The role of human freedom in the development of the virtues

paper published in Spoteczenstwo i rodzina13 (2007) 124-140, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.The term “character” can be defined in different ways but generallyit is understood to refer to the distinctive and individual way of being developed by a person based on the initial temperament they have received at conception, as modified by the moral habits that the same person has acquired through his free choices and activity.These moral habits are qualities of the person that makehim act usually in a particular manner. The good qualities are also known as virtues, while the negative or “bad” qualities that a person may have developed are normally known as the vices. When we speak of “forming” a person’s “character” we are referring to a process in which the person is encouraged to develop the virtues, or good qualities proper to a human being. We do not speak of forming character in a dog or a cat or a monkey. Why is this? It is because they are not capable of developing virtues due to the fact that they do not have a spiritual soul with the capacity to know what theyare doing and to choose to act in one way or another. In other words, the animal is not free to choose the type of activity he will carry out. Whereas the human being isfree and candecide how he will act in each and every circumstance! This is an interesting consideration because when speaking of “forming character” or character-development, the emphasis can often be on the task of parents and teachers who try to teach or educate children in virtue through the small day to day acts that the child carries out.This is certainly an important stepin the process ofcharacter-building, however the development of the virtues is not merely an “outside job” of parents and teachers. Ultimately, to develop real virtues each human being needs to take on the task personally and want himself to acquire those good qualities through the exercise of his freedom. We are saying, then, that human freedom comes into play in the process of developing the virtues and thus of forming character. The person concerned has to want freely to develop those virtues;he has to know what virtues are, be attracted by their goodness, and so freely want to develop them inhimself. In this way he participates freely in the development ofhis own personal character. In this article we will delve a little more deeply into the role of human freedom in the development of the virtues and character-formation. To achieve this we must start by looking at the human being as a whole and in his individual features, in order to understand who and what the person is and how he acts.The term “character” can be defined in different ways but generally it is understood to refer to the distinctive and individual way of being developed by a person based on the initial temperament they have received at conception, as modified by the moral habits that the same person has acquired through his free choices and activity1. These moral habits are qualities of the person that make him act usually in a particular manner. The good qualities are also known as virtues, while the negative or “bad” qualities that a person may have developed are normally known as the vices. When we speak of “forming” a person’s “character” we are referring to a process in which the person is encouraged to develop the virtues, or good qualities proper to a human being. We do not speak of forming character in a dog or a cat or a monkey. Why is this? It is because they are not capable of developing virtues due to the fact that they do not have a spiritual soul with the capacity to know what they are doing and to choose to act in one way or another. In other words, the animal is not free to choose the type of activity he will carry out. Whereas the human being is free and can decide how he will act in each and every circumstance! This is an interesting consideration because when speaking of “forming character” or character-development, the emphasis can often be on the task of parents and teachers who try to teach or educate children in virtue through the small day to day acts that the child carries out2. This is certainly an important step in the process of character-building,however the development of the virtues is not merely an “outside job” of parents and teachers. Ultimately, to develop real virtues each human being needs to take on the task personally and want himself to acquire those good qualities through the exercise of his freedom. We are saying, then, that human freedom comes into play in the process of developing the virtues and thus of forming character. The person concerned has to want freely to develop those virtues; he has to know what virtues are, be attracted by their goodness, and so freely want to develop them in himself. In this way he participates freely in the development of his own personal character. In this article we will delve a little more deeply into the role of human freedom in the development of the virtues and character-formation. To achieve this we must start by looking at the human being as a whole and in his individual features, in order to understand who and what the person is and how he acts

Truth and the media

Paper presented at Strathmore University 4th Ethics Conference on “Media and the Common Good” 3rd– 4th November 2006In Kenya recently, tensions, especially between government and the media, have been reflected in events such as the raiding of The Standard Group offices a few months ago -on 1st March 2006, and the resistance of the President’s security detail to permitting journalists to take photos of the President during the recent youth Forum held in Nairobi in September 2006. Events such as these have given rise to the on-going debate in local media regarding the right to freedom of expression or freedom of press as it is also known and the possible self-regulation of media by journaliststhemselves through a code of Ethics.In this context, I would like to makesome reflections on the art of media communication as related to seeking the truth.In Kenya recently, tensions, especially between government and the media, have been reflected in events such as the raiding of The Standard Group offices a few months ago -on 1st March 2006, and the resistance of the President’s security detail to permitting journalists to take photos of the President during the recent youth Forum held in Nairobi in September 2006. Events such as these have given rise to the on-going debate in local media regarding the right to freedom of expression or freedom of press as it is also known and the possible self-regulation of media by journaliststhemselves through a code of Ethics.In this context, I would like to makesome reflections on the art of media communication as related to seeking the truth

