Dear Shaun

I agree and I do think about these things quite a bit, each time I read about a 
philosophy, discipline and area of study that I have not encountered before, I 
realise there is allways more to read and apply to my practice. However I 
consider it more important that my practice comes first, my lived experience 
and how I try to maintain my own core values and principles. I also end up 
returning to the underlying message of Socrates. Not the recorded writings of 
Aristotle or Plato about Socrates or writnigs on the subject of Socrates. It is 
the core understading that it is the face to face communication, the oral 
tradition involved in the development of understanding that I consider central. 
This is what excites me about communication with the living, yourselves and 
the discussion of the lived experience. The posibilities of co-creative 
processes, the flow of energies and the dynamics of real living relationships.
 
As a provocation I consider a discussion with any one living to be of equal if 
not more importance than the writings of Neitche, Descarte, Kant, Lyotard, 
Confusious and many others. Such is the value I consider of a human life and 
the lived experience. I beleive this is what Socrates most important message 
would have been because once we begin to put ideas or the documentation of 
those ideas in text in a power relationship or position above the dynamic flow 
of loving energy in relationships of neighbourhood of self with neighborhood 
between us, we then can lose the compassion and agape between us all as 
human beings. To negate a loving energy and the lived experience in favour of 
a written text or beleif is the reason that as human beings we can then justify 
inhumane actions and environmental distruction. Written texts are not only the 
disemination of ideas but are also open to interpretation and translation and 
subsequently misinterpretation or mistranslation either by design 
misunderstanding or simple error.

Jack for example on a monday evening facilitates an open discussion, we have 
the oportunity to talk face to face and allthough I realise as you will I am sure 
that the non verbal communication can also be equally misleading (theatre) or 
what we say may also be open to interpretation we are able to use all our 
awareness, our neighbourhoods as self to interact and build on a dynamic flow 
of relational, reponsive and receptive energy through our discussions. To 
challenge each other and ourselves face to face and for me if I have the 
choice between reading any of the ecclectic collection of books and texts 
available at home and joining in the discussion on a monday evening there is 
no contest.

This week I have learned many things here are a few of them.

On BBC Newsnight Einstein was quoted as saying "you will not solve a problem 
by using the thinking that produced the problem"

On BB R4 Science programme 'The bodies cells are renewed every 4 months we 
do not have the same body we had four months ago'

'A thought can change the nural receptors for nicotine in the brain, A thought 
can change the physical structure of the brain itself'. Smoking Cessation 
Research

Whilst these statements may need varification and to some seem like trivia 
they are significant for me as I begin the process of smoking cessation, 
document this with video and other forms of recorded representation of 
learning and work towards becoming a non smoker or a smoker who does not 
smoke today, each day at a time and work towards the dissemination of this 
at a presentation at the National Smoking Cessation Conference in London on 
21st June. I shall be refering to and contextualising this to the influences of 
a 'Living Educational Theory' Whitehead and 'Inclusionality' Rayner and our 
discussions on a monday evening. I will be putting myself at the centre of the 
enquiry through doing, the influence of which I will atempt to document 
however I will leave this primarily for others to interpret. I am considering 
the 'art' in this in relation and context of 'socially engaged practice' but rather 
than focus on the change for others which dominates my daily practice I am 
exploring the possibilities of 'influence' through focusing on a change of self as 
neighbourhood and in this intent will be interested to note the wider influence 
rather than an intent of influence.

I agree I have much to learn, the nature of my learning pathway is a voyage 
into the unknown, I do not know what being a none smoker is like. I grew up in 
a smoking household was born into a nicoting rich environment and started 
smoking fully when I was 11. There is much new territory to be discovered as 
my 'self as neighbourhood' undergoes dramatic change and I look forward not 
without some feelings of fear and excitement to this prospect. If I succeeed I 
may even live to 80 the age when confucious felt he had the wisdom enough 
to write philosophy.

Thank you Saun for prompting this response I may not have written this 
without your influence. A concrete example of your influence and perhaps 
vindication of what I said a few weeks ago "I think we have allready been 
working together"

Love Andy



On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:33:16 +0100, Naidoo <[log in to unmask]> 
wrote:

