Jul 25, 2016
(Tuesdays with Jane is a virtual learning series for those wishing to read or re-read Jane’s books and immediately apply their new learning to their workplace. In preparation for this task, read Chapter 11 of Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach.)
Immediacy: Teaching What Is Really Useful to Learners
Reading this chapter brought deep emotions: some trembling fear welled up from the bone-deep memories of that experience, the joy of dancing in the classroom, and the love of those brave folks who worked in war torn villages. I remembered with tears the respect I felt for the American staff and the Salvadorians who worked with them and with village folk. It was an honor to be with them for that short time. I learned so much from David and Maria and Carlos!
Few situations evidence immediacy as well as this one.
Some great lines from Chapter Eleven:
- “Since these folks and the people they served were in a daily life-and-death situation, everything we did in the six-day workshop must meet real needs.” p162
- “I asked that we first design our designing.” p163
- “This dialogue approach is a structured partnership for listening and learning, with clearly delineated roles.” p164
- “Perhaps nowhere in the world of education is the power of the backseat driver felt as in adult learning.” p165
- “…when a new person joins a group, it becomes a new group.” p168
- “Since it was all occurring in Spanish, my linguistic disadvantage was actually a distinct cultural advantage.” p173
- “In a quantum perspective, the context is definitive.” p174
A LEARNING TASK
What part of the story moved you most? What did you take from this chapter your own work?