The Biesta (Beast Of A) Book Experience!

Reading the chapters in “The Beautiful Risk of Education” by Biesta (2013) has been an interesting and challenging time. Biesta’s views were different than those that I have been used to hearing about. I thought it was a great way to be introduced to how people from other countries view education and what it entails. Biesta didn’t focus on the strength of education and how great it can be. Instead, he dug into the weaknesses of education. He pulled out ideas that have not been brought to mind so directly before in my experiences. I would like to be able to hear some type of presentation from Biesta, like a TED talk. That would be interesting to see and might make his views a little more clear.

I really did like how he points out that students are not objects, but are subjects. Students can’t be treated like objects that can be moved and thrown through hoops. They need to be treated like they matter and like we want to teach them and help them have learning experiences. Biesta made me think about the way that I would communicate with my students. I wan to be able to communicate my true meaning to them. Also, in the case of learning, I liked the direction that Biesta went in. Biesta went to what is learning, when does it start, and what is the “learning age”. All of these questions really make you think about what learning really means. It made me think of Justin during lectures in saying he doesn’t know what learning means or is. I’ve never really looked at that. I’ve always just thought “Oh the teacher is teaching, the students are learning.” But is that really true? Does learning mean something different for every person out there? Also, how does a person actually learn? Is it through experiences, being lectured, or doing homework assignments? How do you teach and how does someone learn from your teaching?

I want to take all of these questions and find a teaching approach to help my students find how they learn and what they learn, in whatever learning means to them. I know I will have certain state requirements to fulfill but I want my students to be able to understand what is that I am teaching to them. I want to understand what my students need from me to better enhance their “learning” environment.

I have no clue if I interpreted Biesta right or if I really did understand what he was conveying to me. I do know that it was an interesting book to read and to experience.