Teaching Tibet: Chapter II

Index

 * CHAPTER II: INITIAL CURRICULUM	46
 * OVERALL VISION – THE COURSE AS A WHOLE	46
 * INTRODUCTION TO TIBET: WEEK BY WEEK	48
 * ADDRESSING EDUCATIONAL GOALS	56
 * RETURNING TO THE COGNITIVE: LOOKING BACK TO CHAPTER 1	70
 * HOPES, APPROACH AND CONCLUSIONS	    72

Chapter II: Initial Curriculum
I have often asked myself, “where else could I design my own curriculum, and teach a six-week class?” Indeed, I am heavily indebted to Hampshire for the rare opportunity to teach a class on the undergraduate level; few other institutions offer such chances. My older sister Kate, for example, is currently a PhD candidate at New York University and is only now getting the opportunity to be a Teaching Assistant. The purpose of my six-week course, “Introduction to Tibet,” is to give students a basic understanding of Tibetan history, religion, culture and politics. In what follows here, I will explain my process of curriculum development for my class, how I have organized the five central topics, which sources in the field of Tibetan studies I have consulted, and how I have integrated the three teaching methods I am using (explained in detail in the preceding chapter) into the structure of the course. Following this brief outline of how I will be dividing the course time, I turn to a discussion of the educational goals I have for the course, and how I am addressing them through the construction of this six-week course, citing specific examples from my lesson plans and general curriculum. Finally, I will explore how I am connecting these educational goals to the principles and goals I outlined in my first chapter.

Overall Vision: The Course as a Whole
The curriculum for this course has been divided in four different ways: through exploration of Buddhism at large, Tibetan Buddhism specifically, political history at home and politics abroad. During the first week of class, I want to give students a basic taste of Tibet, a first glimpse. The second week contains a brief study of Buddhism, the third week goes on to explore Tibetan schools and traditions of Buddhism, as well as the historical dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet. Using this historical vantage point as a transition, week four enters into the study of domestic politics, and how the Tibetan political system evolved into the theocracy of the Dalai Lamas. Week five furthers this exploration of Tibetan politics, focusing on foreign relations with India, England, Mongolia, Russia and, of course, China. The final week of this course will be opened up for student work, specifically their presentations of final projects, as well as the discussion of issues and topics of interest to the students not already covered by the course. I decided to work along lines of history, religion, culture and politics, not because I feel these are the only elements or aspects of Tibet, or that it can be essentialized in some way, but rather because I argue that understanding these elements will provide a foundation on which further study can be built. These four general themes provide insights into the basic structure and milieu of Tibetan societies over time – the most basic components that must be understood in order to develop and explore other areas of interest further. Another important note to make at this juncture is to touch on this issue of culture for a moment. How does one exactly teach “culture”? The problematic nature of asserting a monolithic definition for the term “culture” aside, how can one truly teach about another’s way of life, another people’s values and beliefs without generalizing? To this extent, my exposure to Edward Said’s notions of Orientalism has profoundly influenced the ways in which I am approaching this course. Said notes that, When a learned Orientalist traveled in the country of his specialization, it was always with unshakable abstract maxims about the ‘civilization’ he had studied; rarely were Orientalists interested in anything except proving the validity of these musty ‘truths’ by applying them, without great success, to uncomprehending, hence degenerate, natives. It is not my intention to provide a criterion by which all of Tibet, and hence all Tibetans can be judged. Nor do I intend to convince students that all Tibetans are the same; that they all behave, believe and function in a specific way, simply because no matter how insular or isolated the country may be, no two people will behave exactly the same. Such generalizations are nothing more than fiction, and a pitiful attempt to answer every question with a single answer. If the reader consults the syllabus for the course, they will notice that there is no class session entitled “Tibetan Culture.” When designing this course, I decided to focus explicitly on religious and political aspects of Tibet, in the hopes that by exploring these two topics, some of the cultural norms and viewpoints will be elucidated. Furthermore, I hope that instead of trying to sort out every aspect of Tibet’s cultural elements, students will be able to glean various perspectives, as explored by different authors, Tibetan and non-Tibetan alike. It is my intention to teach questions, rather than answers, and while I may highlight trends or tendencies within various Tibetan societies, I make no claim that these account for every Tibetan.

