Teach by Example: Problem-Posing, Problem-Solving

I prescribe to the problem-posing theory for the most part. I know that students are not empty banks waiting to be filled with the coins of knowledge a teacher has to bestow. I realized this early on when I started teaching at the Missionary Training Center. I thought, "I've served a mission. I have the information these missionaries need to know to become effective teachers in the field." But there is a principal we teach to missionaries in order to prepare to teach investigators, and it dawned on me that it applies to me, too: "Teach People, Not Lessons." For example, with a previous district, simplification of gospel topics was the main struggle of the class, whereas in a recent district, they struggled more to implement and feel their purpose at all times. The curriculum was the same for each, but I conducted different activities according to their needs. Not only does this concept affect application, but it also affects discussion. These missionaries come with testimonies that they’ve received in their individual experiences. As we talked about gospel principles, they shared what their experiences and I shared mine. At other times, there were moments that I addressed them more one-sidedly. In trying to teach people, not lessons, a teacher must incorporate multiple styles and philosophies, including lecture, discussion, and application.

As Simon and Giroux discuss the dominant discourse of pedagogy they summarize it “simply in the terms transmission and imposition.” (p. 15) They speak of a teaching philosophy that does not incorporate popular culture, but I also feel it is an attack on the convention of lecture as a more traditional practice in pedagogy, where an educator dispenses information of their politically right-winged ideologies. However, it seems hypocritical because the basis of the article is that they’re dispensing their leftist ideologies, and posing what seem to be only problems and no solutions, especially with the plethora of questions they present in the end. The fact is there is no black and white way to do things. The presenting of information (and questions) is an important step in the educational process, but it can’t stop there. A teacher must also lead the way in forming solutions.

Simon and Giroux even state, “Sometimes when students and teachers engage in a critique of existing social practices or forms of knowledge, a feeling of powerlessness comes over the group. Doing critical pedagogy can turn an education setting into a ‘council of despair.’” (p. 24) But that’s what they do. The solution is to go beyond just the critique. In the MTC, we introduce challenges in teaching the investigators, but we don’t leave them with all these unanswered questions. (We also don’t answer every question.) We start with discussion of addressing issues through doctrine. Communication is key here; it “is the way in which [we] come to possess things in common.” (Dewey, Chapter 1: Section 2) We learn how to address concerns of investigators together with me sharing what I did on my mission, and with them sharing what they’ve done to address their own concerns and concerns of their friends. Together we begin to possess solutions.

The next step is application. “Problem-posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true reflection and action upon reality.” (Freire, p. 84) In the MTC this is done through role-playing. But we don’t expect them to know how to do it on their own right away. We have activities called demonstrate teaching where we provide an example-teaching situation, and then they take what they learn and apply it in a different lesson.

Relating this pattern to media literacy education, a teacher must first make the students aware of the existing problems in media representation. A critical discussion may follow, and then the teacher should provide examples on how these problems might be remedied. Then the students participate in remedial action. An educational experience needs to be created “that not only prepare[s] people to read the media more critically but also encourage them to access, make use of, and even create alternative sources of information that aid in civic mobilization.” (Leistyna, p.4) It must be “multimodal.” I see my philosophy being played out ineffectively and effectively as I reflect on experiences in my media classes. In my introduction to communications course, I only remember being presented with information, the lecture on the system. In my introduction to film class, I was taught how to analyze, discuss, and think critically of this system. Awareness was not enough; I needed to learn to question what I was consuming. In my current Media Literacy Education class we have covered each step: first, learning about the existing problems in media education; then, discussing the issues and critically applying them to popular culture and film; and, finally, we had the opportunity to create. Our professor provided an example and then we were encouraged to “establish an authentic form of thought and action” (Freire, p. 83) with our stories for change and our lessons to younger students on these issues.

“Problem-posing education affirms men and women as beings in the process of becoming.” Even after the pattern of lecture, discussion, and application has occurred, there should be encouragement for ongoing learning. Something should always be left to consider at the end. Like a movie, if you start it with the right tools and thoughts, you’ll continue thinking about it after. If the objective is clear then the “commitment” after can cause the thought process to continue. In our teaching experience to the Junior High students we challenged them to continue considering the stories they consume and discuss them with family and friends, and to think about the messages they’re being fed by the media. In the MTC, after ever practice teaching, they are given the challenge to pursue studies on the respective gospel topic and to apply what they have learned in all teaching situations. This philosophy acknowledges the incompleteness of the lesson after lecture, discussion, and application. There must be continued activity for a transformation to really occur through education. (Freire, p. 84)