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EDUCATION
1. Which learning theory do you think the teacher Erin is defending? And
the previous teachers? Why?
Considering Erins teaching, she is defending the constructivist theory (mainly
supported by figures as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, and others 1), which is
based on the guidance of the teacher as to help the student solve the problems
itself, modifying ideas and creating its own knowledge. In the film, it is seen how
Erin contextualizes her teaching in the social moment they are and uses it to
relate the content taught, guiding her students through the tasks and allowing
them develop their skills and knowledge. What is more, she sets her
methodology in a collective framework, defining their learning process as a
socialization activity. As it has been said, she does not transmit the knowledge
but gives different resources and enhances their motivation as a helping tool.
In contrast, the previous teachers base their teaching in the behaviourist
theory (mainly supported by figures as Ivan Pavlov , B.F.Skinner and others),
behaviourism
approach,
because
this
theory
stands
up
for
the
school course (as it can be seen that they do other thing at class and stop
attending them, until someone bring them back). Erin faces up a group of
conflictive students, who arrive at class and do not pay attention to her and start
a fight among them for the slightest reason (often between different ethnicities).
The students see her as a white woman, who has full of privileges for this
condition and cannot understand their situations, who looks for respect without
having gain it. She finds that behind those kids actually hard life stories are
hidden, social problems (racial conflicts) are at the back of their behaviours. And
the main difficulty is how to get over these obstacles.
4. What can this high school do to improve the teaching and learning
process?
The main problem of this high school is the prejudices they have. Along the film,
it is shown the opinion of most of the teachers, which believe that these kind of
students, referring to students from other ethnicities, do not want to be there
and study. For this reason, they think their resources do not have to be wasted