Thinking Skills - Two day workshop

Thinking Skills -Two day workshop by Prof. Milan Pandya

Hello, I am Emisha Ravani, writing this blog for the special event and that was the workshop for Thinking Skills by the very good resource person Prof. Milan Pandya. Milan Pandya is a teacher, trainer and educator in the field of Thinking Skills i.e. Critical, Creative and Design Thinking, English Language Teaching & Communication Skills. With more than 12 years of teaching experience, Mr. Pandya has authored 02 books, and presented and published a number of research papers in national and international conferences and journals. He has taught/trained in numerous Universities/Institutions training more than 30,000 people in Thinking Skills across world. Mr. Pandya has BA & MA in English Literature, M.Phil. in English Language Teaching (ELT) & his Ph.D. involves study into Online Teaching, Communicative Competence & Critical Thinking. He currently holds a position of Vice President of Advancement at Critical Thinking Solutions company in Ontario, Canada, and teaches at multiple colleges such as Conestoga and Sheridan college in Ontario, Canada.

On 13-14th August 2022, We had a workshop for thinking skills which was by Prof. Milan Pandya sir. It was extremely enriching as well as hard nuts to cracked. Many things were discussed there like, 

Critical thinking and Creative thinking,

Critical Thinking and Creative thinking both are having it's own values like the Creative thinking can lead us towards the ideas which are not chewed and also having it's worth within itself. and to examine that we use the critical thinking. 

Skeptical and doubtful

Logical, rational and scientific

The Speaker also mentioned the great philosopher Socrates. I wanna put here the quote by this man, 

"I know you won't believe me but the highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others" - Socrates. Might here he wants to said before he made statement because he is saying that you will not believe me that means he is gonna say something which is not ordinary sort of things. And from his style to expression we can come to know that in which level or manner he has used. and he said the excellence is to act of questioning the things and also we can have critical corner by only the corner of questioning by various perspectives and flexibility.  

Further the speaker gave the definition of critical thinking and that the core I found for myself, 'Thinking about thinking, in order to improve thinking'. Here the act of thinking is fir the act of improving the thinking process that how we think in certain kind of patterns and flows.

Also he talked about 'Facts' and 'Opinions' by it's nature. As per understanding of that Facts are those which are not going to be change ever, and Opinions are those which can change anytime.

"If something is true, What else has to be true in that"  

Possible and Plausible 

The crux of all Or the flame for me was that slide which was containing.

"Your teacher might be wrong. Learn to think for yourself".-Tao Te Ching.

Milan sir talked about it very clearly that, How we can think and how we should think for ourselves rather than do not believing in the things which are told to us and taught to us by the teachers. 

Thought Experiment 

In this slide we can see that there are so many objects together come out. And we had done activity of it too. It was kind we have to find out various categories the objects can be put under that. And we found it's like limitless thoughts process which is going on and on into our brain and we can found more and more categories. Which were like very different and so many. 

Then there was those hard nuts which we were not able cracked very easily. In that sir gave scenario to us and we have to think a lot with like lot of struggle even. By that we got the glimpse of how criticism and creative thinking skills are difficult to have. And also at very last he told that It's the life skill not only thinking skills. Because "You are what you are, because of Thinking"   

Bunch of thanks to Dr. Dilip Barad sir for organized this wonderful workshop and also to resource person.

THANK YOU!

Selected Poems 

Hello, I am Emisha Ravani, writing this blog as a thinking activity which is given by Yesha Bhatt madam. In this we have to do very unique tasks like creating a literary excerpt in a such way. We have to pick up any  one line/word/phrase/thought/idea from the poem An Introduction by Kamala Das. 

Kamala Das is a literary figure as well as Indian poet from Kerala. She was noted for her several Malayalam short stories as well as poems written in English. Das was also a syndicated columnist. She once claimed that "poetry does not sell in this country [India]", but her forthright columns, which sounded off on everything from women's issues and child care to politics, were popular. Das was a confessional poet whose poems have often been considered at par with those of Anne Sexton and Robert Lowell.

Now, We will have a look towards her poem 'An Introduction'. 

Kamala Das - An Introduction

I don't know politics but I know the names

Of those in power, and can repeat them like

Days of week, or names of months, beginning with Nehru.

I am Indian, very brown, born in Malabar,

I speak three languages, write in

Two, dream in one.

Don't write in English, they said, English is

Not your mother-tongue. Why not leave

Me alone, critics, friends, visiting cousins,

Every one of you? Why not let me speak in

Any language I like? The language I speak,

Becomes mine, its distortions, its queernesses

All mine, mine alone.

