The temperature in the desert is up again, and so is the humidity. We’ve made some recent changes to our routine, adding in regular yoga and more meditation exercises, and I’m seeking to make other changes to remove some areas of negativity that have gotten unreasonable. Making these changes, has given me time to think, but I haven’t been able to pull anything into focus.
Until today.
I had a formulated idea for something to write, then I found this:
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/08/history-education-post-truth-america/566657/
This subject has been a passion of mine for many years, and when I read the story I was reminded of another book I used to own, I don’t remember the name now. The book was regarding how educational textbook publishers were actively changing the information in the textbooks to effect what children were learning, and how they would think.
It also reminded me of my daughter’s experience in high school. During her tenure, we saw many changes including a restricted area added to the lunch area (the kids couldn’t leave the area to even go the library or restroom) during their lunch break. A couple years later she came home and told me that her history class was no longer going to teach anything prior to World War II.
Growing up, I had a variety of learning experiences:
- My first educational experience was a Montessori classroom. Experiential learning, and by far the best type of education in my opinion.
- My grandmother, a children’s librarian, was very intellectual. The facts are in the books, and the facts don’t change. Very limited scope, and we had more than a few heated discussions as I got older, particularly as the “facts” changed.
- Most of my schooling was in a standard American classroom. The teachers teach from the book, and teach to get ready to take a test. In my opinion, this is the worst way to teach. It doesn’t necessarily teach the facts, and it can be very subjective, bases on the materials and textbooks available. Most of what I learned in school is worthless, and has never applied in my everyday life.
Education should be practical, it should be applicable to every day life. Education should be fun, and it should not be confined to classroom and books with changeable “facts”. Education should not be confined to what you can put on a test. More than anything, however, education should be truth, but as we understand it now, knowing that we may find a greater understanding in the future.
The Warriors Den 