Upon reading part one of Lisa Delpit's "Other People's Children", I was a bit .
I thought to myself, could this be true? Am I actually reading about someone .
who is not in favor of the process-oriented approach to education? The reading came as .
a surprise because throughout my teacher education program, both in undergrad and grad .
school, I was immersed in all of these progressive, process-oriented philosophies of .
teaching. I was told of the benefits of using these approaches in the classroom. .
However, I never questioned the fact that I was a product of a skills-oriented approach to .
instruction. I don't think I turned out so bad. So how could the skills-oriented approach .
be so ineffective?.
Just as Delpit initially espoused these beliefs towards progressive education, I, .
too, considered myself an advocate of these teaching styles. However, Delpit, as a result .
of her experiences has altered her educational views to include an approach that takes .
into consideration the increasingly diverse children we teach. She opts for a more .
balanced approach that is skill oriented, but also allows for critical and creative thinking .
to take place in the classroom. Moreover, her educational approach is one in which we .
recognize and praise diversity, as opposed to considering it a problem within schools. I .
am in favor of her approach and clearly see the validity of her views. Lacking skills is .
like having a body without a skeleton. And we can't just assume prior knowledge on the .
part of the students that we teach, especially if you consider students" diverse cultures. .
We can't assume prior knowledge, because cultures espouse beliefs that individual to the .
culture. .
Vincenza Deserio.
Delpit has made some important revelations with regards to the process or .
progressive oriented approach, and how this style of teaching was devised. It's an .
approach that was devised by the white mainstream culture, and those outside of this .
