Professor Self 4/4/12

I read the following article published in The Guardian in February of 2012: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/23/professor-self-university-knowledge-value


There were two lines that stuck out to me the most, standing out from the rest of the predominantly expected article. One was this:


"I realise that the above may make it sound as if I'm more concerned with what I will get out of teaching these students, rather than what they may get out of me – but actually I believe the two are pretty much the same thing," followed later in the paragraph by "There is something mysteriously powerful that can happen when young, inchoate minds come into contact with older and more worldly ones in a spirit of intellectual and creative endeavour – if I believed in progress I suppose that's what I'd call it."


This is strikingly true. Each generation comes from essentially its own world. The younger generations have a newer world, full of new technology and new ideas. The older generations have been around longer and therefore know more and have more experiences. They, too, are experiencing the new world, but in a different way, as they are no longer as new themselves. When this young generation becomes the older generation, the new world will become knowledge, and a new new world will be in existence. There is also the idea of two perspectives - yes, the younger and the older perspective, but also simply the two different perspectives of two different people. People react differently to things. Different ideas come to different people. They interpret and understand things differently. In combining these various ideas, understandings, and perspectives, a fuller understanding can be reached, as well as a more complete idea. 


As a student, particularly in a group discussion-based learning environment, I sure hope the teachers learn as much as we do, or maybe even more. I hope our discussions give them new ideas and new ways to think about things, and that they will take what they have learned from us and apply them to later groups of students, who will then take the ideas we developed and passed on and develop them even further. This combining and enhancing of ideas is so important - it's how we have the world we have today. So, Will Self is right to be concerned with what he will get out of teaching the students. What he learns will benefit future students, who will in turn benefit him and other people. 


Self also says: "However, if I don't believe I'm helping my students towards a fuller and more empowering relationship with the world, then I'll resign." This is a very powerful thing to say. It suggests that he fully realizes the implications and importance of education, both in receiving and in providing it.