Sep. 6, 2006 TWEM: Chapter 3
The Well-Educated Mind
by Susan Wise Bauer
Chapter 3 "Keeping a Journal: A Written Record of New Ideas"
Theme
repeated from first two chapters and from Adler: Reading for pleasure
(or merely for information) requires a different approach than truly
reading--ingesting--the classics.
Bauer notes her ability to
rapidly consume mystery novels while still processing the other events
of her day. She reads Agatha Christie in the same way I read Elizabeth
Peters, Robert Jordan, or a host of children's series authors.
(p. 35)
Bauer writes:
When
we sit in front of Plato or Shakespeare or Conrad, "simply reading"
isn't enough. We must learn to fix our minds, to organize our reading
so that we are able to retain the skeleton of the ideas that pass
before our eyes. We must not simply read, Isaac Watts tells us, but
"meditate and study," an act that "transfers and conveys the notions
and sentiments of others to ourselves, so as to make them properly our
own."
My revision of that last line:
"...transfers and conveys the notions and sentiments of others to ourselves, so as to..." ascertain whether or not they should
become properly my own. This goes back to comments in chapter two about
wide-spread literacy, and equally wide-spread gullability in the face
of advertising and mass media. If something is old, considered a
classic, read and raved over by many through multiple generations, then
I probably need to be familiar with it. However, the above qualifiers
don't necessarily mean the "notions and sentiments of others" should
become my own. Perhaps I'm nitpicking here about semantics, but that
phrase sent up red flags. (Note added later: Chapter 4 does finally
address judgement of appropriateness of material.)
Bauer recommends keeping a journal "to organize your thoughts about your reading. What we write, we remember...."
That's me. Copious note taker. The writing fixes it for me--rarely have to re-study, just a quick scan through notes.
(pp 35-36)
Journaling--now
carries personal connotation--how do you feel about ____? "...a
subjective, intensively inward-focused collection of thoughts and
musings."
Used to be collection of quotations--usually with no
commentary or interpretation by the owner. Just copy work to help owner
remember. Called "Commonplace Book."
Some were
expanded--self-education best follows this form. In addition to quotes,
owner recorded throughout the day snippets of responses and original
writing.
(p. 36)
3-part process for reading:
1. Write out quotes as they stand out while reading.
2. after reading, sumarize briefly.
3. "[W]rite your own reactions, questions, and thoughts."
Connects objective and subjective learning. (I used to do this with Bible study. Need to start again!)
"Education is that process by which thought is opened
out of the soul, and associated with outward...things,
is reflected back upon itself, and thus made conscious of
its reality and shape. It is Self-Realization .... He who is
seeking to know himself, should be ever seeking himself
in external things, and by so doing will he be best able to
find, and explore his inmost light."
--Bronson Alcott, 1834 journal
(p. 36)
"The
goal of classical self-education is this: not merely to 'stuff' facts
into your head, but to understand them." We haven't really learned if
we have just accumulated facts. The goal of classical self-education is
to process that information --digest it.
Although Bauer didn't use
the word "digest" on this page of the book, when I used it in my notes,
I got a mental picture. Just having the book, or even quickly scanning
for information is like going through a salad bar and dishing up an
appetizing and eye-pleasing collection--and never eating it. It looks
so lovely, but there is no benefit. You have to eat it to absorb the
nutrition. You can bolt it just to get the nutritional benefit, but it
is much more enjoyable if you take time to savor the flavors and
textures.
To continue the metaphor, in savoring it slowly, you don't
take as much in one sitting--you feel full before consuming as much as
you would when bolting. Likewise, in truly reading you don't consume as
much material as you would when quickly reading--or only scanning--for
information.
Could the metaphor continue still? As bolting our food
leads to overeating, does bolting information for pleasure reading
alone give us "brain fat"? Instead of nourishing the intellect, making
us mentally lean and strong, perhaps brain fat makes us intellectually
flabby.
That is not to say we should never read for pleasure. Rather, everything in moderation.
(p. 37)
Bauer
quotes Lydia Sigourney (19th century educator, as per p. 21 TWEM),
saying she recommends summarizing often. The quote then suggests
weekly.
That doesn't seem particularly often to me. That would
seem to be journaling of another sort. The first being journaling as
you read, including direct quotes, reflections on them, summaries, and
original writing. This second kind of journaling would seem rather a
mental revisiting of the first, a review over time. Both seem
appropriate. After all, "Repetition is an aid to memory," according to
a sermon delivered by Pastor Ted Buck in Boise, Idaho in the early
1980's. He said that several times that morning. It has been with me
ever since.
Sigourney stresses that, rather than verbatim copy work,
the journal should hold summaries of the original "correctly and
clearly in your own language."
