healing power
laughter
What an awesome introduction to this week's reading. And this week's conclusion of the coursework, as well. Laughter heals; in those moments troubles are temporarily lifted. But true happiness heals deeper wounds - that feeling resonates with me as well. This has been a particularly dark year. I've lost my home (stolen from me by foolishly trusting my ex) and my sister (kidney failure from diabetes) at the age of 47. But there has been birth as well. And friendships deepened. Moving from Monmouth to Salem allowed me to be closer to my son and his family. I'm by nature an optimistic person, early to rise and quick to smile. Learning to create those environments that make me happy has consistently been part of my makeup. And I'm typically the source of comic relief in tense situations. I think it's not just the ability to laugh that matters, but welcoming it as part of the healing process. Sometimes it takes awhile to get there, though.
The reading and research I've been doing regarding public education this past year has been pretty depressing. I just finished watching another Alfie Kohn video (see column at right) and a quote stood out for me: "The average American high school is excellent preparation for the real world if you live in a totalitarian society." Funny and sad at the same time. Gatto and the Prussian Army lesson springs to mind. And I wonder how teachers, students and their parents cope when changes in the system don't seem to be happening. But one section of a paragraph in this week's reading caused me to consider something I'd never really thought of before. The sentiment (and rationality) behind these next words caught me off guard.
"I am reassured that good things will come of that pedagogical interaction despite the flaws in the system. The fact that my child's teacher, and all of us, know the flaws in the system also gives me a great sense of comfort. Our understanding of the system, along with the desire to do good work, allows all of us to educate students in the best ways possible. Of course, that depth of understanding requires a good deal of contemplative thinking and reasoning." (Ulveland, Unit 10) Hmmmm. Comfort? Wow, that was a new idea. That by knowing the flaws, having that awareness - combined with the desire to do good - is enough to provide comfort. Thank you for that. I tend to get so caught up in the mess, I miss see the shine beneath the surface.
Uh oh. Just lost another hour due to surfing. Really, really enjoyed the infed.org website. Never thought about the term "informal educator" before. "Too much schooling kills off a desire to learn... Schools and universities should become more like hubs of learning, within the community, capable of extending into the community... More learning needs to be done at home, in offices and kitchens, in the contexts where knowledge is deployed to solve problems and add value to people's lives." (http://www.infed.org/biblio/inf-lrn.htm) Frank Smith would concur, I have no doubt. This is lifelong learning in the classical sense, the kind that happens effortlessly - and has value. "[P]eople teach and organize educational events as part of their everyday experience. A grandfather might show a child how to use a key to unlock a door; a mother may work with her daughter around reading ... in their essence they may be little different to what happens in a classroom. Both grandfather and mother may set out to teach particular skills. For this reason, any discussion of informal and formal learning, or informal and formal education must move beyond a simple focus on context or setting, and look to the processes and experiences involved in each." Good stuff here.
Now for my 30 day challenge. I'm not sure I'll be able to ride my bike to work - well, considering I'd need to buy one first, that would definitely be an issue. Can I commit to walking a half hour a day? As diabetes has killed five family members already, wouldn't this be an ideal time to exercise my body as well as my brain? Think deep, and breathe deep. I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
