Last Friday's Class 23rd July - What's this class about???
Last Friday's Class at the IDEA Studio wasn't too bad, I think, but it was kinda chaotic. With so many students, all lounging on beanbags. New environment. Stretching voice. R they unresponsive, or is it just because that it’s the end of the day. Will I ever know?
I had to redo the Tetrad Lecture. I skipped 02's Tetrad Lecture for last week, and coverage for 01 wasn't good. I think I really have to transfer as much as possible to worksheets for classroom activity. The class of 42 is way too big! I sometimes wonder if I really know what I'm doing. Well, I tell myself I do, but really, all I'm doing is trusting my intuition to guide me...!
Later I went to the Design Studio. Was asked, by Iz, I think, "what is this class about". Good question. I answered my normal standard answer, that this class is designed to help them be better thinkers. But is that the point even?
What I ‘m trying to do here is in fact to ask them to answer that question – oh, but of course, first it's to get them to ask this question, and answer it for themselves. It's good they are posing this question--makes me think. But equally important is that they come up with their own possibilities. How can I answer it for them, right?
Isn’t that what this whole week was about (and last few weeks)? I want them to define education for themselves, but not have me to do it for them. This only reinforces the old notion of spoon-fed education. Unconsciously, we are continuing to perpetuate this. How could they become more radically empowered if we stick to the comfortable way of doing things??? I wonder if the attempts at making them question education last week had an impact at all?
This means several things, I need to make my processes clear to them—to really do it, rather than just to say it and not mean it. If they are to model these thinking processes, then they should have some insight into how and what I am thinking. This is a class in progress after all. If I am to use all the insights from all the ideas from the readings, as well as to go with the spirit of this class.
So here I am with this BLOG for the class. Like in my email to them, I realised that I am crossing a private/public boundary line, much as what McLuhan said. It fits. And I need to learn to run this class, just as they need to help figure out what this class is all about. If we are all co-teaching it. This feedback and forward needs to happen continuously.
I'm thinking of using a learning contract – but how does that work? What do I need to take into account? My thinking: first few weeks were meant to confuse, and make them rethink reality, so as not to take it all for granted. Then, now with presuppositions all whacked out (I hope), it’s time to set goals, to create a direction for learning.
Get them to set the direction of the class--more meaningful that way. I can handle this. I think. How else to make this class their own, and to make it work?
A few other things to note. In the background, several issues surfacing: information overload and workload overload too. How will they deal with it. Especially with all their assignments. Maybe that's a very specific area we can target their efforts.
I had to redo the Tetrad Lecture. I skipped 02's Tetrad Lecture for last week, and coverage for 01 wasn't good. I think I really have to transfer as much as possible to worksheets for classroom activity. The class of 42 is way too big! I sometimes wonder if I really know what I'm doing. Well, I tell myself I do, but really, all I'm doing is trusting my intuition to guide me...!
Later I went to the Design Studio. Was asked, by Iz, I think, "what is this class about". Good question. I answered my normal standard answer, that this class is designed to help them be better thinkers. But is that the point even?
What I ‘m trying to do here is in fact to ask them to answer that question – oh, but of course, first it's to get them to ask this question, and answer it for themselves. It's good they are posing this question--makes me think. But equally important is that they come up with their own possibilities. How can I answer it for them, right?
Isn’t that what this whole week was about (and last few weeks)? I want them to define education for themselves, but not have me to do it for them. This only reinforces the old notion of spoon-fed education. Unconsciously, we are continuing to perpetuate this. How could they become more radically empowered if we stick to the comfortable way of doing things??? I wonder if the attempts at making them question education last week had an impact at all?
This means several things, I need to make my processes clear to them—to really do it, rather than just to say it and not mean it. If they are to model these thinking processes, then they should have some insight into how and what I am thinking. This is a class in progress after all. If I am to use all the insights from all the ideas from the readings, as well as to go with the spirit of this class.
So here I am with this BLOG for the class. Like in my email to them, I realised that I am crossing a private/public boundary line, much as what McLuhan said. It fits. And I need to learn to run this class, just as they need to help figure out what this class is all about. If we are all co-teaching it. This feedback and forward needs to happen continuously.
I'm thinking of using a learning contract – but how does that work? What do I need to take into account? My thinking: first few weeks were meant to confuse, and make them rethink reality, so as not to take it all for granted. Then, now with presuppositions all whacked out (I hope), it’s time to set goals, to create a direction for learning.
Get them to set the direction of the class--more meaningful that way. I can handle this. I think. How else to make this class their own, and to make it work?
A few other things to note. In the background, several issues surfacing: information overload and workload overload too. How will they deal with it. Especially with all their assignments. Maybe that's a very specific area we can target their efforts.
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