Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thursday, February 18, 2010
UNESCO Education for ALL Global Monitoring Report 2010
Global Education Dialogue--Wide Angle-PBS 9/09
The End of Schooling? Paths to Learning-Ron Miller
The End of Schooling?
| Modern culture has entered an historic phase of transition in which our industrial-age, reductionistic worldview is being replaced by one that is more holistic, ecological, and open to the fundamental mystery of the cosmos. In recent months, I have noticed increasing awareness that this is indeed happening; a growing number of authors and filmmakers are proclaiming what they perceive to be the imminent end of established institutions and cultural assumptions: They tell us about the end of dogmatic faith, the end of an economy based on cheap energy, the end of empire, the end of America, and even the end of civilization. (For an especially provocative and comprehensive overview of this analysis, I highly recommend Timothy S. Bennett’s documentary “What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire”--see www.whatawaytogomovie.com/ .) As most of us now recognize, we are facing a global crisis due to severe problems such as climate change, peak oil and the exhaustion of soil and other resources, species extinction, widespread poverty and violence, and many more that seriously threaten our survival. We are beginning to recognize that technological solutions are inadequate; the crisis is the direct and inevitable result of a worldview based on violent exploitation of the planet and its life. Some of us dare to suggest that this worldview needs to expire, and all the institutions that it birthed must go with it. It is in this context that we need to consider the end of schooling, or more precisely, the end of our existing bureaucratic system of mass compulsory schooling. Modern educational systems belong to a phase of cultural history that is now coming to an end—that must come to end, according to contemporary observers, because it is inherently and absolutely unsustainable. The cultural drive to concentrate authority in powerful, coercive institutions is what Riane Eisler calls the “dominator” paradigm, and it has little use for a “partnership” worldview that values individuality, diversity, or organic growth. As dissident educators have been pointing out for two hundred years, schooling serves the interests of the state, society, and business before the needs or interests of young human beings or the larger ecology of living beings. The so-called “No Child Left Behind” program is not about children, but about further consolidating the authority of the corporate state. For most of the past two centuries, educational dissidents have been characterized as romantic visionaries, too “child-centered” to appreciate the importance of building a modern, well managed industrial society. In a classic encounter, the politician Horace Mann, the leading architect of public schooling in the U.S., refused to allow the Transcendentalist philosopher/educator Bronson Alcott to address a teachers’ convention because his views were “hostile to the existence of the state.” Well, today, as we begin to acknowledge the tremendous violence and destruction that the industrial state has wreaked on much of humanity and the natural world, it no longer appears so “romantic” to be hostile to its continued existence. To welcome the imminent end of the dominator paradigm is in fact the only realistic and morally sound response. We can no longer afford an educational system that manages and suppresses human energies, that turns individual passion and creativity into passive consumerism and dutiful employability. The whole structure of testing and grading, sorting young people by age and academic talent, condensing experience into officially sanctioned textbooks and curriculum units, and imposing authoritarian order in school buildings serves to enforce the dominator paradigm, the exploitative worldview of the industrial age. The political and business leaders who have run public schooling from the beginning have always been clear that their primary goals are discipline, efficiency, and the development of “human capital.” Today, young children are denied time to play because “seat time” and homework are more efficient ways to mold them into compliant citizens. This is a violation of nature no less outrageous than the destruction of old growth forests. A holistic worldview, which honors the principles of ecology and the possibilities of spiritual insight, nourishes each person’s unique potentials and weaves together a diverse, collaborative human community. Holistic education applies these values to the task of raising and teaching children in various ways, from the joyful freedom of unschooling to the delicately choreographed rhythm of a day in a Waldorf school. When the culture shifts, when a holistic worldview finally replaces our technocracy, children and families will have access to many kinds of learning environments, and they will be free to cultivate their own personal destinies. Instead of being managed and measured, learning will be organic, more attuned to the developmental needs of children and the sustainable patterns of nature. This will be the end of schooling, and the rediscovery of genuine education. |
Thursday, October 1, 2009
kuruom Vidyalaya-the-power-of-one-in-a-billion--Earthzine Magazine-Aug.