Understanding diversity and seeking unity in the Kenyan educational context

The 8th annual Ethics ConferenceThis paper originates in my experience as an Irish lecturer who, having taught in a multicultural environment in Europe, began teaching in Kenya in 2004. Through this change of context, I experienced a radical sense of my own diversity with regard to my students, along with a sense of the diversity of the students among themselves. I felt that this situation was making me less effective in my teaching practice, as student feedback indicated their lack of motivation and interest and poor mutual communication, which seemed to be affecting their levels of learning in the units I taught. This piece of research aims at presenting the knowledge and understanding of the Kenyan educational, cultural and socio-economic context which I have developed through observation, reflection, study, and exchange of ideas with Kenyans themselves, in order to address this situation. I use this knowledge, which is constantly growing, as the background for my efforts to create a conducive learning environment and experience for my students, which focuses on fostering harmony and unity within our mutual diversities. By presenting this work at the Strathmore Ethics Conference, I hope to test the accuracy of my understanding of our educational, cultural and socio-economic context in Kenya, and receive critical feedback which can help me to refine this knowledge. At the same time, by show-casing some practical ways of fostering unity in diversity within our educational context, I hope, to illustrate how education can contribute to effective nation building in Kenya. The theoretical roots of my research lie in a philosophical understanding of the dignity of the human person, human activity and human life in society.This paper originates in my experience as an Irish lecturer who, having taught in a multicultural environment in Europe, began teaching in Kenya in 2004. Through this change of context, I experienced a radical sense of my own diversity with regard to my students, along with a sense of the diversity of the students among themselves. I felt that this situation was making me less effective in my teaching practice, as student feedback indicated their lack of motivation and interest and poor mutual communication, which seemed to be affecting their levels of learning in the units I taught. This piece of research aims at presenting the knowledge and understanding of the Kenyan educational, cultural and socio‐economic context which I have developed through observation, reflection, study, and exchange of ideas with Kenyans themselves, in order to address this situation. I use this knowledge, which is constantly growing, as the background for my efforts to create a conducive learning environment and experience for my students, which focuses on fostering harmony and unity within our mutual diversities. By presenting this work at the Strathmore Ethics Conference, I hope to test the accuracy of my understanding of our educational, cultural and socio economic context in Kenya, and receive critical feedback which can help me to refine this knowledge. At the same time, by showcasing some practical ways of fostering unity in diversity within our educational context, I hope, to illustrate how education can contribute to effective nation building in Kenya. The theoretical roots of my research lie in a philosophical understanding of the dignity of the human person, human activity and human life in society

Passing on the common human tradition

Workshop 26th – 27th July 2007: The Risk of Education (L. Giussani) Based on Theme B) Loyalty to Tradition, the source of certaintyWe are here to share ideas on the “risk” of education as the book by Don L. Giussani is called. As we discuss his work, we are also discussing the nature and meaning of education as well as the process of education based on our own personal experiences in the field and keeping in mind our research into and analysis of that same teaching experience. As Don Giussani points out at various stages throughout the book, he is concerned here with the challenge and risk of educating adolescents in today’s world. In this workshop we will probably discover that many of the points made by the author apply to our situation too. In particular, Giussani is concerned about teenagers because they are at a stage where defiance and conformity without conviction (peer pressure) is combined with the fact that they are also becoming more aware of themselves as persons and of the meaning of the reality that surrounds them. Our university students are in a similar situation and so we are asking ourselves, how we can help them, how we ought to educate them in a way that responds to their own basic needs. The author proposes a method of education which contains five points and in this paper we will look at the second step in Giussani’s proposal: the issue of the role of tradition in education.We are here to share ideas on the “risk” of education as the book by Don L. Giussani is called. As we discuss his work, we are also discussing the nature and meaning of education as well as the process of education based on our own personal experiences in the field and keeping in mind our research into and analysis of that same teaching experience. As Don Giussani points out at various stages throughout the book, he is concerned here with the challenge and risk of educating adolescents in today’s world. In this workshop we will probably discover that many of the points made by the author apply to our situation too. In particular, Giussani is concerned about teenagers because they are at a stage where defiance and conformity without conviction (peer pressure) is combined with the fact that they are also becoming more aware of themselves as persons and of the meaning of the reality that surrounds them. Our university students are in a similar situation and so we are asking ourselves, how we can helpthem, how we ought to educate them in a way that responds to their own basic needs. The author proposes a method of education which contains five points and in this paper we will look at the second step in Giussani’s proposal: the issue of the role of tradition in education