It is half English, halfIndian, funny perhaps, but it is honest,

It is as human as I am human, don't

You see? It voices my joys, my longings, my

Hopes, and it is useful to me as cawing

Is to crows or roaring to the lions, it

Is human speech, the speech of the mind that is

Here and not there, a mind that sees and hears and

Is aware. Not the deaf, blind speech

Of trees in storm or of monsoon clouds or of rain or the

Incoherent mutterings of the blazing

Funeral pyre. I was child, and later they

Told me I grew, for I became tall, my limbs

Swelled and one or two places sprouted hair.

WhenI asked for love, not knowing what else to ask

For, he drew a youth of sixteen into the

Bedroom and closed the door, He did not beat me

But my sad woman-body felt so beaten.

The weight of my breasts and womb crushed me.

I shrank Pitifully.

Then … I wore a shirt and my

Brother's trousers, cut my hair short and ignored

My womanliness. Dress in sarees, be girl

Be wife, they said. Be embroiderer, be cook,

Be a quarreller with servants. Fit in. Oh,

Belong, cried the categorizers. Don't sit

On walls or peep in through our lace-draped windows.

Be Amy, or be Kamala. Or, better

Still, be Madhavikutty. It is time to

Choose a name, a role. Don't play pretending games.

Don't play at schizophrenia or be a

Nympho. Don't cry embarrassingly loud when

Jilted in love … I met a man, loved him. Call

Him not by any name, he is every man

Who wants. a woman, just as I am every

Woman who seeks love. In him . . . the hungry haste

Of rivers, in me . . . the oceans' tireless

Waiting. Who are you, I ask each and everyone,

The answer is, it is I. Anywhere and,

Everywhere, I see the one who calls himself I

In this world, he is tightly packed like the

Sword in its sheath. It is I who drink lonely

Drinks at twelve, midnight, in hotels of strange towns,

It is I who laugh, it is I who make love

And then, feel shame, it is I who lie dying

With a rattle in my throat. I am sinner,

I am saint. I am the beloved and the

Betrayed. I have no joys that are not yours, no

Aches which are not yours. I too call myself I.

Now the further task is we have to create our own stuff by inspire it. And in this, I picked a word 'I' and I am presenting a short poem which is titled as "Crown of Humanity". So, let's have a look for that.

Crown of Humanity

I don't wear that costly necklace,

I wear that humble heart to confess!

I don't need anklets to dance.

I wear that trustworthy thread to spread grace!

I don't yearn rings to promises wildly,

I wear that rose to keep honesty!

I don't want that toxic tiara to be guilty,

I wear that nectar crown to flip humanity!

Interpretation of the poem :

 

Here I wrote the very short poem and it is based on the idea of materialistic world and specially when it come to the women normally people make them happy by gifting the expensive ornaments. But the thought I wanted to portrayed is that one should not look at another person as female and male at very first sight. Rather the all humans are same with the values and qualities. That is, we and the society make it biased by our perspectives.

I mentioned the materialistic things by comparing the very basic values of human life. Like necklace, anklets, rings, tiara and on their replacement, I used confesses, trustworthiness, honesty and the very required quality is humanity.

THANK YOU!

Thinking Activity : Derrida and Deconstruction

 Thinking Activity : Derrida and Deconstruction

I am Emisha Ravani, Writing this blog as a thinking activity for the concept of Derrida and Deconstruction. Which is given by Prof.Dr.Dilip Barad there is an another blog for this idea with informative videos You can have a look to it by clicking here. And here I will discuss other things like what is the understanding by Deconstruction'? and practicing it here by some of attempts. 

  

Derrida is saying that Deconstruction is not Destruction.

Then what is Deconstruction?

Defining this term can be especially difficult and confusing one. Derrida once said It is a necessary confusion since it is criticizing the very simplified explanation of the reasoning behind this theory that I found helpful. So here, Derrida himself is accepting and attempting that the idea or the concept of Deconstruction is too hard nut to crack itself.

So now I am going to deconstruct some of words or dialogues from very pertinent scenes for understanding Binary Opposition in the easy way. The oppositions challenged by deconstruction, which have been inherent in Western philosophy since the time of the ancient Greeks, are characteristically “binary” and “hierarchical,” involving a pair of terms in which one member of the pair is assumed to be primary or fundamental, the other secondary or derivative. Examples include nature and culture, speech and writing, mind and body, presence and absence, inside and outside, literal and metaphorical, intelligible and sensible, and form and meaning, among many others. To “deconstruct” an opposition is to explore the tensions and contradictions between the hierarchical ordering assumed (and sometimes explicitly asserted) in the text and other aspects of the text’s meaning, especially those that are indirect or implicit or that rely on figurative or performative uses of language. Through this analysis, the opposition is shown to be a product, or “construction,” of the text rather than something given independently of it.

