New 09.01.02
Rob Bingham has had varied occupations in the 36+ years since he finished his studies at Carleton. Now, he's about to embark on another. Along with his recommendation come the inevitable concerns about public relations and school teaching.
"I am hot and heavy into the job search part of changing careers into high school teaching,
"As I read these days, I am always looking for material that might add cultural realism
"I want to use a fantasy novelette called Luck by James Patrick Kelly from Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2002.
"It's about a small band of Cro-Magnon, posited to have been those creating the cave drawings near Rouffignac, France.
"The piece is 'scientifically rigorous' in its depiction of semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers.
"The tale depicts story-telling's role at perpetuating tribal wisdom. It tells of conflict and
"The problem I foresee is that some parent is going to protest the 'frankness' of the
Rob"
Rob, the story sounds good from my anthropological perspective. As for your "pc" concerns,
It's one of the reasons academic freedom is so important. And your anxiety is realistic since secondary
If you're going to venture into the arena of defending your choices of teaching materials you ought to
Good luck.
after three prior successful careers of different sorts.
to my scientific topics (earth science and hopefully, physics). I am prompted to recall
the matter of 'cursing' in Shakespeare. (perhaps the analogy applies to 'sex' in Shakespeare
also...) I fear being criticized for using material and styles that were taught to me as great
literature. Just guess how I feel about using new material, based solely on the fact that
I like it, feel it appropriate for my own children, and I believe it useful for my teaching.
Human use of caves, the geology creating caves, and environmental stress on the
dwindling mastodon population are each excellent examples of real world earth science.
trading between clans. It tells of superstitious ritual, natural medicine, pair
bonding and lifetime commitment. It speaks of 'lovers' rather than 'spouses', and
the love is real, essential to clan survival in its constancy through sickness and health.
In fact the story telling is so direct and realistic, I wonder if I will survive the act of
using it in class with "other people's" teenagers. I know for a fact that the students will
love it, giggle about it, and most important learn from it. It will be really fun for me
to drag them back to consider the science underlying the story!
author's presentation. Am I supposed to 'pc-emasculate' it, or just plain forgo the
risk? How about a tale of Kristallnacht with no pc-incorrect reference to religion-based
violence? Forgive my sarcasm, for it certainly would not placate an irate parent...
I'm a bit confused. It all seems to depend upon whose political correctness, if anyone's, you
wish to accommodate.
teachers have little support for that freedom.
have the support of the principal and some of the students' parents. And you earn those things with
experience, they don't come with the job.
Write Tell a little bit of the world what you think.
By Ken Wedding. 09.01.02 Updated 09.03.02.
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