If you read Angharad’s Easy As Falling Off A Bike (aka Bike), you might just learn stuff!
In the spirit of Postman and Weingartner (1969), it’s nice to note that the tradition of subversively educating is alive and well in Bike.
Earlier today, I came across the following statement in an item that’s peripherally related to my area of research: “DSM-IV prevalence, workforce participation, work-related functioning, and health status data were from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing” (Cocker et al., 2010, p. S34).
Now, if I wasn’t a reader of Bike, I wouldn’t have a clue what ‘DSM-IV prevalence’ means or is. However, I do remember that it’s a term that’s been used in Bike, so I duly went to the archive (link below) which has a fairly useful search function that allows users to locate text in any of the 1,000 archived episodes. Searching for ‘DSM’ gave me two hits (the second of which was ‘wordsmith’). In the first (Episode 122), all is revealed: “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. of the American Psychiatric Association.” See, you do learn stuff from reading Bike!
Surprise, surprise, the next paper in my trawl of recent literature was about cycling and absenteeism (no prizes for guessing what my area of research is!) The conclusion of Hendriksen et al. makes interesting reading: “Cycling to work is associated with less all-cause sickness absence. The more often people cycle to work and the longer the distance travelled, the lower the absenteeism” (2010, p. 4).
Hmmm, maybe there is something in this bike riding after all!
Oh, and if you read Bike regularly, you might just learn stuff. And if anyone ever has the temerity to criticise you for reading Bike, just tell them that it’s educative.
References
Cocker, F., Martin, A., Scott, J., & Sanderson, K. (2010). Depression-related absenteeism and presenteeism amongst employed Australian adults: Do working conditions influence the health and economic consequences? [Abstract]. Journal of Affective Disorders, 122(Suppl. 1), S34. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.02.007
Hendriksen, I. J. M., Simons, M., Garre, F. G., & Hildebrandt, V. H. (2010). The association between commuter cycling and sickness absence. Preventive Medicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.05.007
Postman, N., & Weingartner, C. (1969). Teaching as a subversive activity. New York: Delacorte Press.
Perfectly Serious
Bike Archive
Comments
Back when...
I was teaching, I loved that book!
>> Teaching as a subversive activity.
He has other books out as well...
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
If only...
I could remember the email address of our Sustainable Travel team.
You may remember my blog a few days ago about a UK event called "Bike Week" - as part of our local events, Thursday was apparently our annual "Bike to Work Day". Colleagues who took the effort to cycle into work via Shire Hall were entitled to a free goodie (probably something like branded cycle clips or reflectors) and the opportunity to have a mini-service by a mechanic referred to in the promotional literature only as "Dr. Bike". Apparently at lunchtime they also had representatives from local bike shops up there, allowing colleagues who didn't currently cycle into work to test out a variety of different bikes (including, for those who balk at the sight of "lumpy" terrain, electric ones) in exchange for foodie treats from local shops.
EAFOAB Episode Summaries
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Public sector employees
and some in the larger private companies can actually use a cycle scheme whereby they can purchase a bike at a reduced price through their employer.
As for education being a subversive act - of course it is, it frees people by creating ideas and stimulating the imagination (if it's done properly), which means they begin to see through the illusions that normally control them.
Today, it also meant I got to play with some dormeece - so I love education.
Angharad :)
Angharad
I'll agree to that
but a lot of what you mentioned is out of my league. But I've learned lots about cycling and the UK in general and lots of neat little tidbizt like the Humpty Dumpty cannon bit. Being Canadian we don't learn nearly enough about our mother country. It's one of the reasons that I love the series.
Oh and the Bike archive just rocks too.
Bailey Summers
Of course it's educational
I've learned more about biology, nature, relationships, history, cycling, juggling, psychiatry and bullshit than ever I larned at skool. I cn evn spel txt. Ejacashun dus dat 2U.
Susie