After reading Paulo Freire’s articles, I could have a chance to think about education’s foundation meaning. Learning is a process of acquiring knowledge that exists and teaching will be a process of stimulating learning. Therefore, authentic education should get to interact between teaching and learning, which should not be a one-way delivering or receiving activity for the knowledge and information. I believe the interaction with human beings in the class can be a process in the real world to finding learning’s values and joys.

Freire asserted that the more completely students accept the passive role imposed on them, the more they tend to adapt to the world as it is in the “Banking” concept of education. Our world keeps changing. We should improve and could develop ourselves without the other’s teaching someday. Students will face difficulties in the passive education system when they meet the new problems out of the class. Critical thinking and students’ efforts for learning activities will be the power when they need to solve real problems out of the box.

Freire’s idea for authentic liberation in education is that we move forward to true communication between teachers and students as human beings. Students should have authentic liberation in the education system. Authentic liberation required a disciplinary approach to find joy in a demanding and challenging learning process. Teachers will require more commitment and love to their teaching and students.

I believe the essential factor for everything is to start from communication. The small talks, dialog, conversations will lead to smooth interaction between teachers and students, and more interaction will bring effective teaching and learning. The teaching and learning process is not only one role of teachers and students. Teachers learn a lot from students and teaching processes. Students will teach the other students and learn how to interact and teach the others in their future.

My feeling on the assignment grading system is mixed. I do support Alfie Kohn’s opinion from his article ‘The Case Against Grades‘ that grades create a preference for the easiest possible task. Simultaneously, I agree with Marilyn Lombardi’s argument from the article ‘Making the Grade: The Role of Assessment in Authentic Learning‘ that students will engage with subject matter based on their expectations about their achievement.

I could thoroughly understand both arguments since I am learning as a student and I am grading every week as a teaching assistant of the class. As a current student, I use to focus on the assigned tasks to solve them as my study goal and direction. Sometimes it may make me feel frustrated with my grading and feel unproductivity for learning due to the grading. On the other hand, as a TA of one of the undergraduate classes, I cannot assure that they will be more engaged if there are no assignments. Some students might not try to seriously understand what they are learning if there is no assigned grade. When the students got a good grade after their diligent works, the grading will give them confidence and achievement to learn. Those experiences would be a positive impact on students to move forward to learn.

There are many types of grading and rubrics in the class of my field (architectural and construction engineering). There are technical drawing, estimation, essay, scorecard, peer evaluation, team project, class assignment, straightforward answers, etc., as the method of assignments. I could see various types of assignments, and almost all assignments provide the grading rubric. If we don’t have a rubric, how can I grade them consistently? I believe suggesting the rubric is one of the critical tools to lead students to get to know the directions. The rubric’s benefit is students get to focus on their approaches to mitigate the assignment’s purpose. Sometimes the students still distract their study goal even if there are explained and suggested in the rubrics. Therefore, we should consider that too strict or too redundant rubrics could hinder students from thinking creatively or broadly.

In contrast, the grading system’s disadvantage is that the students might not develop their thinking deeply because of the assignment requirements that are already fixed items, even though they can do better. Sometimes I believe the students would do much better by themselves if there is no limitation about the grading system, including some requirements.

In conclusion, to consist an effective learning process, instructors should critically consider the balance of assessment and grading system when they program the course. I believe that the grading system should not be intimidating and frustrating to the student’s motivations. The grading assessment should be the tool that encourages students to learn and lead the right direction to focus on the learning outcome and purpose.

When I think about case-based learning and problem-based learning, I had come to mind the course Law in Construction that I took when I studied for my master’s degree in Construction Management at the University of Washington. I think, generally, few engineering departments have the law-related class that is required for their degree. I also was not familiar with the terms related to law case studies before taking that class.

However, I think that knowledge about the law is crucial for engineers because there are many legal matters related to technology or business in the real world, regardless of any particular field. In the construction law class, we reviewed the cases dealt with in the court in the past. And then, we estimated the judgments ourselves and discussed the judgments. At first, it was difficult because of a lack of knowledge of the law and understanding of the jargon. However, through many case studies, I could understand essential concepts.

I think case-based learning more effectively provides long-time memory to the students and attracts students’ interest compared to obtaining theories or concepts by reading textbooks.

I could learn more multidisciplinary thinking about the complexity of the problems through case-based studies. For example, if someone draws an image on the wall, the wall painting could be art. And it also could be illegal graffiti depends on the case circumstances. In another case, the building owner could not remove the wall art or dismantle the wall structure without the artist’s agreement. The wall art is not the building owner’s property if there is no consent or contract with the artist. On the other hand, if the graffiti was illegal, the building owner’s action will not affect the law. Like these examples, legal judgments or solutions would differ with the case circumstances even if the painting on the wall is identical.

