(My seminar reading is done. Now I can blog.)
On this mild Wednesday in Annapolis I had my first experience with a full day. I had laboratory tutorial starting at nine o’clock through nearly noon, language tutorial at one, maths a little after two, and then the aforementioned football game at four o’clock. At my busiest, I don’t feel overwhelmed. Perhaps when I start working in town my sentiment will change. But I’m hopeful for an overall good, fun year. I don’t think the blessings will end.
More on my classes. This morning’s lab was full of wonder. We discussed some philosophical aspects of Theophrastus and of “science,” dissected parts of a magnolia tree at our own discretion to make whatever observations we would, and then returned to the seminar table for some introspective discussion. My beloved tutor, Mr. Kidd, admitted that any prolific research scientist who observed us in our “lab” would tell us that our studies had nothing to do with science. Maybe that’s why they call it “Freshman Laboratory Tutorial” and not “Science Class.” But it was fun, anyway, and I learned a bit more about myself. To leave you a hint of what caught my interest during our classroom conversations, I’ll type out this quote from my peer Ms. Allen: “We study science to establish relationship with the world we experience.” I’ll write out more on my thoughts tomorrow when I type up my lab journal, which will be posted promptly on this blog.
Language tutorial was interesting also, but I think many of my peers are missing the overall purpose of our studies there. They’re trying to memorize ancient Greek. But in truth it’s not a “Greek Class.” The purpose is to use language as a means of investigating the same questions that could arise in any of our classes/lives. Some poor, discouraged souls who sit near me at the corner of the table were fretting over memorizing accentuation rules and this and that, as if we would have a Greek proficiency test, telling us how smart we are or are not. St. John’s doesn’t care how well you can memorize rules. They care about how you apply what you do know, and how you use the resources available to make up for what is unknown. I encouraged them with a speech something like that, but not so longwinded.
And finally I come to maths. Though not as innately fun as my lab, maths tutorial was by far the most impactful of today’s activities. I’ll divulge some of the questions privileged enough to make the transitions from my mind to my in-class notes, some of which are related to the classroom conversation and others only related to the conversation within my mind:
On this mild Wednesday in Annapolis I had my first experience with a full day. I had laboratory tutorial starting at nine o’clock through nearly noon, language tutorial at one, maths a little after two, and then the aforementioned football game at four o’clock. At my busiest, I don’t feel overwhelmed. Perhaps when I start working in town my sentiment will change. But I’m hopeful for an overall good, fun year. I don’t think the blessings will end.
More on my classes. This morning’s lab was full of wonder. We discussed some philosophical aspects of Theophrastus and of “science,” dissected parts of a magnolia tree at our own discretion to make whatever observations we would, and then returned to the seminar table for some introspective discussion. My beloved tutor, Mr. Kidd, admitted that any prolific research scientist who observed us in our “lab” would tell us that our studies had nothing to do with science. Maybe that’s why they call it “Freshman Laboratory Tutorial” and not “Science Class.” But it was fun, anyway, and I learned a bit more about myself. To leave you a hint of what caught my interest during our classroom conversations, I’ll type out this quote from my peer Ms. Allen: “We study science to establish relationship with the world we experience.” I’ll write out more on my thoughts tomorrow when I type up my lab journal, which will be posted promptly on this blog.
Language tutorial was interesting also, but I think many of my peers are missing the overall purpose of our studies there. They’re trying to memorize ancient Greek. But in truth it’s not a “Greek Class.” The purpose is to use language as a means of investigating the same questions that could arise in any of our classes/lives. Some poor, discouraged souls who sit near me at the corner of the table were fretting over memorizing accentuation rules and this and that, as if we would have a Greek proficiency test, telling us how smart we are or are not. St. John’s doesn’t care how well you can memorize rules. They care about how you apply what you do know, and how you use the resources available to make up for what is unknown. I encouraged them with a speech something like that, but not so longwinded.
And finally I come to maths. Though not as innately fun as my lab, maths tutorial was by far the most impactful of today’s activities. I’ll divulge some of the questions privileged enough to make the transitions from my mind to my in-class notes, some of which are related to the classroom conversation and others only related to the conversation within my mind:
- How can a “finite” line be produced “continuously,” as Euclid wrote?
- Ms. Blits asked without desiring an answer, “What is the nature of mathematical things?”
- Isn’t equal a relational term?
- Is equal an intuitive/innate/common concept?
- Why do great(er) and small(er) raise fewer questions [in this class’s thoughts] than equal?
- Do we innately understand relationships?
- Are greater, smaller, and equal all invented concepts or discovered concepts?
Not all these questions have answers that satisfy me. Some of them do, but that doesn’t mean I should refuse to ask them. I’m in the process of great discovery, or perhaps great invention.
Now, with a head full of questions and grandiose ideas, I’m off to bed. Tomorrow I’ll arise refreshed and ready to blog.
Now, with a head full of questions and grandiose ideas, I’m off to bed. Tomorrow I’ll arise refreshed and ready to blog.
5 comments:
Is the language tutorial a kind of introductory/exploratory linguistics class? That would explain why so many students are struggling with the concepts- the schools in our country teach language as formulas and memorization in a vacuum.
The tutorial could easily bleed into a general linguistics class, but it really isn't even that technical. The assumption is that students understand the basic underworkings of English, and are able to transpose their knowledge of that to ancient Greek, with which we will translate portions of Plato's Meno for ourselves.
Most of the students are confused because ancient Greek is a largely inflected language. American schools don't teach anything about conjugation or inflection in English classes, so most students are simply lost on that side of things.
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