"Preparation", as a goal of education, is fundamentally different, and much, much more important than vocational training. The latter has its place but is more targeted and comes later. Always more "educere" than "educare", more drawing out than bringing up. Education is never one and the same thing for all but is tailored to the individual. It fuels in an ever compounding manner a desire to know, first oneself, and then others, to appreciate, to create, to connect and to question. We need to put epistemology at the center of our approach. How do we know what we know? I appreciate the power of the Turning Test as we wrestle with the emergence of A.I. but I'm reminded of a section in Benjamin Latabut's latest book, Maniac, (fiction? non-fiction?)about many things including John von Neumann. "When asked what it would take for a computer to begin to think like a human being?" von Neumann said "it would have to grow, not be built, it would have to understand language, to read, to write, to speak. And he said it would have to play, like a child."
Nothing makes me happier than knowing that the three of us are connected, even if I only just learned it now! John, as usual, you say it better than almost anyone else. educere > educare
I actually think the Inner Development Goals are a decent start (though I would add "honesty" (as in being brutally honest about the challenges we face) into the "Acting" section.) (https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/ Make sure to "Explore the full framework.")
But, yeah, those first two questions that you ask feel like where the work is. I don't think we can grapple with the third one until we bring the lenses we arrive at from trying to answer the first two. "Future Ready Schools" is unserious. Current curricula and education narratives are increasingly irrelevant and dangerous. And the fate of all of this rests on our ability to understand the violence and disconnection that fuels our current singular story of "progress" and "success" which is unsustainable and clearly now an existential threat to life on the planet.
Lots of shifting ahead if we're going to learn our way out of this.
I just had some well spent time on the IDG Framework page. Thanks Will. I definitely want to bring this to my staff to see how we can be mindful of integrating these skills into our work with learners. Science and Human Development: the two loves of my teaching life.
Strong agreement! Your questions are spot on: (1) If the future of work is largely unknown, what does it actually mean to be ‘prepared?’; (2) If the fate of the planet (and our democracy) hangs in the balance, what’s the point of our most timeworn courses and curricula? (3) And if the age of the machines is upon us, what exactly is the role of the humans in the years ahead? You are putting your finger on the conversation that (I believe) schools--and those who support them, like accreditors like us at Middle States--need to have. I love how Perspectiva and their CEO Jonathan Rowson put it: the only way things can change is if there is a shift in not only societies and systems, but also “souls.”
The one quality that for me truly separates us from machines and unites us at a core level if we are brave enough to cultivate it is love. It’s not easy in fact at times it goes against the grain of self. That really is the last frontier that we find ourselves on that battle of self will with the truth that at the core we are connected on a cellular level. To do harm to one means harm to yourself. When I think of all the times I failed what I really see is the ignorance and arrogance of seeking power and failing to love. I hold out hope for even what appears a lost cause because wherever there is humanity there is the great potential for growth through love that fosters understanding and effectiveness. Maybe this appears a romantic notion but believe me it bears witness to seventy eight years of experience. Humans long for connection and thrive with it! Machines will never experience this and knowledge is a shape shifter. Let yourself not be defined by anything outside but be defined by the very essence that is at our core. The very thrust for life itself! So much now is false advertising meant to distract and disable but a real hug and an eyeball to eyeball understanding that is empowering. Where two or more are gathered……..in the midst is the fullest potential for love and cannot happen in a void. Thanks for carrying on Sam it’s a good influence you offer.
Yes! This makes me wonder what is the distinction between longing, belonging and love -- i.e., why is it that we have different words for those things, as opposed to, say, Chinese, in which one word (Jia) means family, house and/or home. Is love the one word for all of these things? Or are there worthy boundaries between them that, in this moment, we should prioritize better understanding and elucidating?
I believe there is one word. That if we cultivate love there is only belonging . I belong to you and you belong to me not in the sense of possessing but in the recognition that there is no separation. Longing is to my way of understanding in this moment the urge of the soul to love. The intellect seems to need words for defining, measuring, explaining it really seems a fools errand. Love is not intellect it is not born of pride or any of the other ego journeys into knowing. Love is spiritual it emanates from within every human. It can be obscured until the pain of self brings us to collapse and calamity. It’s not the prize for accomplishment. Just think how much our journey would flourish if love prevailed instead of the thrust for power. We would meet one another with the genuine attitude to be helpful to serve one another for no other purpose than to see each one flourish. In the classroom you are stymied by the word teacher. That word puts you on a different plane from student. I never saw myself that way. I desired to facilitate an environment where learning was encouraged. Curiosity was encouraged. Self expression was encouraged. I learned more about learning by be present to the many different ways children explore and express themselves. The classroom is the place where questions are more important than the answers. Failure leads to better problem solving. Love allows us to recognize we are more alike in our differences than different. I believe the world of education would benefit more from the practice of spiritual principles than tests and aiming for success. If we cultivate love for ourselves and one another there will be success also community, commitment, strong leadership and belonging. It’s not rocket science it’s a way of being that serves everyone.
