[IAEP] versus, not

[K. K. Subramaniam]

On Thursday 07 May 2009 07:00:44 pm Alan Kay wrote:
> A good goal for the larger system -- which has to include not just what
> people need in their practical life, but also what they need to understand
> the issues of their society, how their society works, what their
> responsibilities as citizens need to be, etc. For example, in the 21st
> century, a fluent (but not "pro") understanding of science, and of the way
> that science looks at knowledge and knowing is needed to be a "holder of
> the ultimate powers of the society".
>
> A good and reasonable goal for a modern society (like the US) would be to
> have 70% to 80% of the citizens have this medium level of fluency.
A large part of what we consider 'modern' today are the results of 
"engineering of consent" (Edward Bernays) rather than arising from true 
'needs' or 'inner game' (Tim Gallwey). Mass education is now carried out just 
like mass communication. What we get out of the pipeline are not enlightened 
people but prisoners of theories. Empowered citizens can emerge only if we 
invert the control structure.

In India, teachers can be Upadhyayas (Pedagogue) or Acharyas (Guide). 
Upadhyayas build inviduals while Acharyas build communities. Interestingly, 
Acharyas only take on queries arising from inner quest and refuse to discuss 
theories (see last part of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n_i4b4Wy-M for an 
example).

Near my city, public school teachers struggle to get middle schoolers to write 
2 sheets a week. In one experiment engaging 20 schools and 100+ teachers, the 
system was changed to let the students set a target for themselves and source 
their own material for writing with teachers ensuring that they have enough 
writing supplies for the exercise. Students turned in more than 15 sheets each 
that week, much to teachers' amazement. Students even actively sought 
newspapers, non-curricular books for source material triggering a sea change 
in their reading habits.

Subbu
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