Introduction to Tibet: Week by Week
The first week of classes will be simple and get the class as a whole into the mindset of study. The first class will be devoted to reviewing the syllabus, my plan for the exploration of this subject, and also the goals and the issues that students would like to see covered. I am devoting the final week of classes to the exploration of student interests, and the issues that are most pertinent to them and interest them are very important to me. By exploring their interests, I hope that I can include the participants of this course in the active construction of knowledge, and give them a sense that their interests are, in fact, essential to successfully learning about Tibet. Of course, the interests of the participants deserve more than just a week. Throughout the course, there will be ample room for group work, and I will encourage questions and be happy to work with the participants to sort out qualms, issues and discover ideas beyond my own goals for the course. The second day of classes will be devoted to giving students a first view of Tibet, quite literally. After first delivering a brief lecture on some basic demographic information on Tibet, I will run images of Tibet from a projector to appear behind me as I slowly read aloud excerpts from different authors. During this lecture and the reading of excerpts, I will be synthesizing information taken from Sir Charles Bell, Heinrich Harrer, Mikel Dunham, Thubten Jigme Norbu, Peter Aufschnaiter, Matthew T. Kapstein, Melvyn C. Goldstein and Brian Harris. My goal for this specific class session is to give a view of Tibet, not only from a general perspective, but also from very specific ones. I will show students the everyday life of a Lhasa city-dweller through reading a sample of Heinrich Harrer’s Seven Years in Tibet, and also that of an eastern resident of Kham (a Khampa), through Mikel Dunham’s Buddha’s Warriors. As Dorje Yudon Yuthok notes, “A few educated persons of the West – English officials, Americans, Germans, and others – came to Tibet, but except for noting the history of political events, methods of formulating policy, and religious systems, they did not write much about everyday life.” As is the case of this course, we will primarily be examining Tibet’s rich religious and political contexts, and with the focus on these elements, I do not want to lose sight of exploring the personal histories of Tibet. At this point, it is also important to turn to the work of Said, for his examination of voice and agency within the scope of Orientalism will prove invaluable for my efforts. He writes, “There is very little consent to be found, for example, in the fact that Flaubert’s encounter with an Egyptian courtesan produced a widely influential model of the Oriental woman; she never spoke of herself, she never represented her emotions, presence or history. He spoke for and represented her.” My hope is to represent perspectives on Tibet, not merely from western scholars and travelers (however well-intending and culturally sensitive they may be), but also from Tibetans themselves, though their own words (as in text, music, images or film). While I could have easily consulted books like Prisoners of Shangri-La to glean such insights, Orientalism was assigned reading for a totally different course, but nonetheless profoundly impacted the ways in which I understand Tibetology as a discourse and also has changed the ways that I will teach content about Tibet. These changes will be a prime area of interest in Chapter III. I chose to approach the curriculum for this course starting with an introduction to Buddhism for specific reasons. To get a clear idea of Tibet, we should first explore Buddhism. Much of Tibetan culture and history have evolved side-by-side and in tandem with Buddhism. As Melvyn C. Goldstein notes, Buddhism has played a central role in Tibetan society, defining morality and the fundamental meaning of existence through its core notions of karma, rebirth, and enlightenment. At the same time, it punctuated the daily rhythm of life by engaging individuals in concrete religious practices such as counting rosaries, turning prayer wheels, doing circumambulations, and maintaining altars in homes. It pervades the everyday lives of Tibetans, and the overall fabric of existence in Tibet, and in exile. This is not to say that all of Tibet is Buddhist – indeed, the pre-Buddhist religion of Bön is still alive and well established, as well as Islam. However, it is valid to note that ever since the reign of Songtsen Gampo (ca. 618-650) – with a 200-year hiatus after the assassination of King Lang Darma (ca. 842) – Buddhism has been the foremost religion of Tibet, and has had the greatest impact on the everyday activities of Tibetans. The prospect of a Tibet without Buddhism is for some an outlandish idea, and for others, a terrifying one. Even Tibetan nomads who (especially out in the eastern regions of Kham and Amdo) had little or no connection to or affection for the central Lhasa government were fervent Buddhists, and practiced their faith unerringly; every tent had an altar. So, in order to get an understanding of Tibet, a firm understanding of Buddhism will be crucial. I chose also to open up this exploration of Buddhism with an investigation and discussion of the Four Noble Truths, the first teaching of the Buddha. While this practice of starting with the Four Noble Truths is a bit overdone, I feel that for the purposes of this course, such an introduction can be very useful. This simple bare bones teaching is simultaneously one of the subtlest and most complex of the Buddha’s lessons. Insofar as Buddhism can be summarized or simplified, the Four Noble Truths does an excellent job of this. While I do argue that Buddhism’s diverse teachings are too vast and intricate to be adequately abridged or canonized, the Four Noble Truths outline many vital elements such as individual conduct, overall ethics, practice-based elements, as well as the philosophical basis of the Buddhist path, by exploring no-self, emptiness and the truth of Nirvana as the ineffable and ultimate goal of all beings. Many start their analysis of Buddhism by first examining the life of the Buddha. While the life story of the Buddha is an essential part of the puzzle, and while I will allocate some class time to exploring the historical Buddha, he himself said that after his death, the Dharma should be the place to look when following his example. From the Four Noble Truths, we will branch out to philosophically complex and (relatively) contemporary