Georgia Lederman
Notes: September 23rd 2015: Shaping a Curriculum an Liberal v. Educational
Nussbaum’s main point:
-currently, education pushed towards economics
-realistically we should be focusing on how to make a better democracy
-difference between general ed. and distribution requirements
-purpose of a liberal ed. to create citizens (citizens defined by empathy and perspective-taking)
· Walking a mile in someone’s shoes
· But scary to teach morality within education structure
-At Oberlin, we DO teach morals and ethics, environmental courses…
Bok:
-students as motivated but directionless
-why are people asking for a major? Critical thinking through a particular subject
-a well-taught course is the most important (rather than curriculum); TEACHERS
Pathways Adrift:
-this book has caught a lot of attention.
-idea that colleges are not doing what they should be
-paint a picture of disconnect between goals and reality; students are not learning what they should be
-they argue that peers have biggest learning impact on peers
· Making mistakes, getting called out, empathy
· Difference between being called out when you hurt someone
· Exhausting when POC people teaching about race, Queer people calling about queerphobia etc. These students doing a lot of work not being acknowledged.
· Frustrating when people who look the same assumed to have same knowledge
Schwartz: we are learning NOW how to “call people out lovingly”
Opinion: maybe it is the role of professor to moderate?
-Point of a major: similar vantage point
Opinion: is general ed. limiting or opening? How do we get a liberal education?
You could theoretically go to a research university and take a variety of classes (poetry, physics etc.)
-At St. John’s no one has a major
-Hampshire: everyone makes own major
-Opinion: regretting doing own major, because you don’t get to learn a specific methodology
-It is becoming harder to fit information into disciplinary model.
Gumport: industry versus social institution model
-Business mindset
Try to define a liberal arts education:
Good at confronting moral questions and good at adaptability for later career and changing values
-Residential, small classes, humanities majors
Concerning salary after college:
-How do alums feel about liberal arts degrees?
-hiring managers were specifically instructed to hire liberal arts students (english, history, political science)
-Surveys of employers say that skills of communication come from liberal arts colleges
-liberal arts colleges “train for your last job, not for your first job”. Tied to life-long learning.
Debate:
Liberal:
Essential for functioning social system-democracy
Teaching people to work together
Bok says three goals to lib: prep for career, prep for citizenship, meaningful lives,
· Is it snobbish to think liberal arts is best way towards meaningful life
· (Trump supporters—what education might they have had?)
-social connections, access, influence, as proponent of liberal arts education
-what about integrating two sides?
-statistic that six careers over life timeà adaptability
-globalizationàempathy/learning to interact with different opinions
-how to prepare vocational students for future changes? In welding for example
-Lorain county community college
-aftermath of auto industry crash in Ohio: vocational training gone badly. People not prepared for future
Going forward: think about how other people view liberal arts/vocational
Money
Notes: September 23rd 2015: Shaping a Curriculum an Liberal v. Educational
Nussbaum’s main point:
-currently, education pushed towards economics
-realistically we should be focusing on how to make a better democracy
-difference between general ed. and distribution requirements
-purpose of a liberal ed. to create citizens (citizens defined by empathy and perspective-taking)
· Walking a mile in someone’s shoes
· But scary to teach morality within education structure
-At Oberlin, we DO teach morals and ethics, environmental courses…
Bok:
-students as motivated but directionless
-why are people asking for a major? Critical thinking through a particular subject
-a well-taught course is the most important (rather than curriculum); TEACHERS
Pathways Adrift:
-this book has caught a lot of attention.
-idea that colleges are not doing what they should be
-paint a picture of disconnect between goals and reality; students are not learning what they should be
-they argue that peers have biggest learning impact on peers
· Making mistakes, getting called out, empathy
· Difference between being called out when you hurt someone
· Exhausting when POC people teaching about race, Queer people calling about queerphobia etc. These students doing a lot of work not being acknowledged.
· Frustrating when people who look the same assumed to have same knowledge
Schwartz: we are learning NOW how to “call people out lovingly”
Opinion: maybe it is the role of professor to moderate?
-Point of a major: similar vantage point
Opinion: is general ed. limiting or opening? How do we get a liberal education?
You could theoretically go to a research university and take a variety of classes (poetry, physics etc.)
-At St. John’s no one has a major
-Hampshire: everyone makes own major
-Opinion: regretting doing own major, because you don’t get to learn a specific methodology
-It is becoming harder to fit information into disciplinary model.
Gumport: industry versus social institution model
-Business mindset
Try to define a liberal arts education:
Good at confronting moral questions and good at adaptability for later career and changing values
-Residential, small classes, humanities majors
Concerning salary after college:
-How do alums feel about liberal arts degrees?
-hiring managers were specifically instructed to hire liberal arts students (english, history, political science)
-Surveys of employers say that skills of communication come from liberal arts colleges
-liberal arts colleges “train for your last job, not for your first job”. Tied to life-long learning.
Debate:
Liberal:
Essential for functioning social system-democracy
Teaching people to work together
Bok says three goals to lib: prep for career, prep for citizenship, meaningful lives,
· Is it snobbish to think liberal arts is best way towards meaningful life
· (Trump supporters—what education might they have had?)
-social connections, access, influence, as proponent of liberal arts education
-what about integrating two sides?
-statistic that six careers over life timeà adaptability
-globalizationàempathy/learning to interact with different opinions
-how to prepare vocational students for future changes? In welding for example
-Lorain county community college
-aftermath of auto industry crash in Ohio: vocational training gone badly. People not prepared for future
Going forward: think about how other people view liberal arts/vocational
Money