Wednesday, May 14, 2008

I received some good news today on my Fulbright Senior Specialist application. If you read here regularly, you may remember that I was told earlier that I wasn't qualified because I lacked a Ph.D. After challenging that decision, my application was entered for review and today I was informed that I was added to the roster of available Senior Specialists. That means that specific overseas educational institutions can request my skills with the cost of my travel and lodging being paid by the Fulbright program. That can offer the opportunity for me to share what I've learned at Clear Spring School and through my research on Sloyd with educators at foreign universities. It will also enable me to continue my research on educational sloyd.

Being on the Fulbright roster is not an automatic award of a position as a Fulbright Specialist. The next part comes as a result of a request from foreign universities for my skills, a thing they can do through either the Fulbright Commission or the Public Affairs Office US Embassy. Whether or not being on the roster leads to an opportunity to serve, getting on the roster in the first place is gratifying. It came only as a result of my willingness to stand up against academic bias and insist on the commission's recognition of the value of hands-on learning.

Today I got to play just a bit more as the students worked on various projects. In the photo above, you will see two weird spoons, one complete with a spork at the other end. It takes some amount of play to develop skills which then enrich your play to an even greater degree.

2 comments:

  1. a round of applause to you! Congrats are due!

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  2. Anonymous6:02 PM

    Doug:

    Good for you! You stuck to your guns and now people out there who think in terms of the hands will start asking for you to come visit.

    Mario

    ReplyDelete