Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Theoretical Versus Practical Questions

      You can always count on Cicero and other Greek philosophers to have the big ideas.  Once I got past the "Greek" there was a lot of relevant material in both Chapters.  Guess they had a lot of Kairos.  They certainly helped me with getting inside of my own exploratory process.  So much so, I shared the reading with students, expecting that some of them would also benefit from reading, "Stasis Theory: Asking the Right Questions."  My exploratory question is asking, "Is there a right way to teach English Comp?"  The light bulb went on when I read the following passage:

      Ancient rhetoricians divided questions into two kinds: theoretical and practical.  Some questions concern what people should do (action); but these are always related to questions about why people should do something (theory.)  Ding, ding, ding.  My question is a theoretical question but overriding the theoretical question, is a practical one: What is the right way to teach English Comp?

     I experienced even more clarity when reading the section on general and specific questions:

    Is there a right way to teach English Comp?
    What is the right way to teach English Comp?
    How do I teach English Comp?  (This really is my concern.)

    I also need to define what "right" means.. ....Well that's enough for now. Any more and I'd be writing my exploratory paper.   I'm thinking and this reading like most of them has stimulated my thinking gene.

    I am excited to see how many of my students will use to read the Chapter.  Some of it gets a little too "Greek."  But when you can get outside of the "academic rhetoric"  there are some useful questions worth asking.





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