The paradigm shift seen in technology’s impact on education is illusory. I test the hypothesis that the entire manifold of technical innovations is merely formal against evident reality, and it holds up. The human communicative apparatus has expanded, while the fundamental purpose of communication remains the same. Teachers have always been public figures. Now we are highly public: but the basic fact of being public is unchanged. Whether your words and actions are noted in wax on a wooden tablet, or immediately posted on U-Tube: it’s essentially the same thing. The difference is merely one of degree.
What struck me most in the class discussion was the idea of authenticity, a consciousness that one’s cloistered academic work interfaces with academia itself as a larger environment and with the world at large. At first glance, this interface seems more relevant in the sciences, including the social sciences, where non-academic applications are clearly at stake.
Latin, on the other hand, is the poster child for irrelevant. German and French and Spanish have immediate relevance given the millions of living speakers of those living languages, and world language as a field has ready application in the crucial role of language itself in society and the world. But Latin is a dead language, and it is tempting to keep it a cloistered subject for initiates only.
I see the interface of academic subject and broader world as parallel to the cognitive function of relating content to the reader’s experiences outside the text: it only really makes sense once it is brought into some kind of alignment with reality. Latin writings are surprisingly sophisticated on the whole, especially those from the Classical period. And the Romans were extremely—if not quintessentially—political. So something as seemingly remote to the field as the New York Soda Ban is in point of fact very close to the heart of Roman thought.
I designed curriculum that first has students interpret raw data to figure out how sugar arrived in Italy (in the Middle Ages), and, second, to compare limits on sugar consumption to Roman limits on things as diverse as freedom, tyranny, Christianity, and paganism. Please read through my plan and give me useful feedback. Thank you! Preston
This is how I would curricularize for Latin (as a unit over a few sessions) the article on the New York Soda Ban:
I. Students individually read hard copies of the article in class (10 minutes) with the following three questions in mind: (1) What is to be limited by governmental measures? [i.e. sugar] (2) What are the reasons for limiting it? (3) What specific limits of behavior are imposed? Brief teacher-led group follow-up discussion on questions 1-3.
II. Teacher explains that sugar was unknown among the Romans, hence there is no Latin word for it. But the Italians have had the word zucchero since the Middle Ages. Teacher provides students with a set of etymological and chronological facts, and a base map of Eurasia (an outline map) with the following four areas labeled: India, Persia, Arabia, Spain, Italy. Based on the etymology and chronology, groups of three reconstruct and date the historical path of sugar [from ancient India, through Persia, and via the Arabs into Spain and the rest of Western Europe]. Here are the etymology (from Webster) and chronology:
Etymology:
Sugar: ME sugre, suger, sucre, F. sucre (cf. It. zucchero, Sp. azúcar), fr. Ar. Sukkar, assukkar, fr. Skr. çarcarā sugar, gravel; cf. Per. shak(k)ar.
Key:
Ar.: Arabic
cf.: compare
F.: French
fr.: from
It.: Italian
ME: Middle English
Per.: Persian
Skr.: Sanskrit
Sp.: Spanish
Chronology:
753 B.C.: Romulus founds the city of Rome.
510 B.C.: Death of Tarquinus Superbus, the last king of Rome. Brutus founds the Roman Republic.
59 B.C.-17 A.D.: Life of Livy (Titus Livius), author of the history of Rome entitled Ab urbe condita.
c. 1 A.D.: Sugar used in India.
303-311 A.D.: The emperor Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians.
264-340 A.D.: Life of Eusebius of Caesarea, author of De Martyribus Palastinae.
438 A.D.: Issuance of the Theodosian Code.
711 A.D.: Arab conquest of Spain.
1150-1550: Middle English spoken.
1472: Publication of Dante Alighieri’s Italian masterpiece La Divina Commedia.
1478: Publication of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Middle English masterpiece The Canturbury Tales.
