Page 64 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 5-6: Teaching Feminism, ed. Valerija Vendramin
P. 64
šolsko polje, letnik xxxi, številka 5–6
The relationship of the digitalised realities and the technical skills of
students and teachers constructs students as a skilled entity in opposition
to the lack of technological skills in the group of older teachers. As stat-
ed by the anthropologists Mariela Nuñez-Janes and Alicia Re Cruz, the
online potential as regards adaptability “provides a way to develop and
encourage the practice of student centred critical thinking” which fos-
ter the principles of “inclusion and legitimizing of students’ voices and
experiences” (Nuñez-Janes & Re Cruz, 2007, p. 20). There are two fea-
tures of the virtual which directly and indirectly construct students as a
skilled and knowledgeable subject of study. In my case, the proverbial lack
of technological talent in women and especially among older women be-
came the ideal source which I purposefully and truthfully use to show the
lack of skills and computer-related technical knowledge. According to the
authors cited in the paragraph, such strategies aim “at igniting students’
awareness of their value as knowledge producers” (ibid.).
Searching for a web document which would elaborate on a convinc-
ing and tested practice of feminist pedagogy, I detected the most struc-
tured thematisation of the virtual class in a newly published Sage blog
written by Simona Sharoni. She offers a sensitive insight into some of
the most important doings of feminist pedagogy: putting the stress on
praxis and bravery in times of precarious work, informing the students
that the personal is political and the political is personal (Sharoni, 2020,
para 2). Her plan to “reimagine the virtual feminist classroom” has the
transformative aim to “share power” (ibid., para 4), which I consider the
basic and most transformative idea subversive of the patriarchy and the
phalocratic organisation of institutions. Among the planned tasks to
change the relationship between student and institution, I appreciate
the idea of the self-assessment of the students of their work and grades
(ibid., para 6). Since it is unclear if she has in mind individual assess-
ment or students’ mutual assessing, I am presenting my own praxis. It
consists of an assessment of seminar work in a group of students where
they mutually give each other feedback regarding the research contents,
performance and contact with the public while presenting. These are
criteria I have myself suggested and according to which the students de-
cide on their grades with my help as they are hesitant to classify their
peers’ work in terms of quality.
Under the subtitle “Making a space for students to view the per-
sonal as political and the political as personal”, Simona Sharoni explains
the feminist thesis of second-wave feminism “personal is political” to
the students in an illustrative and indirect way. One of the modes is to
raise “critical questions that would allow students to identify key social
62
The relationship of the digitalised realities and the technical skills of
students and teachers constructs students as a skilled entity in opposition
to the lack of technological skills in the group of older teachers. As stat-
ed by the anthropologists Mariela Nuñez-Janes and Alicia Re Cruz, the
online potential as regards adaptability “provides a way to develop and
encourage the practice of student centred critical thinking” which fos-
ter the principles of “inclusion and legitimizing of students’ voices and
experiences” (Nuñez-Janes & Re Cruz, 2007, p. 20). There are two fea-
tures of the virtual which directly and indirectly construct students as a
skilled and knowledgeable subject of study. In my case, the proverbial lack
of technological talent in women and especially among older women be-
came the ideal source which I purposefully and truthfully use to show the
lack of skills and computer-related technical knowledge. According to the
authors cited in the paragraph, such strategies aim “at igniting students’
awareness of their value as knowledge producers” (ibid.).
Searching for a web document which would elaborate on a convinc-
ing and tested practice of feminist pedagogy, I detected the most struc-
tured thematisation of the virtual class in a newly published Sage blog
written by Simona Sharoni. She offers a sensitive insight into some of
the most important doings of feminist pedagogy: putting the stress on
praxis and bravery in times of precarious work, informing the students
that the personal is political and the political is personal (Sharoni, 2020,
para 2). Her plan to “reimagine the virtual feminist classroom” has the
transformative aim to “share power” (ibid., para 4), which I consider the
basic and most transformative idea subversive of the patriarchy and the
phalocratic organisation of institutions. Among the planned tasks to
change the relationship between student and institution, I appreciate
the idea of the self-assessment of the students of their work and grades
(ibid., para 6). Since it is unclear if she has in mind individual assess-
ment or students’ mutual assessing, I am presenting my own praxis. It
consists of an assessment of seminar work in a group of students where
they mutually give each other feedback regarding the research contents,
performance and contact with the public while presenting. These are
criteria I have myself suggested and according to which the students de-
cide on their grades with my help as they are hesitant to classify their
peers’ work in terms of quality.
Under the subtitle “Making a space for students to view the per-
sonal as political and the political as personal”, Simona Sharoni explains
the feminist thesis of second-wave feminism “personal is political” to
the students in an illustrative and indirect way. One of the modes is to
raise “critical questions that would allow students to identify key social
62
