In Defense of Lectures

In Defense of the Lecture, by Mia Tokumitsu

Lectures are not designed to transmit knowledge directly from the lecturers’ lips to students’ brains — this idea is a false one, exacerbated by the problematic phrase “content delivery.” Although lecturers (hopefully) possess information that, at the beginning of a lecture, their students do not, they are not merely delivering content. Rather, giving a lecture forces instructors to communicate their knowledge through argument in real time.

The best lectures draw on careful preparation as well as spontaneous revelation. While speaking to students and gauging their reactions, lecturers come to new conclusions, incorporate them into the lecture, and refine their argument. Lectures impart facts, but they also model argumentation, all the while responding to their audience’s nonverbal cues. Far from being one-sided, lectures are a social occasion.

....

But lecture attendees do lots of things: they take notes, they react, they scan the room for reactions, and most importantly, they listen.Listening to a sustained, hour-long argument requires initiative, will, and focus. In other words, it is an activity. But today, the act of listening counts for very little, as it does not appear to produce any outcomes or have an evident goal.

No matter how fast-paced the world becomes, listening will remain essential to public dialogue and debate. As Professor Monessa Cummins, department chair of classics at Grinnell College states:

Can [students] listen to a political candidate with a critical ear? Can they go and listen to their minister with an analytical ear? Can they listen to one another? One of the things a lecture does is build that habit.

Discussion sections after lectures always reveal the expert listeners. They ask the best questions, the ones that cut straight to the speaker’s main themes with an urgency that electrifies the whole audience, producing a flurry of excited responses and follow-up questions. Good listening grounds all dialogue, expands our body of knowledge, and builds community.

maggy and milly and molly and may

maggy and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone. 

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
its always ourselves we find in the sea



E.E. Cummings

11 Traits Parents of Successful Kids Have in Common

1. They make their kids do chores
2. They teach their kids social skills
3. They have high expectations
4. They have healthy relationship with each other
5. They've attained higher educational levels
6. They teach their kids math early on
7. They develop a relationship with their kids
8. They're less stressed
9. They value effort over avoiding failure
10. The moms work
11. They have a higher socio-economic status



They value effort over avoiding failure:

Where kids think success comes from also predicts their attainment.
Over decades, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck has discovered that children (and adults) think about success in one of two ways. Over at the always-fantastic Brain Pickings, Maria Popova says they go a little something like this:
A “fixed mindset” assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens that we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled.
A “growth mindset,” on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of un-intelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities.
At the core is a distinction in the way you assume your will affects your ability, and it has a powerful effect on kids. If kids are told that they aced a test because of their innate intelligence, that creates a “fixed” mindset. If they succeeded because of effort, that teaches a “growth” mindset.

Most desperate parts of ourselves

I am God's treasure

Luke 12:22 - 34

Do Not Worry.
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the fields, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given o you as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."



Think about it: Jesus chose to give up his place in heaven to come to this Earth. Why? Because we are his treasure. He chose to be with His treasures. I am my Father's treasure!!!!

J O Y F U L L Y ----- E F F I C I E N T

For 2017 I want to be joyfully efficient. I want to know more, do more, accomplish more and the only way to do is to be remain in the LORD joyfully, and to be efficient in managing my time.

"I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty

I've got whozits and whatzits galore

You want thingamabobs?

I've got twenty!

But who cares?

No big deal

I want more"

Where is the Christmas warmth?

The past two days have been tough. I came back to Beijing on the 20th, after having spent a week in Shanghai with Tim. It's not the separation from Tim that has been feeling so bummed. It's the fact that Christmas is right around the corner and I don't feel the warmth & joy that Christmas is supposed to bring....

Yesterday during our neurology rotation, we were brought to a medical room where there were 5 patients, all of whom were suffering from various degrees of brain haemorrhage. It was tough. They reminded me of gong gong, especially of the time that he spent in the hospital. It was the persistent cough that seemed to be uncontrollable, it was the feeding tubes that went in through their nose. It was the huge amount of phlegm in their mouths, it was the pillow placed on the side of their movement-less body. It was tough.

To aggravate certain pathological signs on the old lady that we were carrying on the medical checkup on, our teacher repeatedly aggravated the patient. It was so painful to watch and I had to step out for a moment to let loose a few tears. It was tough.

I don't know if I'm being overly sensitive, but I also feel ghosted by my two good friends. (Side note: are they my good friends? What does it say about our relationship when after university is over I don't think I'll miss them all them much?) It's almost a "what goes around comes around" situation. On one hand I am unable to join them, but on the other hand they did not attempt to invite me. I know my joy comes from God, and I know the quality of my life is entirely dependent on God. It does not matter what others say or do, but it does hurt because I don't know what I did wrong, or what went wrong where.

I wish I had good Christian sisters here in Beijing. I wish Ling Han and Kristi were still around. I wish I didn't always have to say goodbye to people in Beijing. I wish I had people who understood the true meaning of Christmas around, to celebrate Christmas with me.

Lord, in the meantime, would you please fill the hole in my heart?