There are two interesting teacher lists, imho: NCSS (the national council
on the social studies) and the Getty ArtsEdNet. BOth lists invariably find
themselves discussing every subject matter sooner or later, including
terrific discussions of culture and politics of education itself. I still
think it would be interesting for some of us to either watch and disc. in
here (or in class) what goes on in there, and to try to figure out if we're
figuring it out... a kind of virtual participant observation. NCSS is
joined via http://www.ncss.org/links/listserv.html and GEtty via
http://www.artsednet.getty.edu/ArtsEdNet/Connections/how.html
This year I lead an action research course that we strung out over the
school year rather than lump together in one 3 or 4 unit course. It served
as a do-gather-reflect seminar alongside other coursework. It was extremely
powerful as a mechanism for self-transformation, as reported by the
students (grad. students in education.. some in the software industry, some
in higher ed, some in K-12 teaching). The power was not my teaching nor the
content, but the occasioning of a particular stance which is uncommon in
formal education: tme to watch and think about and talk about one's
practice and ideas over an extended period of time. We all agree to call it
an "out of body experience" in honor of the course mascots: Mulder and
Sculley.
Linda
ps
Eugene, perhaps our class could interact on some of this sometime.