A biographical note from Lawrence Martin Oliver:
"I am semi retired and currently involved in two part time practices in 2011.
One as a Tutor Trainer at the Durban University of Technology’s Academic Dev. Centre (CELT). It is through CELT that I am connected to the TES Project. Jack and Peter Taylor (Curtin Australia), have run a number of Workshops for CELT, hence my interest in living theory (Jack) and critical auto-ethnography / cultural studies (Peter), and, making a contribution to “improving what I am doing” (my educational influence) and ‘a better world for all and all in it’ (transformative education). I am interested in the link between ontology (values), epistemology (ways of knowing), pedagogy (ways of learning, teaching and assessing) and language (ways of using language), hence, “Common Cause” (Crompton) and Counterstories (Taylor) I find very informative. My training as an Economist influences my interest in work being done at the New Economics Foundation (NEF, UK), and, at GIFT (Global Institute for Tomorrow, Chandran Nair, “Consumptionomics”). I am also influenced (“jazzy glasses” et al) by the work of Jean McNiff. I attended a workshop recently facilitated by Jack and Jean at NMMU University (Port Elizabeth SA).
The other practice is teacher training and training Economics teachers at the School of Education UKZN (University of Kwazulu Natal). Here I experience the huge diversity in schools – some have rich resources (labs, OHP, Powerpoint etc.) and others have Chalk and Talk! – mirroring society, those who have it all and those who don’t.
What all this means to me (and is my ongoing inquiry) is that the way we all live on this one planet is not sustainable and we all need to change our VALUES! But as the Common Cause study shows this may be easier said than done! Chandran Nair (GIFT) argues, “ You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that 5 billion Asians in 2050 can’t live like Americans”, and I would add, or like the people in Great Britain and Europe! He argues, “I want to help people move out of their denial and to create a new narrative. A narrative that essentially understands that 60 to 70 years after the colonial era, this part of the world – which contains 60% of the world’s population – is embarking on an economic growth model that is absolutely unsustainable because it’s based on consumption growth.” (see his book “Consumptionomics”). I have lived and worked in England, and Canada and visited Europe ( I have family in these countries) – from what I experienced it is going to be very difficult to change VALUES! As Common Cause (page 27) argues, ”Research on values is central to understanding our response to bigger-than-self problems, and our appetite and demands for change”.
Hope this gives you some insights into what I am about, who I am and where I want to go – my journey! My “interbeingness” (see Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh), my inquiry."
Love Jack.
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