Expo 25 3 February 2009

1. Expo 253 February 2009 week 1

2. samples from the predraft • When accused of perplexing people, Socrates argues that true learning often passes through a confused states of mind, otherwise learning would be simply an idle endeavor, perhaps reducible to what Meno self-deprecatingly calls a “habit” (p., 881). Socrates then offers his own ideas about learning, how it is made possible, and he does so by introducing the concept of the soul, offering its immortal nature as a kind of central reference point, where one could access true knowledge. To get to that storehouse, though, requires “recollection”, a term, that means more than our modern definition of perhaps a picture-post-card retrieval of things. Instead, for Socrates, “recollection” is a “process” which involves “searching and learning” (meno, 880). Socrates then demonstrates what he means by this process, and picks out a young boy in order to put his theory in practice, trying to prove that the boy has in him a kind of untapped mathematical knowledge. As Socrates draws geometrical patterns in the sand, he continually asks “opinions” of the boy, and when the boy sometimes gets confused, where he thinks he knows the answer but doesn’t, Socrates then proposes that the boy’s perplexed state is part of the learning process, that out of this process a “true opinion” is formed--in this case the true opinion being not knowing. But this is just one opinion, and the process allows for searching for more opinions, ones “that have now been stirred up like a dream” (Meno, 886).

3. In the Phaedrus dialogue Plato argues that communication via spoken word is far more powerful and effective than the use of written discourse. He contends that writing will afford all individuals the opportunity to sample subject matter regardless of their ability to comprehend it. Plato is making the point that through the use of writing individuals become complacent and less passionate about the topic they are discussing because written discourse removes the obligation to defend your work. Putting it into today’s perspective, an individual may submit a written argument to his local paper or a trade journal regarding a topic of his choosing. We would like to think that this person would be quite knowledgeable and had conducted extensive research prior to submitting any work, however, this is not always the case. Were this to occur it is inevitable that a person would post an argument regarding the factually incorrect work but there is no certainty that the original author will answer. I think that it is this point that Plato is arguing; written discourse does not require an individual to respond to challenges regarding his statements.

4. Emerson criticizes travel or what in modern terms would be called vacationing, touring, or backpacking. He proposes that the great or fascinating places of the world were created by the imagination of people home in their own countries. Emerson does not condemn all travel or propose isolationism but insists that when a person does travel they do so for a purpose or as a necessity of duty or business. At these times Emerson insists that a person remain sovereign and respected and be treated as if they were in their own home and “not like an interloper or valet.” This is to say that a person should be treated with and conduct themselves with as much prestige and dignity as they would be in their own home. Emerson explains that he does not object to travel in the name of exploration, art, etc. but a person must first be “domesticated,” having a secure and sufficient life at home. Nor is it appropriate for a person to travel in search of greater meaning, a higher quality of life, or for amusement. A person who “travels to be amused” is running away from their own problems and no amount of splendor, amusement, or external change will detract from their spiritual bankruptcy. Emerson also states, “Travelling is a fool’s Paradise,” and admits that a person finds the same person going abroad as they did at home. Their lives are no more amusing or richer; they are simply in a different place. Emerson summarizes “My giant goes with me wherever I go,” which is his way of saying his “demons” or problems follow him despite his efforts to “get away.”

5. In "Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond" (Change, July/August 2003), Halpern and Hakel advocate using findings from cognitive psychology to establish teaching methods which enhance long-term student retention and transfer of information. The authors assert that teaching is for developing knowledge that students will use throughout their lives under different contexts, and not just in the schoolhouse; traditional classroom methods, such as lectures and testing, may cause rote learning at the expense of true understanding. Recollection and application of fundamental concepts to new situations is key - teachers should require students to frequently demonstrate proficiency of core knowledge in unconventional scenarios, and students must actively engage and interpret instructional material. However, the article warns that while this approach is firmly grounded in empirical research, it demands more from institutions, teachers, and students, which might ultimately jeopardize its acceptance as a paradigm shift.

6. close reading • move from “what” to “how” • from content to form • from the obvious to the less obvious • from what “makes sense” to what doesn’t

7. remember to solve problems and defeat countearguments • interpretation is the process of “making stuff meaningful” • ostensible “noise” is actually meaning • ostensible chaos is actually patterned • the ostensibly marginal is actually central • the ostensibly accidental is actually unavoidable/essential, etc. etc.