Overview

Touch is a topic that is little discussed in education, and when it is it is frequently seen to be problematic, conjuring up images of abuse and inappropriate behaviours. This book argues that touch has educational value, particularly when it is seen not solely in terms of physical contact between people, but also as the very way in which we come to encounter the world. Indeed, each of us touches and is touched by natural objects and things in our environment, as well as people, and it is these sensory forms of contact through which we form our understanding of ourselves, others and objects with whom we share our lives. Seeing touch as part of a relational mode of existence, this book offers educators a way of understanding curriculum and pedagogy as an act of curating encounters of touch. To this end, the book explores the practice of teaching through the ways it offers students encounters with books and tablets, maps and plants, rocks and animals. Drawing on specific examples from classroom and digital contexts, this volume seeks to bridge a gap not only between theory and practice, but between mind and body, highlighting the transformative potential of touch for education.

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9781350302839

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Author Information

Sharon Todd is Professor of Education at Maynooth University, Ireland. She is the author of Learning from the Other (2003) and Toward An Imperfect Education (2009), and President of the International Network of Philosophers of Education.

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