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A Liberal Decalogue: Bertrand Russell’s 10 Commandments of Teaching

A Liberal Decalogue: Bertrand Russell’s 10 Commandments of Teaching
by Maria Popova “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.” British philosopher, mathematician, historian, and social critic Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872–February 2, 1970) endures as one of the most intellectually diverse and influential thinkers in modern history, his philosophy of religion in particular having shaped the work of such modern atheism champions as Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Richard Dawkins. From the third volume of The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell: 1944-1969 comes this remarkable micro-manifesto, entitled A Liberal Decalogue (public library) — a vision for responsibilities of a teacher, in which Russell touches on a number of recurring themes from pickings past — the purpose of education, the value of uncertainty, the importance of critical thinking, the gift of intelligent criticism, and more. The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell is a treasure trove of wisdom in its entirety — highly recommended.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/05/02/a-liberal-decalogue-bertrand-russell/

Three Minute Philosophy THREE MINUTE PHILOSOPHY is an animated web series designed to explain philosophical ideas in a way that even your Mum can understand them. Each video will explore the ideas of one or two philosophers and their impact on the tradition of thought in approximately three minutes. We're working chronologically here so if you're still holding out for Nietzsche then it's probably wise to defer your degree and take a holiday in Scotland or somewhere. Heraclitus and Parmenides Two guys who butted heads in really ancient Greece about the nature of time and physical reality.

Research & Writing Online Research Why Online Research? Primary sources — the heart of historical analysis — are increasingly available on the Web and will become predominantly digitally based in the future. Furthermore, as conventional, print-based text gives way to screen-based “multimodal” communication, the historian of the 21st century will be as likely to encounter multimedia primary sources as print-based ones. 10 Rules for Students and Teachers (and Life) by John Cage and Sister Corita Kent by Maria Popova “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.” Action Philosophers: Two Millennia of Philosophy in Comic Form by Maria Popova John Stuart Mill meets Peanuts, or how to handle mummies like Carl Jung. Graphic nonfiction has established itself as a storytelling medium for educational entertainment and entertaining education, from the history of the atomic bomb to the life and times of Hunter S. Thompson to the Zen of Steve Jobs. Action Philosophers!

10 Great Ideas Someone Should Invent This article might change your life or make you rich. It’s time to save the world. There’s a lot of bad news out there. Rising unemployment, soldiers being replaced in their jobs by drones that kill babies, a new housing crisis that will end all housing crises, who is the real father of Kim Kardashian’s child, and on and on. Meanwhile, many futurists are at work on “what’s new for 2013?”

Eastern Philosophy Explained with Three Animated Videos by Alain de Botton's School of Life “Among the founders of religions,” writes Walpola Rahula in his book What the Buddha Taught, “the Buddha…was the only teacher who did not claim to be other than a human being, pure and simple. […] He attributed all his realization, attainment and achievements to human endeavor and human intelligence.” Rahula’s interpretation of Buddhism is only one of a great many, of course. In some traditions, the Buddha is miraculous and more or less divine. But this quote sums up why the generally non-theistic system of Eastern thought is often called a psychology or philosophy rather than a religion. With the video above, Alain de Botton—whose School of Life has recently brought us a survey of Western philosophers—begins his introduction to Eastern thought with Buddhism.

Tech Tools by Subject and Skills Every year, so many new technology tools for teachers are launched into the market that it can be nearly impossible to keep up with them all. In order to keep you up-to-date with the latest and greatest educational tech tools, our team of edtech specialists has put together this list of the best edtech resources and technology tools for teachers. Clicking on the links below will take you to hundreds of apps, websites, extensions, and more. Whether you're looking for a specific tech tool or just trying to find something new and interesting for your class, we encourage you to browse around all of the different categories to see how many wonderful resources are available for your students. Also, if you have a tool that you'd like to see added to the list, please feel free to contact us at admin@edtechteacher.org. The following technology tools for teachers have been organized by academic subjects, topics, and learning activity.

The Role of Intuition and Imagination in Scientific Discovery and Creativity: A 1957 Guide by Maria Popova “Those who do not know the torment of the unknown cannot have the joy of discovery.” Last week, we took in some timeless vintage wisdom on the role of serendipity and chance-opportunism in creativity and scientific discovery, culled from the 1957 gem The Art of Scientific Investigation (public library; public domain) by Cambridge University animal pathology professor W. I. Critical thinking critical to teaching - The Drum Opinion Find More Stories Critical thinking critical to teaching Damon Young Quest to Learn Quest to Learn supports all students in the pursuit of academic excellence, social responsibility, respect for others, and a passion for lifelong learning. The school is committed to seeing every student achieve the excellence required for college and career, and enabling every student to develop the skills and habits of mind needed to navigate successfully today's increasingly complex, information-rich global world. Quest to Learn supports a uniquely vibrant learning community that brings together students, educators, game designers, curriculum specialists and parents. This community is committed to student success with a singular focus, but also recognizes that student success ultimately depends on the commitment of each and every community member to his or her own continuous learning and participation. The learning community Quest to Learn supports extends far beyond the walls of the school, deep into the cultural fabric of the New York City, and beyond, across the globe.

A History of Ideas: Animated Videos Explain Theories of Simone de Beauvoir, Edmund Burke & Other Philosophers The UK’s Open University has become a dependable source of very short, online video introductions to all sorts of things, from weighty subjects like religion, economics, and literary theory to lighter, but no less interesting fare like the art and science of bike design. With breezy tone and serious intent, their animated “60-Second Adventures” make seemingly arcane academic ideas accessible to laypeople with no prior background. Now they’ve teamed up with writer and BBC broadcaster Melvyn Bragg of In Our Time fame for a series of video shorts that run just a little over 60 seconds each, with animations by Andrew Park of Cogni+ive, and narration by comedic actor Harry Shearer from Spinal Tap, The Simpsons, and, most recently, Nixon’s the One. Drawn from Bragg’s BBC 4 radio program “A History of Ideas,” the shorts introduce exactly that—each one a précis of a longstanding philosophical problem like Free Will vs. Determinism (top) or the Problem of Evil (above). Related Content:

Gaps & Silences Gaps & Silences Who? Pierre Macherey Maira Kalman on Identity, Happiness, and Existence by Maria Popova “How are we so optimistic, so careful not to trip and yet do trip, and then get up and say OK?” In this wonderful short video, Maira Kalman — the remarkable artist, prolific author, unmatched storyteller, and one of my favorite hearts and minds in the world — shares some wisdom on identity, happiness, and existence. Watch and take notes. The idea that you’d have to say ‘goodbye’ to all this — even though it’s infuriating and maddening and frightening and horrible, some of the time — is even more infuriating and maddening and horrible: How do you spend this time without perpetually being so broken-hearted about saying the eventual goodbye?

MTO 5.3: Buhler, James, Review of Roger Scruton Volume 5, Number 3 May, 1999 Copyright � 1999 Society for Music Theory James Buhler* Review of Roger Scruton, The Aesthetics of Music Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997. KEYWORDS: Scruton, aesthetics, criticism, analysis. Commentary/mto-talk

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