The first post in this blog aligned education with culture. It is worthwhile dwelling a little on what we mean by culture in the context of education.
The principal understanding of culture in this blog revolves around the many processes and expressions of knowledge which have left their mark on communities. These ‘commanding heights’ of knowledge are reminders of the human person’s search for excellence, fulfillment and happiness. This search looks critically at the world around us while seeking to go beyond the merely material towards an ever greater understanding of the human person’s purpose on earth. What we call culture is the collective expression of these achievements.
To counter the obvious danger of fossilizing this collective knowledge and seeing culture as no more than a legacy from history, we need to ask ourselves what we can contribute to the ‘commanding heights’ of knowledge: this is a challenge for all educators.
Based on this broad definition, the place of culture in education would seem to be self-evident. Regrettably, this is not always the case. Much contemporary educational writing is rooted in the language of ‘innovation’ and undefined ‘relevance’ to the student: good education, on the other hand, introduces the student to what he or she does not know. Therein lies its beauty.
20 May 2011
14 May 2011
'The Lost Tools of Learning'
Every educator should have a selection of inspirational texts in his or her library. These could include substantial works like those by St Augustine of Hippo , Blessed John Henry Newman and Maria Montessori, to name but three.
Fewer people are aware of a much shorter piece on education by the English writer Dorothy L. Sayers. Miss Sayers is more famous for her fictional detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, and while these stories are a pleasant read, her essay on education ‘The Lost Tools of Learning’ is something which merits a wider audience.
Miss Sayers outlines just why, in her considered opinion, modern education has gone wrong. (She was writing in the 1940’s actually.) The text is attached to this piece above. Miss Sayers writes in a style which is elegant and informed – and, therefore, good to read. When compared to the often tortured prose and bullet-pointed notes of modern educational documents, Miss Sayers seems to be writing in another and more precise language.
Those who read this blog will wish, of course, to ‘take education seriously’ and read the essay for themselves. What is of value is some consideration of just how this essay can inform contemporary debates on the purposes of education.
I leave that to you to decide.
Fewer people are aware of a much shorter piece on education by the English writer Dorothy L. Sayers. Miss Sayers is more famous for her fictional detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, and while these stories are a pleasant read, her essay on education ‘The Lost Tools of Learning’ is something which merits a wider audience.
Miss Sayers outlines just why, in her considered opinion, modern education has gone wrong. (She was writing in the 1940’s actually.) The text is attached to this piece above. Miss Sayers writes in a style which is elegant and informed – and, therefore, good to read. When compared to the often tortured prose and bullet-pointed notes of modern educational documents, Miss Sayers seems to be writing in another and more precise language.
Those who read this blog will wish, of course, to ‘take education seriously’ and read the essay for themselves. What is of value is some consideration of just how this essay can inform contemporary debates on the purposes of education.
I leave that to you to decide.
5 May 2011
Learning from 'The Way'
The Emilio Estevez film ‘The Way’ has great educational potential. While those with an interest in the idea of religious pilgrimage will clearly find much of interest in the film, there are other themes in the film which merit some consideration.
The first of these themes is the value of companionship and commensality. Despite their different personalities and life-stories, the protagonists come to share experiences and hopes through walking, talking and eating together. The portrayal of these virtues reminds us of the value of simplicity in life and how education is at its best when it builds on ordinary life and allows the students to help others to live a life of value while searching for illumination. If this broader dimension is not part of the educational experience then we are left with education understood solely as a self-interested search for qualifications and associated careers.
A related theme is the value of the outdoors and how experiencing nature in the company of others is a key moment in developing a sense of wonder and appreciation of the beauty of creation. In a world which searches for the perfect body through the torture of long-distance running and prolonged ‘exercise’ sessions in a sweat-drenched gymnasium, here we see the value of ‘the walk’ through nature as a fine way of keeping the body (and the mind) in shape.
Finally, we see the value of an international dimension to education. While the film is set in Spain, the protagonists come from different countries and find common ground in the walk to the shrine of St. James. It would be good to think that more young people will now take up the challenge to walk to this ancient place of pilgrimage and find hope and peace in the international companionship they find along the way.
The first of these themes is the value of companionship and commensality. Despite their different personalities and life-stories, the protagonists come to share experiences and hopes through walking, talking and eating together. The portrayal of these virtues reminds us of the value of simplicity in life and how education is at its best when it builds on ordinary life and allows the students to help others to live a life of value while searching for illumination. If this broader dimension is not part of the educational experience then we are left with education understood solely as a self-interested search for qualifications and associated careers.
A related theme is the value of the outdoors and how experiencing nature in the company of others is a key moment in developing a sense of wonder and appreciation of the beauty of creation. In a world which searches for the perfect body through the torture of long-distance running and prolonged ‘exercise’ sessions in a sweat-drenched gymnasium, here we see the value of ‘the walk’ through nature as a fine way of keeping the body (and the mind) in shape.
Finally, we see the value of an international dimension to education. While the film is set in Spain, the protagonists come from different countries and find common ground in the walk to the shrine of St. James. It would be good to think that more young people will now take up the challenge to walk to this ancient place of pilgrimage and find hope and peace in the international companionship they find along the way.
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