What bothers me is that most of those courses are echo-chamber courses that seem to assume knowledge of the "big" tradition of liberal arts topics. It's like having all frosting, without any cake to put it all into perspective. Those "peace" courses were laughable--especially the one about "non-violent responses" to terrorism. I can see the first day of class: "Okay, now, many of you are going to die in the lab section, but..."
What bothers me is that most of those courses are echo-chamber courses that seem to assume knowledge of the "big" tradition of liberal arts topics. It's like having all frosting, without any cake to put it all into perspective.
ReplyDeleteThose "peace" courses were laughable--especially the one about "non-violent responses" to terrorism. I can see the first day of class: "Okay, now, many of you are going to die in the lab section, but..."
I was so impressed (or depressed) after reading this list that I posted it too:
ReplyDeletehttp://californiateacherguy.blogspot.com/2006/12/certified-im-indebted-to-darren-at.html
See here.
ReplyDeleteThe Cornell class on "sex, salt, and coal" sounded like it might have a hope of being intellectually respectable...
ReplyDelete