O'Kelly Says...

Previously this semester—I had no idea if I would truly enjoy teaching (or even enjoy giving it a try!). As of now, as we all recognize, I am essentially convinced that I am, indeed, going to take a big leap into the MAT program. Because of my former uncertainties, I had decided to take some classes that would count for both the MA and the MAT program, hence: I am in an independent study class called Modern Irish Fiction. In this class, today, we analyzed a short story by Seamus O’Kelly called “The Weaver’s Grave.”

One general theme of this tale appears to consist of a cycle. The young replacing the old, birth replacing death, etcetera. While I was in this class, today—I kept thinking about technology. I think the idea that O’Kelly is making is that the new will replace the old eventually—and as he puts it, “there is no way to escape oblivion.” Does this mean that there is no way to escape the inevitable transition from an older methodology of teaching into a newer, more modernistic, style? I sure am convinced. Is it going to take (I feel slightly crude writing this) the “death” of the old style to finally shift into the new?

It’s seems, to me, to be harder to comment on this subject than it would be for my fellow classmates as I have never been in a classroom. I have so many ideas about what it would be like, what’s going to happen, how I will do things, how I will react, etc. But, the fact is that I truly have never been into a classroom, so I don’t really know. I’m excited to start learning, and I’m hoping that I will be able to institute all of these new technologies that will help the students actually learn.

I guess, according to Seamus O’Kelly at least, I have nothing to worry about when it comes to the fate of our pedagogical society, right? Modernity is unavoidable, and eventually everything will work itself out… correct? This still leaves the question of whether this is a smart idea or not. Personally, I think it is… although there is a lot more to this pressing debate. More to come... Cheers.