This is my Utne Reader/Journal projects page.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1998

Answers

I hope this works. The computer tech here at THHS said my computer should work today..She has been trying to fix the "disabled cookies" preventing me from accessing the Cohort III discussion page - I emailed Sharon Rosen and what she checked on that end did not fix things here. So I hope it truly does work and I don't lose what I enter!

Utne Reader Response #1 (JUNE 1998 issue)

In "Learning in the Key of Life" by Jan Spayde, the author uses quotes by and references to twelve different authorities on education, writing, philosophy, music, history, and the environment to support his claim that where and how one learns is not as important as keeping steadily on the task of learning, even when it's a struggle. I agree with many of Spayde's assessments of our educational problems, but I am not totally satisfied with his determination for a solution to these areas of concern. Spayde first poses questions on the meaning of being educated and looks at what our culture considers most important in order to examine the philosophy behind education. From his minimal answers in these areas, he states that because American education is currently training our youth for technological competitiveness, graduates don't feel prepared for such real world issues as thinking for themselves, coping with crises, and living simply as a choice and not as one's fate. While having specialized skills, these graduates, according to Spayde, have little capacity for creative reflection and rational judgement. To calm the rising ire of any readers who are dedicated educators, he then describes the ways in which formal education in the humanities is important for learning creative uses of the intellect and how technology is a tool to acquire knowledge. However, he contends that because technology is becoming the content of most of our formal education, Americans are not acquiring the aesthetic, spiritual, and social meaning of life. Spayde therefore concludes that knowledge in these areas must come from the substitutions for school - from the real life experiences of hiking in the woods, friendships, walking down the streets, museums, poetry classes at the Y, online explorations, casual (not required) readings, and conversations in others' homes. "The world's a classroom," he explains. Furthermore, since we can't learn what we don't love and yet we always find time for what we do love, we should read only from passion, not discipline. According to Spayde, acquiring additional knowledge after the completion of formal school, one needs not to tackle Tolstoy, Voltaire, or Shakespeare. One needs only to experience the "genuine" education "in the streets." Self-education doesn't have to be a chore, Spayde concludes. I don't think our education is too specialized, but rather too generalized. Compare the amount of time spent each day in high schools on non-academics in our country to schools in Europe and Asia, and the difference is astounding. One reason for the loss of actual academic teaching time, it seems to me, is that educators are increasingly being asked or are told to take on the role of the family, of trying to teach the values, responsibilities, and social skills that should be learnned in the home, of forming one's "base" which was previously acquired from one's family. And that, in my opinion, is what's causing each generation to have less of a sense of their individual and of their American essence or soul. I agree with Spayde's comments on how learning is done best when it comes from the heart. I try to develop in my students a love for reading, writing, and discussion in all areas of the humanities ans sciences. From my perspective, reading and writing are becoming lost arts; we need to do more, not less. Being "in the streets" is where we put our acquired knowledge from formal education to work. If young people can't do this, it's from "laziness" - not from a lack of formal instruction in judgement forming but from modeling in the family. I do not see how mastering a list of Great Books is bad. We need the exposure to them. This list is a legacy from the past. These extraordinary thoughts and ideas are expressions of how individuals have experienced and interpreted life. By reading as many as we can and by taking higher level classes to open our minds to their interpretations and applications by those trained to teach these strategies, we learn to reflect on our own experiences. I feel Spayde is close to stating that atempting a challenge is a chore. I would advocate that the path for keeping steadily on the task of learning include a continuation of formal education. I'm sure Spayde means well and is encouraging those who would say they haven't the time to take further formal education to seek intellectual growth from substitutions. But I feel people need to prioritize their lives toward what's really important in order to seek the development of the aesthetic, spiritual, and social meaning of life. To someone who prioritizes daily in order to juggle a full-time job in education, instruction one night a week to young people needing makeup credits for a high school diploma, housework and supervision of my two children, quality time towards maintaining a relationship with my boyfriend, and two college graduate classes, Spayde's article borders on bashing formal education.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 1998

