How We Know What We Know

In school we often focus on what we know, but rarely explore how we know what we know.

Within this one course, there are myriad perspectives and encounters that shape how each person understands one piece of information. Throughout this course, you will explore specific concepts and ideas to build a foundational understanding that you can use to navigate the world. Some of these concepts may be familiar, and many may be new. However you are coming to this course, know that you have room to grow and learn. Use this experience to push yourself. Rather than strive for perfection, looks for ways to challenge your own thinking. Reach out to your teacher and build a relationship.

Explore ideas and concepts that interest you. Even though you are learning independently, know that all people in this class will experience the same resources and assignments, hear the same arguments, and grapple with the same ideas.

As an individual, you will bring your own elements or frame to the information in this course. Even the simplest of things are seen differently by each person. Think, for example, of the color red. What one person understands as red is likely completely different than what another person considers red, and yet the whole group can agree on what red “is” when we look at it. (woah.)

Shades of Red

An individual’s perspective is shaped by their past experiences, present expectations, and future goals and aspirations. This assignment is designed to help you

unearth some of the elements that color your perspective,
identify one frame that seems to make your perspective uniquely yours, and
think about how that frame shapes your interactions and understandings.

What Steps Do I Take?

Compose well-crafted, thoughtful, paragraph-length reflective responses to each of the following questions (at least one full paragraph each).

How do I Know I've Been Successful?

The prompts above ask you to reflect on how you know what you know. This is difficult. There are no right or wrong answers. Don’t expect to be poetic. Just write.