(pp. 37-39)
E.M. Forster's commonplace book demonstrates well the concepts of reading, quoting, summarizing, and reflecting.
(p. 39)
In one paragraph, mid-page, Bauer shares the variety of uses Thomas Merton had for his commonplace book, titled The Asian Journal.
"Classical
self-education demands that you understand evaluate, and react to
ideas. In your journal, you will record your own summaries of your
reading; this is your tool for understanding the ideas you read. This
-- the mastery of facts-- is the first stage of classical education."
--Bauer
1st Step--Chapter 1--regular time to read and study.
2nd Step--Chapter 2--practice the mechanics of reading
Now...
(pp. 39-40)
3rd Step--Chapter 3--practice taking notes and then summarizing.
1. Invest in a journal (Got it!)
2. Keep to a schedule of reading 4 times/week (Ouch! Don't got it!)
Guidelines:
a) Record title of chapter, then read chapter without stopping. Okay to write out particular quotes.
b) Notice major sections of chapter. After reading the 1st
time, go back and summarize each section in one
paragraph each. "What is the most improtant point
that the writer makes in this section? If I could
remember only one thing from this section, what would
it be? Now what else does the writer tell me about
this important point that I'd like to remember:" Leave WIDE margins (2-3 inches)
c) When done with chapter, re-read summaries, recording reactions in the margins--change of color helpful.
Note to self: I would like to use 3 colors:
black or blue for summaries
red for quotes
green or purple for reactions.
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Aug. 16, 2006 TWEM: Chapter 2
TWEM: Chapter 2
Wrestling with Books: The Act of Reading
I found the second chapter interesting; however, I'm not going to leave
a lot of notes on it. It seemed to mainly focus on two things.
1) Helping readers determine how prepared they are to read the classics
and offer suggestions for skill remediation if it is needed.
2) Defining the difference between reading for basic information and
really reading for content. I enjoyed the quote on page 27:
"The serious reader is not attempting to assimilate a huge quantity of
information as quickly as possible, but to understand a few many-sided
and elusive ideas. The speed ethic shouldn't be transplanted into an
endeavor that is governed by very different ideals."
And with that, I'm going to speed on into chapter 3!
Sharron
*******
Dear God,
Thank You for the things You have brought me through that have given me
a good foundation for this study. Please be with my fellow learners,
especially those who may have felt some despair at this chapter and the
thought of the work of reading plus the extra work of remediation. Help
each one who finds his- or herself in that position to take heart and
stick to it until they begin to see the harvest of benefit.
Amen
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Aug. 14, 2006 TWEM: Chapter 1
The Great Books Reading Partnership is now proceeding through Susan Wise Bauer's The Well-Educated Mind. See http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ClassicalMamma to find out more or to join.
I started with the Partnership when they were reading Adler's How to Read a Book.
Preparing for our U.S. road trip, the trip itself, family life, and
other less noble distractions prevented me from completing that study.
I hope to finish it someday. However, when I returned from the trip, I
found them just beginning TWEM. So I'm now joining them for that read.
The Well-Educated Mind
Chapter 1
"Training Your Own Mind: The Classical Education You Never Had"
As I am late posting, and as other members have already left great
notes on this chapter, I'll try to hit some different thoughts.
Bauer opens with a quote from William Dean Howells that says, in part,
"All civilization comes through literature now, especially in our
country...." No one challenged this, perhaps because as a group we are
all focused on reading, or perhaps because we are still buying the
school-taught notion of not questioning the teacher.
I
understand the intent of the quote, and it is an appropriate
introduction to Bauer's text. I agree with it in principle. However,
there is far more to civilization than just the printed word. Although
"literature" can mean more than just written material, that does seem
to be the intended connotation here.
In this exerpt, Howells
does not define "civilization." I assume it to mean all that
lifts us up and unites us as people--past, present, and future. Or
something lofty like that. This would include noble expressions of
human thought and creativity. I would simply say "culture" if that word
had not come to include a somewhat less noble connotation.
Other sources of "civilization" include: Internet, documentaries,
travel, live theatre and concerts, museums, observation, and
conversation, to name a few. Some may argue that attending a
performance of Shakespeare is not a very full experience unless you
know the history behind it and are familiar with the language. But only
reading the play in a book is a flat view. It is best to both read to
prepare and then actually experience.
Granted, no one can
actually travel to see everything that is worthwhile to see. But it is
important to add to reading seeing live what you can, and seeing the
rest through someone's sound or video recording.
That said, my
other thought during the opening quote is right out of popular culture.
I pictured Dr. McCoy giving Captain Kirk an ancient pair of wire-rim
specs (I think that was how it happened?), so he could more easily read his antiquated printed books.
