Response to Alexander Solzhenitsyn Nobel Lecture (1970)

One of the most important points I felt that Alexander made was the idea of unity.  He made me explore the idea of what unity really means, and how can such a vastly different world be so "unified"?  The idea of value scales is really intriguing to me.  What does this mean to me as a reader?  What does this mean to me as a future educator?

I feel as a reader it is important to see the uncensored material, the "truth."  Too often our government is getting in the way of communication and censoring what really is happening.  Too often do we believe we live in a perfect world, or a perfect place.  Frankly, too often do we choose not to hear the devastation's that are happening to others around the world and feel they have no impact on our lives.  This is where reading becomes an essential tool for understanding.  It is too hard to understand concepts that we have not encountered.  I cannot understand the devastation of a tsunami because I have never experienced one and they do not happen around where I live.  Therefore, walking in somebody else's shoes for awhile is the only way I will have "true" insight.  Books are the link for understanding topics like these.  The author needs the reader to feel like it is happening to them, and in return the reader will be able to feel these emotions.  The only way for us to truly understand anthers situation is to read about it from their point of view.  As a reader, this tells me I need to branch out and read non-fiction and other genres, and start to listen to what the book is really trying to say.  Listen to the words, and chew on it for a bit.  But, what does this mean to me as a future educator?

As a future educator this does two things for me: bring awareness of what students need to be exposed to, and changes my classroom environment.  Just as it is hard for such a different world to be in unity, it is hard for a classroom to be in unity as all the students probably have their own scale of values.  To level the ground students should engage in reading and writing, and explore things together.  Collaboration is key, and they need to talk about what they are reading.  Let them learn to question text, and have them get involved in meaningful discussions.  Students need to read all types of genres and they need to help each other make sense of it.  Let them read each others work, as this is the only way they can walk in one's shoes.