Author Archives: Norm Friesen

Lost in Translation: Ludwig Wittgenstein, Education and the Question of Abrichtung (Training)

Here’s the abstract for a short paper I’ve been preparing for a conference: As a landmark philosopher of language and of mind, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s work, particularly in the Philosophical Investigations, has been taken up by philosophers of education in English. Christopher Winch (1998), … Continue reading

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John Dewey as Media Theorist ?!

I’ve been working on this for submission to the John Dewey Society:  Communication and (Educational) Media: Dewey as a Theorist avant la lettre In addition to being an educational reformer and philosopher nonpareil, John Dewey also theorized media and communication. The inimitable Marshall … Continue reading

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Bildung, Currere and the Task of Remebrance

Presentation given as a part of the EDCP 2014-2015 Seminar Series, “International Perspectives in Curriculum and Pedagogy” hosted by William E. Doll Jr., Donna Trueit and William Pinar. Bildung, Currere and the Task of Remeberance from Norm Friesen on Vimeo. … Continue reading

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Herbart on Pedagogical Tact

In 1802, J.F. Herbart (1776-1841) gave a brilliant lecture on pedagogical tact, which provides many insights that remain relevant today. Here’s a 1898 translation of Herbart’s lecture, provided courtesy of Google Books. See the whole PowerPoint presentation, which situates Herbart’s discussion of tact … Continue reading

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Expression of the Hands (Ausdruck der Hände)

In this 1997 documentary, director and narrator Harun Farocki offers what might be called a phenomenology of the hand in cinema. The phenomenon in question, of course, is the expressive power and possibilities of the hands in film. In this … Continue reading

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Hiedegger – the Magus of Messkirch

A 1989 documentary about Martin Heidegger, born and raised a Roman Catholic in Messkirch, Baden-Württemberg. An excellent video with well-translated English subtitles. In a number of interview fragments included here, Heidegger explains his thinking with atypical simplicity and clarity. His … Continue reading

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Old Literacies and the “New” Literacy Studies: Revisiting Reading and Writing

Video “abstract” and paper that recently appeared in the open, online journal Seminar.net. This paper traces a discontinuous and material history of “schooling,” writing and its technologies, rather than one that would be continuous and etymological or cultural in focus (i.e. going … Continue reading

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McLuhan's 1960 Report on Project in Understanding New Media

This two-volume text was commissioned by the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. In the opening paragraph, McLuhan refers to it as “Project 69,” and memorably explains its purpose as follows: Project 69 in Understanding Media proposed to provide an approach to … Continue reading

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New Doc. Course: Phenomenological Research & Writing

Here’s the description: What is the experience of a conversation via Skype or Facetime? What are the experiences of absence or divided attention that technologies of “presence” bring to our everyday lives? The purpose of this course is to give … Continue reading

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Visiting Prof @ UBC Vancouver

I’ve taken up an appointment as a Visiting Professor at UBC for the 2014-2015 academic year. (I’ll still be available at my Boise State email.) At the same time, I’ve transferred some domain names (e.g. phandpr.org, learningspaces.org, normfriesen.info) to new … Continue reading

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