>Perhaps Andy it is worth thinking about
>reading/discovering/researching/responding(protecting from)  those
>conceptual disciplines and philosophies...there are many to choose from..and
>then look at your own practice in relation to those.as well as the seminal
>work from Jack et al..your living theory is based on your practice and your
>emergent disciplines and philosophies...You have much to offer and like
>myself and others still much to learn - and isn't that the exciting thing
>about learning? Play, discovery, reflective and responsive (protective)
>relational and inclusional practice? Self and neighbourhood and
>neighbourhood and self? It is after all what creative's do in most cases -
>when this ceases we cease in being creative. And when that happens we also
>cease in being transformative in relation to self and neighbourhood and
>neighbourhood and self .
>
>Shaun
>
>
>
>
>
>From: Practitioner-Researcher
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jack 
Whitehead
>Sent: 31 March 2009 10:47
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fwd: Explaining our educational influences in learn...
>
>
>
>
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>
>
>
>
>From: "Andrew Henon" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Date: 30 March 2009 23:20:17 BST
>
>To: "Jack Whitehead" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Subject: FW: Explaining our educational influences in learn...
>
>
>
>Dear Jack
>
>
>
>Please feel free to send to Jisc mail but it rejected my reply
>
>
>
>Love Andy
>
>
>
>  _____
>
>From: Andrew Henon [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 30 March 2009 23:06
>To: 'Practitioner-Researcher'
>Subject: RE: Explaining our educational influences in learn...
>
>
>
>Dear Jack
>
>
>
>I have read through your text Draft of 30th March
>
>
>
>I find it inspirational in particular your closing comment.
>
>
>
>"I make this last point to emphasise that the generation and legitimation of
>living educational theories takes place in contexts that have been
>influenced by different historical traditions and sociocultural influences
>and that these contexts are in a continuous process of transformation. It
>may feel at a particular moment in time that a particular set of power
>relations will continue to exert their influence. Yet from a historical
>perspective we can see that such power relations exist in a transition
>structure that is in a continuous process of transformation. What gives me
>hope today is the pooling of our life-circulating energy and values-laden
>living theories as we persevere in enhancing the flow of our energy, values
>and understandings that carry hope for the future of humanity and our own."
>
>
>
>It is your sincerity, integrity and passion that appears to sustain and
>support and feed your resilience and as you have mentioned earlier it is the
>wreckage within a personal narrative rather than the smooth account that
>provides true insight and meaning and relevance in the contextualisation of
>your research.
>
>
>
>I am often picking up the pieces of what in my view is a system bereft of
>educational values a dysfunctional system designed for the needs of the
>state, commerce and industry as a control mechanism rather than student
>centred and individual development focussed experience. I engage with those
>that the system has failed and those that logically it could be said applied
>educational theory has at best treated badly at worst abused. The nature of
>my practice and the extent of my understanding and knowledge of 
educational
>theories is perhaps lacking as what I do is practice based, experiential in
>engagement, consultative, inclusional participation and empathy based.
>Traditional theoretical writings and readings are not my strength. It is for
>this reason when you say:
>
>
>
>"The tension that moved me from being a teacher of science in a school to
>being an educational researcher and educator in a university was focused on
>the mistake in educational theory of believing that the practical principles
>that educators used to explain their educational influences in learning
>should be replaced by the principles from the disciplines of education. The
>tension included my pleasure in knowing that my cognitive range and concerns
>were being extended by my understandings of the philosophy, psychology,
>sociology and history of education. The pleasure in extending these
>understandings continues to this day. This pleasure was held together with
>the dismay of being subjected to a view of educational theory that sought to
>replace the explanatory principles I used to give life its meaning and
>purpose in my work in education, with the conceptual frameworks and 
methods
>of validation of the disciplines of education."
>
>
>
>As a lay person I find this paragraph a little hard to follow I am sure that
>your audience will understand. It may be necessary for me to ask what
>explanatory principles and what conceptual frameworks? What methods of
>validation of what disciplines of education? ( Perhaps some examples would
>help to clarify this for me particularly if one could show video examples as
>well ) It may be my dyslexia kicking in and seeing too many principles and
>disciplines mentioned and confusion ensuing.
>
>
>
>I think your influence and work is seminal and as I attempt to bring your
>ideas into my own lived experience am finding it increasingly relevant in
>many contexts of change and creativity.
>
>
>
>Love Andy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Practitioner-Researcher
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jack 
Whitehead
>Sent: 30 March 2009 15:06
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Explaining our educational influences in learn...
>
>
>
>Dear Je Kan (and all), I hope your presentation goes well in New Zealand
>this week and
>
>I'm looking forward to hearing about it and perhaps seeing some video-clips
>on YouTube
>
>if you manage to video-tape your presentation.
>
>
>
>If anyone has the time I'd be grateful for responses to the notes I've
>produced on:
>
>
>
>The Living Educational Theories of S-STEP Researchers in an Epistemological
>
>Transformation of Educational Knowledge
>
>
>
>at
>
>
>
>http://www.jackwhitehead.com/jack/jwsstep130409sandiego.htm
>
>
>
>for presentation to the Self-study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP)
>group of the
>
>American Educational Research Association in San Diego on the 13th April.
>I'd really like
>
>to know if I've made a convincing case that practitioner-researchers who are
>accounting
>
>for their educational influences in their own learning, in the learning of
>others and in the
>
>learning of the sociocultural formations in which we live and work, have
>produced an
>
>epistemological transformation in educational knowledge.
>
>
>
>If you feel that my case could be strengthen or that it is mistaken, do
>please say so that I
>
>can change/strengthen the presentation before the 13th April. Please don't
>hesitate to let
>
>me have references to your own work that could help me to strengthen my
>case.
>
>
>
>Love Jack.
>
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>When Martin Dobson, a colleague, died in 2002 the last thing he said to me
>
>was 'Give my Love to the Department'. In the 20 years I'd worked with
>
>Martin it was his loving warmth of humanity that I recall with great life
>
>affirming pleasure and I'm hoping that in Love Jack we can share this
>
>value of common humanity.
>
>
>
>Jack Whitehead          Tel: + 44 1225 826826 extn 5571
>
>Department of Education         Fax: + 44 1225 826113
>
>University of Bath
>
>Bath BA2 7AY   UK               Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>                                Action Research Homepage
>
>                                http://www.bath.ac.uk/~edsajw
>
>
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>