Activity 1.5

Preface:

William James seeks to organize his lectures in way the will give insight to the art of learning, with hopes that teachers may be able to view it from the students perspective.

James’s statement about “…the truth being too great for any one actual mind…” (p. vi) reminds me of the idea that one person can never really know everything. Education is such an important requirement that is readily available to society because it creates an essential foundation for success. Knowledge is limitless. Similar to an idea conveyed in my metaphor for learning, once individuals believe they have received what it is they were looking for, they soon realize there is so much more out there to gain, and learning becomes continuous.

Chapter 1:

James was trying to convey that psychology is valuable use to the art of teaching; however, the use of psychology alone will not help students fully learn what is being taught. The ultimate goal of the teacher is to grasps the students’ attention in a way that will allow them to get the most out of their learning experience.

“To know psychology, therefore, is absolutely no guarantee that we shall be good teachers” (p. 3).  From this statement, I gathered that knowing psychology lays a foundation for teachers to build upon, but it does not give them all of the answers needed to perform the job effectively. There are so many other important elements that influence a person’s role as an educator and foundational principles are only a part. Often times, it is not the message itself, but how the message is delivered that makes the ideas being conveyed enlightening and allows connections to be made.

Chapter 2:

In this chapter, James focuses on describing and processing what occurs with thoughts, feelings, and ideas within the consciousness instead of trying to explain why they occur or where they originate from.

The concept of ‘focal object’ and ‘marginal object’ did not appear clear until I came across it in this literature. I experience these distinctions all the time as I engage in learning, but it was not until I read this section that I realized that there was an actual explanation for what I was encountering. When I read, some word can trigger another thought, which places that triggered thought at the center of my focus and pushes the original reading into the marginal space. The attention span shifts perspective according to what is most prevalent at that moment.

Chapter 3:

I concluded that there can be no separation between rational functioning and practical functioning. There is a continuous cycle of thoughts guiding actions and thoughts following actions.

The statement, “you should regard your professional task as if it consisted chiefly and essentially in training the pupil to behavior...” (p.13) helps me conceptualize that nothing is purely rational because actions always follow. For me personally, teaching with a mindset that what is being presented will eventually influence behavior increases applicability of a topic. I always wonder how is whatever I am learning going to be relevant to me and my future, and now I realize that even the things that presently seem least important can impact a future decision that I make.

Chapter 4:

With education, conduct and behavior manifest automatically. Conduct and behavior shape individuals into who they are.

This chapter speaks to the uniqueness of each individual in the sense that even if every person was to sit in the same classroom and listen to the same teacher, each person’s perception of the lesson being taught is going to be different. James’s statement, “so it is with the impressions you will make there on your pupil” (p. 15) seemed confusing at first, but I gathered that sometimes people do not understand the impact of their words. It is not about the message that is sent, but the message that other people are receiving.