A Usable Past

A friend of mine sent me this slideshow from a presentation she attended at SXSW called “Universities in the ‘Free’ Era.” Even without the accompanying lecture, the slideshow raises some interesting points about how we can change the structures of formal education to accommodate alternate learning styles and new technologies. I don’t necessarily agree with all the points raised here (I don’t advocate abolishing academic departments, as I see merit in maintaining the modernist structure that a “History” or “Philosophy” department provides, allowing students to immerse themselves in the theories, historiography, and current debates of the field. However, we absolutely should not be limited by such demarcations. The brilliance of interdisciplinary fields is the ability to understand the intersectionality of theories and experiences across disciplines. You’re not going to be able to truly engage with issues of the Study of Women and Gender unless you are exposed to and actively engage with with issues in the fields of history, Afro-American, Latina/o, Asian-American studies, economics, biology, law, etc. Most interdisciplinary departments understand this and are rooted in a belief in the importance of teaching this interconnectedness.), but it’s worth checking out.

Enjoy.

I’m feeling pretty psyched for Natalie Randolph! She just got a job as the Football Coach at Coolidge High School in D.C. at the age of 29! Prior to this was a popular teacher in the science (yeay!) department at the school. Only “a handful of women” have ever held the title nationally, and Randolph makes it clear that this? Is about football.

From Feministing.