The scene from movie Mardaani 2

A police officer's search for a missing teenage girl leads her to the depraved world of child trafficking. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between the officer and a mafia kingpin.

Sunny, a psychopath working for a politician, brutally rapes and murders innocent women, leaving a trail of battered bodies in his wake. However, SP Shivani Roy vows to catch and bring him to justice.

Even when we see the poster of the movie we think it is having the feminine voice at all. But when go into deep study by the various kind of perspective we come to know many things along with it.

This is the scene where we come to know that the interview is going on of a female police officer. Here also there is male who is taking interview and questioning very weirdly to the one who is answering and being deconstructed by her own answers. It is showing that no matter woman is standing, no matter which position she is having but she will be always questionable one. Even the professions have their narrow path to walk by this zander binaries or opposition. When we take a look to the post-colonial idea we come to know that from the old time male hierarchy and the act of privileging over other is playing vital role everywhere and every aspect of the social lance. We always have that idea of binary in our subconscious mind no matter the one is male or female. But if one is male then always think about the privileging over the female more.

First question is only like, A murdering rapist trying to impress you or to take revenge on you. Straps a time bomb to an innocent girl. Don’t you think having a male officer in your place could have prevented this disaster? Is it not time for women to introspect a little?

We can observe that the question is a very big question to itself. When we see by the perspective of the binary opposition. How the whole society is presented by this male interviewer.

Female police officer = woman’s voice
Male interviewer = male dominated society

Further he is going with a question like when Mother Nature has created a difference between men and women. Who are we to dispute it?

In this question here also mentioned the religious concerns by questioning the character of Sita. In the ending of video there is the idea of Equality as well as capacities.

The scene from movie Pink

After being molested, Minal, along with her friends, tries to file an FIR against a politician's nephew. When the subsequent case gets rigged, Deepak, a retired lawyer, helps them to fight the case.

The scene open with the question Are you Virgin? By the lawyer to the Minal in the court. Here we can see the idea of ‘Virginity’ has come always with the women concerns. We never find it around any man. Also, the judge asks to have Incamera at that time Minal Arora does not know the next question though she denied to have Incamera session she says I will give answers in open court because I did not do anything wrong. So, why women are always being questionable in this thing! She answered even the question like, she is not virgin and at nineteen she lost her virginity. So, lawyer is going further with the flow very pertinently and striking questions are there.

When it comes to virginity the society always have those notions in the mind that it always the rape cases playing the role. Society never thinks in a way of consents from the both sides. In this way it is all about the human will not every time it is the case of rape or any other things. Because the people always make women’s characters in fault. Human will is at center. Also, we can observe the questions those are asked to the male character and female character while they are standing in the court to be questioned. 

Mainly this movie is not about the one molested female case, rather than it is more about the human will or consent as it focused by the lance of the lawyer. He is telling that these many things girls cannot do with the references of consents. Also, how these things are same but for girls it is not same!

Minal and her friends state that the men tried to sexually assault them. Minal alleges that Rajveer tried to rape her, and she attacked him with the bottle in self-defence. Deepak’s argument focuses on the issue of consent and a woman’s right to say no. A series of interesting and chilling courtroom arguments ensues in the following days. Towards the end of the trial, Rajveer becomes enraged and provoked by Deepak, revealing the truth by stating that the women “got what they deserved”. Deepak criticizes the regressed views of the society where women are stereotyped as prostitutes if they come home late, move out of their home, want to be independent, drink and so on, but none of these applies to men. In his closing remarks, Deepak mentions that his client said “no”. No means no and does not require further explanation. The women are acquitted while Rajveer, Ankit, and Dumpy are charged. Vishwa Jyoti is let off with a warning.

Here I would like to mention the preface by Kamala Das in her book Selected Poems. And it is directly deconstructing the very core idea of feminine here. Also there is a prominent figure here to mention.

Simone de Beauvoir

Here, Simone de Beauvoir has put out many ideas around it and how it is promiscuous evils.

 

Phallogocentrism is very core concept about binary opposition like in that as we have seen the idea of how male is privileging over female. At center men and periphery women. 

