Just wanted to add that Jerome Bruner takes Wayne's statement that "Education is humanity and will always be contextually and culturally bounded" a bit further when he claims that "human beings deliberately teach each other in settings outside in which the knowledge being taught will be used". The information that we learn and believe to be true may be offensive to other cultures and nations. The knowledge that we acquired at home or school is coming up in online in discussions such as here and in other online arenas. I would like to imagine what it would be like if we were all able to listen openly to words that may negate our pasts so that those who speak against our traditions may listen to us in return. Sharing our knowledge and histories openly may be the first step to peaceful coexistence. Stopping people from using loaded words as "denial" may not be the way. I don't know, but I feel that fearing to listen may do more damage than good. Warm wishes, Nellie Deutsch Sharing is Caring! Doctoral Student Educational Leadership Curriculum and Instruction Integrating Technology for Active Life-long Learning (IT4ALL) http://www.integrating-technology.com/pd Get ready for CO10 at WiZiQ: http://connecting-online.ning.com/ Free online workshops using WiZiQ: http://www.wikieducator.org/Workshops
On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 7:06 PM, Wayne Mackintosh < [email protected]> wrote: > Steve, > > Well said and excellent post! > > We have the age of enlightenment to thank for the marvels of nuclear > fission and the atom bomb :-(. Sadly, in a post enlightenment age we are > still struggling between the age old tensions between "science" and > "humanity". What have we learned? > > WikiEducator is a project which spans multiple cultures and perspectives of > beliefs. We are not an encyclopaedia striving for an "objective" view of an > article. I trust that our community will not succumb to the traps of value > judgements. I for one don't have the knowledge or experience to exercise > these kinds of judgements but have observed that these are informed by > contexts -- very often contexts that the "opposing" side will have > difficulty to grasp and understand real meaning :-(. However, by being open > -- I have the opportunity to learn how different perspectives can manifest > themselves in educational contexts -- becoming a richer person for the > experience. > > I would like to see WikiEducator resources evolve and develop from a > foundation of respect for humanity and an openness to listen and learn. A > community that respects freedom of speech. Education is humanity and will > always be contextually and culturally bounded --- hence the "objective > truth" is of itself an elusive construct. > > Cheers > Wayne > > > > > > 2009/11/29 Steve Foerster <[email protected]> > > The use of the word "denialism" to describe climate change skeptics is >> the most obnoxious tactic in political discourse today, and I would >> like to think that in a community like ours it would be entirely >> unwelcome. In the highly charged environment we have when it comes to >> this issue, where there is so much noise and the truth is so often >> hidden by melodramatic rhetoric on both sides, it is not only fools >> and liars who are skeptical of global warming, it is entirely possible >> to hold that position in good faith. >> >> Edward, if you want to point out how the science behind this works, >> and explain why those who are skeptical (1) that climate change is >> occurring, and (2) that it's human caused, and (3) that it will be a >> very bad thing for humanity, then that's great -- I for one admit that >> I could use a better understanding of it. But to repeatedly use such >> a term in a transparent attempt to morally equate climate change >> skeptics with holocaust deniers is hateful and divisive. Please stop >> it. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> -=Steve=- >> >> -- >> Stephen H. Foerster >> http://wikieducator.org/steve >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "WikiEducator" group. >> To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org >> To visit the discussion forum: >> http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> > > > > -- > Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. > Director, > International Centre for Open Education, > Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. > Board of Directors, OER Foundation. > Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org > Mobile +64 21 2436 380 > User Page: http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg > Skype: WGMNZ1 > Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "WikiEducator" group. > To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org > To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
