Comments on: We all know what works–but who will pay for it?

By: Who ever would have predicted this? : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:45:03 +0000

[...] I have argued here before, we know what works. And as Jonathan Rees constantly argues, technology is being used primarily now to cut corners [...]

By: Clickers? Excuse me: are we training dogs here? : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:27:53 +0000

[...] as I have asked here before, who will pay for it–that is, the technology of small classes we all know works. I guess it’s just so [...]

By: Practice, not content: the History lab : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:13:55 +0000

[...] Ah–but why should Shoemaker try to “reproduce the experience on a larger scale?” (Aside from university bugetary reasons, I mean.) There are no pedagogical or disciplinary goals that would be served by taking a seminar of 18 sophomores and turning it into a survey class to serve 100 or 250 students. Indeed, I’m sure that one of the things that made the course especially valuable to Shoemaker’s students is that they could take a class as a sophomore with a professor and fellow students who knew each other’s names and had conversations with each other about historical research. But, I of all people know what it’s like to teach at a large state school. It’s all about the F.T.E.s, baby–I get that, and teaching a History Lab course to 100 or 250 is a better idea than offering the same students standard survey classes. And if you could have one T.A. for every 20 students, it would be a dream. (For me, who has just one graduate T.A. for 123 students–kind of a nightmare, actually!) Still, as I have said before, we all know what works–but who will pay for it? [...]

By: Anything I can do, you can do better… : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:12:58 +0000

[...] and female students are least likely to do well at large public universities.” Well, duh! I think someone else made this point rather fulsomely nearly six months ago. (Rather brilliantly, I might [...]

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:55:00 +0000

Thanks, Rad–and thanks for checking in again at Historiann.com! Interesting thoughts on SLACs. As a graduate of an earnestly liberal and well-meaning historically white SLAC, I got the impression that non-white students who enrolled there were actually performing more of a service to the institution than the institution was necessarily doing for them. Others have written about this more eloquently than I have, but in sum, the institution could then boast about its diversity, without really having to change the way it did business. I think many SLACs are better than they used to be 20 years ago about giving more than just lip service to ethnic studies and hiring a more diverse faculty, but when I was in college, in the History department I studied in, everything (including even boring, mainstream American history!) was subordinated to Western (European) Civilization.

And, as Gandhi once said when asked about Western Civilization, “I think it would be a very good idea!”

(Rim shot.)

By: Rad Readr

Rad Readr — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:12:38 +0000

Well, I’m sorry to be so late to post here. I was swamped last week and missed historiann. A few thoughts…yes on more Latino/a content — should be woven regularly into Amstuds and Latinamstuds. Latinostuds may be the way to weave together the artificial division of the Americas, especially in those places or moments when the North/South divide wasn’t pronounced.

As far as elite education, I would caution young Latinos/as from attending liberal arts colleges and certain larger private universities. Most of those places were created to educate the white elite (as you point out) and they don’t respond well to fluid subjectivities. Usually, the choice is between buying the program or being unhappy. So, I agree, the goal should be to bring down class sizes at the large public univs.

Thanks for taking up an important topic which doesn’t receive as much attention as it should.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:38:39 +0000

Cool–I like the dog talking about his blog cartoon. I’ve seen T-shirts for sale somewhere that say, “More people have read this T-shirt than your stupid blog.”

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:15:06 +0000

Glad you liked the link. It’s actually courtesy of my brother, http://www.mutantpoodle.com/wordpress/ and there seemed some synchronicity between your posts as I read this morning.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:48:33 +0000

Susan–thanks for the link! I love it! And I agree completely with Rust Belt Intellectual, as well as with you about the “bargain hunter’s approach to life.” If I can borrow a phrase from Wal-Mart: “Always poor results. Always.”

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:13:17 +0000

Historiann, you might find this relevant: http://rustbeltintellectual.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-have-romans-ever-done-for-us_15.html