teachings, like those of Nagarjuna and the Madhyamika philosophical school. In this exploration, we will cover important concepts like Emptiness, No-Soul, the Five Aggregates, rebirth and karma, dependent designations, the Two Truths of Sunyata and conditioned genesis, all of which address ontological questions of being. During this brief analysis and look into Buddhism (both in terms of practice and philosophy), we will be consulting Walpola Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught, a commentary by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Heart Sutra as readings. After the discussion on Buddhism in general, we will move into the more nuanced realm of Tibetan Buddhism, starting with a historical overview of the development of the Dharma in Tibet, followed by an analysis of how Tibetan Buddhism differs from other forms – we will ask: what makes it special? Why has Tibetan Buddhism been viewed as alternately a scourge by some and a blessing by others? We will delve into the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the important role of Tantra and the development of the Tulku system, which has been responsible for the (re)discovery of so many of Tibet’s reincarnate masters. As mentioned earlier, Buddhism is not the only religious tradition of Tibet, but due to time constraints, Buddhism will be the only religion covered in any depth. However, Bön will be discussed insofar as it is significant in terms of the Tibetan historical context, and if students would like to learn more about the other faiths of Tibet, they may do so during the last week (which is dedicated exclusively to exploring student interests), or for their final research projects. I plan to present this section partially with lecture, and partially with group work. I will give an informative lecture on the dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet during the first class, to give students a foundation of understanding as to how Buddhism traveled and evolved in Tibet. To this extent, I will be assigning the students excerpts from John Powers’ Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Students will group themselves and research one of a potentially wide range of topics within Tibetan Buddhism and present to the class. Suggested topics will include: the Nyingmapa, Kagyupa, Gelukpa, Sakyapa and Kadampa sects, Tantra (generally), Lam Dre Tantra, Dzogchen Tantra, Mahamudra Tantra, Hevajra Tantra, popular figures and deities like Vairocana, Vimalamitra, Padmasambhava, Shantaraksita, Atisa, or specific practices like the Nine Vehicles of the Nyingmapa. This group work will provide students with a deeper understanding of Tibetan Buddhism that they themselves will have crafted and interpreted. Of course, I will be there to point out essential aspects of the research topics, when necessary. The remainder of the course will be spent investigating Tibetan politics (both domestic and foreign) and paying attention to the aforementioned student interests, whatever those may be. As for politics, class seven will be dedicated to exploring Tibet’s history from the time of imperial expansion under the three “Dharma Kings” (starting in the seventh century C.E.) through the fall of the Qing Dynasty (ca. 1913). Class eight will be taking an in-depth look at how Tibet functioned during what has been dubbed its “de facto” independence, meaning that the country had independent status in theory, but was never recognized as an independent nation by the international community. For the former class, the focus will be placed on changes of governance throughout this time period. Given the remarkably small amount of information on this time period at my disposal, looking at these changes will serve two purposes. First, it provides for a broader look at Tibet’s early political history, and it allows us to efficiently explore a massive amount of this history. We will be focusing on international intrigue and foreign suzerainty, the temporal and spiritual leaders of the nation, how and when these two intertwined, and to what extent it was a unified nation. When we analyze the history of independent Tibet (1913-1950), we will be focusing on the system of government in place, taking a more in-depth look at how the Gelukpa-infused political system functioned. Both of these courses will be supplemented by corresponding readings, and will be conducted in a largely Socratic style, questioning and teasing apart students’ understandings of the situations in Tibet. Following this, the final week of discussion on the political spectrum of Tibet will include an exploration into the historical precedents China cited as justification for invading Tibet in 1950, and finally, class number ten will focus on the kinds of changes Tibet has seen since the Chinese annexation and the Tibetan Diaspora. By choosing to focus on certain specific elements of Tibet like political history, governance, and the monastic institution and by placing emphasis on the leaders of Tibet (both religiously and politically), I necessarily leave many elements out of our exploration. With more than 12 hours of instruction time at our disposal, we could dedicate more time to explore Tibet through different lenses, such as interpersonal relationships in the city and the rural areas, the role of women in society, the different kinds of cultural influences from India, Mongolia and China, the life of a feudal serf, the experiences of the begging classes, notions of sexuality and marriage, astrology, medicine, monastic education, folk tales and legends, to name a few (and, obviously, in no particular order). This is not to say that these topics will be completely ignored, or that students will not have the opportunity for independent and group work into these areas of interest, but rather that they are not explicitly written into the curriculum as central guiding themes. This has been the biggest challenge I have encountered when trying to construct an introductory level course. Both Professors Abraham Zablocki and Vivek Bhandari have expressed the exact same sentiments to me on previous occasions; when teaching a 100-level course, the hardest part is determining which elements are critical for providing students with a basic understanding of the discipline. When designing the curriculum, I made conscious decisions on what to include, because I felt these areas would provide a more panoramic view – that religious and political history paint an image of Tibet in broad brushstrokes, leaving room to delve further into the aforementioned areas not explicitly included.

