Hello Dot and all
I also was very impressed by the quality of the presentations and the responses throughout the conference. As someone so new to this process I was transformed by being there. The dialog focused on the building of relationships and the creation of new ideas not on the differences.
I work with inner city teachers and youth. Using CHAT I try to give them a voice. Michael Roth was so impressive- seeing him present and also talking with him briefly in the lunch line. He said an important reason for doing research was to build empathy. I find that completely compelling and renews my (as I have been told) idealist ideas about working to empower inner city educators and youth.
Donna
Donna L. Russell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Instructional Technology
Curriculum and Instructional Leadership
309 School of Education
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO 64110
russelldl@umkc.edu
(office) 816.235.5871
(cell) 314.210.6996
________________________________
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Phil Chappell
Sent: Wed 10/5/2005 5:45 AM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] ISCAR - Sevilla 2005 -- Theoretical Concepts in CHAT andtheir connestion...
Dear Dot and All,
Of course you are making those of us who couldn't attend powerfully
envious! Thanks for your reflections and also thanks for using the term
"field", as I have been trying to get at Bourdieu's notion of field and
it just helped me that little bit (layers and layers of meanings!).
Could you elaborate a little on what Mike presented? I'm really
intrigued.
Phil
On 04/10/2005, at 6:36 AM, Dot Robbins wrote:
> Dear Ana,
> Thank you so much for your reflections....I found myself returning to
> a mountain of work, with no perceived time for reflection of Seville.
> Thanks for changing that. It was a deep joy to speak with you, Ana,
> and to connect with others, and a little sadness at not being able to
> hear more presentations....I would like to say that I was profoundly
> touched at the session that Michael Roth organized, especially with
> Bakhurst's positive-critical thoughts on the thrid generation of
> activity theory.....points that really need to be addressed. And,
> Mike's statements, as I told him, touched me to the very core of my
> being. Clearly, we need to ask ourselves who profits from CHAT
> research and practice.....Mike received a question about the
> "romantic" climate in the film the "Butterflies of Zagorsk," a BBC
> production during the 1980s about the blind and deaf institute in the
> former Zagorsk, Russia, where people were trained so that they
> actually could receive higher degrees in psychology!
> at
> Moscow State University. One woman, is a mother of two children, a
> poet, a psychologist....and my mind wandered back to this nostalgia.
> Mike stopped it immediately....he told us that every situation we are
> in can be used for our research (and of course, we know it can enhance
> our own transformation, and that of others). Mike spoke of his work in
> Africa, and how that is his laboratory....and of very large classes in
> California he wants to humanize. I was stunned beyond belief at his
> words, as I am very involved in an orphanage 120 km West of Moscow,
> and to be honest, I have never viewed this situation as my field of
> research, my field of helping to create transformation. And, I
> returned home to rural Missouri truly empowered inside, to start to
> create my research field every day, in the trenches where I live at
> the moment. Mike's speech completely transformed me, as a human being,
> and as a researcher. I learned to stop romanticizing the past, and
> jump into "today," no matter!
> where I
> am, and really live, and also know that I am the one who has profited
> so greatly from Vygotskian-inspired theory and practice. Sevilla was
> wonderful! May some of these notes we are writing reach the
> organizers, and may we show them our gratitude. As well, Seth has
> given more of himself to ISCRAT and ISCAR than many of us
> realize....He is often alone in many areas, and each of us needs to
> jump in more and help him and others with concrete actions. I thank
> all of you for so many things as well. For me, Sevilla is a new
> beginning....And, I really want to thank you, Ana, and Lois (perhaps
> others) for going beyond words to active sessions that allow us to
> move, interact, and become more human.
> warmly,
> Dot
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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