Riddle Me This...

.....how would you define "teaching"? This isn't a terribly important question in the grand scheme of things (at least not nearly as important as getting a handle on what learning is or what ought to be learned). Perhaps, a different way to ask the question is what do people typically called "teachers" (like myself, your favorite teacher in high school, etc) do in the classroom (very broadly understood as where classes meet) that can facilitate or impede learning?

What powers are "teachers" given and do we use them as well as we could to facilitate your learning (and learning of what)?

Like I said, this may not be a hugely relevant question, but I'd be curious to hear/read your thoughts.

Questions Generated August 27th

Anyone want start hypothesizing on some answers or ways of understanding these question or even what other information we might need in other to start developing some hypothesized answers? Use comments to work on this or make a link to this post in your blog and work on developing some answers

1. Are there universally understood right and wrongs?
2. Do we adhere to moral standards only for fear of consequences?
3. Is morality learned or are moral standards part of our brains makeup at birth? ---Put other way, are morals a consequence of nature or nurture?
4. what's the difference between ethics and morals?
5. do we measure morality solely off of how guilty something makes us feel?

Preliminary Hypotheses Regarding Ethics

Here are the hypotheses you all developed in your small groups on August 27th


As hypotheses, no evidence was provided (or asked for). How might you support, reword, challenge any of these? Use comments to have discussion or use your blog and make a link to this post and work on your reflections on your own blog.

1. Society determines what's right/wrong
2. Moral/immoral are not empirical; They are value claims (not provable)
3. Moral/immoral are concepts; right and wrong are actions
4. Decide on what is moral/immoral based on how it affects us
5. Actions are right/wrong based on culture, religion, upbringing, etc.
6. Deciding what is moral/immoral is subjective; mimics life: not science
7. Everyone believes that they are right
8. No universal concept of morality...ever
9. Ethics comes from past life/parents/religion
10. Religion can sometimes “butt in” and take over
11. Ethics is personal search for what is right/wrong
12. Most powerful determine ethics
13. Context matters
14. Morality cannot be defined by law; defined by circumstance/society
15. Need ethics to keep society functioning