EJOLTs virtual space of cooperation

Hi, Swaroop. This has been a very difficult process for you and I commend you for your persistence. Thank you for your honesty in sharing the experiences.

I have attached two files: one is your article with minor edits; the other is some comments on specific parts. In addition, I make the following observations as suggestions for your consideration:

I wonder if at any point you considered that the H&W curriculum was a separate curriculum from Life Skills. It seems that trying to fit life skills into the H&W has developed into the battle that you are experiencing. It is important to remember (as I experienced) that curricula change as do governments and there may be another opportunity to create a life skills curriculum in the future. Moreover, the politics that go on behind the scenes do not necessarily make sense. Bringing about change often involves two steps forward and one step back (or two).

I wonder if you might soften some of the claims to know or bring in other voices to support the claims in the paper. As Thayer-Bacon says, we are all fallible knowers! I wonder, also, if you considered any other approaches to bringing about change than going head-on at the bureaucrats and politicians. You talk about the process being transformatory - could you talk more about that?

I believe that the article might strengthen from some consideration of these points and then would be ready for publication. Please let me know if i can help.

Love, Jackie

Dear Swaroop  -  A delight to read your paper and to feel inspired by your continuing commitment and passion to make a difference.

There is one point I'd like you to consider adding at the end of your paper following:

In my persistence to find truth and justice, and at every step when I tried to resolve the contradictions of values in my actions I was inspired by one very important verse in the Bhagavad Gita (Ch 2 V. 47 and 48): 

‘You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction. Be steadfast in the performance of your duty...abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yog.’

Here are some suggestions about the points I think might help to strengthen the ending of paper. They really are suggestions. Smile:

(Sorry about the change of type face - I'm not sure how to change it !)

Hello Swaroop,

I really enjoyed reading your article and you have an important message to share. This is clearly so important to you professionally and as a person and that comes through clearly in your writing. 

 As I have read through it, I have added my thoughts as questions and comments to you as tracked comments. They are only my perspective, but I hope they are useful. 

The most important point for me is the addition of multi-media sources to support your article, This would enhance the story you are telling. I saw your speech at Worcester the week before last, it was very thought provoking and moving. Is this a source you could include. 

I hope you find my comments helpful,

Best wishes,

Joy

Dear Jack, Jackie and Joy,

I am writing again to especially thank you for taking the time to review my paper. When I wrote the paper it is natural that I did keep in mind some important issues like talking about 'me' and the living-theory etc., however, I was, even then, a bit unsure about the clarity and at no time did I want to be finger-pointing. I did want this paper to be about my transformation and how 'I' dealt with my actions when they were in contradiction to my values.

Your comments have helped me sharpen my writing and also enabled me to get a clearer message through to my readers. 

For example - I thought this one paper of mine would be without videos and photos. I did not want to insert photos that were meaningless. But Jackie's comments 

“I think you might consider putting in some of the wonderful work you are doing in implementing the life skills curriculum in India and especially with the neediest children. Where are the lovely photos and videos of you and the kids!!! How do you know that it is working?”

Made me think and at the same time Joy asked “What was it that determined you to write? Are your values reflected in the image? Could it be incorporated into the paper?”

 I started reflecting on how I would / could make this clear to you ..and then my readers.

Thank you your pointers helped me rummage around and insert the images that I keep looking at to push me on when days are bad. I inserted the images that mean the most to me...

 Jackie your comment concerning the ‘fallible knower’ opened a new dimension in learning and also enabled me to write what I was doing and saying more accurately.

Joy, your questions like the one about domain-specific knowledge enabled me to make my tacit knowledge implicit....

 There are many more examples and I have addressed them to my advantage.

I very strongly believe this process of reflecting and replying to your comments has been a great learning experience for me and has empowered me.

I will end now...but I also need to thank Jack...

Jack your videos change the whole landscape of my article. These are videos I will treasure. I also wanted to share them with everyone. You are my true Guru...this takes me back to the poem I wrote for you...

Standing alone

at the Worcester station

waiting for the train to take me to London

waiting for the train of thoughts, action

to take me

to the land of professional knowledge

waiting

waiting

waiting alone

that was when I first met Jack Whitehead

through the tons of reading material

which would help me understand the mysteries of research

I am glad I met him by myself

it makes him more mine

than if somebody had introduced him to me…

… That day I read a line

“How can we make our practice as a teacher more effective”

and got hooked

read the paper

understood some thoughts

others flew over

read

read

read

incessantly and then read some more

from the library of living theories…

… ‘I’ as a living contradiction enabled

me to look at my fallible pedagogy

…

I met him in his library

without actually telling he told me -

my values were correct.

my desire to improve was valid

the methods I tried were up to mark.

and when one of my supervisors feared I would fail

I read his papers a hundred times

to understand

to change

I began to understand my ‘dharma’ ….

[Dharma signifies behaviours that are considered to be in accord with scriptures, the order that makes life and universe possible. Dharma is directly connected to life-affirming energy].
 

Thank you all very muchly (no this is not a typo it is a little like mostest!!!),

Love,

Swaroop