Ideas
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There are many, many ideas in this book. Some of the most complex
are embedded in Palmer's definitions. Click
here for a handout that lifts up some of the definitions I think
you ought to struggle with. Do you agree with his characterization?
Do you find it lacking? What do you think?
Many people, when they first read this book, think that he is arguing
for something like "everything is relative." I think,
however, that he is making a deeper argument about the utter relationality
of our knowing. What do you think?
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Feelings
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Often reading this book will elicit strong memories from people,
stories of times when their learning hurt them deeply or when it
liberated and empowered them. Do you have any stories that came
to mind as you were reading the book? What does the memory, the
story, tell you about your own learning and the way it has been
shaped and/or you have shaped it?
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Action
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Parker Palmer has written many wonderful books, but one in particular
that I would commend to you is The Courage to Teach. I used
some illustrations from that book to accompany my lecture this week,
but I would also point to his description of the "grace of
great things" found in that book, and particularly his description
of ways to shape environments that practice this kind of relational
approach to knowing. In particularly he has identified six ways
of doing this. I've put his quote on a handout (click
here) that you might consider putting within meditation reach
this week. (I have one on my desk.)
Meditating on some ways to implement these ideas is just one, very
small, form of action. What does this book move you to do? (if anything)
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