On the unrepresentability of affect in Lyotard’s work: Towards pedagogies of ineffability

Abstract

This article explores how Jean François Lyotard reflects on affect as unrepresentable in relation to contemporary affect theory and specifically post-Deleuzian perspectives and non-representational theories suggesting that we need to invent new theoretical ways of addressing our more-than-textual, multisensual worlds. The essay leans on this conversation to make a political and pedagogical intervention into the terrain of addressing affect in the classroom. It is discussed how Lyotard adds his own contribution to the work of other affect theorists, who are not saying that if we find the right vehicle—literature, art, etc.—we can translate or represent affect, but rather that pedagogy is itself always already an affective event that exceeds representation. Pedagogies of ineffability, as it argued, are those pedagogical practices that do not fall pray into the rhetorics of standardization and homogenization in the name of ‘emotional intelligence’ or ‘effectiveness’, but rather invent affective spaces of learning in which educators and students are opened precariously to the unknown.     

'Do You Know Harry Potter? Well, He is an Orphan': Every Bereaved Child Matters

The needs of children who are experiencing loss in all its many guises including separation through divorce, death, war, to name but a few, are many and varied. Presenting issues may include emotional disturbance. In addition, many bereaved children have to cope with a vulnerability to physical illness. In some schools, children are offered counselling or specialist emotional and therapeutic support at times of bereavement. In this article, the author uses case-study examples and autobiographical material, to suggest that child-chosen play, art and children's literature can provide a vehicle for bereavement management and eventual resolution. The author argues that professionals involved in the care and education of children can work together to benefit grieving children.     

Academic Emotional Learning: A Critical Component of Self-Regulated Learning in the Emotional Learning Cycle

The aim of this article is to map the academic emotional learning cycle from a theoretical and practical perspective through the lens of self-regulated learning. Focusing on the learner, a further iteration of the emotional dimension of the integrated self-regulated learning model is articulated by considering within-individual components (i.e., the intraindividual system). Academic emotions are considered an important component of learning that, along with intellectual behavioral-cognitive goals, should be explicit targets of learning. An emotional learning cycle is presented, according to which broader affective inclinations––the expectation to experience certain affect or emotion––shape the relations between emotions and self-regulated emotions that occur during a learning episode. Strategies for self-regulated emotions are outlined in light of the need for more research in this field, along with proposed future directions for research and educational implications.     

Genetics with Jean: the design,development and evaluation of an affective tutoring system

This paper details the design, development and evaluation of an affective tutoring system (ATS)—an e-learning system that detects and responds to the emotional states of the learner. Research into the development of ATS is an active and relatively new field, with many studies demonstrating promising results. However, there is often no practical way to apply these findings in real-world settings. The ATS described in this paper utilizes a generic affective application model to infer and appropriately respond to the learner’s affective state. This approach brings several advantages, notably the potential direct support for re-use and retrospective addition of affect sensing functionality into existing e-learning software. Skin conductivity and heart rate variability measurements were used to infer affective activation and valence. The evaluation involved an experiment in which the effectiveness of the fully functional ATS was compared with that of a non-affective version, and was conducted with 40 adult participants. The evaluation of the effectiveness of this tutoring system showed that measurable improvements in perceived learning may be obtained with a modest level of software development.     

Student affective reactions and the teaching and learning of foreign languages

This chapter argues for the recognition of the importance of student affective reactions in discussions of second language learning and teaching. It is argued that language learning is a particularly intense and ego-involving undertaking which requires a positive emotional stance on the part of the learner. The chapter reviews literature on how affective reactions — particularly motivation for language learning, foreign language anxiety, and student beliefs about language learning — impact on the language learning process and makes suggestions as to how teachers can promote positive affective characteristics. As affective variables represent the learner's willingness to engage in the activities necessary to develop second language proficiency, it is essential that teachers make the emotional needs of their students an instructional priority.     

Depression,suicide, and the gifted student: A primer for the school psychologist

Growing up gifted often means growing up “different.” As schools struggle to provide appropriately designed interventions for student mental health issues, the role of the school psychologist is becoming increasingly important. In the present article, the role of the school psychologist is discussed, particularly as related to helping gifted students who may be manifesting symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation, and potentially suicidal behavior. Further, a holistic intervention approach is advocated and that accounts for four growth factors—intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental/contextual, and developmental. Importantly, the specific strategies discussed are designed to help the school psychologist in their many capacities of helping gifted students thrive. Increasingly, however, it must also be recognized that the role of the school psychologist has expanded in recent years, and thus many of the intervention strategies offered may require a team of professionals to effectively implement. Regardless, the strategies discussed are designed to help gifted students thrive in the school setting.     