Utne Reader Response #2 (August 1998 issue)

I enjoy reading book reviews; I keep a list of book titles with notations about their authors and content as a reference for gift ideas, as a guide for my future spare-time reading, and as a directory for possible research sources. The book review article entitled, "The Feminine Mystic: One Woman's Quest to Reconcile Feminism and Spirituality" in the August 1998 issue of UTNE READER caught my eye not only for the above mentioned reason but also because it touches on aspects of my own search for self-discovery. Carol Lee Flinders' book AT THE ROOT OF THIS LONGING: RECONCILING A SOITITUAL HUNGER & A FEMINIST THIRST, explains how spiritual meditation can co-exist with one's feminist beliefs.

This article stated that while meditaion involves a discipline aimed at taming the mind, the self-denying disciplines of higher awareness can look all too much like the self-destroying subjugation that women have endured for ages. Is there something inherently anti-feminist about a life given to spititual contemplation? Spiritual seekers must learn to be silent, restrain the ego, resist desire, and remove themselves from the world. Feminism incorporates the doctrines of finding your voice, knowing who you are, reclaiming your body and its desires, and moving in the world freely, without fear. Both feminism and spirituality originated in the deep desire for self-knowledge and meaning. It seems as if Flinders' book offers inspiration and direction to those seeking to discover their true purpose in the world and to connect more deeply with themselves and the creative force around us.

I've placed this book on my list. aspects of my own search for self-discovery. Carol Lee Flinders' book, AT THE ROOT OF THIS LONGING: RECONCILING A SPITITUAL HUNGER AND A FEMINIST THIRST,

-- Anonymous, January 27, 1999

Hi Susan! This is Mary Chairs, the new discussion facilitator.

I have looked at your Utne responses 1 & 2. In regard to #2 would you e-mail me back a little more discussion. Tell me how it fits into the context of your work and what your colleagues/friends have to say about it. Your comments are quite interesting. I just want to hear a little more! I will reply to your #1 response as soon as I get my hands on the June issue of Utne.

-- Anonymous, February 09, 1999

Third Response to an UTNE READER article (Nov-Dec 1998 issue)

"Snacks for Brainiacs" by Elizabeth Somer is an article full of tips and suggestions for maintaining good functioning of one's brain. Rather than blaming one's genes or the aging process for diminished mental functions in the middle years, readers are urged to examine not only habits and routines in their lifestyles but also what and how they eat.

Suggestions include eating a light, carbohydrate and protein breakfast, eating four to six light meals a day, avoiding drastic calorie reduction, and getting enough sleep and exercise. Explanations are given for the importance of certain vitamins and minerals to the optimum functioning of the brain. I like this aspect of this article - suggestions based on chemical/biological facts. For example, antioxidants (vitamins C & E, beta carotene, and phytochemicals) found in foods like orange and grapefruit juice, carrots, wheat germ, and broccoli help prevent premature aging of the brain & nervous system. I also learned that iron helps carry oxygen to and within the brain cells and works with chemicals that regulate mental processes in the nerves. Iron deficiencies can result in shortened attention span and an inability to concentrate. Iron-rich foods that should be included in one's diet are extra lean meats, cooked dried beans & peas, dried apricots, and dark green leafy vegetables.

This is a valuable article for everyone, not just for teachers like myself. As we age, hazy thinking, weakened memory, and mental fatigue can happen so gradually we don't realize it. Following the tips and suggestions within this article, which was taken from Somer's book, AGE PROOF YOUR BODY; YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO LIFELONG VITALITY, can help us be effetive longer as educators, social workers, or counselors. This information when implemented into our daily routines can also help us live more vital and full lives.