III. Using the projector, teacher navigates to an on-line original Latin version of the Theodosian Code, which among many other laws bans pagan worship. The class collectively translates Cth.16.10.0. De paganis, sacrificiis et templis. Incl.: 16.10.2: “Cesset superstitio, sacrificiorum aboleatur insania.” [“Superstition must end, the insanity of sacrifices must be abolished.”] 16.10.6: “Poena capitis subiugari praecipimus eos, quos operam sacrificiis dare vel colere simulacra constiterit.” [“We command that those who perform sacrifices or worship cult statues shall be subjected to capital punishment.”] Students are directed to the Theodosian Code on-line (at http://ancientrome.ru/ius/library/codex/theod/tituli.htm) and are directed to open TITULI EX CORPORE THEODOSIANO. Working individually, students peruse the Code and find laws that ban other behaviors. They translate phrases and short passages from their chosen selection.
IV. As homework assignments, students are directed to read distributed hard copies of the following short Latin texts. For each text, students write an answer to the same three questions as posed in reference to the article on the New York Soda Ban: (1) What is to be limited by governmental measures? (2) What are the reasons for limiting it? (3) What specific limits of behavior are imposed? The texts:
a. Livy’s Ab urbe condita I..xlix. [Livy’s description of the repressive rule of archaic Rome’s last monarch, Tarquinus Superbus]. Additional questions: What does Livy mean when he writes that Tarquin governed “domesticis consiliis” (“from his basement”)? To what extent might you detect this style of governance at play in the New York Soda Ban (or not)? [In Livy, freedom is banned via tyrannical measures.]
b. Ab urbe condita I.lix. [suicide of Lucretia, Brutus’ vow to rid Rome of monarchy “by fire and sword”] and i.lx. [Brutus establishes the Republic, end of Book I]. [Here monarchy is banned.]
c. Latin excerpt from Eusebius of Caesarea’s De Martyribus Palastinae describing Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians. [Translated sample: The first of the martyrs of Palestine was Procopius, who, before he had received the trial of imprisonment, immediately on his first appearance before the governor's tribunal, having been ordered to sacrifice to the so-called gods, declared that he knew only one to whom it was proper to sacrifice, as he himself wills. But when he was commanded to offer libations to the four emperors, having quoted a sentence which displeased them, he was immediately beheaded. The quotation was from the poet: “The rule of many is not good; let there be one ruler and one king.”]
d. Theodosian Code XVI [banning paganism].
V. In class, groups of three students make continuum diagrams in response to the following questions:
a. Where would your group locate on a spectrum ranging from harmful to harmless the following banned items based on the reading selections: sugar, freedom, monarchy, and religion?
b. Where would your group locate on a spectrum ranging from tyrannical to just the following governmental actions:
i. The New York Soda Ban.
ii. Tarquin’s suppression of freedom.
iii. Brutus’ destruction of monarchy.
iv. Diocletian’s persecution of Christians.
v. Theodosius’ banning of paganism.
Explain the relative location of each item on your continuum diagram. Collective class discussion of results.
Brilliant piece. Speaking honestly, I know it would have been way over my head in high school, but I would thoroughly enjoy such a lesson at this point in my life, knowing what I know now. I like how you went back to questioning the limits of government. I have not designed my lesson yet but in my blog I did something similar, going a little higher and asking about the purpose of government (which, once established, would question the limits of government...or it could possibly even be done concurrently). My lesson will center around ancient writings as well, though I am certainly not as versed as you.
ReplyDeleteI love the way that you constantly relate Latin to history. I think that makes the language feel alive! I also like how you relate the soda ban to history rather than getting into a discussion about current politics I think it is difficult to keep your views or biases out of the discussion. That being said, I would agree with Ryan that the lesson is a bit complicated. For example, depending on the age group that you are teaching, even something as simple as having students read the article on the NY soda ban might require more time. Similarly, (as we've discussed in other classes) you would want to ensure that students had the appropriate background knowledge. Nevertheless, if students were advanced and you knew they had prior knowledge or Roman history this would be a very enriching few classes.
ReplyDeleteJust food for thought: is there a way that you could enrich the lesson plan by adding the use of technology? If so, how would you do so?
