Teaching beyond words: ‘silence’ and its pedagogical implications discoursed in the early classical texts of Confucianism,Daoism and Zen Buddhism

Abstract

In traditional Chinese philosophy, silence occupies a pivotal position by not being merely treated as the absence of speech, but also as the transcendence of it. Silence in early Confucianism implies the timing, subjects and issues to which one should not teach and talk about, and in depth it also refers to the manifestation of utmost sincerity rooted in the nature of both human and Heaven. For early philosophical Daoism, silence nicely represents the ineffable nature and spontaneous status of the Dao, the mother of myriad things and the principle by which they were ordered. The Daoist enthusiastically proclaims teaching without the use of words and governance without unreasonable interference. The Daoist silence is also based on the clear realization of the inescapable deviation amongst words, thought and truth, and such stance was further stressed by Zen Buddhism which reveals in nature the sunyata (emptiness) of all existences and thus enlightens the way of direct perception beyond words. In result, silence comes as a significant pedagogical method and an ideal realm to be reached; it implies not only silence in speech but also stillness in action and limpidity in mind. It also suggests that in the pursuit of true meaning the preoccupied goals and methods should be finally rested on silence, only by which can genuine perception emerge naturally. Silence in traditional Chinese philosophy has inspired abundant negative–like yet positive–targeting discourses and practices; a comprehensive discussion on them can deepen our understanding of the nature of knowledge, learning and teaching.     

五年制小教专科课程建设的认识

五年制小教专科教育课程建设既要融入高等师范教育课程改革体系,又要从小学课程改革的实际出发,顺应义务教育新课程改革的新形势。构建“综合培养、文理渗透、四块结合、五年一贯、预专分段”的培养模式;突出学科思想和方法的教育;注重应用能力的培养;开发学生的学习、创造性潜能;大力推广现代网络、信息技术辅助教学;增加教育学科课程比例;提升学生教学能力的“大专性”和“学术性”。     

A/r/tography as a Pedagogical Strategy: Entering Somewhere in the Middle of Becoming Artist

A/r/tography is often considered to be an arts and education practice‐based research methodology, but this author explores a/r/tography as a pedagogical strategy that has informed the author's artistic practice and pedagogical experiments. The author tracks his own journey of entering into an a/r/trographic world and where that entering has positioned him as an artist and educator and then moves on to speculate a possible arts education as his a/r/tography contorts into conceptual doings. Walking is used as a concept, as a process or method to generate more concepts, and as an art form with pedagogical potential within several undergraduate and one graduate course at the author's university. The author also investigates alongside or in concert with the courses he gives. The author equates artistic concepts, like walking, with theoretical and philosophical arguments, assertions and propositions. Artistic processes are equated with methods and methodological concerns, even though these systems of inquiry and knowing may be idiosyncratic in artistic inquiry. And finally, an art form can be understood in research terms as a type of research product or creation, that can be an event, performance, or a continuation of these as write ups or presentations, that are shared with the general or a particular public.     

教师专业化与师范教育专业化

教师专业化是教师教育改革的一面旗帜,教师教育并不能取代师范教育;师范教育专业化是教师专业发展的必然要求,师范院校在教师教育中的主体地位不能随意改变;高师院校在培养目标、培养模式、课程设置、教育环境、制度保障、办学模式等方面的改革,必须以促进教师专业化发展为方向。     

关于本科小学教育专业人才培养模式的思考

本科学历小学师资的培养，是时代发展的必然。从五个方面探讨高等师范院校如何培养本科小学教育专业人才：改革招生制度、加强专业技能训练、改革课程设置、强化教育研究训练、深化伙伴关系。其目的在于试图建构一种较合理的培养模式，提高人才培养的质量。     

端正教育思想 转变教育观念

提出了端正教育思想、转变教育观念必须真正实现五个转变，即一、真正转变教育的价值观；二、真正转变教育的人才观；三、真正转变教育的教学观；四、真正转变教育的质量观；五、真正转变教育的社会观     

教育现象学视域中的教师教育

教师教育作为教育领域的一个重要实践主题,一直备受关注.在技术理性的主宰下,教师教育违背了教育应有的人文特性.教育现象学为教师教育提供了一种可能的人文视角.教育现象学是一门成人与孩子如何相处的学问.教育现象学认为,富于教育机智是其视域下好教师的标准,引导教师保持教育现象学的生活态度,增强其对生活的敏感性并引导教师逐步形成反思力是培养好教师的优化路径.     

Beginning secondary science teacher induction: A two‐year mixed methods study

Those who study secondary science teachers are often concerned with preservice or in‐service teacher development. Science teacher educators have acknowledged that this focus is limited, as the induction years of beginning teachers are an important component of teacher development. This mixed methods study focuses on the induction years of beginning content specialists, with the intention of adding to the literature in this underexamined area. The secondary science teachers in this study were followed during their first and second year of teaching in order to understand the changes in their beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and practices as a group, and as they participated in different induction programs. Analysis by induction program revealed that first year teachers who participated in science specific induction programs strengthened their beliefs, PCK, and practices. By the end of the second year, regardless of program, most of the teachers shared similar beliefs and PCK. However, the teachers in the science specific induction programs continued to enact more interactive learning environments that had more investigations and laboratories than did their peers in the other induction programs. For those who work with beginning science teachers, this study suggests that the induction of science specialists is an important area of work. It also explores the complex process of induction, and calls for more research into how beginning secondary science teachers learn and what types of induction experiences can best support beginning science teachers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 1199–1224, 2011