Re: Boundary object

Eugene Matusov (ematusov who-is-at UDel.Edu)
Mon, 3 Nov 1997 11:34:31 -0500

Hi Diane and everybody--

I just want to express my support for what you said,

>The issue to me is not "what's up with the
>teachers?" or "what can we do with teachers that will help them be more
>cooperative..."
>
>but
>
>what can we change about the assumptions built into the practice?

I found that good teacher in a traditional school often smuggle moments of
authentic teaching. They are foreigners in the schools where they work.

It is a good question whether traditional schools can be reformed or just be
put aside by slow proliferation of innovative schools. Or will it be a
revolutionary explosion? Or everything above? Or school should simply
disappear? I think even in our time when the educational pendulum swings
back to its "basics" of mistrust to teachers to teach and children to learn
it is important to think and work on alternatives to a traditional school.
When Soviet troops crossed the borders to Afghanistan in the last days of
1979, dissident Saharov was working on a project of moving troops back and
plan for rebuilding the occupied country.

I personally do not expect to see mass change of schooling in my life but I
want to work on rebuilding of institutional education. Diane is right that
assumptions that we have learned by just being here is so difficult to see
or change.

What do you think?

Eugene