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Kimberly C. Santana

Professor Smith

English 101

October 27, 2017

Yours is Mine and Mine is Yours

It has always felt as if school only loved to bombard their students with a variety

of materials and yet the students do not seem to acquire sufficient knowledge that they

may apply outside the four walls of a school once they have finished their studies.

Professors ought to give their students more opportunities to develop on their own,

lecturing does not do justice for a students potential. There should be a space for both

students and professors to interact on a more equal level. Stimulating the exploration of

their own thought process by questioning their professors lectures will help students

intake more. The only way to reach full accomplishment of becoming a critical thinker is

for professors to allow students to bring forth their own unique creativity.

A critical thinkers thought process is not based on what they remember or

memorize but rather what they have applied in their life with logic understanding. The

intake of knowledge from people, books, or experiences allows to differentiate what is

irrelevant and relevant. This allows a student to conclude problems on their own instead

of being given an answer to a question that the teacher provides the student with, which

does not open up a door for the student to create possibilities in their minds and come

up with their own solutions or theories. In order to guide a student to become a critical
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thinker you must allow them to first try and resolve the situation or problem that is being

laid out for them on their own. If students are not being given the time of day to

recognize and understand their errors they will continue thinking inside the box where

teachers undermine their capabilities instead of thinking outside the box and exploring

the many different possibilities that can come out of one problem.

Students generally feel that professors know it all so they resort to just listening

and don't even remotely consider questioning the professors teaching or methods of

teaching. By questioning I mean just that, asking questions like why and how that can

clear up any misunderstanding. This is a problem that leads to a lack of communication

between the teacher and the student, which then unfortunately minimizes the give and

take concept. A student should listen and ask questions that will shed light to their

darkness, only then will they fully understand the material being presented to them and

learn how to come to logical and appropriate conclusions on their own. We have a

responsibility here. Colleges need to look much more carefully at how students learn,

and how they can support that learning David Glenn stated in New Book Lays Failure

to Learn on Colleges Doorsteps. Glenns statement reminds me of the idea that

students learn from teachers and teachers learn from students. Forming a bond,

partnership and an opportunity given from the professor to the student to develop their

own and unique critical thinking skills.

Memorization can only allow you to learn so much, it does not signify that one

understands the whole concept of what they are being taught. Having a great memory is

a plus, who wouldn't want to remember important facts regarding any or every topic one

encounters in life. Although great, this method does not imply that every student
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understands the material they are being fed. In The Banking Concept of Education

by Paulo Freire he acknowledges this by saying four times four is sixteenthe student

records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving what four times for

really means. Freire recognizes that there needs to be a more detailed and structured

explanation for outcomes so that the student does not only memorize the material but

most importantly understands the base of it all. Memorization can be a good thing but it

may also oppress the students mind with no room to fully develop their creativity in

critical thinking. This style of teaching forms a dependency of the students to the

professor.

Knowledge is found everywhere around the world. Traveling across the planet

through give and take. People take their findings wherever they go, share it, pass it on,

and the circle continues its cycle. It is very important for students to learn how to build

up their critical thinking abilities. Students first door for reasoning begins at school

where they go on to dedicating important years of their lives. The educational system

and their attending need to provide open opportunities for students to develop their own

sense of direction to close out on disputes on their own. With an equal acknowledgment

between the teacher and the student comes a build up of trust and positive feed back

that allows the student to feel more security and confidence within themselves. Overall

this experience will be the stepping stone to the base building of critical thinking.

Expanding our mind opens up many doors in an educational level as well as in

our life journeys. Critical thinking helps along side the build up of a students confidence

and knowledge. The feeling of security for a student is a rush that gives them will to

participate more frequently with their classmates and professors. A students

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involvement allows the professor to have a sense of awareness as to where their

students stand therefore giving them the opportunity to help the students get through

the mysteries of unknown areas. Of course, the pupil has a part to play as well and

should be willing to speak up to let their professors know what is unclear to them and

how they can properly detail the material.

Paulo Freire in The Banking Concept of Education stated that Knowledge

emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient,

continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with

each other. The process of learning can become a difficult experience, not everyone

learns the same way and there is nothing wrong with that. Nevertheless, professors

have a duty to teach which means making sure their student understands everything

being covered and in order or the to do that they need to have an involvement with their

pupils. It does not matter which party extends their hand first as long as the opportunity

is laid out for the students to take.