The following post by Bill Kerr
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
has gotten me crazy with his reference to ism's. I understand his reference but he makes it sound so undetached , I mean all the different learning theories in which he is referring to have significance in history. I feel his ideas where all over the place and it was difficult to get a sense of what he felt and agreed with.
Karl Kapp's blog
http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html
on the other hand seems more open minded and understands that learning is not to be encapsulated but that learning can be unique to individuals and that it is overlapping in theory.
As you can probably tell I agree more with Karl Kapp and find the banter in Bill Kerr's blog post characterless. Don't get me wrong everyone is entitled to their own opinion, if they make sense. Maybe it's me...
Jeannine:
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with your evaluation of Keer's work. He kind of reminds me of doctoral students preparing for dissertation who have a question, design and then begin searching for a theoretical perspective. Overall - it minimizes the importance of theory in grounding practice and research activities.
Thanks for a straight-forward comment. -
Your statement that the different learning theories discussed by Kerr on his blog "have significance in history." Do you think that Kerr failed to desribe or connect their importance to his own commentary? Also, how important a factor is it for you that you get a sense of what Kerr felt and agreed with?
ReplyDeleteWith regard to your review of Kapp's blog post, I am not quite sure of what you mean by learning is not encapsulated. Although i would agree that learning happens all the time everywhere, I am inclined to hold that there is a specific (formal) context in which learning and instruction generally takes place. I think of this as encapsulated but I recognize that you might have something else in mind.
Super post! A agree with your comment on the -isms talk about confusing, I guess one must be in that profession to truly understand it. It confused me also. Why must it be so complex?
ReplyDeleteI agree that Bill Kerr's post was not necessarily his own thoughts. It was more like a collection of thoughts which included Downes and Kapp's thoughts was well. I actually enjoyed the back and fourth of his post. It made it a little more interesting than just basic reading of ones opinion.
ReplyDeleteMarlon.
ReplyDeleteI do think it is important to get a sense of what the author is saying, otherwise it is uninteresting...By encapsulating I meant that it just doesn't fit nicely in a box and the content of the box surely aren't the same. If that makes sense?