“This is Water” is an essay that originated from a commencement speech that was delivered by David Foster Wallace at the Kenyon College on May 21, 2005 (Wallace 14). Wallace’s speech has gained a lot of acknowledgment because of its practical advice that navigate day-to day adult life. Additionally, the speech seems to be prominent as it contains various advices that one can put into account in day to day life. The main subject of the entire speech is to bring the entire graduating student’s attention to their negative thoughts. Additionally, it urges them to reform these types of patterns such that they involuntarily justify other people’s actions with compassion and confidence rather than pessimism. The aim of the entire speech is to promote people to look for the best in the world around them instead of resorting to world hating thought patterns (Wallace 14). He asserts that the genuine value of liberal arts education is learning on various ways in order to become aware of how one chooses to think. This is due to the fact that the entire mindfulness helps to bring freedom and vitality.
On the other hand, Paulo Freire is another author who had similar opinion with David Foster. For instance, in his essay “The banking concept of education”, he tries to condemn the current belief about education (Bhattacharya 236). Normally, he criticizes the traditional type of education (Bhattacharya 236). He strongly supports his own new and somewhat radical notions about how he believes education should be carried out. His ideas about education assume students as empty tins where teachers are supposed to deposit all the information they can be in a position to deposit. This is a situation where students obtain the information, file it and st...
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... remove their negative thoughts and they should not rely on teachers alone. They should learn from the teacher while he or she learns from the entire students”.
To sum up, it can be evidenced that both authors have used various strategies to persuade or appeal to the entire audience. For instance, Wallace has used logos to appeal to his audience rational abilities. The logo comes in form of stories that exemplify the choices individuals must make on how to view familiar situations. He has also used pathos and ethos in the entire speech. On the other hand, Freire have also made use of these strategies, he has used logos, pathos and ethos to persuade the readers or audience’s emotions. Both authors’ writing skills show their abilities to thoroughly converse their purpose to the reader communicate their ideas in a clear and persuasive manner.
Sometimes as a teacher we try and do well but sometimes we actually end up hindering. So it is important to understand the child’s perspective so avoid such hindrance. For example, in the novel there is a part when the teacher is reading to the class and Francisco tries to pay attention but since he cannot understand he begins creating his own story to the pictures. Some teachers may take this as sign that he is not paying attention, but in fact he is just in his own way. I think it is also important for teachers to learn the culture and language of the students. This way the student can learn effectively.
I chose to compare the essays of Paulo Freire and Richard Rodriguez. Paulo Freire’s essay “The Banking concept of Education” talks of how education is mostly one sided and oppressive. He sees this as something that is detrimental to society’s future as a whole, and in his essay describes in detail how the “banking” concept is faltered. However, in Rodriguez’s essay “The Achievement of Desire” he is the model student that thrives in the kind of system that Freire was describing in “The Banking concept of Education”. Richard Rodriguez describes in “The Achievement of Desire” how his educational experience is a point of separation from the rest of the people and relationships around him. Though, this makes Rodriguez more connected and dependent upon his teachers for support and approval than his parents or peers. Both men write essays on their views on the benefits of education, and on the disadvantages of the current educational systems. I will be discussing the different points that both authors address by comparing one essay at a time. I will also be using outside sources to further examine what both authors were saying in each of their essays.
“This is Water” is a commencement speech written for students about to graduate with a Liberal Arts Degree from a prestigious school and seems to be geared more directly to those questioning the validity of their degree. David Foster Wallace explains that the education they received allows the audience to handle the monotony and frustrations of the world better by stepping back and realizing that the individual in the audience are not the center of universe. David’s diverse diction gives this work a strong educated but down to earth feel using the words from “didactic” to “bullshitty”.