Having the students go to the website for the Theodosian Code uses technology, but really more for convenience and paperlessness. When we go over Latin texts in class, we always use a smart board, which works really well, because you can bracket parenthetical phrases, block off the sentences and whole passages, annotate, etc. and save these markings to post on the school's equivalent of C-Tools for review. On-line lexicons are really useful. I would also use visual images in conjunction with the lesson, from a (soon-to-be-built) massive file of images from Ancient Roman civilization. You can even go on Google Earth and go to the very sites of some of the events involved. You are right that I should have included the technological dimension in the curriculum, and it definitely would be a big plus. Thank you!
DeleteUm…WOW! What an interesting read…However, I agree with Ryan, in high school, would have been over my head and I would have been lost. While I was in high school, I studied both Latin and Spanish and Latin was indeed treated as a dead language. Which always surprised me, since in my church, Latin was used during the services. I think your explanations would be aided with colorful PowerPoint presentations illuminating the screen behind you. You use words so eloquently that I can “see” what you’re saying in this piece but I know high school students would need to actually see what you were trying to say. I am picturing a low sounds in the back ground and big colors on the screen as you lead the student through the pantheon of learning. You know, for some reason, I always think of Stan Lee when I hear you speak. I am always intrigued with the process that you employ in answering posed questions.
ReplyDeleteYou're getting some great feedback from your colleagues, Preston, so for the moment I'll share just two reactions.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I LOVE the way that you convey a sense of language as a living and evolving thing. It's a brilliant move, and I'm sure that there are any number of ways that your students could make connections to their own use of language, and what they've witnessed as participants in a fluid linguistic culture. This strikes me as a particularly elegant means of responding to the "dead language" critique, and the interdisciplinary spirit of using politics, culture and history to bring this home is really marvelous, Preston.
The second reaction is one that as a college educator I am confident that you've had, and that I would wish for you as a secondary school educator. It's a great feeling when your students take an assignment and breathe vibrant, creative life into it as you do here...thank you.
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ReplyDeleteI felt that the whole school day on Friday was an invaluable experience. We were very glad to see our middle school students at the introductory meeting. Their comments and suggestions for better teaching were priceless. The first young student to speak spoke quite articulately when he pointedly exhorted us to teach “creatively”—which set the tone for the day, both in terms of his articulate speech and by pinpointing the theme that eventually emerged: collaboration with colleagues in one’s discipline (and interdisciplinary exchanges of ideas) and imaginative and informed use of technology really do contribute to a creative approach.
ReplyDeleteWhen we think back on the grand old “Taxonomy”, one of the higher orders of thinking listed there is creative thought. It is an elusive but crucial teaching skill, and also an aspect of the “intellectual character” we seek to mold in our students.
Taxonomies are taxing mentally, so “inventive” might relieve the very uncreative reiteration of the taxonomic term.
Even better: German erschöpfungsreich or ‘creation-rich’. Wealth in inventiveness and richness of content and of materials that support it, are things painfully lacking in the canons of Latin pedagogy and the proverbially dry topic of Latin vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. The plethora of on-line resources is a treasure trove of texts and artifacts that can bring to life a language labeled “dead”. Librarian Sue Lay was very helpful in guiding our discussion and showing us websites and search tools. Conversations with her on teaching in general were quite worthwhile.
An even greater treasury than the web to draw from is the intellectual treasure house of another colleague’s mind. Musing on Musetta’s insight that the Sugar Ban is mirrored in the occidentalización of Latin countries, I realized the connection is constitutive: soda is part of that process. What are—in turn—the mechanisms and issues involved in France’s ongoing campaign against l’anglicisation, of which soda, too, is part? The cultural artifacts she brings to bear, like Inca Cola (see her great blog), make visible and palpable some material facets of the issue. I started pondering the cultural aspect in my discipline, and beyond. I wondered, for the first time, what sweet beverages did Romans drink? Was Viking mead as bad for health as Coke? Is the syrupy sweet caffeine-laden tea served in the Maghreb a health issue for them? Et cetera.
