tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post2580364221849886507..comments2023-10-19T09:45:58.811-04:00Comments on Thoughts from New Albany: Collective Nouns ("Terms of Venery")Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009368492043437580noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post-72722226579730039682011-11-08T15:16:58.763-05:002011-11-08T15:16:58.763-05:00If speech influences thought, then specificity tra...If speech influences thought, then specificity trains the mind to discern differences which were not formerly apparent. This, therefore, should be considered a valid aspect of a good liberal arts education as it not only develops good writing but better, more critical thought. While stark simplicity is good for the most basic communication, either between a machine or a less educated populace, erudition is not something to be developed to prove one's mettle to an employer or another socialite-- erudition is an isolated, unique reward for the self that cannot be, by it's very nature, vouchsafed by another. My opinion is we already have far too many students who take prepared, standardized tests well, and can perform specific job skills for which they have been trained (and which will be soon obsolete- no matter how technical); but conversely, cannot hold a discussion among corporate leadership or craft a letter or an essay. I worry that the desire to compete with science and technical programs has forced the liberal arts to redefine itself for the pragmatic sake of employment, rather than educational enrichment. Just my two cents.John Blake Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16443259279325378535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post-79851529744945466152009-08-18T01:40:21.723-04:002009-08-18T01:40:21.723-04:00Very Nice and informative blog, let share with me ...Very Nice and informative blog, let share with me this kind of blogs... thanks for sharing.....<br />___________________<br />rozy<br /><a href="http://iwaayinternetmarketing.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Online Marketing of your brand</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post-1522787742024415702009-06-04T23:36:40.110-04:002009-06-04T23:36:40.110-04:00Try http://tinyurl.com/lhzkq6 for Liz Coleman'...Try http://tinyurl.com/lhzkq6 for Liz Coleman's TED talk.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12009368492043437580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post-91315891467674508012009-06-04T23:00:12.421-04:002009-06-04T23:00:12.421-04:00Oops, TED page not found. I like the new Header o...Oops, TED page not found. I like the new Header on your blog.Frances Chuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03931691726892025899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post-7689237570566211822009-06-04T15:28:18.530-04:002009-06-04T15:28:18.530-04:00I agree! I don't believe students should have ...I agree! I don't believe students should have to learn thousands of arbitrarily invented terms merely to preserve the "poetry" of the English language. There is so much more important stuff to learn today. But I believe educators and the public should discuss what ARE the important things for students to learn.<br /><br />I applaud Bennington College President Liz Coleman for challenging educators to thoughtfully consider what "liberal arts education" should be - and changing her college to pursue these principles. (See her wonderful TED talk: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/liz_coleman_s_call_to_reinvent_liberal_arts_education.html)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12009368492043437580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404529782835443415.post-70111442791567676302009-05-31T06:59:13.565-04:002009-05-31T06:59:13.565-04:00Your blog about the English language is interestin...Your blog about the English language is interesting but it is very unpractical. <br /><br />One of the most influential women of the 20th century and much admired Madame Chang Kai-Shek was known for using long and big English words in her famous speeches. But many of us had to look up dictionary to understand the words she used. <br /><br />I was an advisory marketing representative in IBM in the early 1970s. I remembered I was specifically trained not to use big words and long sentences in our proposals to customers. Back in those days, my thinking was in educated Chinese, but most of the time, I could not find the equivalent words in English to express myself. However, using simple English made my job so much easier and I was very successful in making and selling multi-million dollars solutions to our customers.<br /><br />The fast advance of science and technology already has much for most of us to keep up and to move forward. I feel that what I learn in the 70s is still true today. It is more important that we learn to communicate effectively with people in general. And it would not hurt to go back to the basic once in a while.Frances Chuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03931691726892025899noreply@blogger.com