Thursday, August 6, 2009

Empathizers, Educators

I must confess that I tend to go against the new buzz, trendy book, film, fashion. Seems even a bit paradoxical as I work with Ed Tech and am always tuned to the latest developments in my professional area. However, I try to give books, films some time after the excitement of their release to see if it is really worth it exploring the new concept mentioned, the new aesthetic idea...

Well, all that because of the book "A Whole New Mind". It was very much commented when it was out in the bookstores. I thought I should get it, but only now I'm delving into its ideas. Perfect timing! Wonderful read for any professional.

One concept that is worth exploring in any workplace. The idea that we need more "empathizers". That's exactly what educators should be working on. What are our abilities as educators that cannot be outsorced? How can we be meaningful in this conceptual age that arises?

Will keep thinking about that...

2 comments:

  1. How do we emphasise with large classes of students?

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  2. Dear Sarah,

    I guess there´s no easy answer, but there are some strategies that could work, like having groups, establishing connections, trying to tap into different learning styles. There´s no formula, really, but now we even have the possibility to empathize in class using digital means to achieve that. For example, I´m sure that for a large group, having an online community for the group could be one way to go. So, if we had a Ning community for a specific group, I´m sure the connections within the group could strengthen. What do you think? Is it a possibility?

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