Postmodern Popcorn

Here are several clips showing examples of Eduspeak--educator's jargon.

1. "One More Theory" cartoon--sorry it's so fast. This cute cartoon is based not so much on jargon but on a generally academic issue that would be hard to understand outside of the academic or religious context. The biggest controversy here involves education.

2. "Hey!" cartoon--also too fast. Also not eduspeak, but makes fun of technological jargon and its use for creating hype.

3. "Trans in the University Classroom: Pedagogical Strategy and Practice" --this is a cesspool of Eduspeak. First is the phrase "Something or other....in the classroom." Often used but possibly it's completely meaningless, or just means outside of one-on-one teaching or the lab. "Pedagogical" I've gathered means related to the art of teaching. "Strategy" is a word that is used a lot. It means a rehearsed or premeditated reaction to deal with a certain situation.

4. "Service-Learning: Teaching for Change/ Special Opportunity Field Experience" -- "service-learning" is the same as community service, only it's for students and educational.

5."Women demand a New World Order" - Not Eduspeak, but I thought it was funny. Go ask any woman besides the ones that put up these posters and ask if they want a "new world order". Heehee.

6. "Essential Knowledges"- BIG EDUSPEAK PET PEEVE of mine: The Paradigm. Especially paradigms that include visuals, like pie charts. The Paradigm attempts to be inclusive of everything under its title.

7. "ESL & Literacy" - "Literacy" is used by educators irratically. Anyone would tell you that literacy is the ability to read, but for educators, there is media literacy, computer literacy, second language literacy...