Learning

This project I've been working on for Ed Psych, the "Personal Learning Log and Challenge," has summoned me into thinking about a few different things regarding the topic in general of "learning."

Sometimes I take learning, in itself, totally for granted. I think that many of us do this all the time without really even meaning to. I mean that in this way - generally, the average person (and often, myself, included) has no real desire to learn anything. So much of our time is devoted to meaningless pursuits - games, food, alcohol, socializing... You name it. I've been learning all of these new things and getting so much positive work done recently, I began to think: "Why couldn't I just do this all of the time? Is it not true that the greatest people in history, and the greatest among us now, do nothing less? In any field, I can see this being true...

I can see Schubert or Mozart spending every spare moment pouring over sheets of music at his piano.

Socrates never ceasing to question and to pry about the big questions in a human's life.

Oppenheimer dedicating hour after hour, day after day into the work that would eventually create the atomic bomb. And his knowledge quest that must have taken place before that which led up to that point.


I sometimes wonder if the value that our modern society places on education (or lack thereof, rather) will be the ultimate factor leading to our downfall. If not the downfall of the human race, then at least of this country. Why is it that the people most willing to learn are the people most inconvenienced in order to do so? I think back to my reading of "Three Cups of Tea" and remember those kids in rural Pakistan, working by themselves on arithmetic problems in a field - scratching their work into the ground with sticks. They put so much time into what amounts to so little. Yet we, with our computers, our institution of higher learning, and our (relative) economic well-being here at Luther largely are living our lives weekend-to-weekend, with school and studies taking place only as a hassle to be circumvented in between.

With these realizations, I have made to myself a vow to try and be more purposeful about learning and my respect of it. I hope that you, in reading this, will join me in an effort to do the same.


Alex

A Slab of Inspiration

Iron Thrones

"We've followed these set paths for far too long,
And our feet grow weary of the familiar
Our minds strive for a conduit of expression,
Yet we shiver in the cold,
Alone in the darkness

Wow. So here I am, sitting in the library of Luther College, trying to compose a critical review to upload onto Chalk and Wire before Monday - just one of the slew of things I have yet to accomplish before finals week comes to it's bittersweet end. Anyway, I brought my iPod with me this go-round...and I decided to give this new album "Visions of Light" by a band called Iron Thrones I got yesterday a listen through while I work.

I've been getting new music consistently now, pretty much daily, for a long time. Nothing has hit me before with an emotional power or stunning beauty of this magnitude since I first heard Opeth's "Blackwater Park." And so, I decided to take a break from my more formal writing to blog a bit about the ecstasy I am in right now listening to this creature. Amazing.

Iron Thrones is from Minneapolis...and is right now an almost unheard-of group, at least for now. It won't stay that way. They just released this album, available as a FREE download (I suggest you grab a copy) on their website. Everything is self-made. A success this huge, without the aid of corporations or agenst or labels, is a huge inspiration to me, and it should be to everyone.

If you have an open mind - please enjoy. Peace


Alex

Oreos and Stickers

Monday night's meeting for our Ed Psych classes this semester was one of the more interesting and engaging to date. Led by Doug Kinnick, an activity was organized that "labeled" students into groups of various sizes using stickers on each person's forehead. Each group was given a plate of Oreo cookies...the group of 3 people got something like 40 cookies, the group of 8 or 9 got about 20, and the majority (something like 20 people) got only 5 of them. Each grouping was made to sit together, the small group in the front, the mid-sized in the middle, and the large at the back of the lecture hall.

A group then proceeded to give a presentation on "The Last Lecture", a book that was read by some students in the class.

At the conclusion of the hour, the objective of the "segregation" was revealed. We had a discussion on the effect of "grading" and how well we as students were able to pay attention and succeed in participating in the class given this variety of treatment. There was some heated conversation, but I think we all left the event with a clearer idea that, as teachers, we need to devote special attention to making sure we treated our students with as much non bias, while still being caring and evocative, as possible.

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break was a time for me to get away from my studies and have a moment to relax and to reflect on my life so far this year. More and more, as the craziness of Christmas at Luther and finals week has reached full swing, I'm realizing that this time at home was more of a "calm before the storm," if you will.

It was a pretty average Thanksgiving weekend. Except my father wasn't there - I took him to the airport Wednesday morning so he could fly out to North Carolina to have Thanksgiving with his side of the family for some sort of family reunion deal in his hometown. So we had Thanksgiving in Norwalk, with my mom's side, like I always have since I was little. But this year, my girlfriend came up from her school in Creston, IA to stay with us over the break! It was such a treat - just what I needed to lift my spirits. I am continually amazed by my family's (both immediate and extended) ability to accept others right into everything and to love them unconditionally. Koreann is so well accepted and loved around my home, and it really makes me happy. I realized this more than I ever have before over the break. So I take from it a lesson - the lesson that I want MY family to always have that same ability to share and love with other people connected to my family members' lives. It makes things so much easier when you can skip the drama, the questions, the doubts and just go on living life to its greatest potential. This is the greatest truth I discovered over Thanksgiving, and for THAT, I give thanks.