Readers are also urged to keep their minds active with reading, traveling, and exposing themselves to new experiences. Failure to keep our minds fully engaged, or the problem of dfisuse, is a contributing factior in developingunclear thinking or even Alzheimer's disease.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 1999

Hi Susan: This is just a question on this commentary from the new discussion facilitator. Based on this article is there a cluster of things that can be done in the classroom to encourage and promote expanding our memory skills especially for those we encounter who are visual learners? Could you please e-mail me your thoughts? Thanks John

-- Anonymous, March 26, 1999

UTNE READER Response #4 (January/February 1999 issue)

In his article entitled "Breaking the Job Lock," Andrew Kimbrell, president of the International Center for Technology Assessment in Washington, D.C., proposes we search for meaningful work in order to reduce the stress that endangers our mental, physical, and spiritual health. He contends that technology has not freed us "from the toil of work" (47), but rather has brought about an increase in the pace or speed with which our tasks at work need to be completed. Kimbrell further states that we must re-envision work so that it nurtures the family, connects us to our community, and allows us to better protect our natural environment.

The remainder of the article outlines the path we would need to follow to achieve this transformation of our wage work from an insignificant job to a meaningful profession. He first examines the hisorical and sociological concepts and terminology concerning our physical and/or mental labors for wages. Although the information in this section is not new to me, I feel he effectively explains for his readers the differing attitudes, associations, and meanings for the wage-work words: job, occupation, career, vocation, and profession. These explanations support his claim that the first step in re-envisioning how we earn our livelihood is to examine what words we now use and what words we would like to use to describe our wage work. This establishes where we are in our attitudes and how far we have to go to create a new vision of our wage work.

The second feature in Kimbrell's new vision of wage work is that our society needs to replace the workplace values of speed, productivity, and efficiency with the personal life values of caring and empathy. He states that "we are still seen as replacable spare parts for the great machines of production" and that "we are all expected to work faster, waste less time, and produce more" (48). But we are not machines and extending understanding and compassion towards workers, in his opinion, would reduce their anxiety, stress, and depression.

Next, Kimbrell writes that labor unions should push for any components in a contract that give workers a sense of purpose and accomplishment, an outlet for creativity, and an opportunity for flexibility and better co-worker relationships. In addition, more people should consider pursuing self-employment as a way to find more fulfilling work and lives.

Kimbrell then asserts that "a new vision of good work involves pressuring corporations to make a firm commitment to the places where they do business and working to end the game of global economic pinball where jobs are endlesssly bumped from location to location. It also requires that we begin to value family concerns, community connections, and ties to the places we live above the financial gains of job mobility" (49).

Finally, the author urges his readers to examine what their wages really buy. Do we purchase things we don't really need to compensate and comfort us for the little meaning our jobs give us?

Kimbrell states that in order to find a profession that truly meets our values, we may need to be willing to earn less in order to have more time to spend with our families. In addition, we need to pressure political leaders to create national health insurance which would free many wage-earners to pursue part-time work or entrepreneurial inclinations. Also, teachers, counselors, and clergy need to be "mentoring young people to seek vocations rather than settling for jobs. Raising children, nurturing families, and volunteering in your community are wonderful vocations in their own right, deserving at least as much respect and support as wage employment" (49). Moreover, our educational system needs to instruct the next generation of workers and bosses about socially responsible business behavior.

This article made me wonder what makes a person today decide on teaching as a career. What advantages does he or she expect from the job? What does teaching offer that no other profession can give? In my various teaching experiences, there has been a diverse range of reasons. My colleagues and I have said we went into the field because of: status, family pressure, love of children, the fun in teaching, helping to build a better world, reliving childhood patterns, or desire for affection.

A large number of men and women enjoy working with youngsters. This experience can also be highly revealing. Many children, who are less inhibited than adults, make a teacher aware of the kind of person he or she is. One of the most positive aspects of teaching is that while helping others to grow, the teacher also grows,

Teaching also offers constant diversity and opportunity to experiment. Helping people learn is an exciting job that will utilize one's inventiveness, sympathy, and understanding of the social world and the particular problems of the children taught. What is more, the teaching profession provides for periodic leaves of absence for further professional study or for travel.

