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Whoever is here are the right people, whatever happens is the right thing! On 11/01/13 6:01 AM, "Salyers, Sara M" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm very much afraid that my last post distracted from, rather than enlarged > on, what Jack was asking. Jack, it might be better if you removed it > altogether? > > The short answer to your question is that I think this is a great idea. > > Geisha, I am interested in the transformative power that is unleashed when > people find their voices, in different ways and different contexts and > whatever that takes. There are so many ways in which we may be silenced. You > give many heartbreaking and acutely observed examples. But always, when that > silence is broken, amazing things happen. The task is also, always the same, I > think: to discover how that may happen. It may require vastly different > things, in different situations according to the context. > > I believe the inhumanity of economic rationalism, with its concomitant > de-valuation and demoralisation, stems from a worldview in which people are > seen as a means to an end for others. I also believe that, though powerful, > longstanding and pervasive, this is a bankrupt and increasingly exposed > apologetic for oppressive and dehumanising practices. And I believe that there > is a new paradigm evolving, one that is based on being/living rather than > doing and having. Perhaps there is not just one, but many! The conversations > you suggest, Jack, could only be good and might well further the evolution of > such paradigms. > > I've used Google+ with online students, glitchy and a bit unreliable at > present in my own experience. It might be the best route at present but I'll > put some thought into it along with everyone else! > Love > Sara > > Sent from my iPad > > On 10 Jan 2013, at 18:18, "geitza rebolledo" > <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: > > Dear Jack, Sara and all, > > What a broad topic you have put forward for discussion..... I find Sara´s > point on giving voices to the speechless a facinating one. I t is difficult > for me to built theoretical generalizations as the context play such an > important aspect when considering the speechless... > In our Venezuelan context 40 % of the population that voted against the > elected president last October is considered by the winners as none existant. > We are the speechless when political decitions are taken at the Congress. I > addition though we belong to Consejos Comunales in our neighbourhoods( > Community groups elected by the neighbours), if you are from the so called > opposition your community projects are useless for monetary founding from the > Community Bank (runned by the government) . I could give a long lists of ways > found to make us silent withing a so called "Socialistic " State. Two days > ago a highschool girl was playing basketball at the Liceo Andres Bello in the > center of Caracas. Somehow a bullet killed her . How could this happened ? > Violence has increased in this socialistic society during the las 14 years of > government. But Violence is a Tabu subject for inspectors and decition makers > at the Ministry of Education.It is not a thema.... Mothers loosing their youth > every weekend because of violence in the Barrios of Caracas are speechless > because there are no oficiall statistics of this problem and there are no ways > to express their talk. Hence, what can we do when we work at the Pedagogic > University, in trainning teachers according to the most beautiful theories > of humanism, democracy, participation and Pedagogic learnning ? How to help > them when our students tell us that we are at Mount Ollympus and that we > need to go down to earth !!! > Sorry, if this way of describing this social context might sound hard to > tell, but we as academics need more Action Research as ways to help our > students to develop competencyes to face this reality..... > Greetings, g. > >> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:39:14 -0500 >> From: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> Subject: Re: Researching Our Own Practice >> To: >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:PRACTITIONER-RESEARCHER@JISCMAI >> L.AC.UK> >> >> Dear Jack and Everyone, >> >> This is extremely timely for me also. I am in the process of (slowly) >> submitting my application for a D.Prof by public works, whose thesis is >> provisionally titled 'Breaking the Silence - The Power of Giving Voice to the >> Voiceless'. In one way or another, I have been pursuing this aim throughout >> my career in television production and latterly, college teaching. But it is >> just one, though crucial, element of a world-view in which people, their >> needs, aspirations, values and abilities, are *not* means to an end, (as in >> the ends of a privileged few!), but incalculably valuable ends in themselves. >> >> I am certain that education - at least in the English speaking world - is >> designed to fail. That is, designed to succeed according to objectives and >> assumptions that belong to the Victorian/Edwardian industrial era. Those >> objectives and assumptions still underpin the edifice, unseen and usually >> unquestioned as one reform after another is tried and failed. Ira Socol has >> useful information and analysis on