We Discuss

19.07.13

We Discuss: Recommended Reads

As promised, we have prepared a list of recommended reads for those of you who are interested in joining our first event! Art(education) for Everyone by Mitha Budhyarto "I realized that education is culturally specific: it must be adjusted to the culture where it takes place." In this column piece, Mitha Budhyarto discusses the importance of nurturing a sense of appreciation for art even in circles that have had little exposure to it. While Mitha does focus more on the arts, she raises a noteworthy point that extends to the general field of education: cultural context. There is no absolute template for education, as it needs to be tweaked according to individual needs. Fashion Films and Feminism with Kathyrn Ferguson "You can have a background in anything really, I mean it’s just having confidence in picking up the camera and trying things out. You know, obviously you have to have creativity but that can be in any form." In our interview with Kathryn Ferguson, a filmmaker from Ireland, she mentioned that it is not always necessary to be formally trained — at least in the case of filmmaking and the arts — because what is more crucial is having the will and confidence to experiment. Design Education with Yongky Safanayong "We cannot blame the students. These teachers have the responsibility to think about the future and their role in preserving and cultivating the arts and culture of this country." One of Indonesia's most prominent figures in the world of graphic design shared his thoughts with Whiteboard Journal. Though he began his career practicing graphic design, he has been teaching the subject for approximately three decades. He believes that teachers/educators have a huge role on their students, and how they develop their skills. by Daniel Pennac (featured on An Autodidact's Paradise) "What an evil spell is cast by the social roles for which we're raised and educated, and which we go on to play 'all our lives', in other words for roughly half our time on this earth. Release us from these roles and we're no longer the same actors. When a career comes to a dramatic end, it evokes a feeling of helplessness comparable, in my view, to that experienced by the tortured teenager who, thinking he has no future, finds it so painful to carry on. Reduced to ourselves, we feel reduced to nothing. To the point where we may even destroy ourselves. This is, at the very least, a flaw in our education." Do you agree with Pennac? Has our educational experience become such an integral part of our identity that it becomes difficult to define our existence and purpose without it? here is something from Maria Popova's popular website, . Popova dissects Kio Stark's , and highlights some of the most important quotes from the book that tries to promote the virtues of alternative forms of education.   Tuesday, July 30, 2013 7–9 pm Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan Jl. Asia Afrika 8 Sogo Plaza Senayan Lt. 5 Jakarta 10270 Please stay tuned to our Facebook page and Twitter account for more details! For those of you who would like to join our event, kindly register via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! Or if you have questions, tweet us .

15.07.13

We Discuss: Education

As you may already know, Whiteboard Journal is introducing a new offline program called We Discuss so that we can interact more with our readers. The theme of our first meeting is , and to give you an idea about the kinds of topics we are going to cover, please refer to the details below. What is education? We associate "studying" with formal institutions and "learning" with something that interests us. Are the two concepts really different, or are they interrelated? Are there things that we to know, or should knowledge be customized according to one's personal needs? - What do we need to educate ourselves? - What can we get from formal institutions (official curriculum) or other sources available in society, especially with the rise of Internet lectures and websites? - What is the role of an educator? A teacher or a coach/guide? - To be recognized as an "educator" does one need to be formally educated, or can they also learn from experience? - What is the difference between a "student" and a "learner"? - Are we really capable of educating ourselves with the amount of information available on the Internet?   Tuesday, July 30, 2013 7–9 pm Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan Jl. Asia Afrika 8 Sogo 
Plaza Senayan Lt. 5 Jakarta 10270   Please stay tuned to our Facebook page and Twitter account for more details! For those of you who would like to join our event, kindly register via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! Or if you have questions, tweet us .

08.07.13

Introducing: WE DISCUSS

For those of you who frequently visit the Kinokuniya bookstore at Plaza Senayan, you must have noticed Whiteboard Journal’s booth that features our monthly selection of publications. While this has been a big step for us, we would like to increase interaction with our readers. And how exactly do we plan to achieve this goal? By introducing our newest program: . With this program, we would like to invite our readers to exchange their opinions in discussions on a wide range of issues. For our program to achieve its goal, however, we realize that the preparation of its participants is as important as the editorial team's. This is why we will recommend various references relevant to each monthly theme through our website and other social media outlets prior to the day of the event, though participants are also free to use and introduce their own references. In short, the main purpose Whiteboard Journal's is to knowledge and experiences. Below are the specific details of the first We Discuss meeting. Jl. Asia Afrika 8 Sogo
 Plaza Senayan Lt. 5 Jakarta 10270 What is education? We associate "studying" with formal institutions and "learning" with something that interests us. Are the two concepts really different, or are they interrelated? Are there things that we to know, or should knowledge be customized according to one's personal needs? We will make regular updates, so please stay tuned to our Facebook page and Twitter account! If you are interested in joining the event, kindly register via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! Or if you have questions, tweet us .

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