A teacher potentially has a great amount of influence over their students and what's more, as a student I always feel pressured not to piss off my teachers by pointing out their flaws because they control my grades. I rely on their judgment. I think a lot of students will feel like they can't speak up if they're uncomfortable, or even disagree with a teacher's opinion, out of fear of the consequences.
I have to say, this honestly never occurred to me.
I was used to having my grades docked, being sent to the principal's office (didn't happen often, but it happened at least twice -- in sixth and seventh grades), and being ridiculed by my teachers because I would call them on their mistakes in front of the rest of the class.
My fourth grade teacher went out of her way to make me cry as often as possible because it was funny, and she thought I was a bad child for questioning her. The rest of the class hated me, and they still rallied to my defense because they thought she was unfair.
It also worries me because in the Technology and Ethics unit I've been working on with my scholars, they have argued that computers or robots can never achieve real intelligence because humans made them (as opposed to being made by God). What I'm trying to do is make them define intelligence. I'm not questioning their beliefs -- and I must admit it surprised me that I have more Muslim than Christian students -- I am trying to get them to think the problem through as fully as possible.
On the plus side, I think at least one of my scholars came up with the idea of the Turing test without my telling her about it.
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Date: 2009-05-05 03:00 pm (UTC)I have to say, this honestly never occurred to me.
I was used to having my grades docked, being sent to the principal's office (didn't happen often, but it happened at least twice -- in sixth and seventh grades), and being ridiculed by my teachers because I would call them on their mistakes in front of the rest of the class.
My fourth grade teacher went out of her way to make me cry as often as possible because it was funny, and she thought I was a bad child for questioning her. The rest of the class hated me, and they still rallied to my defense because they thought she was unfair.
It also worries me because in the Technology and Ethics unit I've been working on with my scholars, they have argued that computers or robots can never achieve real intelligence because humans made them (as opposed to being made by God). What I'm trying to do is make them define intelligence. I'm not questioning their beliefs -- and I must admit it surprised me that I have more Muslim than Christian students -- I am trying to get them to think the problem through as fully as possible.
On the plus side, I think at least one of my scholars came up with the idea of the Turing test without my telling her about it.