The Banking Concept of Education, revolves around the concept that education and the teacher, student dynamic is supposed to indoctrinate the teacher into believe they are only meant to teach, and that the student is only meant to learn. Friere describes the teacher as a depositor of knowledge into a receptacle, the student without really going into complex details in a way that’s detached from
In the speech “This is Water”, by David Foster Wallace , Wallace shows many reasons on why everyday behavior is based off of a person 's education. He speaks about “the difficulty of empathy” and how education is used to learning various life lessons. These include the ability to understand other people, have deeper thought, and manners used in our everyday lives. Wallace’s speech shows that
Freire, Paulo. "The "Banking" Concept of Education." 1993. Ways of Reading: an Anthology for Writers. By David Bartholomae and Tony Petrosky. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 323. Print.
I believe that teaching and learning is both a science and an art, which requires the implementation of already determined rules. I see learning as the result of internal forces within the person student. I know that children differ in the way they learn and grow but I also know that all children can learn. Students’ increased understanding of their own experience is a legitimate form of knowledge. I will present my students with opportunities to develop the ability to meet personal knowledge.
“There happens to be whole, large parts of adult American life that nobody talks about in commencement speeches. One such part involves boredom, routine and petty frustration” (Wallace 2005). This is what David Wallace in his 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address This Is Water refers to as the day in and day out of every day adult life. Wallace breaks the mold of commencement speeches with his nontraditional way of telling graduates the truth about adult life and what it means to learn how to think. In his speech “This is Water” David Wallace states that he believes we should change the way we think about things and become more outwardly aware of the world and that this is the true definition of learning how to think.
Teachers help us expand and open our mind by giving us skills throughout students’ early life to help students when they are older. By learning information from teachers, students become better people, in a couple of ways. Besides inquiring knowledge from their teachers, students learn to work with one another, open their mind to other peoples’ thoughts and ideas, respect one another, and learn different techniques for life’s issues.
To begin, we need to understand the nature of students. The nature of students varies between individuals. The majority of students are well-behaved and come to school ready to learn. Part of this is due to the way they have been raised, but most students are basically good. There is a small percent of students whose nature, it seems, is to make everyone miserable. I do not know if this is because of a difficult childhood at home or because the student just likes to be the center of attention. Either way, there are always students that will give their teachers a hard time. I guess this is their nature. Every individual is different, therefore, the nature of the students I will teach some day will be different depending on their background and other various things that may happen to them as they grow up. For example, a student that has lost a sibling due to an illness or accident, may become very bitter throughout life. The nature of this student’s behavior which is being shaped by this may make this student a cold-hearted and mean student. These are the students that teachers need to spend extra time with and try to make them feel loved, no matter how hard this may be. I, as a future teacher, need to look at students and try to help them out no matter how difficult that may be.
In today’s America, the educational system has been blaming teachers for the failure of students. This pressure put on teachers causes a lot of unneeded stress and can even be demoralizing. Instructors are always trying to put the student’s
In The “Banking” Concept of Education, Freire adopts a tone that is mostly educational and informational. Freire’s tone helps support his purpose because by using an informative tone, the reader will view him as professional and knowledgeable about education. This can be perceived as a form of
Education is a very important aspect of our lives. It is our education that makes us who we are and determines what we become. Therefore, education is not something to be taken lightly. As a teacher, my goal will be to provide the best possible education for my students. Every student is unique. I must see students for who they are individually and respect their ideas and opinions. Each student has a different learning style. I must take this into consideration because I want to provide a constructive learning opportunity for every student. I believe that every student has the potential to learn.
Teachers serve as the guiding force in a student’s life. They are responsible for molding a student’s personality and shaping his/her mental orientation. Teachers deeply impact our lives and direct the course of our future. One cannot deny the influence of teachers in one’s life. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that, till a certain age, out life revolves around our teachers. They are our constant companions, until we grow old enough to come out of their shadow and move ahead on our own.
Moreover, I believe every child in a classroom has something to offer. Every child entering the classroom has potential, the potential to bring something extraordinary and unique to the world. The classroom environment and the teachers need to be role models for students who allow them to grow morally, individually, spiritually and socially. Like Aristotle has said, teacher’s need to ingrain morals in students, and it is with education and learning we develop such values.