Addressing Educational Goals
This chapter, as I have mentioned, will explain how, through my curriculum and specific lesson plans I have addressed my educational goals. This exploration will include specific examples, as well as broader, more general guiding principles. Before embarking, however, it is absolutely necessary to restate and clarify my educational goals. I do not list these in any hierarchical order, but rather I plan to address all of the following goals (listed in no particular order): • Teach, impart, explore and question a basic foundation of factual disciplinary knowledge about Tibetan history, religion, culture and politics. • Explore and examine multiple perspectives on Tibet • Help students become active participants in the learning process • Encourage students to be more actively responsible for their own learning process and exploration of content • Connect information to their previous understandings and prior knowledge • Create a conducive environment for new and creative student ideas • Assist in the active creation of knowledge, and the careful organization of ideas • Convey information in interesting, provocative, colorful and meaningful ways, implementing multiple mediums • Teach students critical skills and procedures • Cultivate interest, vigor and enthusiasm within students for the topic • Help explain and elucidate complex and difficult concepts, and specific factual information not readily available • Use Socratic, mixed lecture and group interaction models of classroom instruction in conducive and appropriate balance. • Emphasize the importance of respect for the culture being examined These goals hearken back to the objectives outlined in the Introduction, and are meant to effect the theoretical implications of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the classroom context. It is not enough to simply list these – in what follows, I will explicate each of these objectives. Factual knowledge is absolutely essential to the study of Tibet. Due to many cultural factors, any study of Tibet requires familiarity with a large body of factual information, which also is very specialized. Given that anthropology and ethnography are recent developments in the field of Social Science and Humanities, and further, given that Tibet enjoyed a high level of isolation from the western world up until the 20th century, Tibetology is still a heavily specialized field. Also, the highly codified and hierarchical structure of Tibetan models of governance, combined seamlessly with an equally codified and hierarchical monastic structure creates a very integral need for fluency with basic factual information including terms, definitions, principles, figures, titles, regions, names, and so forth. It is vital to note that these are not objective, inherently existent facts, but rather disciplinary concepts – bounded knowledge couched in a contextual framework. Especially given that this is a culture not native to America, our understanding of these facts comes through various writers, and hence, various filters. For example, although a title like “Dalai Lama” does not change, the ways in which the West has understood it have undergone remarkable transformations. During the time of Sir Charles Bell, who visited Tibet in the 1920’s, the term was understood to mean “God-King” or “Living Buddha,” both of which, by all contemporary academic and ethnographic standards are recognized as totally erroneous. A more contemporary reading of this term reveals that “Dalai Lama” is a title that was originally given to the head reincarnate of the Gelukpa sect by the Mongolians of the Qoshot tribe. It means “Ocean Teacher,” is sometimes glossed as “Ocean of Wisdom” (although the Dalai Lama suggests this is erroneous), but the title itself refers to the position of the spiritual and temporal leader of the country, who is understood to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva of compassion, Chenrezig (skrt. Avalokiteshvara). Such an example shows that these “facts” are not free of context and history, nor do I mean to imply such freedom when I employ this term, “fact.” I use all of these descriptors, “impart, explore, and question” very deliberately. For, while many of these factual terms associated with Tibet are couched in history and relatively static (e.g., the title of the Dalai Lama is not likely to change), it is still important to address the fluid and non-static nature of other terms and commonly recognized distinctions that are often employed in an exploration of Tibet. It is very important to constantly confront and reevaluate the vocabulary and terminology employed in the study of Tibet. I argue that refraining from this constant and highly introspective practice is a central leading factor in the formation of cultural insensitivities. If the language with which we articulate Buddhism and Tibet had remained static, misleading and inaccurate terms like ‘lamaism’ would still be employed freely. Factual knowledge is one realm of instruction where mixed lecture will be employed. Given that this information must often be compiled and synthesized out of multiple sources and simply understood as a foundation of knowledge on which to build larger, more conceptually complex notions and categories of understanding, lecture is well suited for this area. Having this basic core of knowledge will facilitate the development of the cognitive processes – I will give several lectures on precisely this kind of information. I will address topics such as basic information (topography, demographics, religious beliefs, agriculture, urban and rural/nomadic settings) in the second class of the course (IT #2). When we come to the topic of Tibetan religious history, I will deliver a lecture on the first and second disseminations of Buddhism in Tibet, as well as some of the basic distinctions between the four schools of practice, Nyingmapa, Sakyapa, Kagyupa, and Gelukpa (IT #5). Other lectures will include our exploration of Buddhist philosophy (as in IT #4) and political history (as in IT #8). No two perspectives on Tibet will ever be the same. Tibet is often depicted as a totally isolated country, with a remarkably homogenous society, but this should not be overemphasized. The plateau has had major and enduring cultural, political and religious ties with India, Mongolia, China, Nepal, countries