[I'm really late on this one...and I'm not doing what the blog prompt said. Oh well!]
The Intrinsic Good of Thinking
I had my girls read "Is Thinking Good for it's Own Sake" by Clifford Williams from The Life of the Mind. It's a really neat article - it makes you think about thinking :D
Williams opens his article by talking about how Americans tend to require everything they do to fulfill a concrete purpose. It's kind of like a quote from a story about the American Revolution. A French general was training American troops, and he wrote to a friend in his country something along these lines: "You tell your European soldier to do something, and he does. But I have to say to my American soldier, 'this is the reason you are to do it', and then he does it."
So often here we look at college and we expect it to accomplish something - like getting us a better job, more money, etc. This easily leads to grade grubbing--only doing enough in a class to pass it and get a good grade, without caring about the subject matter. Williams argues that this should not be a student's only focus.
Instead, he says, students should see knowledge as intrinsically good - valuable in and of itself, without reference to what it can get you. Williams makes the point that, especially as Christians, we should desire knowledge for it's own sake (because God values it) and not only for the material benefits we get from it. There is beauty in the process of discovering, and we should enjoy that.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
HO Week 7 (10/8) - Education
[As you can see, I'm quite late on this one.]
What is Learning?
Learning is the ability to take a new concept and to digest it--to really understand it. Moreover, true learning will also include applying the new knowledge to your own life and to the greater community around you. Learning is also the ability to make connections between what one is currently studying and what one already knows. It is creating one's view of the world - building a system for how things work.
[Brad had us write for a few minutes in class about what our definition of learning was. That's what I wrote. If you want more info, read my girls' posts. They were good :)]
Friday, October 1, 2010
HO Week 6 (10/1) - Education
Are Students Banks or People?
How to best educate students is an interesting question, and one we will be examining for the next couple of weeks. An educator named Paulo Freire wrote a book entitled The Pedagogy of the Oppressed in which he discusses this topic. In his second chapter, he sets forth two methods of educating. I have experienced both during my life.
In my senior year of high school I took Chinese at a community college. Understandably, most of what we students had to do was memorize vocabulary words. This idea of students being passive receivers/memorizers is what Freire refers to as the "banking concept." The teachers are in total control of the situation, and they are often seen as knowing everything about their subject. They make "deposits" of knowledge into the "banks" (students). Students are supposed to meekly accept, swallow, and parrot whatever the teacher says. This method is almost unavoidable in a foreign language class. When it is employed in other classes (history, for example), however, Freire says that it "minimize[s] or annul[s] the students' creative power" (73) and serves to make them less human.
The English 2 honors class I took last semester was in stark contrast to the banking model. Although the professor did sometimes lecture about what we were reading, she mostly encouraged us to discuss what we had noticed in the texts. This is what Freire calls the "problem posing" method of education. This method focuses on "acts of cognition, not transferrals of information," Freire says (79). It also means that the teacher becomes more of a fellow student - someone who can gain just as much from the class as the "real" students do. "Problem posing" forces students to think things through rather than be spoonfed all the answers.
Clearly, the latter method is preferable.
How to best educate students is an interesting question, and one we will be examining for the next couple of weeks. An educator named Paulo Freire wrote a book entitled The Pedagogy of the Oppressed in which he discusses this topic. In his second chapter, he sets forth two methods of educating. I have experienced both during my life.
In my senior year of high school I took Chinese at a community college. Understandably, most of what we students had to do was memorize vocabulary words. This idea of students being passive receivers/memorizers is what Freire refers to as the "banking concept." The teachers are in total control of the situation, and they are often seen as knowing everything about their subject. They make "deposits" of knowledge into the "banks" (students). Students are supposed to meekly accept, swallow, and parrot whatever the teacher says. This method is almost unavoidable in a foreign language class. When it is employed in other classes (history, for example), however, Freire says that it "minimize[s] or annul[s] the students' creative power" (73) and serves to make them less human.