大学生情绪智力与生活满意度的关系:情感体验的中介作用

以390名大学生为被试,采用情绪智力量表、积极—消极情感量表和生活满意度量表考察大学生情绪智力与积极情感、消极情感和生活满意度的关系。结果表明:(1)情绪智力与积极情感和生活满意度呈显著正相关,与消极情感呈显著负相关;积极情感与生活满意度呈中等程度的显著正相关,消极情感与生活满意度呈显著负相关;(2)路径分析发现情绪智力显著正向预测了积极情绪和生活满意度,显著负向预测了消极情绪;(3)结构方程模型建模结果表明积极情感和消极情感在情绪智力与生活满意度之间起着部分中介作用。     

After the Laughter

Abstract

We humans laugh often and it is not always because something is funny. We laugh in the face of the pathetic or the powerless; sometimes we laugh at our own powerlessness or pathos.In short, we laugh at both the comical and the difficult. Here I am especially interested in the laughter that is sparked by what is difficult and how that laughter—and all laughter—breaks through to mark a range of emotional states: fear, nervousness, shame, confusion and others not viewed as positive, as well as joy, delight, interest, relief and other states that are viewed as positive. I also am interested in understanding what and how laughter reveals and what and how it conceals. As I explore both interests in this article, I make a compound point about laughter in educational settings: that laughter marks a breakdown of experience and that same laughter creates space for reflective listening and thinking, for diffusion of difficult affect, and for the disruption of habit that makes growth possible (and even likely) if that laughter is taken seriously.     

Summer’s End and Sad Goodbyes: Children’s Picturebooks About Death and Dying

This article explores children’s picturebooks about death and grieving by considering both psychological and literary aspects. Two questions frame this analysis: How can picturebooks, particularly written for young children, support children’s grief when someone dies? How do the illustrations and text of picture books express and convey the aesthetic and emotional experience of loss? Using both psychological research on children’s grief reactions and literary analysis of picturebooks, this paper reviews picturebooks that have been published on the topic of death from 2001 to 2011 and then closely analyzes three books that span a range of topics and approaches to death. Findings indicate that children’s picturebooks convey important psychological and cultural issues through text and illustrations. Furthermore, understanding some of the psychological and literary features of children’s picturebooks that address death and grieving can help educators to provide support and understanding for children when they experience loss.     

解读影响第二语言学习的情感因素

学习第二语言,虽然一般认为学习效果的好坏主要取决于学习者自身智商的高低,但通过实验结果分析,情感因素也是影响学习效果的一个重要因素,针对该因素,提出强化积极性情感的一些建议。     

The emotional labor of doing ‘boy work’: Considering affective economies of boyhood in schooling

Abstract

Internationally, the research on the education of boys has sought to understand how social practices, behaviours and rituals contribute to identity construction. We are interested in approaches to the emotional labor of doing ‘boy work’. As educators grapple with the gendered performances and subjectivities of young men, there is an imperative to engage with the affective dimensions of boyhood. We explore what theories of affect can add to our understandings of masculinities and masculine identity practices in rapidly changing affective economies of gender and, specifically, what this may mean for relationships formed between educators and students. To illustrate how theories of affect can open up new analytical spaces, we present two vignettes from a program in the United States designed to support young men and boys to gain critical awareness of restrictive ‘gender norms’. Drawing primarily upon Ahmed’s work on affective economies, we theorize how attention to affective economies of boyhood can positively influence the work of educators today.     

Beyond Reflection: Perception,virtue, and teacher knowledge

In this article, I aim to vindicate the belief that many teachers have that their intuitions, insights, or perceptions are legitimate—and indispensible—guides for their teaching. Perceptions can constitute knowledge. This runs counter to some number of views that emphasize ‘reflective practice’ and teachers as ‘reflective practitioners.’ I do not deny that reflection can be important, but it is a derivative task, dependent on teachers being the ‘right sort of subject,’ having the ‘right orientation’ to their work, at the service of achieving that orientation. That orientation is a matter of virtue, where virtue is manifested in the capacity to read situations correctly for what is required to serve persons’ welfare, for them to do well. This entails that good teaching is more experienced-based than research-based. Ultimately, it is life experience that provides for teachers’ ability to see well.     

发展远程开放教育 助力智慧城市建设

目前世界各国尤其发达国家纷纷意识到智慧城市是不可阻挡的潮流并相继提出＂智慧城市＂战略,力争在新一轮信息技术变革中处于优势地位。在实现智慧城市战略规划过程中,人才、教育无疑是不可或缺的一环。本文从智慧城市建设对开放教育的机遇和挑战入手进行分析,阐释国内外智慧城市发展经验对人才、教育的重视,突出阐释智慧城市建设佛山模式,最后以佛山电大为例就开放教育如何助智慧城市建设一臂之力提出自己的一管之见。     

