The theatricality of eating in the life of St. Francis of Assisi

I examine the role of food, eating, and meals in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. I observe that his experience significantly differs from that of the female fasting saints. I show that his concern lies with the justifiability of eating, and that food is associated with dramatic lessons that instruct or chastise others. I argue that, like Christ, Francis uses food and eating to teach, to share a message, or to accept outsiders.     

To understand and be understood: facilitating interdisciplinary learning through the promotion of communicative competence

Whilst interdisciplinarity has become a central concern of research and learning in geography, few from the discipline have considered the practical facilitation of interdisciplinarity in the classroom. Module convenors, I argue, must pay greater attention to how learners engage and negotiate with peers and perspectives from other disciplines. In this paper, I focus on my own efforts in designing and teaching a second year undergraduate course on health, biomedicine, and society, to illuminate the opportunities and challenges facing teaching staff who seek to provide opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in the classroom. Drawing upon theories of communication, I demonstrate the significance of developing “communicative competence” as a pathway to successful interdisciplinary learning. Unless learners from one discipline can understand, and be understood by, peers from other disciplines, the accomplishment of interdisciplinary learning is undermined. Interdisciplinary modules should include learning outcomes that facilitate student development in this area. Approaching interdisciplinary learning through the lens of communicative competence casts critical attention upon the central abilities and cultural sensitivities that are the hallmarks of interdisciplinary collaboration – from negotiating meaning to critical disciplinary awareness – and highlights the lessons that interdisciplinarity poses for disciplines, such as geography, tasked with preparing students for interdisciplinary learning.     

The future role of GIS education in creating critical spatial thinkers

Teaching of critical spatial thinking in higher education empowers graduates to effectively engage with spatial data. Geographic information systems (GIS) and science are taught to undergraduates across many disciplines; we evaluate how this contributes to critical spatial thinking. The discipline of GIS covers the whole process of spatial decision-making, but GIS modules often ignore the context setting of spatial problems, and just cover the technical aspects of how to use GIS software. We outline how some existing GIS practicals could be improved to focus on the development of critical spatial thinking skills, competences and abilities that are valuable to graduates.     

Teaching and learning on a transnational education programme: opportunities and challenges for flying faculty in Geography and related disciplines

Within the context of the internationalization of UK higher education, an increasing number of UK-based institutions are developing collaborative degree programmes with overseas institutions, of which partnerships with institutions in China are the most common. This paper employs a critical reflective approach to explore, from different perspectives (self-reflection, student feedback, our colleagues’ experiences), some of the opportunities and challenges that exist for flying faculty through critical reflection on the author’s own flying faculty experiences delivering an introductory Physical Geography module in China. Teaching in an unfamiliar environment brings with it a plethora of challenges, however; for staff in Geography and related disciplines, active engagement with the external world through field-based learning is perhaps the most challenging aspect of any overseas teaching experience. As such, a particular focus of this paper is on the challenges, and potential solutions, of incorporating field-based learning and teaching in the international classroom. Ultimately, faculty with international teaching experience are best placed to develop and enhance the internationalization of their own institution’s curricula.     

民国时期华文教育本土化探析——以国语文教材的编写为视角

论文以民国时期大陆学人与东南亚学人所编东南亚华校国语教材为视角,探讨华文教育本土化问题。认为大陆学人所编东南亚华校国语教材的本土化倾向包括选材符合国外实际、稳妥处理敏感话题、教给儿童规范汉语及配以实用方便的教学法;东南亚学人所编东南亚华校国语教材的本土化倾向包括突出第二语言教学的特性、使用外语进行解释及强调国语文的特点。     

Accurate measurements with primitive instruments: the “paradox” in the qanat design

Qanats are up to 3000 years old artificial sub-horizontal underground water channels, 5–80 km long, widespread in Iran, but also common in western China, Arabia and the Mediterranean; they were excavated from the bottom of vertical shafts, starting from their exit and advancing upstream till main, productive wells, constructed at the very beginning of the project were met. Successful qanat excavation therefore required accurate geodetic design, though based on primitive instruments; an apparent “paradox”, obscured by the tremendous social and economic significance of qanats controlling lifestyle in arid regions.     

抗战时期陕甘宁边区的国民教育

陕甘宁边区的教育经历了曲折的探索过程,从旧教育模式到创立自己的教育模式,由强迫教育到尊重群众的自愿与需要,由包办到民办公助,形成了具有鲜明时代特色的教育体制。、国民教育培养出的毕业生成为社会的有用之才,提高了陕甘宁边区文化程度,培养了大量专门人才。抗战时期陕甘宁边区的教育从抗战的环境和边区的实际出发,坚持教育同抗战、同社会、同生产劳动相结合的方针,为抗战培养人才,消除了群众中的文盲、迷信、不卫生的习惯,解决了群众生产和生活中的实际问题,既推动了边区教育事业的发展,也但排了边区经济、社会的进步,为抗战作出了重要贡献。     

英语教学史百年回顾——改革运动前后语法翻译法与自然法的变迁

改革运动(Reform Movement)是指1882～1904期间主要在欧洲掀起的外语教学改革。回顾改革运动前后语法翻译法与自然法的变迁,时间跨度在一百年以上,为现在语言教育研究人员提供一些外语教育研究的理论基础,希望语言教学和研究者可以从中找出更多的教学发现从而提高现代语言教学质量。     

中学语文教学与创新教育

创新教育需要渗透到各科教学中。语文学科也毫不例外，并且只有对本学科不断创新，不断注入活水，它才有发展前途，才有存在的必要。语文教学法进行的是母语教学，是一门基础性的、工具性的学科教学。