of the Trans-Himalayan Belt, and England. Examining accounts of Tibet written by Tibetans or by foreigners, a myriad of understandings about Tibet exist; this is precisely why it is important to consult as many of them as possible. My goal is to create facets and nuances in the study of a region and of its cultures, where in the past, they have been so heavily generalized. Applying Edward Said’s influential work Orientalism to this context, we see that Tibet has often been a locus for much western romanticizing, generalizing, fantasizing and pontificating. I feel it is absolutely essential to stress the textures, the richness and non-singular nature of Tibetan cultures. This facet of the class and classroom instruction will be heavily based on group interaction and Socratic models of instruction, particularly due to the highly conceptual nature of the subject matter. Working as a whole class, in groups, or by delving into specific students’ understandings and notions using Socratic methods, students must have a chance to see for themselves precisely how wide this range of views can be. I will be exploring these issues of multiple perspectives through very specific classroom practices and exercises. For example, the first two courses will focus on precisely this issue of exploring a wide range of standpoints and views. During the second day (IT #2), students will read excerpts aloud, each one followed by discussion and critical examination. These views will be coming from Tibetan and non-Tibetan authors, who come from a variety of areas (central, western and eastern Tibet, Austria, America and England), backgrounds, livelihoods, faiths, feelings, opinions and understandings. Further, when we examine Tibetan history generally (IT #7 and IT #8), and also specifically historical encounters with China (IT #9 and IT #10), we will pay a great deal of attention to authorship and intent. In the latter example, we will deal with how various histories of Sino-Tibetan relations are employed for the actualization of specific political ideologies, from Tibetans in exile and in Tibet, and also from the People’s Republic of China (as in IT #9). Also of concern within this discourse is how these histories have been used as precedent for the justification of military and political action, which we will study in IT #10. In order for students to gain anything from this course, I must help them to become active participants in the learning process. I outright reject the “banking model” of education, which suggests that students are empty vessels, into which one pours or deposits information. Students do not get ‘filled up’ with information, but rather they explore deeper and further, actively taking part in the construction of knowledge, and the ways in which they think about, and organize their ideas. Students in my course must reach out to the information they are working with, and assimilate it into their own previously existing knowledge. Students must be responsible for some amount of their own learning experience, whether they are working in groups, speaking in a larger discussion, or investigating a certain point of view of their own (e.g. through Socratic questioning methods). Students must also gain some insight into their own learning processes, and the ways in which they understand new information. At this point, the essential question about assessment resurfaces – how will I make sure they learn these important facts and concepts? This is one area that is not covered in my initial curriculum, but will be addressed in the Chapter III. I hope to accomplish this through various instructional methods that I will employ in the classroom. When the instructor lectures, students are actively participating, although to a lesser extent than if they are speaking in groups, or if they are sharing viewpoints with the class at large. But the mixed lecture I will employ (as in IT #2, #4, #5, #8) will encourage and leave ample room for student questions, comments and concerns. When students are working in small groups, addressing specific information (for example, small group work on discussing the elements of the Four Noble Truths as in IT #3, or their group research into a specific area of Tibetan Buddhism as in IT #6), they are responsible for their own input into the group, and directly contribute to the richness of their findings. Similarly, when the class is holding an open discussion as a whole, students are individually responsible for the caliber of the discourse. I will employ these practices continually throughout the course. Students can only be personally invested in the course, however, is if the information and content they are exploring somehow connects back to their previous knowledge and understanding. Students have to feel that the information is in some way connected to what they, themselves have experienced in the past. This is somewhat difficult to accomplish in this course, given that much of this information will be completely new to students, and they may not have any previous understandings about Tibet into which they can integrate new information. This aside, I plan to explore students’ previous understandings of authenticity, authority, history, historical truth (specifically when we consult different renderings of Sino-Tibetan history as in IT #9 and IT #10) and religious purity (when we examine Tibetan Buddhism in IT #5 and IT #6). I hope to explore student interests, as well, and student backgrounds. Students have expressed interest in learning more about Tibetan governance, specifically, as well as viewing films on Tibet, and I will incorporate both of these into my lesson plans. For example, during class IT #8, we will be examining the system of government that was put in place by the Gelukpa sect of Tibet, that served the country during the de facto independent period, 1913-1950. Furthermore, classes IT #11 and IT #12 are both devoted to exploring student interests/independent work. I realize that in order to achieve any of this, I must do my utmost to make the classroom a conducive environment for learning. This is a primary goal of mine for “Introduction to Tibet.” This means being attentive to students, their interests, concerns, questions and perspectives, and also leaving ample room for students to comment, investigate and follow their curiosities. I have to keep an even