Polite versus Useful Knowledge

“his concern is in effect with ‘polite learning’, above all with a command of the classical languages of the ancient world and the knowledge to which this admits its possessors”

Focus upon Method

Its 27 years today since my first supervision of a capstone project. That year we were a group, supervising a group of students. The theme was informal ‘retail’ on the streets of Delhi. The energy, the dialogue, the rubbing against each other. The world was being set to rights. This year I am alone, supervising……

What then is “Heart Work”?

The cake box is empty, the Banana bread has been eaten. More Banana Bread needed Who are you As a teacher I have to remember the names of students. A large number of names. But because I teach in university, and because the students take my classes, they opt in and then the next semester……

Why are the notions of Temperament and Embodiement important in design education?

(this piece was written in March 2020, so very much a draft of a potential article. Warning; the text is mostly hypertext) How to think of the online pivot? And then it came to be that overnight academic staff had to start teaching online, the students had to start learning online. They said that Industrial……

Making Change, Realizing Goals

Its 2003, I arrive in Australia from India. I have moved countries to take over as Program Director of the Industrial Design Program. In December 2003 two things about the program in were significant: The program was not ranked highly globally The graduate satisfaction scores were low In 2018 things are vastly different: Ranking: In……

Is all Pedagogy Military Pedagogy?

… all pedagogy is military pedagogy to the extent knowledge and education are used as weapons. The scene in the film ‘A Few Good Men’ gives a great insight into the culture of ‘toughness’ within military academy. Nicholson – “You cant handle the truth” – makes the case for a particular form of enculturation to develop……

The Othering of non-western pedagogical practices

I taught a session that focussed upon an introduction to Critical Pedagogy. Stimulated I came back and had a read of Kincheloe among others. There is a lot in what he says – that speaks to our current tropes. I am located in Australia and often I hear mention of school education in Asia being spoken……

Critical Pedagogy

Image Source (http://www.wikiwand.com/pt/Paulo_Freire) Its 30 years today since I encountered, discussed and applied Freire in my teaching practice. In this period I have experimented with method, I have been in leadership positions arguing for Criticality and the Transformative in the design of learning events. I have in this same period seen the rise of the……