this. >> http://speedchange.blogspot.co.uk/p/counting-origins-of-failure.html: >> >> "If education in the United States of the 21st Century is failing, that >> failure has been built over a very long time. And I do not think that it can >> be ³fixed² in any meaningful way unless people understand that the failures >> we see today are our system working exactly as it was intended to. >> Yes, that¹s what I¹m saying. Our American public education system is doing >> exactly what it was designed to do. It is separating ³winners² from ³losers² >> and it is reinforcing our economic gap. The system was designed in the 1840s >> and at the turn of the 20th Century to separate society into a vast majority >> of minimally trained industrial workers and a small, educated elite. It was >> designed to enforce White, Protestant, Middle-Class, ³Typically-abled² >> standards on an increasingly diverse American population. A few blessed >> children in each generation who met those standards might move up in society. >> The rest would be consigned to low wage manual labor. It was designed to >> ensure that the children of the elites had the opportunities they needed to >> remain the elite. Everything about the system from the way schools are >> funded, to the way standards are created, to the system of tests, to our >> peculiar form of college admissions, to our notions of disability was >> created to meet the employment goals of the United States from the mid 19th >> Century to the mid 20th Century." >> >> The same can be said of the similarly Prussian based systems of Britain and >> her former colonies. (I have done enough research to corroborate Socol's >> assertions, as have many others.) No matter what reforms are implemented, we >> continue to retain the original factory/programming model of education: by >> 'date of manufacture' (Ken Robinson); by the bell and in artificial and >> intelligence-destroying units of time; by memorization and testing; through >> reward and punishment; using colonizing subject matter unrelated and >> irrelevant to students or worse, (e.g. teaching only English history in >> Scottish schools, teaching geography from world maps that grossly >> misrepresent that true physical sizes of countries such as Britain and the >> USA), and colonizing practices (e.g. teaching the disappearing dialect of an >> English upper class as the norm - 'proper' English' while all others are >> inferior and 'improper') and the overall and underlying horror of basing >> education upon the notion that children/students are deficient to begin with >> and it is our task as educators to 'fix' them, turning them into that which >> 'society' requires. (Ye gods!) >> >> I believe there are many, many people who recognize that we need an entirely >> new model, an entirely new paradigm for education, currently still operating >> as the machine that turns out fodder for the economic machines of a world >> that has gone. But we can't imagine a new model unless we have already >> embraced a new paradigm. And, I believe, we can't embrace a new paradigm >> unless we can create one - together. One of my ambitions is to create an >> 'Institute for Transformational Studies'. It is an ambition based on this >> truth: everything we do, every relationship we have, every decision we make >> and every belief we hold, is ontological in its foundation. *Who we are >> being* is what leads to whatever we are doing, however we are doing it and >> what we believe about the choices we are making. Questions such as 'Who am I >> being and who could I choose to be?' assume very different values and >> outcomes for education from the unspoken but ever-present, "How can I prove >> how much I know and that I know the right things?" We questions and measure >> what we know and what we can do - not who we are being and what we could >> choose to be. WE live in the paradigm of the noun ; I suggest that we need a >> pradigm of the verb! >> >> My proposition here, is that the values and morals we cherish in this >> community depend on the assertion that a human being is an end in himself or >> herself and not a means to some economic or social (whose society?) good. I >> suggest that this moves the arena of debate into ontology and opens the way >> to a new paradigm for collective endeavor, one that would inspire a new model >> for education. I would like to explore what this means, how Action Research >> and Living Theory express just such a paradigm and most of all, how would we >> build curricula for living around such a paradigm. >> >> Sorry for being long-winded. Excited and thinking out loud! >> >> Love >> >> Sara >> >> >> From: Practitioner-Researcher >> [[log in to unmask]<mailto:PRACTITIONER-RESEARCHER@JISCMA >> IL.AC.UK>] On Behalf Of Marian Naidoo >> [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] >> Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 5:23 AM >> To: >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:PRACTITIONER-RESEARCHER@JISCMAI >> L.AC.UK> >> Subject: Re: Researching Our Own Practice >> >> Hi All >> Happy New Year >> >> This is an excellent idea and for me and Shaun incredibly timely. Robyn I can >> feel your frustration and it resonates with our experience working in >> Birmingham and Solihull since the summer. We have been working very closely >> with communities with a focus on frail older people