Education as an Initiation Into the Conversation of Humankind Michael Oakeshott

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   November 13, 2022, 20:32One aspect of conversation that particularly intrigues me is its history. I’ve spent considerable time reading about the 17th-century and 18th-century  Coffeehouses of London and the Paris Salons. Still, the history of conversation goes back much further to the Renaissance and the philosophers of ancient Greece. At the moment, I … Continue reading Education as an Initiation Into the Conversation of Humankind Michael Oakeshott

Chatgpt as a Valuable Thinking Partner ChatGPT and critical thinking

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   June 30, 2023, 09:31Many people criticize ChatGPT for its potential to harm students’ critical thinking abilities. However, I have a different opinion and believe that it can be a powerful tool to enhance thinking. I plan to write more about this in the future, but for now, in this post ChatGPT: Your critical … Continue reading Chatgpt as a Valuable Thinking Partner ChatGPT and critical thinking

Reviving Oral Exams The value of oral assessments in education

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   October 24, 2023, 07:52We’ve become so reliant on written exams and essays that we’ve forgotten the value of old-school oral assessments. This fascinating article, Bring Back the Lost Art of Oral Exams, reminds us that oral exams have a long, venerable history dating back millennia. Though they faded in popularity over time, oral … Continue reading Reviving Oral Exams The value of oral assessments in education

Show Me a Professor of Education Who Lectures Donald Clarke

Show me a Professor of Education who lectures, and I’ll show you a hypocrite who doesn’t read the research. Credit: Donald Clarke Books: Donald ClarkeShow Me a Professor of Education Who Lectures Donald ClarkeQuotations: Donald ClarkeShow Me a Professor of Education Who Lectures Donald ClarkeTags: education (24) | lecture (11)Google Web Search Photo Credits: Pixabay (Pixabay)This … Continue reading Show Me a Professor of Education Who Lectures Donald Clarke

Freedom of Speech in Universities It's our duty to tolerate colleagues even when they say things that we consider foolish

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   January 13, 2021, 11:37Over the past few years, much has been reported in the press about so-called cancel culture and deplatforming where activists deny speakers with controversial opinions access to University venues. In 2019 Cambridge University rescinded its offer of a visiting fellowship to Jordan Peterson, who has attracted controversy for his views … Continue reading Freedom of Speech in Universities It’s our duty to tolerate colleagues even when they say things that we consider foolish

A Primary Object of Education Should Be the Science of Government George Washington

A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country? Credit: George Washington Posts where this … Continue reading A Primary Object of Education Should Be the Science of Government George Washington

Artificial Intelligence and the Quest for Knowledge Exploring the parallels between Plato's Phaedrus and the challenges of GenAI

Chatbots and Genai in Knowledge Management From Mind to Information – the Role of AI in Knowledge Encoding Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter As AI increasingly shapes our world, we need to consider its effect on critical thinking. The Myth of Thamus and Theuth cautions against overreliance on technology for knowledge. Cultivating human … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence and the Quest for Knowledge Exploring the parallels between Plato’s Phaedrus and the challenges of GenAI

Science Curiosity A desire to seek out and consume scientific information for pleasure

Tribal Thinking Discrediting People ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Motivated reasoning is where we look for arguments in favor of conclusions we want to believe, regardless of the evidence. This is a primary stumbling block in forming sound beliefs and making good decisions. However, if we are science-curious, we are more likely … Continue reading Science Curiosity A desire to seek out and consume scientific information for pleasure

Peer Instruction Where students learn from each other

Introduction: Conversational Learning Sharing Knowledge Through Conversation Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Eric Mazur is a Harvard physicist and educator who developed a teaching method called Peer Instruction. Peer Instruction involves students learning from each other during class. It begins with a concept-based question that challenges students’ understanding. After individually answering the question, … Continue reading Peer Instruction Where students learn from each other

Conversation Theory ** Gordon Pask

Turn-taking in Conversation Our Most Powerful Technology Is Conversation Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Pask’s Conversation Theory, developed by British cybernetician Gordon Pask in the 1970s, is a conceptual and theoretical framework that explores how learning occurs through conversations between two or more cognitive systems, which can be humans, machines, or a combination … Continue reading Conversation Theory ** Gordon Pask

Flipped Teaching Speech is a bad medium for communicating information - so watch lectures at home

Dialogic Organization Development The Power of Team Huddles Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Flipped teaching reverses, or “flips”, traditional in-class lectures and homework. Students watch the teacher’s prerecorded lecture at home, and in-class time is used for students to test their skills, apply their knowledge, and interact through hands-on projects, discussions, and exercises. … Continue reading Flipped Teaching Speech is a bad medium for communicating information – so watch lectures at home

Punished by Rewards Loving what you do is a more powerful motivator than any goody

Engagement ** The Difference Between Responsibility and Accountability Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter It is often suggested that offering rewards is necessary to motivate people, particularly when it comes to sharing their knowledge. However, this strategy is ultimately ineffective and potentially harmful in the long run. In his book Punished by Rewards, Alfie … Continue reading Punished by Rewards Loving what you do is a more powerful motivator than any goody

Oracy The ability to express oneself in and understand spoken language

Become a Conversation Architect Rhetoric Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter In education, considerable emphasis is placed on numeracy and literacy — understanding and working with numbers and reading and writing. But what about the capacity to listen and to speak? Why is so little importance attached to oracy? Is the ability to hold … Continue reading Oracy The ability to express oneself in and understand spoken language