balance between the information I want to address and the content that the students will explore on their own. Their questions should drive much of the classroom’s direction, but should meet halfway with my own goals and expectations. This element of the class is quite vital, and involves giving students a chance to voice their thoughts, for the betterment of the class itself. Creating a positive environment for the free flow of ideas can be achieved in many ways. By leaving room for student-directed concerns in lectures, discussions and group work, by encouraging independent research and presentation and by assigning response papers and reflections on the work, I am challenging students to confront and articulate their questions and areas of confusion. Part of this positive environment is assisting in the active creation of knowledge, and the careful organization of ideas. Knowledge is not a static, immovable or inherently existing notion. The creation of knowledge is a dynamic process that must take place with interaction from each member of the class. To some extent, by analyzing, dissecting, addressing and assimilating the information consulted in this class, we will be developing a whole new realm of knowledge that will require very careful articulation. To this extent, I as a teacher must be very attentive to the way students will be thinking and speaking about this content. Ideas must be organized carefully into different webs of understanding, from which students can pull a wide range of factual information, connected to contexts – historical figures, time periods, political and social environments, etc. This is a highly conceptual and personal element of the class, as each student is approaching this information differently, and will interpret and make sense of this information in different ways. My role, then, is to expose students to information on both broad and deep levels. By showing, for example, Tibetan Buddhism from a broad historical context (as in IT #5) and then by having students present independent work into one area of Tibetan Buddhism (as in IT #6), students will explore content on both levels, and hence will incorporate specific ideas and bits of knowledge into a wider, more conceptually-based framework. I will speak more on this concept in Chapter III. Information that is presented in only one fashion can become remarkably boring remarkably quickly. For this reason, it will be essential for me to explore and convey information in as many ways as possible. I will explore content through still images (as in classes IT #1, IT #2), artwork (as in IT #5), text (through readings and in-class excerpts), moving images and films (as in IT #11), smells, tangible objects (e.g. sculpture, as in IT #4), and sound (bells and singing bowls). I am constantly endeavoring to connect knowledge and ideas with physical and sensual manifestations, in order to illustrate and clarify the content. These images and depictions should not be merely consumed as “eye-candy,” but rather they are emphasized as important representations of Tibetan cultures, and should be examined and explored as such; just as one would consult and examine a text. In this way, these illustrations must be meaningful, and also connected. They cannot be free-floating images, but rather must be associated with ideas and concepts, which will provide a contextual framework into which the images can be incorporated. Teaching students critical skills and procedures will be important, though not a major focus of the class. Due to the relatively small realm of procedural knowledge associated with the context of this course, the extent of instruction on this topic will mainly consist of showing students how to gather sources for an expository research paper, or independent/group research projects (as in IT #6, #11 and #12). To this extent, I will also show students how to go about organizing their arguments, ideas and evidence in useful and effective ways. However, procedural knowledge generally will not extend beyond this. Another goal I have for this course is to cultivate student interest in the topic of Tibet studies. I plan to do this by showing students some of the aforementioned illustrations, to give them a clearer sense of the content they will be exploring. I hope that the fact that students are in the class at all, and that they return after the first day will be a sign that they are interested in the subject matter. Especially given that most students taking this course will not be receiving credit for it, it is absolutely essential that I present the students with some interesting angle. Given this need to generate enthusiasm, I will be presenting students with a colorful and exploratory view of Tibet through written excerpts and pictorial representations during class IT #2. It is also my own personal opinion that conflicted points of view and an inability to reconcile this conflict are excellent grounds on which to create excitement for the course content. I recall that Abraham Zablocki started his class on “Constructing Tibet through Film and Literature” with a reading by T. Lobsang Rampa, taken from his book The Third Eye. This book is filled with (when compared to the writings of other Tibetans, travelers and scholars), what appears to be half-truths and gross hyperbole. When students found out that the author, Rampa, was actually born Cyril Hoskins, a plumber native to England, reactions ranged from outrage to indifference. Hoskins claimed that the consciousness of a great Lama was transferred into his body (a practice not uncommon in certain Tibetan Tantras). Students often could not find themselves outright rejecting this notion, for precisely the reason that so many have a hard time rejecting the contents of his book – for who are we to comment on the validity of his statement? We never knew Hoskins, or what it was like to be him. In actuality, there is no way to truly know for certain if Hoskins was faking it all to write a book and make a dollar, capitalizing on the pitiful amount of information available on Tibet at the time, or if he was truly inhabited by the consciousness of a Lama. This conflict over the truth or authenticity of such a statement created a great deal of discussion, argument and confusion. This instantly attracted me to the field of Tibet studies, and I feel that reinforcing such conflict