Socratic teaching and sponge teaching:

[click to enlarge]

Two ways of being a critical thinker:

-Tom

My first swipe at the clip for this month:

or get the higher res file HERE.

-Tom

I don’t have much time to write, but I am working on illustrations for a book called “Asking the Right Questions”. (I’ve mentioned it before). It is a very exciting project, so I am thrilled to show the first finished panel.

Thoughts? Comments?

-Tom

If you do not know what the 11 second club is, check it out here: www.11secondclub.com

This is my submission for January:

Or download a Higher Res version here (right click, save as)

-Tom

So I’m finally getting into this 11 second club thing…

Here is my first hack at the clip. I went a bit goofy with it, but I’ve enjoyed working on it so far.

This clip is just composition and color (no animation). It’s confusing as hell, but I aim to clarify with good animation. I’m hoping to make this a buttery 30 frames per second. So try to picture it as amazing ;)

Picture lots of helicopters and crumbling buildings too… :D

Any thoughts?

-Tom

In the coming semester I will be working on a series of illustrations/cartoons possibly appearing in the next version of a book called Asking the Right Questions. It is quite an interesting book- written by one of my professors: Dr. M. Neil Browne.

The following sketches are based on subject matter within the book.

1) Sponge Learning vs. Panning for Gold Learning

2) Teaching with Questions

3) Critical Thinking Etiquette

4) Attitude toward debate: Winning Vs. Furthering Understanding

5) Descriptive Arguments and Prescriptive Arguments

What are your impressions? Feel free to give me any feedback, ideas/changes etc…
-Tom

The next iteration of the Legal Squirrels animation. The project is getting near the end now.

There are still many sound problems. Distracting background noise, unadjusted levels, no music, missing sound effects, etc… but the visual quality is nearing completion.

Lo res:

But I suggest this yummy HD version HERE- 35mb (right-click and save-as)


-Tom

I’m working on another poster for Dr. Browne. (see my first one here) It is based on an analogy about a Hedgehog and a Fox by Sir Isaiah Berlin (who, incidentally, also is the progenitor of one of my favorite ideas, the idea of “positive liberty” and “negative liberty”)*.

The hedgehog and fox analogy is fairly simply: Berlin’s fox is a creature who knows something about an expansive range of subject matter- a generalist. Alternatively, the Berlinian hedgehog knows a great deal about one specific thing- a specialist.

So in trying to create an image to represent this idea, I made several doodles of hedgehogs and foxes… but I ended up with the following two characters. I’m not sure if I’ll use them, but they’ve been fun to make.

Here they are:

Agent Hedgehog sees extremely far through a tiny narrow scope.
Agent Fox cannot see as far, but is resourceful in any environment.

Any suggestions?

-Tom

* The distinction of “positive liberty” and “negative liberty” is rarely made in the U.S.- But I find it tremendously important. Essentially, it binds liberty (or freedom) with means.
In other words, being free doesn’t amount to much unless you also have the tools to accomplish what you wish. Many phrase the distinction like this:

Negative Freedom is Freedom From
Positive Freedom is Freedom To

Example: We have the Negative Freedom to go to Hawaii on vacation. There is no law preventing us from flying to Hawaii.

If we had the Positive Freedom to go to Hawaii, the government (or someone) would provide us with airfare, plan the trip, get hotels, etc..

For instance, public education is a Positive Freedom. Not only are there no laws preventing education- there is a school in every area, and it is free of charge.

Now, there is certainly a gradient present here. This is not a case of “either/or”. Pos/Neg liberty exists on a scale.

Still a bunch of issues to work out… but it’s getting there-

Download it HERE. (31mb)

Right click and “save as”

-Tom