Bauer's discussion of graduate school versus self-education hit home--I
read it shortly after doing some research on scholarships for grad
school. I arrived at a list of pro's and con's of self-education.
Pro's:
You can study what you want to, not what the professor decides.
You can study it for as long as you want to before moving on--no
artificial syllabus to follow (Unless you are a member of the GBRP ~G~).
You don't have to divide your time for intense study between several subjects at once.
It's cheaper--free at the library, low cost at used stores and garage sales, and even if you have to buy new it is still far less expensive than a university.
Con's (Well, not con's exactly. Rather, reasons to still get a formal education in addition to self-education):
It's difficult to become a doctor without formal education. Or a
lawyer, or a CPA, or.... Reality is that for some callings you have to
jump through the hoops to get--and keep--the certification.
Some areas of interest become prohibitively expensive to pursue on your
own. You may have to go through a university to get your hands on that
huge telescope, awesome laboratory set up, etc.
Finding a
group of like-minded people to discuss things with may be easier in a
scholastic setting. GBRP is a wonderful outlet, but even a chatroom
gathering isn't the same as sitting down and discussing face to face.
Page 18: "Secondary schools don't typically train us how to read seriously, how to study."
This was certainly true for me. Although I attended what were
supposedly challenging classes in high school and college, I don't
think I ever deeply studied a piece of literature. I do recall the
discomfort I felt at marking up a book. I was taught young to mark my
Bible, but was also taught young that in all other regards we don't
write in books. I remember a beloved college English prof. who shared
how she was always thrilled to get a book that someone else had read
and notated. She enjoyed the mental conversation with that person as
she read the text, read their notes, and responded to both with notes
of her own.
My daughter, now a senior at the local public high school (that
decision is another story for another time), has had quite another
experience. She has been taking honors and IB courses. Here junior
English class really tore into what they were reading. They did close
reads on selected poems and passages from longer works. Tests included
evaluations of literary selections. Part of her grade was based on how
she marked up the books they were reading. It was a very good
experience, and she is well on her way to learning to read.
"...not every book is worthy of serious attention. (p. 18)"
This is a relief. I sometimes feel irritated with myself about
how fast I race through historical fiction; I must be missing so much,
but the story propels me on! But it's okay to only taste some books.
However, even then, some deeper process takes place over time as I find
myself remembering and reprocessing sections of the story, seeking out
plot holes, etc.
"...[T]he
habit of leaping directly to the rhetoric stage can prevent even mature
minds from learning how to read properly...Like badly taught
six-year-olds, we are too quick to go straight to opinion making
without the itermediate steps of understanding and evaluation. (p. 19)"
Guilty! It is much easier to read or listen lightly, then go on
to form and express opinions. It is much harder to put off forming
those opinions until all the information is in, pondered, chewed,
looked at from different angles, and then finally conciously decided
before being expressed.
Isaac Watts: "Engage not the mind in the pursuit of too many things at once.... (p. 20)"
This one I find difficult. On the one hand, I dream of a brief
time of retreat; time to read, rest, think, and ponder, without all the
distractions of daily life. On the other hand, I find there is a need
inside of me to do a variety of things with intensity, always seeming
to believe I could handle just one more thing.
Life should be
found somewhere in the middle. It isn't practical to think a mother
could--or should-- truly only engage her mind in one thing. Although it
doesn't take deep thought to change a diaper, do a load of laundry, or
put a bandaid on a knee, it does take deep thought to deal with grief,
to help a child through a difficult friendship, plan and implement the
education of multiple children, and fulfill whatever one's calling may
be in setting the example of service to church and community. However,
it is wise to prayerfully consider the load, include Bible study and
subject study, and determine what the priorities of the time period
should be.
When to read?
This has always been a quandry for me. Morning seems
reasonable, yet I am a night person. But even then, there seems to be
no consistency. At the time of my life where I find myself now, often
at the mercy of my husband's changeable work schedule and with the
increasing demands of outside activities as my children near adulthood,
regular hours of sleep and study seem nearly impossible.
Yet,
reading isn't really the problem. I'm an avid reader and nearly always
carry something around with me to read. For me, the harder part is
finding time to write around daily life and inevitable interruptions.
For instance, I started this narrative 10 days ago, thinking I would
just jot a few quick notes and move on to the next chapter. Oh well! At
this point, I still hope to read in the morning, or maybe I'll read
chapter two tonight, then try to write again in the morning. Either
way, first I have to go save the porch furniture from the wind!
*******
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the opportunity to delve deeper. Help me to redeem my
time in a way that is pleasing to You, ordering my days to rightly care
for my family, studying Your Word, and still making space to continue
educating myself. Thank You that You created me with a hunger to learn.
I desire to pursue that hunger in ways that bring You glory.
Amen
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