When reading about IRE sequence and Maria’s predicament, I was very sympathetic, and realized that I didn’t participate in anything that could possibly qualify as a “class discussion” until I started taking upper division college courses.  Up until I came here, I was thrown into many “discussions” that put me in a predicament similar to Maria’s.  I’d be sitting in class, trying to look busy, but very strategically, not too inquisitive and passionate as to not be asked my own opinion.  When I was inevitably put on the spot, I, like many others before me, would give a scattered thought that “piggy-backed” off one of the more involved student’s comments, or more realistically, ripped it off in a vague and re-phrased manner.

I believe that IRE sequence inevitably leads to this type of failed class discussion.  Even in college classes I’ve seen Professors forced to adopt some sort of ridiculous “five point discussion” policy due to the timidity of the students.  This of course results in three people speaking for 45 minutes and 27 trying to jump in the “discussion” in the last 5 minutes.  All of this results from the IRE structure.  Perhaps an educator should set up the groundwork for a discussion, but the students should be the ones evaluating and responding to each other’s thoughts, this is what creates passion and facilitates actual learning and interest around a subject.  IRE structure leads to students like Maria feel like they’ve been randomly selected for a public stoning, which only enforces their inclination to lay low during discussion.

I’ve been thinking about our discussion last class, and I believe that the arguments for or against a composition english course were lost in the multitude of sports and ball-handling analogies.  I do think a composition course is beneficial, especially for people who enter higher education without strong writing skills, regardless of what field they go into.  Even though a history paper and english paper are very different, composition isn’t teaching history majors to write english papers, it provides the groundwork for being able to support any sort of idea in a structured and though out argument.  This is why the sports training arguments don’t really apply.  In most football or rugby practices I’ve ever been to a huge amount of time hasn’t been devoted to game-specific training.  Most practice is based on strength and athleticism, fundamentals like running in between cones and up stairs, this is exactly what english 130 focuses on, fundamentals, which I don’t think lead any weak writer astray, regardless of discipline.  The final project in my english 130 class was essentially “write a long paper about literally anything.”  The class taught students how to come up with a point and do research to back that point up.

Between reading the “Situated Learning” piece last week and going over it in class and reading the Rodby and Fox writing on remedial English, I noticed a few connections, and that both philosophies stand alone as well as support each other.  The part in “Situated Learning” that particularly interested me was about the Yucatec midwives.  Specifically, how they are faced with situations involving child birth nearly their entire lives.  They learn from these situations, and never officially become midwives, but at a certain point in their lives simply are so.

 

This reminded me of the predicaments that can arrive through remedial English classes that were discussed in the Rodby and Fox piece.  Specifically, that students are not challenged in remedial classes and feel that the material is simple and irrelevant to them, and in turn learn little.  Later, when they are exposed to an actual English class with actual assignments, they falter.

 

Although the two scenarios seem worlds apart, a very similar message can be found among them.  Learning speed and consistent expectations are important if a student is expected to take hold of the material or situations they’ll later have to deal with.  Just like it would obviously be unwise to put a midwife in a situation they haven’t been prepared for, it would also be unwise to put a student in a class with much higher expectations after having much lower ones.  Conclusively, a remedial class or slower background education simply serves as an incubator for failure.  Students of any type should be educated according to what lies in their future, and be given extra support if needed, not be placed in a lower bracket.  (I hope this all ties together successfully)