Author, teacher to offer insight on education

Fort Worth, TX

1/16/2007

Bethany McDougle
TCU Daily Skiff


An educator and author of 15 books will lecture to an audience of local school administrators and teachers about her ideas on improving education today and Wednesday.

Nel Noddings, this year's school of education Green Honors Chair, is a Professor of Education at Stanford University.

During her visit, Noddings will give two lectures, the first of which will be on her book, "Happiness and Education." The lecture will focus on great thinkers of the past and their ideas on happiness, Noddings said.

Noddings said she will discuss the difference between public and private happiness.

The second lecture, "Critical Lessons for Critical Thinking," will focus on how critical and reflective thinking should be taught in high schools.

"My hope is that the lectures will result in follow-up discussions in classrooms," Noddings said.

TCU has been hosting the Cecil H. and Ida Green Honors chair since 1962. The program provides opportunities for departments to host distinguished scholars, scientists, writers and other career persons.

Noddings said she is very pleased to be chosen as the Green Honors Chair because the Greens were major contributors to Stanford, she said.

Shirley Williams, assistant to the dean of education, said the response from the Fort Worth Independent School District has been positive because many elementary and high school educators and administrators are expected to attend, Williams said.

During her visit, Noddings will also present other lectures for nursing, social work and theology students on campus.

"Dr. Noddings' ideas extend across many typical academic disciplines," said Sam Deitz, dean of the school of education. "We could profit from specific ideas for ways to improve our programs and general ideas of ways to improve conceptions of how we do what we do."

Noddings has authored approximately 200 articles on various topics, such as the ethics of care and mathematical reasoning.