Adult Learning and Discourse

Playing back the tape… We touched on globalization and racism tonight. How to make any “glib” conclusions from alI this?  What are the take way points? How is all this information useful, rather than merely eye-opening and overwhelming? So at the risk of being glib, there are at least two ideas–one related to diversity and the other, to globalization–that I hope the  class can pursue over the semester: (a) microaggression (diversity) and  (b) two responses to globalization: fundamentalism (withdrawal), and the emerging creative class (embrace). I wonder what the take away issues were for others in the class.

I posted alink to the “Did You Know” Youtube clip in Blackboard (version 2.0, which I did not show in class because it was 2 mins longer than v-1.0).   Once again, my students have kept me honest (or at least tried to!). Julia (I think) asked after the clip –”Is all this true?” Whoa!  How dare a student challenge the AUTHORITY of the PROFESSOR.  Hrumph. Although I did my homework last year when I showed the clip for the first time, I did not bother to review the currency of the clip this time around. It turns out that a number of the estimates were corrected in version 2 (though the central message is the same). So thank you Julia (if, in fact, you were the one who asked the heretical question!). I posted the authors’ list of sources for the data used in v 2.0).

Well, here we go.  I wish I could say that I have perfected this blogging thing, and reassure you that this activity is tried & true, all the kinks worked out,  tightly integrated into the course.  But by now you know otherwise. Many questions–interesting ones, from an adult learning perspective–remain: Will blogging increase students’ construction of knowledge? How will the students navigate the personal and public aspects of the writing? When should we encourage peer interaction? Will I get sued for subjecting my poor students to this torture?   

On the other hand, it could be “fun” exploring this…  One thing is for certain: we (Jason excluded ) are on the same learning page, literally. Another metaphor: “blind leading the blind?”  I’d prefer “stumbling toward the light.”

Bill Muth 

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