The English 2 honors class I took last semester was in stark contrast to the banking model. Although the professor did sometimes lecture about what we were reading, she mostly encouraged us to discuss what we had noticed in the texts. This is what Freire calls the "problem posing" method of education. This method focuses on "acts of cognition, not transferrals of information," Freire says (79). It also means that the teacher becomes more of a fellow student - someone who can gain just as much from the class as the "real" students do. "Problem posing" forces students to think things through rather than be spoonfed all the answers.
Clearly, the latter method is preferable.
Friday, September 24, 2010
HO Week 5 (9/24) - Calling
What Do My Friends Say?
Last fall I sent a short survey to two of my girlfriends, my mom, and two women who have basically mentored me. I asked them what I was passionate about, what I was good at, and what they could see me doing/being in ten years. Their answers encouraged me, though I found some a bit surprising.
I wasn't surprised by the answers to the first question. All five mentioned my relationship with God as my primary passion, which is most certainly true.
Both of my girlfriends said I am good at listening to other people, which I found encouraging. Three people mentioned my communication skills (particularly writing) and my organizational skills. Both of those are things which I enjoy doing.
It was quite interesting to read the answers to the third question. Four of the people said they could see me as a wife/mother homeschooling my children. This is what I most want to do. I was rather surprised that two of the people said they could see me as a missionary. I wanted to be a missionary when I was little, but I hadn't thought about it in quite a while. Three of the people said they could see me as a teacher - something I hadn't really thought about beyond homeschooling my own children. The more I think about it, though, the more it does seem likely. I wouldn't teach at a public school (because I'm not getting a teaching degree), but I can certainly see myself teaching at a co-op someday. Some other ideas were that I might be an administrative assisstant or be writing articles using my journalism degree (perhaps involved in politics). I would love to do either of those things.
Last fall I sent a short survey to two of my girlfriends, my mom, and two women who have basically mentored me. I asked them what I was passionate about, what I was good at, and what they could see me doing/being in ten years. Their answers encouraged me, though I found some a bit surprising.
I wasn't surprised by the answers to the first question. All five mentioned my relationship with God as my primary passion, which is most certainly true.
Both of my girlfriends said I am good at listening to other people, which I found encouraging. Three people mentioned my communication skills (particularly writing) and my organizational skills. Both of those are things which I enjoy doing.
It was quite interesting to read the answers to the third question. Four of the people said they could see me as a wife/mother homeschooling my children. This is what I most want to do. I was rather surprised that two of the people said they could see me as a missionary. I wanted to be a missionary when I was little, but I hadn't thought about it in quite a while. Three of the people said they could see me as a teacher - something I hadn't really thought about beyond homeschooling my own children. The more I think about it, though, the more it does seem likely. I wouldn't teach at a public school (because I'm not getting a teaching degree), but I can certainly see myself teaching at a co-op someday. Some other ideas were that I might be an administrative assisstant or be writing articles using my journalism degree (perhaps involved in politics). I would love to do either of those things.
Friday, September 17, 2010
HO Week 4 (9/17) - Calling
My Natural Strengths
In this week's posts, students are to compare their spiritual gifts with their strengths (based on the StrengthsQuest survey). So as a refresher: my top spiritual gifts are Faith, Serving, and Leadership/Administration or Pastoring/Shepherding. My top five strengths (from when I took the test for Gateway last fall) are Belief, Responsibility, Discipline, Intellection, and Connectedness.
In this week's posts, students are to compare their spiritual gifts with their strengths (based on the StrengthsQuest survey). So as a refresher: my top spiritual gifts are Faith, Serving, and Leadership/Administration or Pastoring/Shepherding. My top five strengths (from when I took the test for Gateway last fall) are Belief, Responsibility, Discipline, Intellection, and Connectedness.
Belief obviously ties into Faith. This is one that I hadn't really thought about/recognized in myself until I did these tests. I think it's because my beliefs and faith are such a part of me that I don't think that's unusual. I feel as though all Christians should care that much about their beliefs. The down side to this is that I can tend to be very set in my ways, even in minor things, because I take my beliefs so seriously. Intellection probably goes along with Faith as well. I have strong beliefs, but I want to know why I believe those things as well. I want it to be grounded in reason, not "just because."