in the experiences of my students will go a long way towards increasing their interest. For this reason, I continually encourage students to look at multiple (often divergent) perspectives, and especially during our discussion of Sino-Tibetan politics, we will be exploring these conflicted readings and understandings of “historical truth.” Within this class, it will be essential for me to explain and make clear some of the more complicated concepts and ideas, as well as specific information that may not be as readily available to students who have not been studying this subject matter closely. Given that I am more entrenched in the vocabulary, information and knowledge about Tibet, it will be my responsibility to explain as much of it as is necessary to students, as they need it. In areas like Buddhist philosophy, for example, explaining complicated ideas like that of Nirvana, Emptiness, No-Self, Reincarnation, Karma, Beginningless Time, the Five Aggregates, the Twelve Links of Co-Dependent Arising and others will be crucial to imparting a clear understanding of the nuances of this subject area. Knowing a great deal of information does not necessitate that one will be successful in explaining it to others who lack this knowledge; indeed, sometimes a deep level of understanding can lead a teacher to miss out or skip over very important concepts. I must be ever vigilant and aware of this potential pitfall. Especially when examining a cultural tradition that employs a completely different (and often difficult to pronounce) vocabulary, it is important to cover these crucial aspects. Like procedural and basic factual knowledge areas, this realm is mostly left to me, in the role of instructor, to address primarily through a centralized (lecture) teaching method. I must compile and synthesize various sources in order to deliver this pertinent information, and consult a body of information that may be less accessible to beginning students; I must, in a very real sense, serve as a conduit through which this complicated and/or specific knowledge will be disseminated to a large group with relatively little prior knowledge on the topic. Insofar as pronunciation is concerned, it can only come with practice, and speaking with and being corrected by Tibetans. While I am using the lecture method for this specific area of focus, I must also be very aware of how and when I am employing each teaching method, referring back continually to the first chapter of my work, as well as the large body of research literature it draws from. I must endeavor at all costs, to use the mixed lecture, Socratic and group interaction methods to the best of my ability, when appropriate, and most importantly, in balance. I seek to gain a middle ground between these three instructional methods, and each of them can be incredibly useful in different contexts. For example, when teaching information that is procedural, basic and factual, or when teaching information that must be fabricated and conjoined from several (often disparate) sources, lecture is most useful. When teaching students the conceptual distinctions between different subject areas, it will be most useful to employ group interaction methods, due to their heavily personal nature, and the level with which they place the responsibility for student learning on the student. When exploring and uncovering the ways in which students understand and make sense of different concepts and content, and also in efforts to cultivate student awareness around their own learning methods, the Socratic method will be most useful, given that it presents a way by which one can uncover some of these tacit conceptualizations, by encouraging students to elaborate beyond ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ I must not overemphasize one method over another, given that they must all work in concert and – I really cannot stress this point enough – in balance. I will accomplish this by constantly reevaluating my curriculum as the course unfolds, by constantly seeking out new and interesting ways to present information, and also by keeping a close eye on how often, to what extent, and under what auspices I employ certain classroom instructional models. Finally, a crucial educational goal I have for my course is to explore this content with great respect and reverence for the cultures and the peoples we will be examining. Tibet has long been a cite for brutally inaccurate, offensive and hostile orientalist fascinations and fantasies, and I intend to keep these attitudes out of our exploration completely, except as an investigation of the history of the discipline. I refuse to allow our analysis of this content be soiled by cultural insensitivities and romantic daydreams. Tibet is not, nor has it ever been, Shangri-La, and I intend to make this abundantly clear. We must realize that this is a living tradition, that these are living cultures and religious traditions, and they deserve adequate respect. I hope to find a middle ground between the two extremes of the Tibet depicted as a fantasy paradise, and the Tibet depicted as a desolate, despotic and backwards place; the truth, I feel, lies somewhere in between. We are guests in the Tibet House, and we must treat this area of study with the appropriate consideration. This means students and instructor must approach this subject matter very carefully and introspectively, digging up and analyzing our own preconceived notions about Tibet, and creating a dynamic flow, a creative and non-static development of knowledge. We will accomplish this goal by analyzing multiple perspectives on Tibet, seeing that the way one imagines things to be is not always how others perceive them. It is important to note that we will not be looking at Tibet through rose-colored glasses; we will explore critiques of Tibet’s traditional society from Tibetans themselves. I will emphasize this point of respect for the traditions we are examining on the very first day, during class IT #1. This point, however, is not simply a caveat to be offered up on the first day and then ignored as soon as it passes, but rather a recurring element that must be continually focused on and revisited. Through specific practices evidenced in my individual lesson plans, I have addressed and explored these specific educational goals and how they translate into the curriculum itself.

