Phillip,
I will not except 'contrived educational environments' as a given. They do
not need to exist. I do not teach in that method and would refuse to work in
a setting that required it of me. I work with mentally ill young adults in
the real world settings of work, home living, community participation and
recreation. For example I just took 4 of them on an overnight camping trip.
The reality of being in the woods and having to work as a team is something a
classroom does not provide no matter how much theorizing one approaches the
lesson plan with. If your method of instruction is based in similar reality
contexts then I will not assume you to be an ivory tower academician. I have
never been inspired by any High School or College teacher, my inspiration has
come from people I have participated in real world activities with. Boy
Scout leaders, freinds I have gone skiing with, working on houses with my
dad, so on and so on. All learning should begin with concrete activities and
end with concrete products. The abstraction that takes place between these
two events is unique to an individual. It is the ivory tower thinkers who
believe they can 'control' how a person comes to that abstraction.
Something to chew on,
Eric
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