Author: cati312

There constantly seems to be an underlying theme of a loss of reality or perhaps a moving reality. This loss of reality centralizes around Stevens constant transfer between the reality of a situation and what a butler must do or what is the important to him at that moment. Stevens recollects an event or time in Lord Darlington’s house and while there are some controversial, philosophical, or humanitarian debate taking place, the reader is suddenly thrown into a conversation about polishing silver, or a butler who shoots a tiger in the dinning room. This sudden shift takes the reader away from the ideologies of social order to maintaining of house. This serves as a reminder that Stevens concerns appear to surround the constant needs of Lord Darlington and his house rather then the humanitarian, or so thought humanitarian, efforts of this council. Which this also leads to his desire to be a great butler, he explains that he desire to be a great butler is dependent partly upon the gentlemen in which he serves. Therefore, the man he serves must be a great gentlemen and in his generation one that works for a gentlemen that seeks the betterment of mankind. However, while he believes Lord Darlington is attempting to aid mankind he seems to take no interest in what he is attempting to do aid mankind.

However, that said there are characters who are in essence sprinkled in. Characters like Congressman Lewis, Miss Kenton and some of the characters that Stevens encounters along his journey because they are a touch of reality. They bring into this idealistic would that Stevens and Lord Darlington live in a sense of the real world. The human emotions and concerns that are part of the pursuit of the betterment of mankind are in some form or another kept neat an tidy by the conference of the world leaders but they never go and experience it with society. However, these characters that are sprinkled in have interacted with the society in which whom this idealistic society is attempting to change and help.

This reading was very interesting, I have to say that I have never looked much into the development of writing and language. To see the arguments for the idea of writing creating a foundation for speech and allowing it to further develop is really interesting, However, what really strikes me and is a link between the three pieces is the relationship that writing, reading, and speech share with cognitive aspects of human development. It is a simple idea but I guess one I have never given much thought, or always taken it for granted. And, that is this idea reading, writing, and speech development our abilities to think and act. For instance when a child repeats a joke or sentiment that has been seen by adult, we find it cute, funny, and charming partially because the child is unaware of the meaning of their actions, they are simply imitating what they have seen done. This is a perfect example of the cognitive development process, a child has not had the experience in the language to understand what the adult understands about their actions. The Collins and Blot Chapter 2, “The Literacy Thesis: Vexed Questions of Rationality, Development and Self”, in the book Literacy and Literacies, discusses many aspects of the cognitive relationship to reading and writing starting with its use in economic development and to how it has helped to perpetuate social status differences in communities. How during the development of nation wide schooling the establishments have essentially drawn a line in the sand, and if you are literate then you will be successful and if you are illiterate than you will help to make up the criminal population with the communities. However, in contrast on some levels David Olson’s piece “Writing and the Mind” shows another aspect to this cognitive development, part of this development allows for the ambiguity in language to be seen. Our cognitive abilities are what allow us to hear or read sarcasm, pain, sincerity and the many other emotions. The idea that the language used to ensue these different sentiments is often the same and the variance is simply in the way it is said or displayed shows a necessity for cognitive development.

There is so much to unpack in this book and it is so interesting in reference to some of the ideas of cognitive narratology. Chwe believes that Jane Austen used game theory to write and create her novels before we had identified the technique as game theory.

“Strategic thinking, what Austen calls “penetration,” is game theory’s central concept: when choosing an action, a person thinks about how others will act. Austen analyzes these foundational concepts in examples too numerous and systematic to be considered incidental. Austen then considers how strategic thinking relates to other explanations of human action, such as those involving emotions, habits, rules, social factors, and ideology. Austen carefully distinguishes strategic thinking from other concepts often confused with it, such as selfishness and economism, and even discusses the disadvantages of strategic thinking. Finally, Austen explores new applications, arguing, for example, that strategizing together in a partnership is the surest foundation for intimate relationships.” (14)

This perspective breaks down the ideas within Austen’s writing in such a way that reader can begin to really see the intentionality behinds her characters. It is the human element that makes her writing so interesting the intricate webs that our favorites characters weave such as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcey. What this lends to some of the ideas of cognitive narratology is that level of story telling mixed with the human relationship, why the writer and the reader bond with such literature. Austen is able to take basic human characteristics and seeming real life struggle and put them into a story and that is part of what allows her writing to endure.

Another interesting element with thee approach to game theory when looking at Austen is equality. While the women in her novels are often still trapped by their situations in society the relationships that her main characters build, with male or female characters allows them many levels of equality, Chwe alludes to that idea in the last sentence of the quote “that strategizing together in a partnership is the surest foundation for intimate relationships”.

“The Connected Teacher” interview with Alec Couros by Howard Rheingold

In this interview Couros and Rheingold discuss the ideas of network learning and the necessity of connections. It is important for a learner to know their networks and tools around them that enable them to communicate with in a network. However, Couros stresses the important of the human element and necessity of human connection. Couros explains that what endures beyond the most current platform is the human connection, the community that is created with in these platforms and a dialogue between people is essential. What this means for the idea of “co-learning” is how do learners (both students and teachers) interact within these communities to no only learn but to make their learning visible and accessible for other learners. There is a two fold idea with in this necessity to make a learners learning visible and accessible with a learner being able to show not only what they have learned but how creates more opportunity for learning, by processing and reflection the learner is better able to determine how the learning is happening which allows for retention and further development. And, the second aspect to this is that the learner has developed better teaching skills.

Some of the other interesting aspects that are brought into the conversation during this interview is how to make this learning environment personal and individual so that the learner is motivated to learn. Couros explains that assigns his students a learning project where they have the opportunity to learn and develop a new skill on their own with in the many platforms and communities available on the web. This is such a great approach because it provides the learners with opportunity to learn in the way that is best for them and allows for a unique margin of trail and error. Now that the learner has taken their learning into their own hands there is more responsibility to develop their ideas and concepts on their own.

The idea of critical thinking and teaching to critically think is perhaps the most essential part about teaching, in my perspective. It is one thing to teach to memorize or complete an assignment, but to help and teach someone how to look at and work at transforming how they process and develop thought is essential to over all success of actual learning and achieving. This action of teaching to think critically is sculpting their  (the students) ability to take knowledge and use it for something more then regurgitation. That said the other essential part to teaching critical thinking is making it relevant to the individual and the community as a whole. If what is being taught is not meaningful or relevant to communities or the individuals with in the community it will be simply knowledge because they will not know how to develop the education. Nonetheless, on the opposite side the other essential part to teaching critical thinking is teaching students the basics, which at times can result in something that seems irrelevant to the individual or community, lying the ground work for the development of critical thinking is not always going to be able to address areas that are relevant to individuals or communities but rather help gain skills that they can then transfer over to what is relevant. For example if you are teaching the idea of symbolism there will be a point when you have to isolate this idea by itself to develop the student ability to understand what it is; then once the students understand this simple idea of symbolism they have now laid a ground work and are ready to start applying it in relevant ways. Therefore, perhaps part of the struggle in teaching this comes in helping students to understand that these are tools and that you must learn to use the individual tool before you can use all the tools together. In other words sometimes it is important to wrestle with individual concepts first and master their meaning use before they are applied to area of interest or relevancy.

So this is my first attempt at creating a web presence. I’m a little old fashioned and can find the web to be impersonal but I am excited at the same to explore this world!!