Recent discussions

[Genevra Gerhart]

Someone made the mistake of asking me to elucidate on my brief comment.
I have paraphrased some arguments.

Paragraph 1.  Of course we want a world wide discussion group.  (I am
delighted with the comments of M. Georges Adassovsky in Tahiti.) And I'm
tickled purple that the "community" is, at least to some extent, talking
about what it's doing here. Too bad departments  have to be almost
obliterated before they pay attention.

Paragraph 2. Nationality and hiring.  By "free trade" I guess he
supports the practice of hiring at a wage the payee will accept, and
from a world wide pool of workers.  Fine.

Paragraph 3. But here we must admit that languages (other than Slavic)
and national laws make such internationalism less than possible today.

Paragraph 4. And such a tack is too idealistic. (Right)

Paragraph 5. Do not, he says, blame others for our problems. (Right, but
he does let administators off too easily.   It is very hard to get some
deans to understand some things -- they have been trained so well that
re-orienting them at that stage is very difficult.  Old dogs/new tricks
problem.) Rather let us focus on students, and our own work as students.
Right!

Paragraph  6. Students require instructors, and instructors, require
money, and someone has to figure that out.  Right!

Paragraph 7. Of course we are teaching a skill, and, we hope, an
expectation of lifelong learning. (The latter is surely best taught by
example.)

Paragraph 8. "Wisdom, comprehension, learning, analysis" are all lovely
words and even I like them too.  But to  say that from composing an
analysis of metaphor in a Pushkin lyric a student gains "widom,
judgement, discernment, comprehension" is just too much.  Seeking wisdom
and judgement, I go to my local literary critic?  No way, Jose. (_Joy_
is what the student can get from the local literate.)

Paragraph 9.  The fine qualities alluded to are not something
specifically taught or necessarily learned. They describe an attitude
required of any teacher at any level:  what I'm teaching matters to me;
how I teach conveys what I can of those righteous qualities.
Regards,gg

--
Genevra Gerhart
http://www.wolfenet.com/~ggerhart/

2134 E. Interlaken  Bl.                 Tel. 206/329-0053
Seattle, WA  98112                      ggerhart at wolfenet.com