Responsibility and Discipline go along with Leadership/Administration and probably with Serving too. An example is the work I did the last two years of high school. I had a class with the same teacher for three years, and after the first year she asked me to be her assistant, probably because of the discipline I had exhibited in class. Ever since then, I have been her administrative assistant of sorts, helping her each summer get things set up for the new school year. This ties together all four of the things listed above - and I love doing it!
When I took the StrengthsQuest, I was most surprised by "Connectedness." I was a little worried about it too, because it sounded almost New Age-ish. I have come to realize that I do look for connections in things though. I feel like this might go along with the Shepherding gift - of wanting to show people that they're not just out on their own, they are part of a bigger plan: God's plan.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
HO Week 3 (9/10)
My Spiritual Gifts
[yep, I'm a little late on this one too.]
[yep, I'm a little late on this one too.]
For the next couple of weeks, we are going to be talking about "calling" (as in vocation and/or spiritual gifts). We are reading Os Guinness' book Rising to the Call, and the students take a spiritual gifts assessment. This post is a response to the second part.
Dr. Gambill, the instructor, provided links to two online gift inventories. One is a bit more charismatic, and the other is designed to help people know where to plug into their church (so it only addresses what they call "Team Gifts"). I took both tests, and I have the results from the one I took last year as a freshman in the class. It's just interesting seeing how the different ones end up with slightly different results.
Last year, my top three gifts were listed as Serving, Giving, and Faith. On the first one this year, it came up with Faith, Helps (basically Serving), and Music (Pastoring was 4th). The second test was Administration, Shepherding (Pastoring), and Serving [this test had a disclaimer that lots of women get Shepherding because it's similar to nurturing instincts].
I basically agree with what these tests came up with. The last test I took had several paragraphs about each of the gifts, including some tendencies and possible pitfalls, and I certainly identified with those! Last year when I took it, I was surprised to see Faith on there...but I have come to realize that is a big part of who I am. Serving is also definitely one of the things I do a lot. I love helping other people in whatever ways I can. I love to Give other people presents to show I care about them. I'm not too surprised about Administration either. I am an organized person who likes to take charge sometimes!
The only one I'm not so sure about is Shepherding. I think the reason I feel uncertain about it is that I feel strongly that women should not have leadership over men. And yet I so often see that I have leadership tendencies! Sometimes I wonder why in the world God would give me leadership gifts and yet make me a woman. [By the way, leadership was 4th on the list from last year, 16th on the first test this year (too low I think), and I think it was basically included in Administration on the second test.] I'm coming to realize that there really are ways where I can stay true to both my belief and my gift. For example, what I'm doing this semester! My mentor group is all girls, and so I feel comfortable guiding and directing them.
[Sorry girls, I know I went way over the word limit on this one!]
HO Week 2 (9/3)
How to Impact the Culture
[It's week 2 because there wasn't a post for the first week. And yes, I am late on posting this!]
For the second week of Honors Orientation, we read the first chapter of Mark Noll's The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. Through his book, Noll makes the case that Christians have not given themselves enough to the pursuit of intellectualism. While I strongly disagree with his categorization of creationists, I did agree with his main point and many of the things he said. It was a thought provoking chapter, and I certainly want to read the rest of the book.
Noll talks about the "life of the mind," meaning "the effort to think like a Christian—to think within a specifically Christian framework—across the whole spectrum of modern learning" (7). I am familiar with this same concept being referred to as having a Christian world view. Noll goes on to describe three areas where Christians have failed to be active participants: the areas of culture, intellect, and theology.
I see myself as most likely to impact the area of culture. Noll makes the case that Christians focus too much on “urgencies of the moment” or “over-simplification of issues” when they try to change the culture (12), and I can see his point. The reason I am studying journalism is so that I will hopefully be able to play a part in changing the culture of
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Introduction
So, this blog will be added to my long list to perform a more formal function - posting blog posts about the readings in Honors Orientation. Yes, I did take HO when I was supposed to in my freshman year, but now I get to take it again without the "pressure" of passing because I am a mentor for four terrific freshman gals! :D After the class and semester finish, I may use this blog to post some of the other things I have written for college so far....we'll see......
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