Philip Pullman was the subject of a BBC program today. He is talking with his old school teacher of English, in Ysgol Ardudwy Harlech. You can listen to it here, but be quick, you only have a week. The BBC’s use of podcasting is parsimonious at best, certainly compared with the generous ABC. Richard, if you are reading this and can do anything to liberate content please do!
Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy sent me back to Milton for the first time in thirty years, armed with new insight and understanding. He writes books that can be read by adults and children alike at different levels, and is a scholar in his own right, not to mention an excellent speaker. He has sent a copy of each of his many books to Miss Jones over the years, and does not consider publication complete until he has completed this task. The radio programme has some wonderful examples of memory, insight and moving poetical quotations. For example his conversation about the liminal character of the Morfa Harlech, a place of transition between sea and shore. The that caught my attention however was about the role of education and it forms the title of this blog.
At one point they have a conversation about the shift they both observed as teachers; from creating a love of exploration of literature, to teaching people to plan what they write with structure, a beginning, a middle and an end. Pullman calls it teaching dogma says that he could never write in that way, not does he think that he would have be inspired to be a writer if he had been taught in that way. In a wonderful phrase he says: I write into the darkness, not knowing what will happen next.
Comments (2)
And here is another reason why the work of Cognitive Edge is so important.
Most teachers do not choose to teach structure rather than support the students' development of meaning and their deeper experience and engagement with literature. In fact, many teachers leave the profession (physically or psychologically) because it is so difficult for them to do the latter. One reason for this is the nature of the current accountability systems that are in place for people like teachers.
Most accountability systems are based (unconsciously) on notions of input-process-output. In the example given, the teacher can demonstrate having input notions of structure and (hopefully) the student outputs a structured document thus satisfying accountability requirements.
[Note the use of the singular - 'teacher', 'student' - which is consistent with the prevailing discourse around education and accountability. No asymmetry problem here!! Of course I jest, schooling presents enormous problems of asymmetry for all concerned]
I am looking forward to the day when school systems develop accountability systems based on the complexity of the endeavors involved...probably along the lines of the project examining the experience and activity of children as users of Leeds museums and the role of staff in their experience and activity [notice the use of plurals].
I would be keen to be involved in such developments should the opportunity arise.
Ivan Webb
Tasmania
Posted by Ivan Webb | March 30, 2007 1:07 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 01:07
Under the BBC's new governance arrangements, podcasting is still a trial awaiting final approval from the BBc Trust after Public value/market impact tests (at which point, if it passes, it should be liberated!). Of course if it doesn't pass, we will become even more parsimonious....
Posted by Richard Sambrook | March 31, 2007 9:28 AM
Posted on March 31, 2007 09:28