Editorial Introduction

About one in four college students report grieving the death of a family member or close friend within the past year. Although grief may be difficult at any time, there are several factors unique to the college age and environment that can make it particularly difficult. These factors include geographic distance from home and usual support systems, academic demands, college's “carefree” social life, lack of grief support from peers, and many college campuses' limited resources for grief support. Thus, grieving college students are at greater risk than their peers of a host of academic, social, and developmental issues. In spite of this “silent epidemic,” few targeted, supportive interventions existed on college campuses until 2006, when National Students of AMF was created by grieving college students to support their fellow grieving students. National Students of AMF primarily achieves its mission by creating Campus Chapters, which are university-recognized student organizations. They include a targeted, peer-led Support Group for grieving students to connect with others who “get it” and a Service Group that encourages students to channel their grief towards championing causes that have impacted them. Abundant anecdotal evidence suggests that students, especially males, who shy away from support groups and professional counseling, have found participation in service activities in honor of deceased loved ones to be a preferable therapeutic outlet. Campus Chapters also leverage the “student voice” to promote the other, often underutilized supportive grief resources on campus. Today, there are 43 university-recognized Campus Chapters. In this article, we discuss findings and outline several vital steps that university counselors and administrators can take to facilitate the continued growth of supportive outlets, like National Students of AMF, for grieving college students.     

高职院校学生情感素质培养问题探讨

大学阶段是人生智力和情感发展的关键时期,积极情感的培养关系到学生人格的形成和心理健康的和谐发展.因此,高职院校应从情感教育出发,加强学生情感素质培养的意识.学生情感素质培养应与社会实践、心理疏导相结合,全面发挥思想政治课教师在情感素质培养中的重要作用,最终为高职学生情感素质发展奠定良好基础.     

The Guide with the Tourist Gaze: Jewish Heritage Travel to Poland

Over the past three decades, travel to Poland for youth and young adults has become increasingly popular, to the extent that it is even seen as a “rite of passage”¹ for members of many Jewish communities. For these groups, the accompanying guides or educators are central to their educational experience. Based on a series of interviews with educational guides, this article sets out to understand the trips from the perspective of the guides. A deeper appreciation of the guiding experience—the guides’ goals and reflections—will enable a more holistic understanding of these trips.     

The school: Liberator or censurer?

The community is faced with an increasing number of children suffering from social and emotional difficulties. As all children attend school, this is a highly suitable place to examine possible means of identifying and helping children suffering from social and emotional difficulties. For the last 20 years most schools have lagged in their adjustment to the full range of needs of students. They act as a censurer by: domination of academic requirements causing many to fail; failure to meet the expressed needs of children; inadequate teacher training; too little help given to children and often too late; uncoordinated assistance within the school or with community agencies; and by not reducing peer abuse. The school can play a significant role in child development, but for the child with adjustment difficulties coherent assistance is rarely offered. The school can liberate by: recognition of the needs of non-academic children; recognition of the affective needs of all; providing affective training for selected teachers; giving appropriate curriculum time for a programme in personal growth and social relationships; by developing a multidisciplinary community agency which interacts with the school. A model is proposed outlining how effective intervention will break and prevent the cycle of abusive behaviour. This programme proceeds sequentially through each grade. Basically it is one of effective student group interaction in the presence of a specially selected and trained group leader. Such a programme contributes to change in school philosophy, and increases the possibility of the child becoming a more adequate adult/parent. Negative emotional effects of bureaucracy and the Australian school institution on children are discussed. This paper looks critically at schools, outlines some ways in which such abuse is manifested and discusses how the schools can become factors in healing as well as preventing abuse.     

Addressing children's life changes in the early childhood curriculum

Young children may experience stress from changes in their lives. These changes may be developmental, critical, or catastrophic. Early childhood educators need to establish partnerships with parents to help families cope with all three types of changes. Teachers can facilitate children's emotional expressions, build understanding through the use of dramatic play, provide a stable routine, monitor post-traumatic play, and discuss events that affect individual children, the entire class, or the community. Teachers can also serve as a resource to families by providing books for parents and children, and building a referal file of agencies and helping professionals.     

Children´s play and affective development: affect,school adjustment and learning in preschoolers / El juego infantil y el desarrollo afectivo: afecto,ajuste escolar y aprendizaje en la etapa preescolar

Preschool education is a privileged setting where social development and the progressive achievement of emotional adjustment occur. During this stage, affect plays an important role in social interaction. Furthermore, children’s play has been described as an activity with a great potential for promoting development. This article reports results from the systematic observation of 38 five- to six-year-old children in four different school activities on two separate occasions. A total number of 304 registries, totalling 1,520 minutes, were made during the observations, which were conducted with the objective of comparing affective expression in different activities and inquiring into its relationship to school adjustment and performance in preschoolers. It was found that affect’s intensity and quality is higher during play. Results are discussed taking into account positive relationships between affect and school adjustment and performance, concluding that children’s play is a privileged activity for affective development and should be promoted in preschool education.