Re: the ideal adult

Gordon Wells (gwells who-is-at oise.utoronto.ca)
Fri, 17 Oct 1997 19:29:05 -0400 (EDT)

On Fri, 17 Oct 1997, Peter Smagorinsky wrote:
The notion of what
> constitutes an ideal adult, however, is under dispute, viewed variously as
> one who is caring (Noddings, 1993), subversive (Postman, 19xx), thoughtful
> (Brown, 1993), culturally literate (Hirsch, 1987), civic-minded (Stotsky,
> 1991), imaginative (Bogdan, 1992), joyous (Newman, 1996), virtuous
> (Bennett, 1993), politically liberated (Freire, 1970), scientific (Piaget,
> 1952), skeptical (Foucault, 1972), reflective (Schon, 1991), free (Greene,
> 1988), domestic (Martin, 1995), inquiring (Dewey, 1960), and so on. While
> not necessarily incompatible, these different visions can suggest the need
> to promote different frameworks for thinking and conceptions of human
> purpose and thus engagement in different social and intellectual practices.
>
Peter,

I think you have embarked on a really interesting project. Certainly,
the teacher's philosophy of education will be related to his/her ideal of
what students might become. However, the teachers listed above are
presented as if their ideal adults are single-trait. I think it very
likely that, if pressed, any one of the above would want to include
traits valued by other teachers.

The fact that they can be characterized as valuing a single trait is a
function of the situated, dialogic nature of writing. These people are
all involved in an ongoing conversation, in which the aim of all
participants is to negotiate a more complete ideal than appears in any
single contribution. As each "speaks", s/he does so against the background
of perspectives and points of view that have already been expressed and
with the intention of "righting the balance", as s/he sees it. I doubt
whether any sees his/her contribution as complete in itself or as having
the last word.

Gordon Wells, gwells who-is-at oise.utoronto.ca
OISE/University of Toronto