Caitlyn Algee 1

On the Uses of Freirean Voices

Many professors would speculate that having a strong students voice in the
classroom setting is vital. Others would say that having an engaging instructors voice
holds more value. In Barry Alfords essay, Freirean Voices, Student Choices, he goes
into detail on how to acquire both, but he then ties it in with the importance of engaging
his students. Similarly, in the essay, On the Uses of a Liberal Education: 1. As Lite
Entertainment For Bored College Students, by Mark Edmundson, he illustrates and
stresses more on the importance of how teaching methods affect student voices.
Edmundson's essay also shows clear signs that he blames the professors teaching
styles for poor student voices, while Alford sees little fault in his own methods, and
encourages others to follow stead. Overall, Alford and Edmundson both write about
importance and style of instructors and students voices, have similar targeted
audiences, but different views of their students roles.
Engaging students to engage other students is stressed heavily throughout
Alfords essay. He goes into saying that, In brief, students talking to each other plays
an essential role in the way they develop ideas and create rhetorical strategies that they
can hone and develop into their writing, (280). On the other hand, Edmundson argues
that, But what they generally cant do is acquire a new vocabulary, a new perspective,
that will cast issues in a fresh light, (289). Edmundson is opposing Alfords stance,
expressing that it could actually be detrimental to a students mind to have too much
engagement. He feels as if the majority follow others ideas, instead of forming their
own. While the subject matter mildly varies, the targeted audiences between the two
authors essays are similar.

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Distinguishing what the targeted audience of an article is based off of an authors

tone can be difficult. Other times its very clear. In Edmundsons essay, it was slightly
arduous to make an inference based on the tone. He states that, One of the ways
we've tried to stay attractive is by loosening up. We grade much more softly than our
colleagues in science, (288). His sentence structure and usage of the word we leads
me to believe that he is targeting other professors in the Liberal Arts department.
Correspondingly, in Alfords essay he writes, That is, we are constantly confronted with
evidence that the rhetorical choices we teach our students to use do not necessarily
encourage them to think, (280). By saying our students, it implies that hes also
targeting professors in a similar department. While most professors view their students
success as it being worth the time they put into it, there are also some professors with
heretical views of their students roles.
The value of a students understanding is a surprisingly varying factor among
professors. For example, Edmundson makes speculations at students just being
revenue. He goes into saying that, Just as universities must compete with one another
for students, so must the individual departments, (288). He believes that in order to
keep his class open (AKA his paycheck), he feels as if he has to compete. This can lead
to students not getting the consideration they paid for. On the other hand, Alford states,
Freire stressed, and Shor admonishes us to remember, that critical literacy grows out
of the experiences of those who develop and express it, and, like all things authentic
and meaningful, it is well worth the mess and inconvenience, (281). Hes saying that a
students success is worth the time you put into it. That a students success is worth
more than their money.

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In conclusion, although Alford and Edmundson both had similar target audiences,
they took different stances on the subject matter. Alford favors student success rates,
encouraging the growth and engagement among his students. Edmundson, on the other
hand, views a students success as revenue and even discourages having students
engaging each other. He believes that it leads to a majority of students not forming their
own ideas. This matters because it could be unfair to the small percentile of students
that put the money into getting the education they dont receive.

Works Cited
Edmundson, Mark. "On the Uses of a Liberal Education: 1. as Lite
Entertainment for Bored College Students." Harper's Magazine 1 Sept.

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1997: n. pag. Print.

Alford, B. "Freirean Voices, Student Choices." Pedagogy: Critical
Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and
Culture 2.1 (2002): 115-18. Web.