Friday, March 17, 2006

Interregnum - On Pedagogy

I've noted this before, but one of the most destructively self-reinforcing behaviours in the world is not blogging. To those who faithfully have keep looking to see if I've updated, thank you, you hardy souls.

As your reward, here's a collection of links which had been intended to be the next post after the preceding. This is all material tracked down during a blog carnival devoted to education and educators, but it's all fascinating stuff - I think I hit the carnival on a very good iteration.

If you needed a reason to remember why teachers are wonderful people, here's one. I'm sure you can think of others.

In case that wasn't moving enough, Feministe gives us a look into a culture which many of us persistently underestimate - or just plain misunderstand. The strength in this piece takes my breath away.

Switching tracks from inspirational to inspired, here's a post by someone whose child taught him a thing or two about money. This is case in point on why good parenting is a skill, folks, not an instinct. It requires the application of enormous creative energy and intelligence.

Combine the above insights with a classical education and a passion for teaching, and watch what happens when someone actually tries using the Socratic Method in the classroom. That example uses math as the subject under discussion, but that's probably not the most important place it could be applied...

And, last of all, we return to the beginning of this post, and the awe that teachers ought properly to command. In case the emotional piece we opened with was not enough... here's an incredible look at what it once took to become a teacher, first part and second part. Oh. My. Lord. Let us now show humility, we who believe ourselves to be adequately educated. Go ahead - actually try it. I dare you.

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And, not part of the above carnival, a recent revisit to pedagogy... I was contacted (in the preceding post's comments, then by email) by someone who intends to present The Last Supper as a pedagogical (that's "teaching" to you Philistines) tool for biblibal studies. We're having some fascinating conversations about it by email. I expect at this point that I will actually opt to include a couple of pages on the subject in the game when it comes out. Speaking of which - TLS v2.0 is looking for playtesters, especially ones independent of me and my local gang. The opportunity to receive inside-cover credit is still open, folks... contact me if you're interested.