How my multiple border crossings in higher education have contributed to my living theory

Paper presented at HELTASA 2011: Crossing Borders For Change In Southern African Higher Education. 30th November ‐ 2nd December 2011. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (Port Elizabeth, South Africa).I am Irish by birth and upbringing. I studied and taught Philosophy and Theology in Italy (1994-2004), where I experienced and used traditional lecturing methods. Currently I teach Philosophy to undergraduates from various disciplines at Strathmore University in Nairobi. My multiple border crossings torespond proactively to diversity and the need for transformational learning in higher education really began upon my arrival in Kenya in 2004, when I faced challenges which I had to overcome to be effective in my teaching practice. In this paper I show how I am using living theory action research to develop a “living” methodology based on in-depth reflection onmy teaching experience and student feedback over time, to adjust various aspectsof my teaching practice to foster transformative learning in my students. This process has enabled me to identify the educational values which motivate my work and which are now the standards of judgement against which I evaluate the effectiveness of my practice. As I narrate my response to some of the more relevant challenges faced, using specifically designed learning projects, I will show how my personalliving educational theory has developed. I hope to show that true effectiveness in“crossing borders for change in higher education” can only be achieved if we are willing to change ourselves in practice in the first place, and so be in a position to help our students want to change themselves and contribute to improving our society.I am Irish by birth and upbringing. I studied and taught Philosophy and Theology in Italy (1994-2004), where I experienced and used traditional lecturing methods. Currently I teach Philosophy to undergraduates from various disciplines at Strathmore University in Nairobi. My multiple border crossings torespond proactively to diversity and the need for transformational learning in higher education really began upon my arrival in Kenya in 2004, when I faced challenges which I had to overcome to be effective in my teaching practice. In this paper I show how I am using living theory action research to develop a “living” methodology based on in-depth reflection onmy teaching experience and student feedback over time, to adjust various aspectsof my teaching practice to foster transformative learning in my students. This process has enabled me to identify the educational values which motivate my work and which are now the standards of judgement against which I evaluate the effectiveness of my practice. As I narrate my response to some of the more relevant challenges faced, using specifically designed learning projects, I will show how my personalliving educational theory has developed. I hope to show that true effectiveness in“crossing borders for change in higher education” can only be achieved if we are willing to change ourselves in practice in the first place, and so be in a position to help our students want to change themselves and contribute to improving our society

How can I facilitate the personal development of my students as I live my educational values

Conference paper presented at the Riara University First Annual International Conference on Education Theme: Transformative Education for Development: An African Perspective. Date: July 18-20, 2013The title of our Conference leads me to reflect briefly on how I understand transformative education for development. If we look at development from an African perspective we usually understand this to refer to the socio-economic, political and other forms of development of a country. In this context there would be many ways of implementing innovative education techniques which could foster such development. However, in my experience, it is very difficult to bring about socio-economic development in a country even through education, when we look at the matter in general, third person terms. I am convinced that to foster development in Africa we need to educate our students in transformative, innovative ways, which facilitate personal growth and development. If our educational practice focuses on helping each student to transform themselves personally it is more likely that s/he will be able to bring about further change in our society. For these developments at the personal or social level to be genuine they need to have a solid foundation.The title of our Conference leads me to reflect briefly on how I understand transformative education for development. If we look at development from an African perspective we usually understand this to refer to the socio-economic, political and other forms of development of a country. In this context there would be many ways of implementing innovative education techniques which could foster such development. However, in my experience, it is very difficult to bring about socio-economic development in a country even through education, when we look at the matter in general, third person terms. I am convinced that to foster development in Africa we need to educate our students in transformative, innovative ways, which facilitate personal growth and development. If our educational practice focuses on helping each student to transform themselves personally it is more likely that s/he will be able to bring about further change in our society. For these developments at the personal or social level to be genuine they need to have a solid foundation

