JMU - Preface Reading
Ways of Knowing
This year's PREFACE theme is Ways of Knowing. The Ways of Knowing theme explores different ways in which humans have acquired knowledge (or not), how can we "know" what is unknowable? Does everyone acquire knowledge in the same way? Can we manufacture knowledge? How do we make decisions when the knowledge necessary is unavailable or outside our grasp? Does knowing change? If so, when, how and how do we know when it has and what do we do about it?
These articles were selected by a small group of your colleagues. They were selected because topics of the articles and the overarching theme apply to every discipline. On a daily basis we challenge students to defend what they know and how they have developed informed conclusions they bring to the classroom. These articles provide a great foundation to facilitate a conversation with the newest members of our community, and to challenge the differences in how their ways of knowing for high school learning will likely be different for their college experience.
Accessing the articles
Ways of Knowing articles are available to you online through the JMU Libraries Web site. That’s right, there’s no book to lose on vacation or loose papers to fly away in the summer breeze. As long as you have an internet connection, you can read Ways of Knowing when and wherever you'd like whether it be on vacation or while you’re on a research assignment! However, if you feel the need to have a printed document, you will be able to download the PDF files from the Libraries site. Take notes, highlight the issues you think important, and ponder challenging questions that you could ask of your first-year students.
Writing Prompt
You will have prepared well for your PREFACE session, and we want to ensure that students do the same. Students will be instructed to write a short essay, about 200 words, exploring the ideas introduced by the readings. The following are some ideas they will be encouraged to explore: What does it mean to 'know' something? How much risk is there in knowing? How much learning does it take to know anything? What frame of mind does it require to learn and know? How might college require a different kind of learning and knowing than you've experienced in the past? Of course, students may explore other ideas related to the articles and 'knowing'.
Click here to access Ways of Knowing articles.
(Note: You will need your JMU e-ID and password to access the site.)
Mission Statement
Orientation engages students in the JMU learning experience by preparing them to be active and authentic members of the university community.
August 23, 2012, 9:45am-11:15am
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