Blog Post 8

    In Chapter 4, Ayers discusses the importance of teaching and bridge-building.  Bridge-building for teachers means: the teacher has knowledge and experience with a topic and incorporates it with the student's interest.  Bridges are being built from a child's outside world to the classroom.  Building bridges allows children to be interactive and engaged in the learning process, which will broaden their horizon and help students have a better understanding of the topic being taught.  I am going to plan a learning/teaching experience about building a cardboard house.  Early Childhood Education is my major, so I believe children of all races/ages/genders would enjoy doing this project.  I am currently doing service at St. Adalbert and the kids like to play "house," where they take on different family member roles and pretend to do things, like cook and play basketball.  I also remember doing this with my friends as a child.  Building a cardboard house is fun, interactive and let's children use their imagination.  It teaches the children problem solving and working together in a team and individually.  Plus the students could play with the cardboard house when it is completed.   To prepare for this project, I would ensure the supplies and directions are available.  The students would be broken up into groups, have their own set of directions and would work together to complete their home.  They would have to do a blueprint first and then design it.
     I think Freire would approve of this project because the teacher/narrating subject is not just talking to the students/listening objects/receptacles.  The students are not memorizing and recording.  The project involves creativity, transformation and knowledge.  The teacher is allowing their students to think critically and build.  Freire would like that the students are investigating in dialogue with the teacher.  There are new understandings, new challenges and students have become committed because they're having fun.  In fact, the student may have so much fun that they do not realize that they're learning.  This way reminds me of how Ohanian taught.  Her students did not like to read, so they worked on science experiments instead.  Just like Ohanian's students, my students are so busy measuring, gluing, painting and creating that they do not realize that they're actually reading, experimenting or doing math problems.  DiGiulio thinks great teaching is putting the learner's needs and interests first.  Test scores cannot show a teacher's enthusiasm or how they care for or believe in their students.  Projects like this, however, could.  I would walk around to make sure my student's are on the right track, offer ideas and assist them. Being skillful and enthusiastic helps the student be energetic.  DiGiulio is a firm believer in letting the kids participate, perform, create, practice, design, produce, carry out an experiment or complete an assignment.  We are not just building a cardboard house, we are building bridges.  Ayers agrees that teachers must find ways to build bridges with their students, through the student's interest, to encourage learning and communication.