The exchange of ideas through blogging is definitely a great way of improving one's professional practice and field. By paying attention to Hassina Salhi's comments, I came up with the following reflection on the paradigms on authority figures in our educational systems. So take a look at my answer to Hassina:
Although our educational system is supposed to be moving towards this phase in which we want people to freely discuss and requestion what teachers say, psychologically speaking, it looks like our pupils have not been able to overcome the paradigm of questioning or re-questiong authority figures. You may find a few who actually do so, and very diligently and respectfully. But many others drown their voice in their silence and authority-figure stereotypes. What a shame! I am sure this is not the kind of learning environment we want to prepare for our students. Yet, perhaps, "blogging" could be a way to motivate them to take the step to freely state what they actually feel and experience in our educational systems to better prepare our lessons, courses, or school terms.
Thanks, Hassina, once again, for having me re-reflect on the fact that our Costa Rican idiosyncracy in terms of its educational paradigms is somehow killing students' critical thinking. The next step towards transforming our education, either here in Costa Rica or Algeria, -or even elesewhere-, is to have our students unlearn these paradigms and replace these ideas with more sound ways of enhancing student learning by allowing them to fully develop their critical thinking. Could blogging be the way? Only time will tell if this will be true.
Friday, January 15, 2010
1 response to "The Re-Questioning of Authority Figures in Education"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dear Jonathan,
Requestioning authority or giving critical comments on what teachers or parents say is surely NOT the mental habit of Indian too. In e-learning environment, teachers need to unlearn and then relearn several basis of new pedagogy. The authority has to give way to common plain of learning. The idea of teacher as the centre is undermined.