"Chalk"

Through the month of November, our Ed Psych Monday night meetings consisted of watching a movie entitled "Chalk" in the auditorium. Here's a trailer clip to wet your palate!



I found this film interesting and humorous, but at the same time, it made me feel pretty apprehensive about the whole "teaching" thing. The whole time, I was just thinking to myself: "Alex, don't worry. You're going to be a choir director - not one of these floundering academic subject teachers caged up in a classroom with desks and problem students." I don't know how much of that I can really rely on, but I guess that's how things go! It's a bit scary, looking into the "future" by viewing yourself as one of these characters.

So to anyone who reads this who ISN'T a music ed student, I would like to ask: How did this movie make you feel? Did it change your prospect on being a teacher at all? I would love to hear some varying opinions.

Decorah Teacher Forum Review

Monday, at the usual time for our Ed Psych seminar, there came a group of speakers who I found to be the most informative and valuable guests we've had to date: three teachers from the Decorah school district. It's one thing to hear about various policies, etc. from administrators, but to talk to actual teachers I believe is much more potent. What's more, the high school choral director was there - exactly what I aim at pursuing as an occupation right out of college. He had a great sense of humor and lightheartedness, and you could tell he was dedicated to his job. Most interestingly, he was starkly realistic about the challenges and truths of being a teacher...they all were, in fact. From money, to meetings, to administrators and students, they were all quite helpfully real about their lives in the educational system here in Iowa. I took a lot away from that.

Adminstrative Viewpoints

On Monday, two administrators came to visit with us from the Decorah School District: the Associate Principal at the Decorah Middle School, and the Principal at the Decorah High School. They both shared some interesting insights, but I was ultimately dissapointed by their conduct and responses during the "town-hall" style meeting, for a couple reasons.

First, the High School Principal I thought seemed extremely out of touch with the lives of the children she "rules" over. The way she was throwing around research statistics gave her a persona that came off to me as cold and indifferent. Sure, the school has to act in a way that reflects research and data, but she seemed like the type of person that would blindly accept and act upon and information given to her just because it's labeled as 'data'. What make it so sacred...because some guy said it was? Last year we read a book called "Useless Arithmetic" in Paideia that I enjoyed immensely, and the primary lesson was NOT to take data and statistics conducted by someone as a given truth. There's enough "evidence" out there to support almost anything. Keep an open mind about it... On top of that, I didn't much appreciate her lack of interest or knowledge in the subject of our deficiencies in education compared to other international systems. She literally tossed them out as trivial and in no way measurable to ours. Not true, and not fair to our children.

Mr. Riley I had few issues with. He seemed pretty knowledgeable and was a great speaker. if anything, I believe he liked to boil his ideas down into a lot of watered-down "buzz words" a bit too often. We're college students and can handle more detailed discussions, but I suppose that is a matter of personal preference.

Masterclasses and Politics

It has been a Monday of note in the scholastic life of Alex Redding at Luther...

At 5:00 today in Jensen, I was privileged to be one of four students to sing for a Bass-Baritone from the UCLA graduate program, Michael Dean, in a masterclass. What an experience it turned out to be. In reflection, I can say that there are few times in my life thus far that I have felt that amount of vulnerability and hopefulness all at once. Through the process, I learned that I was basically doing so many things just outright wrong that it was almost depressing. But I can see a light, and I know that every experience I have in this way will allow me to grow even more. I'm awaiting my lesson tomorrow quite eagerly to see if some of the issues that were brought up can be worked out. Stay tuned, this might be one of the bigger turning points in my voice so far during my career here.

Also, I have a recording of my turn at the masterclass. I may be able to get up some video soon. Stay posted!

Following that event, I arrived (late, unfortunately), suit and all, to the Ed Psych lecture in Olin where our "skits" took place. My group had met earlier today and sketched out some questions, positions, and responses to things other groups might have said. We were playing the role of teachers in the district against the new administrative plan because we thought it focuses too much on standardized test scores, etc. Also unfortunately, my group went first before I got there, so I assumed a more observational role. The atmosphere of the room when I entered was absolutely electric. People were really getting in to what they had to say, even though everyone was just "role-playing." Something gave me the idea that many of those roles that people picked were not at all a far cry from their actual opinions!

That said, politics has always been a shady area in my thought processes, especially within schools. I don't much care for them. But I suppose, with the help of this class and my classmates, I better learn to start. The dynamic of the school system in our modern world is changing so rapidly; I may get left in the dust.

Lions for Lambs Reflection

The movie Lions for Lambs introduced some great themes and provocative situations for aspiring teachers. I believe the political science teacher figure epitomizes what most students would like to see themselves as in the college setting - humble, established, and completely dedicated to the improvement in their students.

Todd reminds me a lot of myself. I am generally quite cynical about government and the workings of our society, although I have some pride and hope for it. But he cares for knowledge that he deems important or worthy. He talks about how he was enthralled by Socrates, Plato, etc.