Downslope education
I read an interesting article yesterday from a peak oil blogger. It is long but basically speaks about how education as it is presently is not meeting the needs of our children as the world they will inherit will be different from the world in which they are currently receiving their education. From the article I'd like to copy one small part:
We must begin, of course, by recognizing and admitting that the future in which our children will live their adult lives will not be like the present. That is a radical departure from our present methods of school curriculum design. Repeat after me: The future will be different than the present. With that one simple statement, a principle if you will, we would totally change the course of education.
Rather than training our children for life in a world we assume, by that training, will not change, we instead teach them to deal with a world that will change radically. We teach them to welcome and manage change. We must take the emphasis off mechanical and technological training and switch it to teaching creativity, logic, innovation, adaptability, analysis.
So if the schools I send my children to do not do a sufficient job in teaching adaptability and innovation, my question is how can I as a parent imbue these qualities in my children?
I recognize already that with my five year old I am asking him to think about some of the questions he asks in order for him to find the answer himself. So at the very least I know how to start teaching my children how to think for themselves. But how do I put him into situations where he has to adapt? One way is by moving and changing schools, which we are in the midst of potentially doing based on active negociations on a new house and with a buyer for our current house, but we can't force such an adaptation with any meaningful frequency. We are not willing to move and change schools much more than this one time.
At the very least I will be able to give this some thought now and perhaps will come up with a specific strategy that I can share with you.
4 comments:
granted your children are older than mine so mayhap my answer is not correct, but it seems to me that life itself teaches adaptation. and by adaptation i mean conformity. and im torn as to whether or not i want my children to completly conform.
conforming is succumbing to peer pressure and letting the circumstances and people around you decide on your behalf. Adaptation is when you take control and decide how to react to a given situation. Certainly an adaptable person can conform, but a purely conforming person may not be able to adapt.
I agree that life teaches adaptation, however, that kind of teaching is a hit and miss and sporadic teaching method. Is there a way to teach adaptability and innovation in a more frequent, if not necessarily a more structured way? That is the question I am hoping to answer or have answered.
Private schools. Private schools. I can't say it enough. I sent two kids to public, and was perfectly satisfied. I didn't know any better. Now I do.
And as far as adaption goes, keep them busy with many different activities. Something completely different in the fall than in the summer, than in the winter. Let them experience many different things, even if they scream about it. My grown daughter recently thanked me for it, when 10 years ago, she was cursing me for making her...do volunteer work, participate in church and school activities, and so on.
Post a Comment