"Preparation", as a goal of education, is fundamentally different, and much, much more important than vocational training. The latter has its place but is more targeted and comes later. Always more "educere" than "educare", more drawing out than bringing up. Education is never one and the same thing for all but is tailored to the individual. It fuels in an ever compounding manner a desire to know, first oneself, and then others, to appreciate, to create, to connect and to question. We need to put epistemology at the center of our approach. How do we know what we know? I appreciate the power of the Turning Test as we wrestle with the emergence of A.I. but I'm reminded of a section in Benjamin Latabut's latest book, Maniac, (fiction? non-fiction?)about many things including John von Neumann. "When asked what it would take for a computer to begin to think like a human being?" von Neumann said "it would have to grow, not be built, it would have to understand language, to read, to write, to speak. And he said it would have to play, like a child."
Thanks for sharing this, John. It's good to see your name and wisdom show up in this space . . . :)
Nothing makes me happier than knowing that the three of us are connected, even if I only just learned it now! John, as usual, you say it better than almost anyone else. educere > educare
I actually think the Inner Development Goals are a decent start (though I would add "honesty" (as in being brutally honest about the challenges we face) into the "Acting" section.) (https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/ Make sure to "Explore the full framework.")
But, yeah, those first two questions that you ask feel like where the work is. I don't think we can grapple with the third one until we bring the lenses we arrive at from trying to answer the first two. "Future Ready Schools" is unserious. Current curricula and education narratives are increasingly irrelevant and dangerous. And the fate of all of this rests on our ability to understand the violence and disconnection that fuels our current singular story of "progress" and "success" which is unsustainable and clearly now an existential threat to life on the planet.
Lots of shifting ahead if we're going to learn our way out of this.
Thank you for reminding me about these goals. And meanwhile, I HIGHLY recommend reading The AI Mirror from cover to cover.
I just had some well spent time on the IDG Framework page. Thanks Will. I definitely want to bring this to my staff to see how we can be mindful of integrating these skills into our work with learners. Science and Human Development: the two loves of my teaching life.
Strong agreement! Your questions are spot on: (1) If the future of work is largely unknown, what does it actually mean to be ‘prepared?’; (2) If the fate of the planet (and our democracy) hangs in the balance, what’s the point of our most timeworn courses and curricula? (3) And if the age of the machines is upon us, what exactly is the role of the humans in the years ahead? You are putting your finger on the conversation that (I believe) schools--and those who support them, like accreditors like us at Middle States--need to have. I love how Perspectiva and their CEO Jonathan Rowson put it: the only way things can change is if there is a shift in not only societies and systems, but also “souls.”
What do others think?
The one quality that for me truly separates us from machines and unites us at a core level if we are brave enough to cultivate it is love. It’s not easy in fact at times it goes against the grain of self. That really is the last frontier that we find ourselves on that battle of self will with the truth that at the core we are connected on a cellular level. To do harm to one means harm to yourself. When I think of all the times I failed what I really see is the ignorance and arrogance of seeking power and failing to love. I hold out hope for even what appears a lost cause because wherever there is humanity there is the great potential for growth through love that fosters understanding and effectiveness. Maybe this appears a romantic notion but believe me it bears witness to seventy eight years of experience. Humans long for connection and thrive with it! Machines will never experience this and knowledge is a shape shifter. Let yourself not be defined by anything outside but be defined by the very essence that is at our core. The very thrust for life itself! So much now is false advertising meant to distract and disable but a real hug and an eyeball to eyeball understanding that is empowering. Where two or more are gathered……..in the midst is the fullest potential for love and cannot happen in a void. Thanks for carrying on Sam it’s a good influence you offer.
Yes! This makes me wonder what is the distinction between longing, belonging and love -- i.e., why is it that we have different words for those things, as opposed to, say, Chinese, in which one word (Jia) means family, house and/or home. Is love the one word for all of these things? Or are there worthy boundaries between them that, in this moment, we should prioritize better understanding and elucidating?
I believe there is one word. That if we cultivate love there is only belonging . I belong to you and you belong to me not in the sense of possessing but in the recognition that there is no separation. Longing is to my way of understanding in this moment the urge of the soul to love. The intellect seems to need words for defining, measuring, explaining it really seems a fools errand. Love is not intellect it is not born of pride or any of the other ego journeys into knowing. Love is spiritual it emanates from within every human. It can be obscured until the pain of self brings us to collapse and calamity. It’s not the prize for accomplishment. Just think how much our journey would flourish if love prevailed instead of the thrust for power. We would meet one another with the genuine attitude to be helpful to serve one another for no other purpose than to see each one flourish. In the classroom you are stymied by the word teacher. That word puts you on a different plane from student. I never saw myself that way. I desired to facilitate an environment where learning was encouraged. Curiosity was encouraged. Self expression was encouraged. I learned more about learning by be present to the many different ways children explore and express themselves. The classroom is the place where questions are more important than the answers. Failure leads to better problem solving. Love allows us to recognize we are more alike in our differences than different. I believe the world of education would benefit more from the practice of spiritual principles than tests and aiming for success. If we cultivate love for ourselves and one another there will be success also community, commitment, strong leadership and belonging. It’s not rocket science it’s a way of being that serves everyone.