The Road To Hell
Today’s little bit of controvertial rhetoric is a book: The Road To Hell. (links here and here). I’ve not read it all yet, but enough so far for it to make an impression. And it’s not cheering me up much.
I sat at home this morning reading it and listening to the children at the primary school over the way singing beautifully. I was avoiding work. The girls of Stage IV are a bit hard work. Conversations with other staff reveal a general feeling that hey are not the most communicative class. ‘Survivors’ one teacher called them: they choose the subjects with most bookwork and least brainwork so that they can ’survive’ the exams by swatting. I know this is common practise everywhere — back at DMU we used to get students through clearing, sifting the forms for good candidates like bargain hunters in the January sales; camping out all night by the telephones to take calls from disillusioned A-Level students: “Yes, you can study Information Technology in Leicester”. But for me it was different. I chose that same course because it seemed to offer the Goldylocks combination of hardware and software for me. By doing my shopping early I got a course that was Just Right. So I worked hard and got a first. Much of my learning was done in the classroom during term-time motivated by the joy of learning rather than at home during revision time motivated by fear. My own expereince of education is completely different from (some of) these ladies here.
Last night I sat at home listening to Lemon Jelly. Something about that music has a sort of home-counties feel to it. I was cooking chapatis with potatoe in them, but pretending that I wasn’t in Africa. I’m off to teach Stage IV about Unix in a few minutes. Wish me luck!
Lydia Says:
hi sorry I havent been in touch for a bit - life’s rich tapestry etc. Good luck with your Stage IV. having read the stuff about the class who didnt talk - it’s tough when you have a class who dont click with your teaching style. I sometimes wonder who is the one who needs to change when this happens. Teaching style is so personal and depends so much on personality and yet you have to teach students whose personality and learning style doesnt always "speak" to yours. (I’m aware that I’m rambling a little but hey what’s new?!) It’s deeply frustrating when its difficult to engage students in the way in which you teach best and believe they will learn from - but it’s also a good challenge and a good opportunity for thought about where you and the students are coming from. Students have to constantly adapt to teachers, how much do teachers adapt to their students. I know I’d find a silent class very tough. You are FAB!
May 25th, 2004 at 11:33 amMark Says:
You are, of course, right. It is in fact deeply arrogant of me to think that my teaching style, significantly different from what these ladies are used to, is in any sense better. It is my duty to listen and learn as much as I might try and spread some different ideas about how to teach. Compromises can work well and hence the negotiation that I did with Stage II. Why didn’t I do a negotiated learning contract wtih Stage IV? Don’t know. Cowardace perhaps, I’ve never done it before and I judged Stage II to be the easier group with whom to take that risk.
Having said all that, I have just returned from that very Unix class. I couldn’t get an Avocado to use as a visual aid so I drew one on the board, with the coloured chalk I bought in Nairobi (they said it was a Pawpaw, my drawing obviously sucks). I drew in the big seed and then labled the parts. Then I removed the lables and replaced them with the operating-system stuff: kernel, shell and supporting utilities. Then I asked them to copy the diagram into their notes. They looked a bit supprised but complied when I insisted. So I told them the reason I wanted them to copy a picture of an Avocado into their notes, though I didn not expect them to reproduce in in the exam, was so that when they were asked the parts of an operating system they would picture the Avocado in their minds. As I was leaving the class I asked them what the three parts of the operating system are and the answer came correctly, most of th class speaking together. I good way to finish.
I had tried a bit to compromose today, I did a bit of writing on the board (they have to get their notes, after all) and a bit of questioning and waiting for answers (one of the books on education that I read in the bookshop in Nairobi said most teachers wait less than one second for answers and there is a great increase in answers if the wait time goes up to five seconds). I also did a bit of standing on the desk (to illustrate how hard it is to pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps). I’m banking on the fact that by being fairly extreme and whacky early on, the compromise state that follows will seem more convivial.
May 25th, 2004 at 2:06 pmCad Says:
Juggling.
I like to watch juggling though can’t do it myself.
A couple a friends came around the other night and slammed a DVD (Cirque du Soleil - "Dralion") into my player and made we watch the following:
http://www.viktorkee.com/dralionweb.mov
This may be old news to some, but I just had to post the link as I honestly sat there with my jaw hanging open as this guy unfolded his act.
The web-movie doesn’t really do it justice, watching the DVD on a nice TV with the music cracked up was something else.
love,
May 26th, 2004 at 7:59 pmCad
Mark Says:
I don’t have the hardware to play this game. One day I’m gonna sit down on the good computer (one in the Cybercafe has speakers and media player) when there’s nobody about and d/l these all movies. Maybe in the vacation when I get a bit more time and I’m not fighting students for bandwidth.
May 27th, 2004 at 11:47 am