Maybe teaching's like this . . .
Erica Brown
Image from The Jewish Federation)
I've not blogged at length for a couple of days, just brief bloglets, because I've been so busy about 'Christmas' grading, that time at fall semester's end when all good little students get the good little grades that they deserve . . . and all bad little students get grades better than they deserve. Ah, well, that's Christmas grading, a time for generosity of intellectual spirit. But maybe teaching should be more like how David Brooks describes the intellectual approach of Erica Brown:
[T]here is the matter of how she speaks. Somehow (and I’m not going to be able to capture this adequately), she combines extreme empathy with extreme tough-mindedness.Perhaps that's what I ought to aim at in my own teaching. Maybe teaching's like this. Anyway, if that quote intrigues you, go to the Brooks column "The Arduous Community" for the December 20, 2010 issue of The New York Times, and read the entire article about Dr. Erica Brown, scholar-in-residence for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
Meanwhile, from here in Lesser Seoul, Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate this holiday . . . and a merry time as well to all who don't.
posted by Horace Jeffery Hodges @ 6:55 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
I've been reading a lot of Michael Oakeshott recently and have just finished his very stimulating essays on liberal education. They strike me as something you might like to read. We can talk about it more over craft beer. My schedule now is to be in Siam Riep/Ankor Wat Dec 29-Jan 2. I'm free anytime befre or after, at your convenience.
Sounds interesting. I've certainly heard of the fellow but have never read any of his stuff. I'll try to read up on him so that I can better follow what you have to report.
We'll have to meet after your return since I'm playing catch-up on my editing work . . .
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
The Wikipedia article is not a completely useless starting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Oakeshott
though it doesn't really have anything about his ideas on education and just continues the widespread confusion about his politics by mistaking his affinity for conservatism in all things ( as a necessary corollary of his views about the fact of the importance of custom and tradition in human life ) with some sort of Conservative political ideology.
I'll take a look and maybe dig deeper . . .
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
If you are really ambitious, you can go to the Oakeshott Association page, which has links to some pieces of his writing at the bottom of page 1. I would recommend the excerpted chapter from "Experience and Its Modes" on "Historical Experience." If you're very keen you could take a look at the first chapter of "On Human Conduct" - "On theThe Theoretical Understanding of Human Conduct." The latter is tough sledding.
Tough sledding? Hey, it's Christmas! I'll fly through the air with the greatest of ease . . .
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Erica's Intellectual Approach--Stunning!
My goodness! I've never seen anything like it. She's sensational!
Hmmm . . . I see that Ms. Brown has another acolyte. I'll definitely click over and see that link.
Later today, though. Right now, Christmas morning has arrived.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Post a Comment
<< Home