1. Watch my lecture on
Education.
(Links to an external site.)
and enjoy me talking about my cat!
2. Watch Ken Robinson's TED talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
(Links to an external site.)
3. Watch Precious Knowledge
(Links to an external site.)
on Kanopy (access through Foothill Library).
4. Then watch my lecture on Religion.
(Links to an external site.)
5. Finally, watch Jesus Camp
(Links to an external site.)
on YouTube.
6. For your module reflection,
From my lecture on education,
What is education for? What do you think it should be for?
What is your opinion of online education? If you could take this class face-to-face, how would it be different? Would it be better? Worse? Why?
From Ken Robinson's TED talk: Feel free to address anything you'd like but here are some questions to ponder:
What in this talk resonated with you in terms of your own education? Were there ways in which your talents were stamped out?
I think one of the most profound thing he says is, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Are you afraid of being wrong? In what ways does this fear hold you back?
Think of your choice of a major. Did you choose this major for economic reasons? Or because you have a passion for the topic? Both? Some other reason?
Robinson argues that, since we have no idea what the future looks like, that we need an education system that develops students' creative capacities. In what ways will this focus on creativity prepare children for the future?
Precious Knowledge: Central to the debate on Ethnic Studies is the question of what education is for, and I proposed three competing answers in lecture (Placing students in the capitalist system, changing society, and preserving the culture). Why do you think there is such a debate about Ethnic Studies, particularly outside of California? In what ways would inclusion of Ethnic Studies curriculum change American society? Would this be a positive change or not? Refer to the people in Precious Knowledge in your answer.
My lecture on Religion and Jesus Camp
Can you identify any of the functions of religion from Jesus Camp? Give specific examples.
Make sure you include the readings in your reflection:
A Sociology Experiment, Ch. 9, "Sociology of Education"
A Sociology Experiment, Ch. 10, "Sociology of Religion"
Readings for Sociology, Ch.12, From Amish Society
Readings for Sociology, Ch.42, From The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (Make sure you listen closely to lecture-- it will make this reading much easier to understand).
Readings for Sociology, Ch.43, “Politicized Evangelicalism and Secular Elites”