and in particular those >> living with Dementia. We are on the brink of something extraordinary - but >> just when you think you are there you face an unexpected challenge. We feel >> we have to make this work because it is too important to the people we have >> connected with - people who struggle on a day to day basis and many of whom >> live lonely and frightened lives. We have been able to film the conversations >> we have been having with people in communities many of whom have been >> labelled as "hard to reach". Having had this opportunity to engage in this >> way may, I hope, create the tipping point that we need. >> Love >> Marian >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On 10 Jan 2013, at 08:57, Margaret Riel >> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]><mailto:[log in to unmask] >> U>> wrote: >> >> Happy New Year to all of you... >> >> I am just going to pick up on small part of the message. What if we >> experimented with google+ and its new feature to "broadcast" a session. As I >> understand it, up to 10 people (possible 15 although the last time I tried >> it, we could not get more than 10) in a discussion but then with the >> broadcast function the session is saved and and can be shared. Maybe we can >> have some scheduled chats that are then saved in the broadcast feature. It >> would take some planning as we have time zones to deal with but it might be >> fun. >> >> Margaret >> >> >> On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 12:13 AM, Lawrence Martin Olivier >> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]><mailto:[log in to unmask]>> >> wrote: >> Hi All >> >> I think this is an excellent idea and I welcome these kind of conversations >> as well as making them available on youtube - the more contextual the richer >> - we can then see, hear and feel the "energy", the "co-operative enquiry" - >> the less reductionist! >> >> A comment on Jack's idea on transforming and transcending the "influences of >> economic rationalism", meaning the worldwide phenomenon of neo-liberal >> capitalism - the ongoing debate between the role of markets (free enterprise) >> and government. North Korean society is a good example to me, of how >> frightening excessive government control is and the USA is a glearing example >> of the dangers of uncontrolled markets (free enterprise) - as testified by >> the Wall Street financial crisis a few years ago and the gun crisis today. I >> see the problem as like a football match - do we need a referee, some one to >> regulate a good game of football, do we need rules of football etc. Of course >> we do. So the problem and solution for the economy is similar - we need the >> role of markets and prices to help make some of the decisions and we are also >> need to consider the public interest, we need government and we need the "the >> values we believe carry hope for the future of humanity". One of the best >> education systems in the world, in Finland is entirely state driven - people >> do not have to pay high prices in markets to get the best education - the >> best education is free! >> >> Another point is unlimited economic growth is not sustainable for humanity >> and the planet - there is only one earth and we need universal / global ways >> to share the earth equitably - so that all of us and all on it can survive. >> The New Economics Foundation UK explores these issues more systematically - >> they "put people and the planet first" / "economics as if people and the >> planet mattered", please visit their website nef. >> >> Lawrence >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Practitioner-Researcher >> [mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:PRACTITIONER-RESEARCHER >> @JISCMAIL.AC.UK>] On Behalf Of Jack Whitehead >> Sent: 09 January 2013 10:15 PM >> To: >> [log in to unmask]<mailto:PRACTITIONER-RESEARCHER@JISCMAI >> L.AC.UK><mailto:[log in to unmask]> >> Subject: Re: Researching Our Own Practice >> >> Here's wishing everyone a most pleasurable and productive New Year as we >> continue our conversations. >> >> Dear Je Kan, Maggie, Marie, Andy, Nigel, Chris, Lynn, William, Julie, Kate, >> Joan (C ), Delysia, Phil, Sigrid, Joan (W), Maureen, Shelagh, Sonia, Pete >> (Mellett), Yvonne, Fran, Steve, Pete (Mountstephen) Jackie, Liz, Cathy and >> ALL >> >> There's an intuition and an idea I'm curious about and that, if you are >> willing, I'd like to explore with you over the next few months. >> >> My intuition is that something significant, generative and transformatory >> could emerge from making available on youtube, video-conversations in which >> we share with each other what we are doing. I'm thinking of sharing in ways >> that allow us all to understand more about the contexts in which we are >> working, the values we use to give meaning and purpose to our lives and the >> accounts/research reports we are producing as knowledge-creators. >> >> I believe that we are all living, working and researching with relational >> perspectives which, if we clarified these in the course of their emergence in >> what we are doing, they could help to both transform what counts as >> educational knowledge and transcend the influences of economic rationalist >> policies that lead to de-valuation and de-moralisation and which we are all >> experiencing to different degrees: >> >> "Nevertheless, the