On 14 Aug 2010, at 18:15, Alan Markowitz wrote:
I was wondering if you can help me understand the role of the knowledge base in our respective fields in this process.
Hi Alan (and all) I work with four ideas in distinguishing different contributions to the educational knowledge-base.
First there are insights from propositional theories such as Sen's economic theory of human capability.
Second that are insights from dialectical theories such as Ilyenkov's dialectical logic.
Third there are insights from natural inclusionality, where Alan's idea of a relationally dynamic awareness of space and boundaries as continuous, connective, reflexive and co-creative informs the generation of my own living educational theory.
Fourth there are the living educational theories that emerge from the knowledge-creating capacities of individuals as they explore the implications of asking, researching and answering questions of the kind, 'How do I improve what I am doing?'. In my own professional life I've focused on enhancing the knowledge-base with the contributions from the knowledge-creating capacities of individual action researchers as they enquiry into improving what they are doing.
On 14 Aug 2010, at 23:21, Alan Markowitz wrote:
I have difficulty believing that everything guiding one's practice comes totally from within.
I'd go a bit further than this Alan in saying that I don't believe that everything guiding one's practice comes totally from within.
It seems to me to be beyond reasonable doubt that what any individual is doing, in exploring the implications of asking 'How do I improve what I am doing?', is asking the question in a particular social and ecological context that is influenced by historical, economic and socio-cutural practices. This is why I advocate engaging with the most advanced social theories of the day in the generation of one's own living educational theory.
I'm also with Joan in feeling a flow of a loving dynamic energy that is experienced 'within' but flows through our living spaces with a cosmic rather than social grounding. I like the way Joan describes this:
"Through telling my personal story, I offer an emergent methodology that includes both narrative inquiry and action research. I generate a living theory which offers ‘spiritual resilience gained through connection with a loving dynamic energy’ as an original standard of judgment." see http://www.actionresearch.net/living/walton.shtml .
What particularly attracts me in supporting the evolution of living educational theories is that the explanatory principles include the values that individuals use to give meaning and purpose to their lives and which guide what they are doing. I'm hopeful that your responses to my own accounts will help me to learn how to live a more loving and productive life as I seek to enhance my contributions to supporting young people and adults to make their own contributions and to share these through their own living theories - such as those like Robyn's sharing of her value of alongsideness at
http://www.actionresearch.net/living/robynpound.html .
Kathy - I think you'll enjoy Robyn's homepage and especially the video-clips through which I think Robyn is expressing meanings of her embodied value of alongsideness. For me, the video-clips show Robyn expressing her/a loving and life-enhancing energy.