The interface with the English Language Arts group brought out a critical difference between our fields. Whereas we focused on fluency skills, text, and artifact, they geared their lesson toward higher-level proficiency skills, including body language whilst delivering a speech. The challenge in World Languages—and Latin in particular—is scaffolding for higher-level thought, and, yes, inventiveness.
The embedded gem of the day for me, however, is one I’d like to share with you. Grown weary of our lesson planning, my Latinist future colleague Dylan and I had a brief chat on the topic of Latin versus Greek. Which grammar is the harder, I asked this scholar degreed in Ancient Greek. I had been feeling a similarity between verses from the Greek Anthology and the prose of an Italian Storia dei papi (History of the Popes) that I read weeks back (as background to The Borgias series on Showtime). Ancient Greek read like Italian in my mind, while the (for Latin relatively unconvoluted) Livy had been impressing (and bewildering) me with the intense complexity of Latin. Dylan articulated what I had been feeling. Latin is much more complicated, he said. Once you know Greek, he said, it just gets easier. But with Latin, its simplicity is only superficial. The more Latin you know and read, an ever deeper complexity emerges.
Is Latin, therefore, like History or Physics? The better you know it, the more complex it becomes?
Ask a colleague.
Preston, I found your method of addressing the soda ban in a Latin class to be brilliant! How interesting for students to consider the arrival of sugar within a culture and how real events shape a language. I do have a question, however, and this could be a reflection of my distance from world language curricula. Considering our desired approach is backward design, what are the learning objectives for your students in this lesson? This question alludes to topics we discussed today at lunch but I suppose I need more clarification. What do you desire for your students to take away from, specifically, this lesson and, in a more broad sense, your course in Latin as a whole?
ReplyDeletep.s. I love the knowledge you bestow upon your readers! I find etymology to be a highly rewarding field of study but one that I have rarely explored. I don't believe I have to urge you to do this but please carry on with your informative blog posts! I am particularly intrigued by the deeper complexity of Latin. How is this? Is it something I would have to experience in order to understand? And how do you plan to prepare your students for this continual unveiling of complexity?
James Gee’s piece on electronic gaming postulates it as superior to books for several reasons. One’s identity is invested, there is interactivity, customization. There are “levels” in this “rich immersive space”. It involves system thinking, exploration, thinking laterally instead of literally. Performance is weighted over competence. The central idea is that it trains the mind to think more dynamically than does the literal, linear, unilateral activity of reading. But the description is analogous to reading itself. One’s identity is in fact quite invested in reading. We identify with characters and the fictional or poetic world becomes our own. Books are systems, and some describe systems. A good text is indeed multileveled. And a novel is nothing if not a rich immersive space. So the case made here is pretty frail.
ReplyDeleteReality check: kids that play games all day and night don’t walk out of there brain surgeons. To me, anyway, the games are nothing short of stultifying. On the other hand, Ravi Shankar said in an interview once that his young students are more intelligent these days because of television and electronic media—the great sitar virtuoso who plays ultra traditional ancient ragas. If someone so devoted to the past holds such a futuristic belief, there must be something to it.
Benjamin Franklin said that chess teaches one foresight, circumspection, and caution. Jane McGonigal’s brilliant talk makes an awe-inspiring case for the value of electronic game playing. The implication for education is chiefly to reinforce our concept of zone of proximal development: the mission is perfectly matched to the player’s abilities—unlike life, and school. But her emphasis of inspiring stories goes back to the connection to literature. To my own mind, a child shooting zombies cannot hold a candle to the Odyssey. I just cannot imagine a video game being as rich an intellectual and spiritual experience as the Aeneid or the Faerie Queen.
Niguidula makes a solid case for the usefulness of digital portfolios which make students producers of knowledge rather than mere consumers. The “feedback loop” of the potential ongoing interaction of student and teacher might be a positive innovation. However, I am not sure the multimedia content is necessarily more informative and meaningful. ‘Stuff I thought was cool’ is shallow content.
What must not be lost in all this is literacy. Ravi Shankar’s observation rings true, but I wonder whether kids are indeed smarter, i.e. quicker and more skilled, but less knowledgeable and less intellectual. Less learnèd.