new Œeconomic rationalism¹ is a worldwide phenomena which >> Œguides¹ not only the conduct of transnational corporations, but governments >> and their agencies as well. It does so with increasing efficacy and >> pervasiveness. I use the term Œguides¹ here in quotes to make a particular >> point. Economic rationalism is not merely a term which suggests the primacy >> of economic values. It expresses commitment to those values in order to serve >> particular sets of interests ahead of others. Furthermore, it disguises that >> commitment in a discourse of Œeconomic necessity¹ defined by its economic >> models. We have moved beyond the reductionism which leads all questions to be >> discussed as if they were economic ones (de-valuation) to a situation where >> moral questions are denied completely (de-moralisation) in a cult of economic >> inevitability (as if greed had nothing to do with it). Broudy (1981) has >> described Œde-valuation¹ and de-moralization¹ in the following way: >> De-valuation refers to diminishing or denying the relevance of all but one >> type of value to an issue; de-moralization denies the relevance of moral >> questions. The reduction of all values intellectual, civic, health, among >> others to a money value would be an example of de-valuation; the slogan >> Œbusiness¹ is business¹ is an example of de-moralization (Broudy, 1981: 99)" >> (McTaggart, 1992, p. 50). >> >> McTaggart, R. (1992) Reductionism and Action Research: Technology versus >> convivial forms of life, pp. 47-61 in Bruce, C. S. & Russell, A. L. (1992) >> Transforming Tomorrow Today. Brisbane, University of Queensland, Australia. >> >> The idea I'd like us to explore together if you feel like it, is that we >> could pool our life-affirming energy (Sonia's idea), the values we believe >> carry hope for the future of humanity and our knowledge-creating capacities, >> in a co-operative enquiry in which we work at living our co-operative values >> as fully as possible. I like Maureen's editorial for the December 2011 issue >> of the Journal of Co-operative Studies in which she outlines co-operative >> values. >> >> See - http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/breeze/mbeditorial.pdf >> >> Breeze, M. (2011) Guest Editorial. Transforming Education Through >> Co-operation A Force for Change. Journal of Co-operative Studies, 44(3); >> 2-4. >> >> All I'm asking you to do at the moment is to think about this intuition and >> idea. >> >> This Friday (11/01/130 I'm part of Chris (Jones') Ph.D. transfer seminar at >> Liverpool Hope University and hope to video the conversation in which Chris >> will be sharing some ideas on 'living empowerment' within her question: 'How >> Do I Promote Inclusion by Living My Values and Developing Standards of >> Judgement to which I Hold Myself Accountable' (Working title of Thesis) >> >> I'll think a bit more about my intuition and idea before writing any more, >> but if you feel like sharing your own thoughts/feelings please do. >> >> Shelagh has already responded: >> >> On 9 Jan 2013, at 18:13, Shelagh Hetreed wrote: >> >> Hi there, >> >> Food for thought indeed. Your description sparks many thoughts that are >> jangling around unconnected at the moment. Or are they? >> I see how education reduces learning and knowledge to a tried and tested >> formula that works for some and so is applied regardless of the consequences >> for those for whom it clearly doesn't work. >> I think of my BME elders and the elderly in general who are reduced to >> stereotypes and labels of being 'burdens' with little to offer society. >> I see professionals who operate inclusivity above a thin veneer but when you >> scratch the surface below that veneer, their values become shaky. >> I see the 'us' and 'them' being a cunning device to compartmentalise us to be >> 'with us' or 'against us' and have been following the astonishing explosion >> of anger over the flying of a piece of cloth (or not) by the so called >> 'loyalists'. Loyalists, now there is a thesis waiting to be written! >> I am learning so much about India, attitudes to caste and gender in the >> aftermath of the appalling Delhi murder. It is not ok for Indian families to >> be selective about aborting their girl babies but it is ok for us in the West >> to abort any baby that is not wanted. >> >> There is so much that I am thinking and questioning, that I am saddened or >> appalled by. It does all tie up for me and relates to your notion of >> reductionism. I am thinking of key words like belonging, including, >> tolerating, accepting is where we need to focus. >> >> I am very excited by your intuition and look forward to discussions, debates >> and challenges and us each caring about the others field of study and >> personal journeys. >> >> Hope some of this makes sense! >> >> Shelagh >> >> >> ________________________________ >> >> "This e-mail is subject to our Disclaimer, to view click >> http://www.dut.ac.za/pages/22414" >> >> >> >> -- >> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> Margaret Riel >> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]><mailto:[log in to unmask] >> u>> >> Chair M. A in Learning Technologies >> Pepperdine University >> Phone: (760) 618-1314 >> http://faculty.pepperdine.edu/mriel/office >> BLOG: http://mindmaps.typepad.com/ >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~