I affirm human diversity in noting that different people liked different parts of Wednesday's program. One person's favorite activity was often the part that someone else especially disliked. We illustrate infinite diversity in infinite combinations, as Mr. Spock used to say on Star Trek--IDIC.
I especially liked the talk on Nigeria. It clarified things I have only partly understood, about religion and regionalism in that region. Unfortunately, my pen ran out of ink so my notes are incomplete. I wish we had heard more from Dr. Patel on South Asia.
On the other hand, I was less fond of the Theater of the Oppressed. Perhaps I mentioned it. I react in the worst possible way to being directed to take physical action. It evokes all my worst memories of high school gym class. The only inner self I get in touch with is the inner 15-year-old who hated volleyball. I never could snap my fingers and make any sound at all. I also can't whistle.
Yesterday really got me thinking about OUR learning styles as adults, and the learning styles of our students. As teachers we likely teach mostly to fit our own learning styles which have evolved into our teaching styles. But often we realize that we have a range of learners in our room and sometimes need to move out of our own comfort areas to reach all of them. Sometimes I think teachers can successfully move pretty far out of their own comfort zones and other times I think they can't teach well when far outside.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was such a mix of both teaching approaches and of content. For me it worked really well as I'm strikingly non-linear and the shifts in approach and content matched the way my mind works. I'm now feeling incredibly over-stimulated and having trouble with so many potential foci - religion and revolution, Islam (learned a lot, lots more to learn), using funds short term to save long term costs in both human lives and money, pedagogical approaches...