A Colloquium Visit & Writing as a Way to Preserve Knowledge

I attended my first colloquium on Feb. 1. It actually seemed pretty "friendly" despite all the pressures. The thought of it seemed very scary, but the audience was very supportive during the process. The questions asked did not seem to harsh. The presenter was an assistant professor of early childhood education in a southern state. Her work in early childhood education includes using the visual arts in the classroom on a regular basis. Her study that she reported on included the use of an actual artist within the classroom and the impacts that it had on both the students and teachers involved. She reported using small groups; extended work time; non-traditional art media such as India ink; art viewing and targeted aims that related to artistic skills and dispositions. She says that a teacher should know their students at a deep level. Another point she made is that she feels you should not tell people what to think; rather, tell people how to think. Overall, she was a very enthusiastic, dynamic educator with an impressive presentation.

Bazerman and Rogers' "Writing and Secular Knowledge Outside Modern European Institutions" was an interesting look at the history of the invention of writing. It is amazing to me how the world has found writing as a means to record knowledge referred to as ". . . concepts and information shared with other people. . . " (Bazerman & Rogers, p. 143). Early writing uses include recording secular knowledge and knowledge about particular laws of a region. Reading about how only the elite, wealthy, educated (especially male) people had access to print makes me think how luckily we are to have the freedom to read what we wish (for the most part!). If only illiterate individuals would begin to realize the power of literacy and its potential to unlock doors. What a privilege to be able to read what others (themselves included) have written!

I found it rather fascinating that "in Vedas, education was defined as the transmission of life from life to life: 'Every literary man of ancient Indian was himself a living library, so to speak each man a book' (Mookerji, 1969, p. 78)" (Bazerman & Rogers, 2008, p. 148). What a great way to look at the knowledge of man. . . perhaps we should interview and record more elderly people's stories in our world today before it is too late to hear their stories. There's probably a lot of interesting, historical information to be written!

This also makes me wonder how certain publications came to be so popular and survive for long periods of time, compared to others that did not seem to withstand the hands of time. Some are reportedly still being used today such as the Bible, farmer's calendars and even Needham's Science and Civilization. Certainly writing has evolved over time and still continues to serve as a way to share information across the world.