Peer review in teaching: the Strathmore experience

Paper presented atRegional East African Unistaff Alumni 1st International Conference and Workshop on “Quality Assurance in Higher Education”, 6th – 10th November 2006 at Kenyatta UniversityPeer reviewing is a process that has become popular around the world over the last 10-15 years. It can be used in different professional environments, as well as by students who make use of the collaboration of their peers to improve their academic performance. Given the parameters of this Conference, our paper focuses on peer review in the teaching context. Many third level institutions in the Western world are now using this method for evaluating the teaching performance of their academic staff. It is a system that has given rise to a lot of debate1 as many lecturers are not willing to have colleagues enter their class-room to analyse their teachings skills; at the same time, Faculties, Departments and Schools need to be able to evaluate the performance of their staff for various reasons2. Searching the Internet one can find many sites that offer information, experience, and advice on how to create and implement a peer review system in teaching3. In this paper we would like to transmit some experience that we have recently gained at Strathmore University regarding the peer review system in teaching.Peer reviewing is a process that has become popular around the world over the last 10-15 years. It can be used in different professional environments, as well as by students who make use of the collaboration of their peers to improve their academic performance. Given the parameters of this Conference, our paper focuses on peer review in the teaching context. Many third level institutions in the Western world are now using this method for evaluating the teaching performance of their academic staff. It is a system that has given rise to a lot of debate as many lecturers are not willing to have colleagues enter their class-room to analyse their teachings skills; at the same time, Faculties, Departments and Schools need to be able to evaluate the performance of their staff for various reasons. Searching the Internet one can find many sites that offer information, experience, and advice on how to create and implement a peer review system in teaching. In this paper we would like to transmit some experience that we have recently gained at Strathmore University regarding the peer review system in teaching

How am I using my Christian intellect in developing my living educational theory to facilitate transformational learning in my philosophy students? Methodological Perspectives.

Paper presented during research week November 2011 at Strathmore UniversityIn this paper I will present a brief overview of the research I am carrying out for my doctorate. I will focus more specifically on the methodology which I am using, known as Living Theory. I hope to situate it within the context of research methodology in general, explain it and offer a critical analysis to illustrate why I have chosen this methodology over other possibilities. I look forward toreceiving feedback from members of the Strathmore academic community from different fields, to help me further explain and clarify the methodological dimension of my doctoral research.In this paper I will present a brief overview of the research I am carrying out for my doctorate. I will focus more specifically on the methodology which I am using, known as Living Theory. I hope to situate it within the context of research methodology in general, explain it and offer a critical analysis to illustrate why I have chosen this methodology over other possibilities. I look forward to receiving feedback from members of the Strathmore academic community from different fields, to help me further explain and clarify the methodological dimension of my doctoral research

Teaching Decoding Through Constant Time Delay to Students with Severe Disabilities and Verbal Difficulties

Very little research has occurred about students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and their ability to learn phonics, decoding, and other early literacy skills(Ainsworth et al., 2016 and Johnston et al., 2009b). Ainsworth et al. (2016) used the Accessible Literacy Learning curriculum to teach phonics and decoding. Johnston et al. (2009b) used a three-step instructional strategy, step one - increased opportunities for adult-directed teaching and active teacher child interaction, step two- use of time delay to teach, step three-consequences, to teach phonics and decoding. While both studies utilized time delay in some fashion, they were not entirely based upon the evidence-based practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine whether constant time delay is effective in teaching phonics and decoding to students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and if students can generalize the skill to words that have not been explicitly taught. Results indicated a functional relation between the use of constant time delay and decoding of CVC words. Additionally, students were able to maintain and generalize learning. Students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties can effectively learn decoding of CVC words through constant time delay and can maintain and generalize the skill. Results were similar to other studies which implemented constant time delay to promote emergent literacy skills (e.g., Browder et al., 2012; Dessemont et al., 2019; Spooner et al., 2015; Tucker Cohen et al., 2008). Practitioners can use constant time delay to teach decoding to students with severe disabilities and verbal difficulties and to promote early reading skills. Future research should replicate the study with students from different age groups as well as examining the effects of this strategy on the acquisition of CCVC and CVCC words

A Roadmap for Change: Federal Policy Recommendations for Addressing the Criminilization of LGBT People and People Living with HIV

Each year in the United States, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two Spirit, queer, questioning and gender non-conforming (LGBT) people and people living with HIV come in contact with the criminal justice system and fall victim to similar miscarriages of justice.According to a recent national study, a startling 73% of all LGBT people and PLWH surveyed have had face-to-face contact with police during the past five years.1 Five percent of these respondents also report having spent time in jail or prison, a rate that is markedly higher than the nearly 3% of the U.S. adult population whoare under some form of correctional supervision (jail, prison, probation, or parole) at any point in time.In fact, LGBT people and PLWH, especially Native and LGBT people and PLWH of color, aresignificantly overrepresented in all aspects of the penal system, from policing, to adjudication,to incarceration. Yet their experiences are often overlooked, and little headway has been madein dismantling the cycles of criminalization that perpetuate poor life outcomes and push already vulnerable populations to the margins of society.The disproportionate rate of LGBT people and PLWH in the criminal system can best be understoodin the larger context of widespread and continuing discrimination in employment, education, socialservices, health care, and responses to violence