User:RobertC/Journal

July 2005

1 Ne 11:14: Why does the angel ask Nephi about his beliefs and what he has seen? Perhaps the angel wants to know what Nephi believes, so as to build on Nephi's beliefs. This is a great way to teach--rather than just lecturing someone by going into an explanation based on your own vocabulary and/or frame of reference, you should find out where the other person is coming from so as to build on that frame of reference. This is the kind of relating to others advocated by Buber and Levinas [I'd like to study the differences between these two better sometime; here is a good starting point].

If the angel could read Nephi's thoughts (I've heard God can read our thoughts, but Satan can't--no idea where this comes from...), this takes on added meaning: it is for Nephi's benefit not the angel's. In teaching, it is often more important to ask students questions so they can start to formulate the answer in their own vocabulary. Then, when the teacher adds more understanding, it can be described in that vocabulary and it will stick better. --RobertC 16:10, 15 Aug 2005 (CEST)