Frustrated with Fads

As I thought about the connections between education and fashion, the initial imaginary bridges built in my mind were mostly broken ones. For me, one of the most frustrating aspects of education and fashion is fads.

In and out… and in again. The cycle of style spans the centuries.

Back and forth… and back again. The pedagogical pendulum swings perpetually.

Whether it’s bell-bottoms or brand name jeans, paisley prints or plain pastels, inevitably “fab” fashions fade. We can rest assured, though, that these faded fads will find their way back to “fab” in the future.

Likewise, whether it’s direct instruction or discovery learning, rote or reasoned or revealed, trends in teaching are transitioned in and out tirelessly. What tops the training ticket today could be trashed tomorrow. For something as timeless as education, why are the techniques so temporary?

As I read through the articles, a number of fashion fad-specific words jumped out, including: “hot” (Brand, 2006), “cool” (Caplan, 2005; Grossman, 2003; Wong & Henricksen, 2008: 7), and “pop phenomenon” or just “phenomenon” (La Ferla, 2005: 2, Wong & Henricksen, 2008: 12). And, as the fashion / education gap was bridged, “buzz” (Wong & Henricksen, 2008: 12) entered in to the conversation. What happens when “hot” cools or “cool” becomes lukewarm? What happens when “pop” becomes a flop or the “phenomenon” becomes part of everyday fare? And, what happens when the “buzz” just becomes annoying background noise?

For me, compelling goes beyond quirky; quality must be considered. Compelling ought not be simply something new or novel, but something necessary and needed. Compelling is not a matter of what’s “pop” but what’s purposeful. Compelling is not a matter of “mod” but meaning. Compelling is not only engaging but also enduring.

These qualities of compelling came to the fore for me as the authors of the article, “If Ideas Were Fashion,” discussed “the expert / novice paradigm.” They suggest, “WNTW provides a compelling, contemporary illustration of pragmatism’s central argument – something far too uncommon in most philosophical discussions. WNTW reminds us that ideas, like fashion, must be lived in and experienced in order to understand, appreciate, and judge their meaning and significance” (Wong & Henricksen, 2008: 18). When ideas… or fashion fads… or teaching techniques come and go so quickly, how can they be “lived in”? How can “meaning and significance” be realized? How can the teaching and learning experience be compelling?

I don’t have the answers, but as I fashioned my ideas for this module, my frustration with fads festered.