Returning to the Cognitive: Looking Back to Chapter I
In Chapter I, we examined the pedagogical theories and underpinnings that gave rise to the three methods of classroom instruction I am employing in this course. When examining the educational objectives I have for my course as opposed to the set of goals I outlined in my first chapter, there are some discrepancies. This is primarily due to the fact that many of my ideas about teaching have changed, particularly in regards to my expectations for student participation and progress. Specifically, I have become more aware of my responsibility to the students in the class to create a compelling and productive classroom environment, generate enthusiasm among my students and illustrate concepts and facts through multiple mediums. I have refined my notions of what I feel is important for students to understand and experience about Tibet over the duration of my class. The listing of educational goals outlined in this second chapter are a more developed set of objectives than those explored in the first. These educational objectives – and the lesson plans that are designed to address them – are intended to connect back to the four dimensions of knowledge explored in the previous chapter. The factual aspect of knowledge will be addressed through mixed lecture, and is represented by my first goal: give students a core and basic factual understanding of Tibetan histories, religions, cultures and politics. Other goals are geared toward this end as well; to explain and illuminate specific knowledge that may be difficult for the beginner student to find or synthesize, and also to present information to students in new and interesting ways, through multiple mediums also speak to this facet of knowledge. The second facet, the cognitive element is being thoroughly addressed through specific educational objectives, as well. My goals to explore multiple perspectives, delve into student understandings, put more responsibility for learning on the student, and to assist in the active creation of knowledge and the careful organization of ideas are evidence of the importance of this second element of knowledge. The procedural element of knowledge does not factor into this equation as heavily, but is still important, and is included with my focus on teaching students crucial skills, like assisting students with utilizing research databases and seeking out pertinent sources for research work. The metacognitive element is equally important, and far subtler than the other three forms of knowledge. Being aware of your own abilities, limitations and preferences as a learner can greatly enhance the learning experience. My plans to connect new information to students’ previous experiences, dig into and explore the ways in which students internalize and make sense of information, encourage students to become more active participants in their own learning and in the active creation of knowledge, and place more responsibility for learning on the learners themselves are a few ways in which the metacognitive aspect are being incorporated into my class. Some of my goals, such as the creation of a positive learning environment, my dedication to using the three instructional methods when appropriate and in balance, cultivate interest and enthusiasm for the subject matter, and approach the content with adequate respect do not fall within the realm of these four dimensions of knowledge. I suggest that these are more personal goals directly associated with my own hopes for my capacity as a teacher. To the extent that I will be the teacher – some source of authority on the topic – I hope that I will be able to accomplish these goals, and I take them on as personal goals for myself, for the course.

Hopes Approach and Conclusions
I have been continually cognizant of the relatively little amount of preparation I can do for this course. The landscape and character of any class will change drastically depending on the participants engaging with it. I can outline the content areas that I want to cover, the key figures, concepts, practices and so on that I feel are essential to touch on, but these preparations are only so useful. I have no idea what previous experiences, interests and mindsets students will be bringing into the classroom. The expectations that I have for the class, and those of my students must meet somewhere in the middle. The obvious balance would be a situation where students’ questions and concerns drive a large deal of the curriculum, and also serve to explore elements that I, myself feel are important. Where students’ knowledge on this subject ends, my guidance as a teacher and my presence as a conduit for knowledge are necessary. I am also approaching this course as a chance to gain a great deal of insight into my own ability and potential as a teacher. This involves a paradox that I find is specific to the field of education. This paradox is that I am using this course as the practical application of my Division III, that I am using it to my advantage to become a better teacher and the extent to which students are interested or participating is more or less secondary – the main focus is on my progression as a teacher. However, my success as a teacher will be indicated by my students; if they can exit the course having taken some valuable information away, having deepened and broadened their understandings about Tibet, I will consider the course a great success. These two elements – my progress as a teacher, and student interest and success – are irrevocably intertwined and interdependent. Given that students will not be getting credit for this course, I am approaching it as a somewhat laid-back program of study that will not be particularly stringent on meeting requirements. As I noted earlier, I often find that my primary obligation is to strike a balance in many aspects of the course – balance between different teaching strategies, between the four central topics of the course, between the goals of my own and those of the participants, to name a few – but a central concern, particularly at the outset of the course, is to balance the requirements and work I assign with a fulfilling classroom experience that cultivates student development. Students will flourish in such an environment, and their continued participation will indicate this. This chapter has been dedicated to a view into my process of curriculum development for my course, “Introduction to Tibet.” We have taken a close look at how I have organized the five central topics, the sources I am drawing from, and how I have incorporated the three teaching methods into my curriculum. We examined the layout of this course from a broad perspective (week by week), and from a more specific, thematic and selective approach, following my education objectives as a guide to exploring the curriculum. We conclude the second chapter after revisiting the theoretical foundations of the four dimensions of knowledge, as laid out in the first chapter. The next phase of this unfolding, dynamic and formative experience will be documenting the changes, challenges, and the process of teaching. This practical expression of my Division III will be a crucial meeting ground where theory and practice come together; where “the rubber meets the road.” This is where we will begin the next section, chapter three.