Hi Arash! Nice blog! I do not understand when people think that science and the humanities are two completely disparate things. Yes, science has eradicated many infectious diseases through vaccinations. But, new diseases develop and some people choose not to vaccinate (ie, I am not talking about people who do not have access to vaccinations). And you are totally right — there can be millions of science peer-reviewed manuscripts about the effects of climate change, and none of them will cause some people to accept that humans are having a negative impact on our planet. Science and humanities go hand-in-hand in terms of ethics too. Just because we CAN clone something (for example) does not mean that we SHOULD!
Author: erinleighvt
Comment on To Those Who Stole My Dreams by erinleighvt
Thanks, Sogand! I agree. Memorization, while useful in some instances, is not the point of education or of learning. I can memorize something and not remember it a week later. Does that mean I learned whatever I memorized? Probably not. In my opinion, true learning comes from understanding. And if I understand something now, I will probably still understand it a week from now. I may lose sight of that understanding and need to refresh myself somewhere down the road … but I know that understanding is stored somewhere in my brain. It just needs to be dusted off 🙂
Comment on professionals are still human beings by erinleighvt
YES! I totally felt this way as well when I was younger. It took me a long time as well to realize that my teachers, professors, coaches, etc are all humans too. Nobody is perfect. Nobody can be perfect. And, nobody should be perfect. It is so important for each of us to remember, especially on the “bad” days that everyone experiences failure in one way or the other. Just reading your post helped me calm down a little, as a remember that even my advisors have failed, do fail, and will fail in the future … just like I have, I do, and I will. And that is okay 🙂
Comment on Avoiding Complacency by erinleighvt
Hi! Thanks for this post! I also enjoyed that article and especially appreciated that this surgeon did not settle for even above average. He wanted to continue improving, even when it was not asked or expected of him. To me, that is a prime example of someone who is really a “good student.” We should never be complacent. That said, it is important to not just recognize our “weaknesses” (no matter how big or small they may be) but to also recognize our strengths (even though our strengths likely can be improved upon as well)!
Comment on Critical Pedagogy in Practice (Not a word cloud) by erinleighvt
I really enjoyed your visual! When I first saw it in class, I was like “how in the world can this represent critical pedagogy!” But after you all explained all the parts of the building, how they work together to make a unified structure, it made perfect sense. And in that, it is an excellent example of critical pedagogy! Thanks!
Comment on Critical Pedagogy: Learning to think not memorize by erinleighvt
Nicely stated! I especially like the phrase “bovine educational system.” You are absolutely right — most teachers just transfer facts to students who only memorize information to obtain good grades. And because we cannot possibly remember everything we “learn,” we regurgitate these facts to stuff others in. I guess, I should say that we do remember the things we actually learn (no quotations here) — the things we care about and take the time to think about, discuss, and truly understand are remembered. As I was reading this, I realized that of the countless classes I have taken, I am ALWAYS happiest in the ones that are all discussion-based. Why ~ because I feel like I get to be involved in my education and the direction the class takes. In return, these are the classes I gain the most out of!
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Comment on Curiosidad! EducaciĂłn! Libertad! by erinleighvt
I hear what you are saying. For me, if I do not know peoples’ names, I do not feel nearly as connected to them. I also make an effort whenever I talk to people I don’t know on the phone or in person to address them by their names (e.g., “Hi, thank you for calling X. My name is Erica. How may I help you?” “Hi, Erica, my name is Erin …..). To me, when someone uses my name, it makes me feel like they somehow CARE about me (even if I have never met them before) or at least that they paid attention to what I was saying when they introduced themselves! The power of feeling cared about and heard are very strong!
Comment on A Visual Definition of Critical Pedagogy by erinleighvt
I love the graphic of the animals required to take “the same test of climbing a tree!” I have heard a quote about this before, more specifically about a fish being asked to ride a bicycle. It really hits the point home that it is ridiculous to give one type of test to “judge” students. While we look more similar than an elephant looks like seal (for example), that does not mean we are that similar.
Comment on If the stormtroopers weren’t all white by erinleighvt
I am not a huge fan of the bias tests either. They are eye-opening for sure, but they sort of make me feel badly about myself. Of course we all have implicit biases – it is probably impossible not to. But, as long as we treat people with respect, we should not harp on the fact that we have biases.
Comment on Diversity….brilliant minds working together…. by erinleighvt
I found that article very interesting as well! It makes sense we would put more effort into trying to convince people who look different from ourselves, as we naturally association appearances with beliefs, personalities, etc. That is, you have to work harder to convince someone with a different perspective than someone with the same perspective. It is really important to have heterogeneous groups of people involved in meetings etc, because you are right, the more opinions there are, the more creativity abounds!
