Comment on Can “we” practice change in education? by Jack Viere

Posted on February 6, 2018February 15, 2018 by Jack Viere

I agree with Kristin (and you, Patrick) that having a professor to first help understand the basics goes a really long way in forming that base of knowledge. If done well, I think some teachers are able to teach a base of knowledge and simultaneously allow for students to actively weigh in on what does or does not make that base.

I like the trial-and-Google method (LMGTFY is always fun to send to someone who asks for easily accessible how-to’s and demo’s). But yea, sometimes it’s nice having an actual person who is able to pinpoint where your individualized weaknesses are rather than some sort of algorithm that tries to guess the same thing. (Then again, per our class discussion last week, if you’re in a 100+ person class, you probably won’t get that individualized pinpointing…)

Comment on Mindful vs Mindless: A no brainer by Jack Viere

Posted on February 5, 2018February 15, 2018 by Jack Viere

Is the “less is more” thing still in vogue? I agree with your points, though. Maybe what students are mindful of is the constant pressure of expectations they impose on themselves in an educational setting. Teachers are aware of these pressures, but still have a syllabus they’re responsible for covering.

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Comment on A Prison or A Democracy? by Jack Viere

Posted on January 30, 2018February 4, 2018 by Jack Viere

You had two sentences that I really liked: “The way a classroom is governed typically represents the broader patterns of the governance of its context. Thus, there is no surprise that in more democratized countries, students gain a little more power.”

You’d think that your point about the APA’s finding about depression and anxiety on college campuses would cause a drastic shift in teaching methodologies. Presumably, lecture styled classrooms are at fault here. But I don’t think anyone in higher ed (unfortunately) is shocked or even bothered by those findings. Wouldn’t we see significant, rapid changes in how things were done if people took those findings seriously?

I think the hesitation to have a more visible solution in a classroom setting is based on your point about the classroom reflecting broader patterns of governance. Democracy and capitalism generally go hand-in-hand and in the instance of education, if you aren’t able to compete, you’re at a disadvantage.

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