Overhauling the Liberal Arts
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Overhauling the Liberal Arts An opportunity for shared provocation, reflection, and refinement Daniel F. Hudkins, Director of Instructional Tech & Information Systems The Harker School, San Jose, CA Danielh@harker.org I wonder As our balance of payments gets worse, and our energy comes from offshore, what will we have to sell that the world will want to buy? What if the new economy isn’t as new as we think? The Harker School July 16, 2007 Which is more useful? http://www.harker.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ha rker_School Overhauling the Liberal Arts 3 Agenda Some History Some Vocabulary Why I think it matters Where can you go from here? July 16, 2007 Overhauling the Liberal Arts 4 Personal History July 16, 2007 Took baths in a washtub in my grandmother’s kitchen Phone number - Millington 7-1657 Built two outhouses Overhauling the Liberal Arts 5 Who am I? Career #8 20 years in business - marketing 13 years in education July 16, 2007 Taught English, Social Studies, Field Engineering, Political Science, Computer Science, Ethics 7 years Public School District Tech Coord. 4 years Silicon Valley independent school 1:1 8 years in H.S. Starting M.S. Overhauling the Liberal Arts 6 History July 16, 2007 2004 - Why operating systems don’t matter 2005 - Stop teaching applications 2006 - Why do we do what we do (with laptops) 2007 - Overhauling the Liberal Arts Overhauling the Liberal Arts 7 Context for Good Teaching July 16, 2007 Research summary from Kaneb Center for Teaching & Learning, Notre Dame Designed for Higher Ed Overhauling the Liberal Arts 8 Good Teaching - Classical July 16, 2007 Writing and Discussion Faculty-Student Contact Feedback to Students High Expectations Assignment-Centered Course Overhauling the Liberal Arts 9 Good Teaching - Contemporary July 16, 2007 Collaborative work Explicit Standards and Criteria Help Students Achieve Standards and Criteria Respect for Diversity Problem/Questions/Issues as Sources of Motivation Overhauling the Liberal Arts 10 Nothing new under the sun The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know July 16, 2007 Harry S. Truman Overhauling the Liberal Arts 11 Liberal Arts July 16, 2007 14th Century +/Birth of the University First stab at curriculum defining a knowledgeable person Not to be confused with Humanities Overhauling the Liberal Arts 12 Which is why we dress like this… July 16, 2007 Overhauling the Liberal Arts 13 What were the Liberal Arts? Liberalis vs. Servalis July 16, 2007 Education for a free person Overhauling the Liberal Arts 14 Trivium & Quadrivium July 16, 2007 Seven Elements Trivium - arts pertaining to the mind Quadrivium - arts pertaining to matter Overhauling the Liberal Arts 15 Quadrivium - Arts Pertaining to Matter Discrete quantity or number Continuous quantity July 16, 2007 Arithmetic Music Geometry Astronomy Overhauling the Liberal Arts 16 Trivium - Arts Pertaining to the Mind Logic (Dialectic) Grammar Art of Inventing and combining symbols Rhetoric July 16, 2007 Art of Thinking Art of Communication Overhauling the Liberal Arts 17 Trivium - essential to learning Grammar Logic July 16, 2007 Rhetoric Overhauling the Liberal Arts 18 Trivium Copyright 1937, 1940, 1948 July 16, 2007 Overhauling the Liberal Arts 19 Trivium July 16, 2007 I never know what I think ‘til I see what I say If we cannot construct meaning & communicate it, how can we say we have succeeded? Overhauling the Liberal Arts 20 Information Revolutions July 16, 2007 Writing Paper Librarians Table of Contents Alphabetic Index Printing Overhauling the Liberal Arts 21 Liberal Arts July 16, 2007 A response to an information revolution Creation of curricula and definition of essentials Overhauling the Liberal Arts 22 Modern Quadrivium July 16, 2007 Not my department Overhauling the Liberal Arts 23 Modern Trivium Logic (Dialectic) - Art of Thinking Rhetoric - Art of Communication Information Technology (application and resource use) Grammar - Art of Inventing and Combining Symbols July 16, 2007 Computer Science Information & Media Literacy/Fluency Overhauling the Liberal Arts 24 Trivium - the tools you need to learn everything else Grammar Information & Media Literacy Logic Computer Science July 16, 2007 Rhetoric Information Technology Overhauling the Liberal Arts 25 So what? July 16, 2007 Urgent Not Urgent Important Easy Choice Hard Choice Not Important Next Easiest Bad Choice Choice Overhauling the Liberal Arts 26 Computer Science July 16, 2007 Digital Natives acquire tool skills differently from the rest of us Knock out applications training and add this in Language (Java, C++, Flash, etc.) doesn’t matter Overhauling the Liberal Arts 27 Logic, Dialectic, Computer Science Goal is to learn the art of thinking Obstacles in schools Advantages in schools July 16, 2007 Trained instructors Expectation that students learn like adults Software mostly free (Alice, BlueJay, etc.) with small footprint Overhauling the Liberal Arts 28 Rhetoric - Information Technology July 16, 2007 Goal is clarity of communication Creating meaning in comprehensible means Extension of presentations, public speaking, clear writing, etc. Essentials are the same Overhauling the Liberal Arts 29 Rhetoric - Information Technology Advantages in school Disadvantages in schools July 16, 2007 Can use existing resources Good rubrics go a long way across disciplines Develops and exploits competencies across media Works with existing content “It’s not real writing” Assessment challenges for experienced teachers Digital Equity issues Overhauling the Liberal Arts 30 Grammar - Information/Media Literacy/Fluency July 16, 2007 Goal is to understand inventing and combining symbols Hardest to inculcate - and most important Skill from Grade 17 to Grade 3 in 5 years Many teachers do not have the skills Thank goodness for the librarians! Overhauling the Liberal Arts 31 Add it to the curriculum? Can’t be done July 16, 2007 And wrong anyway Must be a part of every class Requires enormous enrollment by faculty Overhauling the Liberal Arts 32 Information Literacy Advantages in schools Disadvantages in schools July 16, 2007 Librarians are great resources (if you have them) Administrators like the standards tie in Not enough librarians Perception that it’s an addition Overhauling the Liberal Arts 33 Sneak it in as pedagogy Big 6 http://www.big6.com July 16, 2007 Overhauling the Liberal Arts 34 Big6 Provides common vocabulary July 16, 2007 Lowers student learning curve Focuses on organization Encourages reflection Overhauling the Liberal Arts 35 Liberal Arts Context is easier to sell July 16, 2007 Back to Basics Terminology less threatening Overhauling the Liberal Arts 36 Time for the Important - Not Urgent July 16, 2007 The 21st century evolution of the Trivium Gateway to the rest of the 21st century Overhauling the Liberal Arts 37