I am providing a link below of an article that just appeared on a rural development work I have been involved in. There are several such works being carried out by people in India, people of Indian origin in India, and other people throughout the world. Given today’s environment and global exigencies it is becoming clearer that we need to consider the definition of civilization beyond cities and back to the villages and small communities. Even democracy works better in small groups, and social and family stabilities are obvious beneficiaries in village settings. Environmentally, we have no alternative in the long run (no, technologies alone will not solve the problem).
Let’s all put our efforts together to elevate the level of not just living but the life, not just the women and men but the entire humanity, and not just a country but the entire globe. It must begin with the education!
Excerpt
“There has been a dichotomy between the cities and the rural areas in India. And people have adopted a way of living that is mostly westernized, which is not possible in my opinion…India has not done very well integrating our culture with the modern way of life where they allow people to be educated, to be creative, to be innovative, but to not move to the cities. The movie Slumdog Millionaire shows what can happen when people move from rural areas to the cities without education or the capacity for modern life—they create slums. Those of us who have moved to the West can look back with some objectivity.”
http://www.earthzine.org/2009/08/26/kuruom-vidyalaya-the-power-of-one-in-a-billion/
Bal Ram bsingh@umassd.edu
Bal Ram Singh, Ph.D.
Director, Botulinum Research Center (www.umassd.edu/brc)
Director, Center for Indic Studies (www.umassd.edu/indic)
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry (www.umassd.edu/cas/chemistry/singh)
Editor, The Botulinum Journal (www.inderscience.com/tbj)
Associate Editor, Intl J Indian Culture and Bus Mgmnt (www.inderscience.com/ijicbm)
285 Old Westport Rd. Dartmouth, MA 02747 USA
Phone: 508-999-8588 Fax: 508-999-8451
Alpha Ripples from Alpha Foundation
The Alpha Foundation’s IRS children always exhibit high team spirit and sportsmanship. This month, the children were busy with sports and interschool competitions, which is the best way to get rid of excess energy and reinforce team spirit.
IRS Nandanavanam organized a Running Race competition on July 21, 2009 mobilizing children from LKG to Class V; 258 students have participated in the event. Master S Tarun and Master Ameer bagged the 1st prize. Everyone enjoyed this cheering, sweating and inspiring afternoon.
Since, the last three years, IRS children have been participating in basketball tournament organized by the Emmanuel Trust, Hyderabad. While participating in the sports remain the key focus, another advantage is children get to know other kids from different family backgrounds, learn to interact and respect each other.
This year, 14 children have participated in the 7thEmmanuel Basketball tournament held at St. Andrews school, Hyderabad, during the first week of August. This year along with IRS students, children from leading corporate schools took part in the tournament. Our children have learned to strive on an equal basis.
In sum, the event was full of exciting and amazing basketball games where IRS children had lots of fun and made good friends.
The Alpha Foundation’s <http://www.alphacharities.org> IRS childrenalways exhibit high team spirit and sportsmanship. This month, thechildren were busy with sports and interschool competitions, which isthe best way to get rid of excess energy and reinforce team spirit.
Taekwondo classes
Eighty energetic and curious kids have found an extracurricular activityto quench their thirst; our intern from Taiwan Ms. Judy Tseng, is ablack-belt expert in Taekwondo — an Olympic range martial art. Thepractice of Taekwondo has transformed naughty boys into disciplinedsoldiers and has helped them concentrate and respect the spirit ofmartial art — self restraint and perseverance. _____
E-mail us at irsresourcemobilization@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
eschoolnews- Latest Technology News and Resources
This week’s top 3 news headlines:
Microsoft motivates innovative teachers
1-to-1 computing in the spotlight
SchoolMAX cited in back-to-school nightmare
Top 3 online resources this week:
Grants & Funding
Educator Resource Centers
Free Webinars
Free access to SAS online curriculum resources SAS Curriculum Pathways, which is used by thousands of teachers in more than 30 states, is now available for free to every educator in America. SAS Curriculum Pathways provides content in the core disciplines of English, mathematics, social studies, science and Spanish.
Preparing for a Pandemic
The World Health Organization told its member nations it was declaring a swine flu pandemic on June 11--the first global flu epidemic in 41 years--as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America, and elsewhere.
From Campus to Classrooms: Cost-Effective Digital Solutions for the 21st Century School This webinar will detail the latest trends in technology for the education market and how your school—no matter its size, budget or technical know-how—can take advantage of the current stimulus to fund a digital makeover in and out of its classrooms.
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