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An important characteristic of a research community is the development of a shared language. I like the way Mohsen is using the words evidence, critical and influence. I think I understand Mohsen's meanings and feel that we have a shared meaning. On 30 Nov 2006, at 07:07, sayyedmohsen fatemi wrote: > Evidence comes from the Latin word videre = see giving us the > meaning of some thing that makes another thing evident as a sign > can do this. Also, evidence can be known as data that can be > verified as factual. In this sense, evidence includes statistics, > testimony, personal experience, witnesses, and records-information > whose accuracy can be examined independently. > Critical means to take something apart and analyze it on the basis > of standards. The word critical comes from Skeri (Anglo-Saxon) = to > cut, separate, sift, and criterion (Greek) = a standard for > judging. Critical thinking, therefore, brings conscious awareness, > skills and standards to the process of observing, analyzing, > reasoning, evaluating, reading and communicating. > > If influence is taken as an act (and not an automatic behavior > which could be done unwittingly and involuntarily), it requires > awareness, understanding, mindfulness, choice, option and mission. > Thus, it, ipso facto, is generational as Sara has beautifully > described that. And if that’s generational, it would bring those > who are moved by the educational dimension of the message. So a > genuine act of educational influence is creational since it > produces, generates and cultivates. Here is something I wrote in 2000 that feels consistent with Mohsen's beliefs about educational influence: In my view, I can claim to have educated myself. I cannot claim to have educated anyone else. I can however claim to have influenced the education of others. The crucial difference is that the creativity and value-base of the learner is essentially involved in their own learning of a kind which I can recognise as 'educational'. What I'm wondering about is the possibility that we could develop a shared understanding of our meanings of educational influence. I'm checking my assumption that we would all agree that an educational influence involves learning and that we will need to share our understandings of what counts as 'educational' in order to check if we are sharing an understanding. Having looked at Mohsen's students' comments I'd like to use them to explore further our meanings of an educational influence in students' learning: > So, If I quote, present or cite my students’ comments, remarks, > feedback, evaluation, etc. would that be considered evidence in > terms of learning? Mohsen - if you could go on to show how you respond to such comments from your students in a way that helps them to move on their learning, I'd think that your evidence was significant in relation to a claim you could make about your educational influences in your students' learning. As your students' comments stand they don't allow me to judge any evidence of the dynamics of learning in which you could be seen to be having an educational influence in their learning. I'd also like to understand your meanings of 'educational'. What in your view distinguishes learning as educational? I'd really like to understand how everyone on the list distinguishes learning as educational in explanations of educational influences in learning. > > Does the exclusive search for evidence substantiate the veracity of > the educational influence or any other influence? I tend to think of evidence in relation to a knowledge-claim rather than the truth of an action. In my understanding of educational practitioner- research, researchers are seeking to generate educational knowledge and theory from studies grounded in their own practice. My own interest is in the generation of living educational theories, part of which involves a concern to evaluate the validity of explanations of educational influences in learning, rather than the exclusive search for evidence. > Let me, under these pulchritudinous ravishing white flowers of > intention and meaning, take just one piece of your reaction to > solidify my demonstration. Ah Love, could thou and I With fate conspire To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire Would not we shatter it to bits And build it nearer to our heart's desire. (Omar Khayyam) Love Jack.