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Indian literary theorist, feminist critic, postcolonial theorist, and professor of comparative literature noted for her personal brand of deconstructive criticism, which she called “interventionist.”

THANK YOU!

Derrida and Deconstruction : Flipped Learning

Derrida and Deconstruction : Flipped Learning

Hello, I am Emisha Ravani. Writing this blog as a part of flipped learning if you want to know about that You can visit the teacher's blog. 

In this blog we have to deal with the concept of Derrida and Deconstruction. which is given by Prof.Dr.Dilip Barad sir and You can visit here to get to know about more.

Flipped learning is a methodology that helps teachers to prioritize active learning during class time by assigning students lecture materials and presentations to be viewed at home or outside of class. One of the most exciting advancements in the modern classroom is flipped learning.

Jacques Derrida was an Algerian-born French philosopher best known for developing a form of semiotic analysis known as deconstruction, which he analyzed in numerous texts, and developed in the context of phenomenology. He is one of the major figures associated with post-structuralism and postmodern philosophy. Through deconstruction, Derrida aims to erase the boundary between binary oppositions—and to do so in such a way that the hierarchy implied by the oppositions is thrown into question. Although its ultimate aim may be to criticize Western logic, deconstruction arose as a response to structuralism and formalism.

Video 1

Why is it difficult to define Deconstruction? Is Deconstruction a negative term? How does Deconstruction happen on its own? The philosopher Derrida himself keeping ask the question is it possible to define
something and is there limitations to define something. Deconstruction is not a
term which can be defined correctly. It is something like which is very difficult
to define.
Deconstruction is not act which is completely goes with the action of
deconstruct something in the real sense. But it is the process which work like act
of questioning to foundations and causes to intellectual system. So we can say
at this base it is not a negative term.
“Inquiry into the Limits.” The very condition Derrida argues is based on distinctions or binary oppositions.

Video 2

In this video the speaker is specking about points like The influence of Heidegger on Derrida, Derridian rethinking on the foundation of western philosophy.

The three important thinkers that is Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Derrida consider these figures important for his famous work “Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences”. Derrida continuing their ideas further in his philosophy.

Heidegger point out the traditional western philosophical idea that is ‘being of beings’. And he avoid this idea also. The specker has mentioned here the work of Heidegger that is ‘Being and Time’.

Further the discussion is going with the theme of language. “It is language which speaks , not man”. Language displace the man from the center in the philosophy. Reinventing the language philosophy is the basic idea here.

Here the writing is neglected and specking is having more power. By the terms of ‘Phonocentricism’.

Video 3

In this video the information about Ferdinand de Saussureian concept of language ( that meaning is arbitrary, relational ,constitutive). How Derrida Deconstructs the idea of arbitrariness? Concept of metaphysics of presence.

“Meaning of the word is nothing but another word”. – Derrida. He talks about existence of something and binary opposition. There is no positive element in language, but only negative one

Video 4

This video is going for the discussion of Derridian concept of ‘difference’, Infinite play of meaning , DifferAnce = to differ & to defer the meaning.

The speaker is dealing with the interesting part here that is the meaning of particular word ‘Interest’ with many dictionary meanings. What do you mean by understand? What we are understanding is the another group of word by saying that understanding according to Derrida. There is no final meaning of any word.

Saussurean sign is equal to signifier which signifies something; but Derridean sign is free play of signifiers, signifying nothing.

The ultimate MEANING is postponed according to Derrida. Further he is saying about difference. And speaking privileging over writing. 

Video 5

In this video , Structure, Sign & play in the discourse of the Human Sciences. Language bears within itself the necessity of it’s own critique.

It is about post structuralism. There are references of other philosophers here and their concepts. Criticism can never go outside of tradition it’s because of the language according to Derrida. And also talk about ultimate meaning or assumptions. You can never catch the final meaning of any word. 

Video 6

In this video, there is like The Yale School – the hub of the practitioners of Deconstruction in the literary theories. The characteristics of the Yale School of Deconstruction.

There are four figures like, Paul de Man, J.Hillis Miller, Harold Bloom and Geoffrey Hartman for the promotion of Deconstruction concept of Derrida. The Yale School has played huge role into it. Further it is going with aesthetics illusions and some of characteristics of Yale School. 

Video 7

Here the difference of The Yale School’s deconstruction and the other branches of criticism is working on Deconstruction. Like, Post Colonial theories: fascinated by it’s ability to show that the texts or the discourse of the colonizers can be deconstructed from within the narratives. Then cultural theories , feminist theories and new historicism also influenced by Deconstruction. There is the range of approaches.

THANK YOU!