From oral to written knowledge and back again

So poems are one of those odd forms of expression that move through both oral and written knowledge.  Most poems today are written down, but the structure of poetry is made up by rhythm, alliteration, meter, breaks, etc.—all of which are only perceived through sound and oral expression.  This is why one of my English teachers told me that poetry is meant to be read aloud, and why there are poetry reciting competitions such as Poetry Out Loud (I had the opportunity to participate in this in high school).

Memory Booster!

Thanks for the Post Holland. I got to wondering how I could improve my memory capabilities (for the next time this type of project rolls around, haha). I found the neatest video on how the brain can more easily make connections. Plus the domino scene at the end is sweet!

I was thinking that this provides great reason for why stories are so useful when it comes to oral knowledge. Enjoy!

Committing to memory and making connections

In memorizing a portion of King Benjamin's speech (Mosiah 2-5), I found myself thinking about the relationship between the verses I was assigned and the relationships between the phrases within each verse.

The mind is amazing. Source.

Navigational Ninjas

Underestimating the Human Mind

After memorizing a portion of King Benjamin's speech, it struck me how lazy my mind is. How often do I actually try to memorize knowledge? Rather, I find myself memorizing ways to find knowledge when I need it. Google, Wikipedia, topical guides, indexes-- this is how I stay on top of the information that I need. Our society reinforces this through the practice of standardized testing: students no longer need retain information; they just have to train their brains to recognize the right answers.

The more I learn about oral traditions, the more I lose respect for my own generation. Which brings me to my main point: the Polynesian Wayfinders.

In case you hadn't noticed, the Polynesian Triangle is HUGE. They navigated the lot of it-- all in open canoes.

 Navigating Ninjas

Guess Who Still can't Comment...

So this last time I tried commenting from a library computer. According to blogger I don't have permission to post comments any more. I think that just has to do with the library's computers, but maybe something has gone wrong... Blaine, do you think you could try re-adding me to the blog? Maybe that would do it. Anyway here's my comment for Blaine's post:

Tying to Catherine's last comment, I think oral knowledge when put to song becomes one of the most powerful and memorable ways to retain information and it is difficult to reverse. For example, I have been working on a song called "Not for the Life of Me" from the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie for my private voice class. Originally, I learned part of the song incorrectly. Although I hadn't practiced it long for very wrong, I found it nearly impossible to reverse the effects of that incorrect practice. Even over 100 times after I repeated that incorrect phrase correctly, I still find myself wandering to the incorrect phrase.

In this way, I agree that personal experiences with oral knowledge stick in our minds greatly. That's why the spirit communicates to us in an oral fashion. When we hear it in that way, it has a certain power that written word alone cannot possess. Listening to the delivery of King Bejamin's speech today, I have come to two conclusions:
1) Oral knowledge is the most powerful form of communication
2) Written knowledge is the most preservable form of communication

Probably the best learning experiences happen when these two mediums are combined.

Where spoken and written meet

Homer - A Man or Myth?

As I was thinking what I would address you all on today, (I feel like I have so much freedom in this transition phase !) I thought about some of the most interesting and debated topics of history. I did some Wikipedia surfing and found an interesting post on the Homeric Question. In sum, this is a complete tearing apart of the man "Homer" to discover the person behind the stories. Was he really one person, are the stories compiled from a "million pieces" format, is Homer a person at all or a descriptor turned to author? All these questions beg answers from only what oral tradition can or could have told them thousands of years ago.

Mother and Father tongues in Math?

So this really doesn't have anything to do with oral knowledge, but it relates back to the Le Guinn article and the ideas of "father" and "mother tongues."  It's an excerpt from a book I'm reading for my Math Ed class.

"The idea that girls and women value a different type of knowing was famously proposed by Carol Gilligan, an internationally acclaimed psychologist and author.  In Gilligan's book In a Different Voice, she claimed that women are likely to be "connected thinkers," preferring to use intuition, creativity, and personal experience when making moral judgments.  Men, she proposed, are more likely to be "separate" thinkers, preferring to use logic, rigor, absolute truth, and rationality when making moral decisions."

The author of the book uses these ideas to argue that girls and boys understand math differently, with girls usually requiring an explanation of how and why a process or formula works and boys getting by just fine without in depth explanations.
I just thought it was cool that the same ideas we've addressed in a Civilization class showed up in a class preparing me to teach math

Islam, Oral Knowledge, and Thoughts in Between



UPDATE FOR OUR PROFESSORS: I would have done an interview-based post during this unit; however, the professor I was going to interview has been ill and thus unable to meet with me. I hope to hold that interview soon though and post about it ASAP. Now, unto today's post!

Carving of Arabian Musicians

As we conclude our unit on Oral Knowledge, I would like to discuss the discoveries I have made so far by examining what I have learned about Islamic Culture, particuarly with reference to the Umayyad Dynasty. By touching on the significance of music and drama in Islamic culture, I have come realize that art is essential to keeping a culture alive. If utilized, music and drama will enhance a culture's history, by providing a way to preserve it, as evidenced by the traditional performance of Ta'ziyeh. Not only that, but the language and important texts will better be remembered as shown through Cairo's use of song to teach the Qu'ran during the time of the Umayyads.

The tradition of performing arts help maintain history. Because of the story-telling and ritualistic side of drama and music, a civilization like the Islam can retain knowledge of its forefathes, who had no written form of communication, through performance. However, if a civilization that depends heavily on oral knowledge does not strive to preserve its performing arts, a very vital aspect of and potentially the entire culture could be lost, thus unveiling oral knowledge's greatest flaw.