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“The cat just brought me a chewed fledgling”

10/1/2010

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I attended an academic colloquia today – profs and academics from across Canada and the US came together to celebrate the thinking and writing of a local, faith-based University.  After a large group plenary where all came together to hear two speakers, we were invited to attend a selection of smaller presentations on various topics, each 1 hour in length, presented by various University faculty members and addressed to whichever 15-20 interested people showed up.

Interested to experience how my academic colleagues might engage a small group in a topic near and dear to their hearts, I set off to attend a session on the poetry of Margaret Avison, a Canadian Christian Poet hitherto unknown to me.

Once again I am perplexed...
...at how my non- Ed Dept colleagues can dismiss a constructivist approach to teaching!

Although the hour-long lecture on Avison included much interesting information about the poet and the presenter’s recently defended thesis, I worry that said information will soon be lost to me.  Unlike the speaker, I have not had the advantage of meditating on the material over seven years, savouring it in my mind, discussing it with others.  A one-hour “sit and git” session is soon forgotten, regardless of how valuable its contents.

Yes, I wonder at the decision to share so much “salient”  information in an exclusively auditory format.

I am intrigued at how a well-facilitated small group (or partner) dialogue might have encouraged a deeper, more profound and longer-lasting understanding of some of the interesting points the presenter wanted to share with us about her much-studied poet.  Even a few well-constructed, thought-provoking questions might have allowed us to construct our own understanding of the poet’s very intriguing work.  Following a short partnered or small group discussion around a few of these questions, the presenter could have consolidated our understanding by sharing a few salient points from her own research.

Interestingly, we learned from the presentation that the poet Avison herself allegedly used questions to enhance her own understanding of a text, for example, a reading of scripture.  Further, towards the end of her presentation, in response to a question about sharing poetry with a congregation, the presenter suggested the importance of participants having at least a visual copy of the poem in front of them, that an auditory reading would not be enough.

Ahhh, I long for the day when my academic colleagues come to an understanding of and appreciation for the value of effective classroom/workshop facilitation, as opposed to the never-ending lecture format!  Until that day, I suppose I will have to continue to endure the “chewed fledglings, love-tokens” from my innocently ignorant colleagues.
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    About Vera...

    Vera & her Sons, April 2021
    After writing for several teacher and multiple birth publications, including ETFO's Voice Magazine, Multiple Moments, and the Bulletwin, Vera turned her written attention to prolific blogging for some years, including BiB,  "Learn to Fly with Vera!"  and SMARTbansho .  Homeschooling 4 was her travel blog in Argentina.  She now spends more time on her Instagram (@schalgzeug_usw)  than her blog (pictures are worth a thousand words?!) 
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    The views expressed on this blog are the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the perspectives of her family members or the position of her employer on the the issues she blogs about.  These posts are intended to share resources, document family life, and encourage critical thought on a variety of subjects.  They are not intended to cause harm to any individual or member of any group. By reading this blog and viewing this site, you agree to not hold Vera liable for any harm done by views expressed in this blog.
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Vera C. Teschow, OCT, M.Ed., MOT
Toronto, ON & St Peter's Harbour, PE
www.verateschow.ca 2021
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