The merit of case-based or problem-based learning is there is no one answer fixed. The solution could change depends on the circumstances. These kinds of thinking will develop our problem-solving abilities and provide an opportunity for thinking broadly.

There would be many methodologies to offer case-based learning and problem-based teaching to solve the problems with various perspectives in pedagogy. It will provide students a chance to think about and to find solutions in their own ways. Sometimes, the solution could have controversial, or the solution might not be perfect. And it is the real world. Case-based and problem-based learning is closed to our real-world’s circumstances. By thinking about the complexity and approaches of the diverse aspect which could not think about before, students will expand their solving abilities and find their own sense of values.

Reference
[1] Image Link: https://problemsolvee.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/case-law.jpg

When I thought about what inclusive pedagogy is, the word “welcome” popped up in my mind. And I would remind the welcome’s meaning by Merriam-Webster [1] has “received gladly into one’s presence or companionship; received with gladness or delight especially in response to a need; willingly permitted or admitted.” If I feel welcomed by people with different cultural backgrounds and experiences, I will more comfortably and confidently enjoy my learning in that environment. Like this, when students feel optimistic about the place, and they think others welcome them, they will be better learners.

To make an inclusive classroom, the teacher’s effort to learn about students’ backgrounds and understanding will be the most supportive factors. Based on the teacher’s support, our curriculums and systematic education system should be conducive to the children of minorities and under vulnerable conditions.
However, we can not establish inclusive pedagogy with only the teacher’s efforts. The entire people who are involved in the group shall create and build that ambiance for learning together.

“Inclusive pedagogy is a teaching method in which instructors and classmates work together to create a supportive environment that gives each student equal access to learning.” [2]

When we meet any new place or social group, we commonly think that we have to adapt to their environments and changed our behavior or values, for included those organizations. However, I believe inclusive pedagogy’s meaning is a little different. We can support each other, take others’ diversity, and accept as they are through education.

I believe the practice for an inclusive mind starts from the care and acceptance of students’ concerns or immaturity of what they have due to personal reasons.
For young children, their school classroom would mean more than a place to learn knowledge. The classroom is where they share their friendship, learn relationships with others, and grow as social citizens. The classroom space and the persons who meet daily in the classroom are a considerable and crucial portion during the individual’s childhood life. If they could receive the feeling of welcome, safety, acceptance, respect for others’ values from the classroom, they will show the same behaviors in the broaden world to others as what they learned in the school.

Refernces
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/welcome
[2] https://commons.georgetown.edu/teaching/design/inclusive-pedagogy/
[3] https://www.stickerforwall.com/16850-thickbox/vinyl-welcome-languages.jpg

Image [1] Crayons

When I was in kindergarten more than 20 years ago, I liked drawings and had crayons a lot. However, I would have had always drawn the person’s face as the same color. One of the color names was ‘skin color,’ which was written on the wrapped paper in Korean as ‘살색.’ It represented a bright yellowish-pinky color.  Almost all Korean have a similar shade of skin color since they include identical ethnic characteristics. So, the name might be designated for their conveniences to teach and to induce selecting that color when children draw a person.

However, people began to criticize the name of the color as the reason the name could give a race discriminated perspective to the children. I don’t remember exactly when the color name was changed, yet I believe it was a good example for reflecting our diversity and inclusion. And we don’t have any of the named ‘Skin color’ crayons anymore. It had been changed ‘Apricot color.’ I could realize that I had not had doubts about the name of crayon color when I was a child, though I might be too young to think about that color name issue when I used crayons. Generally, the young children quickly and easily absorb the existing culture and teacher’s words without any doubt or resistance.

Image [2] Apricot color

Of course, I am not saying the all crayon color names are wrong or should be changed. We might need and learn color names designated for the convenience of color recognition and identification. However, at the same time, we should accept and teach that the expression of color names could differ in some cultures or environments.

I believe some crayon color names will be differently interpreted according to the natural circumstances and cultural ambiances. And the different names all could be the appropriate name if they are not reflected in any bias, negative view for minority, or discrimination in their societies, like ‘skin color’ name.

Like making a change of color name, I believe our education system should accept and teach the diversity of cultural and environmental background for children and students. For the children, the purpose of learning should be not only going to school and taking a test, but it would also be every new experiencing and finding their values and answers. We have to teach and learn how to accept and recognize others’ diverse perspectives and approaches to solve problems.

Teaching diversity does not provide one static and correct answer but offers opportunities for understanding broad answers with creativity and curiosity. The static knowledge delivery and stereotypes cannot lead to student’s diverse creativity and innovation. Therefore, I believe it is critical that teaching children to learn and embrace various approaches and solutions without biased perspectives through education.

Reference Images:

[1] https://radiofreehowland.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/crayons-fgg.jpg

[2] https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-07/14/14/enhanced/buzzfeed-prod-fastlane02/enhanced-26304-1468519453-1.png