friend instead of a vocal conversation
I second your opinion on the "beer_me_2_nite@...." email. I have had one that said, "ska8erbitch". I would be horrified as a parent to find out my son/daughter was sending off email to colleges with such login names. Regarding your Orr comment and students arriving there worried about food/roommates, etc yet leaving more well-rounded on learning how to help the environment, be more socially appropriate, etc is an amazing process during those four years. It is incredible the ability you have to influence somebody during four college years.
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