I know.. when I was involved it was a different situation when i was growing up and yeah there is a strange greed for money when you start looking at it ..it leaves one wondering if it is not the libido of modern society.
On Sun, Feb 17, 2013 at 1:15 AM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > We still hear things like 'we must put the students first' - but these > are now said by the scoundrels who could never mean it Allan. Tom > Sharpe's farces were always 'true' and the TV series 'A Very Peculiar > Practice' was spot on - but we could laugh things off then, fix our > own external examiners so we could teach other than the rot in > textbooks and encourage students to find their own level and (in part) > themselves. Students would come into my classes from all over the > university to experiment and enjoy. My classes were full and > essentially student-led. Now you are expected to teach about 10 > chapters of a textbook in a module, often to students bright enough to > know the material is rot. Standards are dire. I have no idea where > the money from fees goes and the social scene has more or less dried > away. Bureaucrats are everywhere ... > > On Feb 16, 2:56 pm, Allan H <[email protected]> wrote: >> doing what was right for the students that is where my dad went >> around with the university and department more that one tome.. >> compromising morality was not in the question as he would not do it.. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Feb 16, 2013 at 12:25 AM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> > I was OK with the university scene until 1995/6 - that's when fees >> > came in and we started recruiting masses of foreign students and >> > dropped real entry qualifications more or less to ability to mist the >> > mirror. It would be OK if the qualifications and experience really >> > did something for most students, but for most it means debt problems >> > and most would benefit lot more doing a degree at 25 +. The key >> > stats are that the only students who really benefit financially are >> > already from well-off families and the lack of really skilled jobs in >> > the economy. We could have moved to a model much more involved with >> > industry, but instead the way funding worked made it impossible to >> > keep up he work we already did in that area - really good work project >> > based qualifications were replaced by classroom taught programmes. I >> > obtained several million in research/project funding but saw most of >> > it wasted. At least in this new line of work no one gets stuck with >> > the debt bill. I have to requalify as my assessor certificate has >> > lapsed - I'm half-way through and pretty dreadful! Even on this >> > course I've noticed about half my fellow students have been taken on >> > without enough experience to get assessing jobs. I've already been >> > offered work and once I'm up and running Sue will do the course - the >> > thinking is that we would be able to do a day a week each after we >> > retire to fund some travelling. >> > It's not teaching that proved the problem for me Allan - more the >> > difficulty in doing what was right for students - I'd be quite happy >> > doing lab work with some. Thanks for the kind words Molly - if I'm >> > honest what I'd really like a crack at would be the banksters and >> > crooked politicians. Rigs has me right in this respect. I must tidy >> > up the novel so I can send you guys a copy. >> >> > On Feb 11, 12:49 pm, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> There is a much to be admired in your willingness to let go of the >> >> seeming crap and move into opportunities that seem to have more >> >> value. I use the word seem because, for me, it is always a leap of >> >> faith and I am rarely sure. Your recognition of the opportunities >> >> around you is also encouraging. I am with rigs, I doubt if your days >> >> will ever be uninteresting. You do seem to find it. >> >> >> On Feb 10, 7:11 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > I'm doing the assignments for my assessor certificate this week (mine >> >> > lapsed)- the course is hopeless but I need the ticket. The purpose is >> >> > to get work I feel is less of a rip-off than university teaching. We >> >> > muddle along! >> >> >> > On Feb 10, 9:12 pm, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > > Agreed. >> >> >> > > On Febng1:29 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > > > I have noticed, over the years, that much 'purpose' is something >> >> > > > else >> >> > > > - seemingly fabricated - as in mission statements as bad as higher >> >> > > > education institutions 'being about' providing high quality >> >> > > > educational experiences - something one could hardly think of as >> >> > > > differentiating one from another. In practice we seem to be limited >> >> > > > to making the same old mistakes with statements of purpose connected >> >> > > > with fantasy. We might do better to think more in terms of >> >> > > > structuring opportunities to nurture each other. >> >> >> > > > On 10 Feb, 15:30, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > > > > I think purpose is relevant to us, until it is not, like cause and >> >> > > > > effect is important until, it is not. >> >> >> > > > > On Feb 9, 10:42 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > > > > > That seems about right ID10. The world is perspectival - all >> >> > > > > > sorts of >> >> > > > > > stuff is justified from this perspective and that - many >> >> > > > > > societies >> >> > > > > > have lived with slavery justified and so on. All of us are >> >> > > > > > brought up >> >> > > > > > to believe one parochial set of beliefs or another. There >> >> > > > > > seems to >> >> > > > > > have been a time before human perspective. I think science has >> >> > > > > > more >> >> > > > > > or less told us our purpose is to develop technology to leave >> >> > > > > > the >> >> > > > > > planet - but this is purpose limited by assumptions it's better >> >> > > > > > to >> >> > > > > > survive than not. It leaves open wider questions of purpose >> >> > > > > > that we >> >> > > > > > might gather along the way or give up on. I'm not keen on >> >> > > > > > purpose >> >> > > > > > gained from religious faith or faith in one's country - we all >> >> > > > > > turn >> >> > > > > > out to have lots to be ashamed of in these respects. I'm >> >> > > > > > fairly sure >> >> > > > > > no that human purpose is now largely irrelevant and our future >> >> > > > > > lies in >> >> > > > > > machine life. >> >> > > > > > . >> >> >> > > > > > On Feb 9, 11:31 am, "[email protected]" >> >> >> > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > > > > Does the concept of purpose apply to species lower than >> >> > > > > > > humans or only to humans? If it does apply then at what level >> >> > > > > > > does it stop, sheep, fish, plans? And in case it stops at >> >> > > > > > > some level or ronly applies to humans is this definition >> >> > > > > > > based on the species having a spirit or a soul as some body >> >> > > > > > > may suggest, or is it based on having a certain level of >> >> > > > > > > consciousness? If it's based on the concept of a spirit or a >> >> > > > > > > soul then it's a matter of metaphysics and faith. If it's >> >> > > > > > > based on consciousness and we are talking in terms of the >> >> > > > > > > physical universe in which we live, then by definition >> >> > > > > > > purpose would be an invention of the human mind and it would >> >> > > > > > > be a matter of definition and how we view the world and view >> >> > > > > > > ourselves in it but it would be anything but a universal >> >> > > > > > > metaphysical thing on which we all could agree especially >> >> > > > > > > that it would look entirely different in the eyes of a more >> >> > > > > > > advanced species than our selves. >> >> > -- >> >> > --- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> > ""Minds Eye"" group. >> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> > email to [email protected]. >> > For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> -- >> ( >> ) >> |_D Allan >> >> Life is for moral, ethical and truthful living. >> >> Of course I talk to myself, >> Sometimes I need expert advice.. > > -- > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- ( ) |_D Allan Life is for moral, ethical and truthful living. Of course I talk to myself, Sometimes I need expert advice.. -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
