Category Archives: Pedagogy

April 29, 2012
12:31 am
by: Dan VB

In Retrospect

I have to confess that I was skeptical of “learner-centered” teaching when I began the semester. I imagined unproductive classrooms where nothing was really learned. I heard rumors that the over-arching philosophy of the class was ”the student is ALWAYS right.” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Pedagogy

April 10, 2012
8:43 pm
by: Holly Jordan

Why aren’t we reading Lyotard?

For my Religion and Modernity in the West course this week, we read Jean-François Lyotard’s “A Report on Knowledge.” Let be honest and say I haven’t finished it.  I might be missing something huge. I am taking both GEDI and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in gedivts12, knowledge, new media, Pedagogy, pfps2012, vtnmfss12

April 7, 2012
12:44 am
by: Dan VB

Industrialized Learning??

I was struck by the comments Nicholas Carr made in Is Google Making Us Stupid? about F.W. Taylor’s industrial philosophy.  While I obviously benefit from the countless ‘cheap’ goods produced by an economy operating under this framework, in principle I do not … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Carr, Google, Pedagogy, technology

March 5, 2012
12:56 pm
by: Dan VB

Geotechnical Engineering – Assignment 1

Why is my course important?  We’re asked to explain this “to” our students or “for” our students in our syllabus.  Not that I can’t do this, but should I?  Is explaining the “importance” of our class just another example of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in assignments, Pedagogy, soil mechanics, syllabus, Teaching, Teaching Soil Mechanics

February 29, 2012
1:02 pm
by: Dan VB

Teaching and parenting

Reading Chapter 5 of Weimer reminds me of a book on parenting.  But why shouldn’t it?  Some have already commented that thinking of students in a familial sense may help with the dynamic of the classroom, provided of course that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Lehman, Love and Logic, parenting, Pedagogy

February 24, 2012
3:00 pm
by: Dan VB

Parkour and how we learn

Thought 1:  Intrigued by the video we watched in GEDI, I asked my wife when I got home on Wednesday night if she knew about “parkour.”  Getting a negative reply, I explained the sport based on my brief exposure to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in learning, parkour, Pedagogy

February 18, 2012
2:53 pm
by: Dan VB

A lesson from the farm

Wendell Berry writes in Andy Catlett about a young boy of the same name spending time with his grandparents on their farm.  The youth is gently forced outside on a cold winter morning to help his Granddaddy and a family friend, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Pedagogy, Teaching, Wendell Berry

February 12, 2012
2:28 am
by: Dan VB

Reflections on the Function of Content

Some reflections on the points raised by Weimer on the Function of Content in the classroom: It seems that the goal of teaching especially at the higher education level must find its limit developing self-learners.  This especially must be true … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in content, Pedagogy, Weimer