In addition, for the most part, teachers are part of the most respected members of their communities. They are looked up to as community leaders. Many times teachers lead intellectual discussions at town meetings and help in various city programs. An individual gets prestige in being a teacher--prestige that is not measured in dollars and cents. While there are exceptions and some communtiies neglect their teachers, most teachers are considered persons in the community who can be counted upon at all times to serve their fellow citizens when such help is needed. This is an intangible compensation that makes teaching worthwhile.

Another important advantage to the teaching profession is that today every state has a retirement plan. The existence of a retirement plan in an occupation gives the worker peace of mind and a sense of security for the future. When a person reaches the age of sixty or sixty-five or seventy and can no longer teach, he or she is not left without resources. The school system, through its retirement program, will take care of the teacher.

Teaching offers another important compensation--a majority of the nation's teachers now have tenure. Under tenure, a person cannot be fired unless involved in something illegal or found incompetent. It is another area of great security for teachers.

In addition to the long vacations, teachers have a pleasant arrangement for their classroom teaching. The average teacher is in class six hours a day, five days a week. Of course, the day doesn't end there; but with experience and good organizational and time management skills, a teacher's day can become "8 to 3." Teaching's "8 to 3" day with weekends off is an enviable aspect of the job. In addition, the various holiday breaks and summer vacation also compensates for the after-class work.

On the other hand, teaching does not have the highest rate of pay when compared to other professions, and there are often out-of-class work responsibilities. However, these conditions that may be considered disadvantages may or may not be such, depending on one's personality. What you are as a person will determine your happiness and success in teaching. If you are a mature, emotioanlly healthy person, you will expect certain irritations that are a part of living itself, and that exist in all human relations--whether you are a teacher, a nurse, a computer programmer, or any other kind of worker. These irritations may be considered disadvantages by certain individuals who cannot overcome them and are then frustrated by them.

For instance, a person's ability to become an integral part of the life of his or her school and to live in harmony with fellow teachers is important. Maintaining this quality is not always easy. Certain teachers may be unfriendly; some may act superior; the principal, department head, or other school administrator may do things or issue orders which are disagreeable. All of these things require stability on the teacher's part and the ability to adapt to such conditions.

Furthermore, some teachers feel saddled with an unusual amount of clerical detail that is not really their job. Others may feel defeated and fear that their talents are not appreciated. But here again a healthy outlook and broad viewpoint will help a teacher adjust to temporary situations and inconveniences. For example, there are days when I have a headache or am just not in the mood to cope with thirty different young peoiple every hour. When I have to face problems or when I feel the least bit of resentment toward my job or classroom duties, I can usually view things in their proper perspective.

Realistically, there are both advantages and disadvantages to teaching. Teachers do not make much money, but their jobs are usually stable and secure. Teachers spend long hours outside the classroom making preparations, supervising clubs or sports, working with faculty committees, and helping with community projects; but these undertakings contribute to the teachers' effectiveness in the classroom and help them become valued and responsible citizens of the community. Teachers live in a goldfish bowl of community attention and gossip, but they have many pleasant social contacts. Some teachers become bossy when they spend so much time with younger people, but most teachers delight in the success of their pupils. Teaching is monotonous work for some; but for others, it is highly individual, creative, and responsible. Teaching is hard work, but it is work that makes an difference in the lives of boys and girls and ultimately in the future of the nation. Other disadvantages of the profession include stagnation, children getting out of hand, and isolation. Yet I believe teachers in general find their work interesting, challenging, and creative, affording them an opportunity to earn a living in a subject field of special interest to them and giving them the immense satisfaction of being an important factor in the physical, moral, and intellectual development of young people. Good teachers receive great professional satisfacrtion from working with their students, their colleagues, and the public to advance the objectives of democracy and American education. I believe I have found good work, a job that matters, and a world where pursuing my passion pays the bills.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 1999