Communication Through Space and Time
*This course is intended for upper elementary students
Class Schedule
Saturdays 9:00-10:00 am PST
September 20, September 27, October 4, October 11,
October 18, October 25, (no class November 1),
November 8, November 15, November 22, (no class November 29),
December 6, December 13, December 20
Note: Classes are listed in PST, click below to convert time to your time zone.
Course Overview
The field of communication is so rich and deep that in twelve weeks we can only scratch the surface, but we’ll scratch away in whatever directions seem most interesting.
Here are just a few of the types of communication over time and distance that we may look at: cuneiform to alien contact; language evolution from the proto languages through Greek, Latin, Old English, Middle English, Elizabethan to modern slang; sign language, body language, gesture, expression, tone, nonverbal sounds; human, animal, insect, mushroom, and tree communication; written, oral, symbol, code; methods using each of the five senses; icons and emojis/emoticons; logographic, consonantal, alphabetic, glyphic, and pictographic writing systems; oral transmission through storytelling of cultural myths, legends, folktales, fairytales, fables, and epics; performance art, poetry, cave paintings, and song; rhetoric, linguistics, grammar, syntax; and communication over long distances, from drumming to whale song to SETI.
These and so many more will be open to us to choose to focus on.
Student Experience
Researcher
Global Citizen
Pattern Seeker
Your Teacher: Matt Berman
- M.A.T. in Philosophy for Children, Montclair State University
- B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education K-8 University of Connecticut
- Gifted Certification, University of New Orleans
- 46 years in education
Recipient of the NEH Teacher-Scholar Award, Matt Berman has been an elementary school teacher for more than 40 years, with certification in gifted education and degrees in education and philosophy for children. A nationally recognized expert in children's literature, Matt has written four books on the subject, and his reviews, articles, and columns have appeared in many journals, including Kirkus, School Library Journal, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He has also taught children's literature at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, and his reviews have appeared on numerous websites, including Common Sense Media, Disney Family, Family.com, iVillage, and the Child Lit Wiki. Matt has also been a consultant with the Joseph Campbell Foundation, as well as a freelance writer and editor, website developer, teacher trainer and consultant, photographer, communications director, and founding director of the Nueva Center for the Humanities.
