HW: Please interview some family members how and why you have the name that you have. How did you get your legal name? If you prefer being called a nickname, then ask about that as well. How did you get that nickname?
Then, we sat in silence. Sitting in silence was awkward and unusual for most of us. Some students felt the need to fill the silence with a comment or a joke. Clearly, this is not the way most of us are used to beginning a class, especially the first one of the semester.
Answer question 1: What’s happening here? What are all of the thoughts that came to mind as I sat here in silence?
Sociology of silence
I like beginning the semester like this for two reasons. First, I use this to show that most students already think sociologically, albeit in a simplified manner. Sociologists analyze groups of people and how the people are shaped by the groups of which they are a part. You have been a part of dozens of classes over the years. You have seen firsthand how these classes begin every semester. Nearly every class you have been in has started with the teacher standing in front of you and saying this is what you should or shouldn't do, etc... From participating in all of these first classes, you have begun to expect certain things from them. That is, loosely, what sociologists do; analyze people in groups and look for patterns of behavior and then analyze how those patterns affect people.
Unlearning what you have learned
Secondly, the silence is also a critique of modern education. Education is a social institution. Sociologists study institutions and how they affect people. This critique of education came to me from Bernard McGrane's Book The Un-TV and the 10MPH Car. McGrane makes the case that students have been trained to follow and become good at school - but not at learning. Their curiosity and excitement for learning has been squashed by a system that rewards docility and conformity. Rather than taking initiative for their own learning, students expect the teacher to provide them with exactly what they need - "Just tell me what to do," is the attitude.My class will ask students to engage in the learning; take part in the process. Our class will also ask students to share their own experiences and relate them to sociology. We all learn from each other. We are all both teacher and student.
Keep a beginner's mind, an empty cup.
Answer questions 2-5:
2. What is sociology? How does the silence experience exemplify
what sociological thinking is?
3. What am I trying
to reveal about education by doing the silence experiment?
4. If students are
not passive, how should they be active?
What does good class discussion look like?
5. What do you think the most important
qualities would be for someone working at Google?
Discussing Discussion.
If students should not be passive, then what should class look like? This post from the Everyday sociology blog explains the best way to learn new concepts.
It might surprise you to find out what the qualities are that Google now looks for in it's managers and leaders. And the cool part about it is that Google hired researchers with a background in social science (sociology) to help them improve.
"...the best teams at Google exhibit a range of soft skills: equality, generosity, curiosity toward the ideas of your teammates, empathy, and emotional intelligence. And topping the list: emotional safety. No bullying. To succeed, each and every team member must feel confident speaking up and making mistakes. They must know they are being heard."My class will demand that you exhibit these skills that researchers identified. It will demand that you are active. You cannot hide quietly in class and you cannot rely on a test to pass the class.
Course Syllabus
Download the course syllabus here. Note these important aspects of the syllabus:
Be open, present and prepared.
Other impacts of silence.
What are the other ways we have learned to be silent and passive?
Checkout teacher Clint Smith speaking at a TED Talk about silence. It is often our own silences that speak louder than our words. This is especially true in a culture that teaches you to be a follower; to sit down and shut up and conform. Watch that video.
Think about the speaker's message. I want you to find your voice. To learn who you are as a person and to learn to speak up for what you believe in in an educated and meaningful way.
A Little boy and an Old Man.
Finally, let me tell you a story about a little boy and an old man. That story, adapted from a Nepalese tale is here.
Self Assessment
Here are the class expectations for participation. Each week I will ask you to reflect on your participation in the class. Have you been open, present and prepared?
Takeaway
Literacy/Concepts:
Sociology
Institutions
Conclusions/Inquiry:
What do you think about the awkward silence?
Do you see how we set expectations based on our experiences?
Did you know what sociologists studied before taking this class?
Do you realize that students expect the teacher to tell them what to do?
Can you see how this crushes a love for learning?
What are subjects/topics you think would be interesting to study in sociology?
I do realize sometimes how ways of teaching crush the love for learning and create that expectations. I think it's very clear when teachers don't actually provide students with specific directions for the assignment. When there are limited directions, students get frustrated or upset because they're not used to such freedom. Since sometimes we're encouraged not only to find one specific answer, but also get to it through a certain way, there's a lack of freedom and variety. If there's freedom and students can find the best way possible they personally learn, which could make learning enjoyable, however, we're not used to that kind of system.
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