Reality on a Stick

5 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

1. as usual a very interesting post, I can relate to some of it on different levels, as you know I have a son who is a senior this year and so we are in the process of looking for scholarships, loans, grants whatever it will take to help Kiel achieve his educational goals, our daughter Kaitlyn is going the private Christian Education route and though the tuition for that is somewhat beyond our financial means she has managed to connect with the “right people”, strangers if you will who are willing to give her money to help pay for her Christian Education, don’t get me wrong we are proud of her tenacity because this is what she wants but it astounds me that it is a who you know game. it is interesting to see both sides of the public and private education system
   but to be quite honest both my children are intelligent and creative yet different people.
   they have so much of the same desires, learning
   qualities. anyway great post !

   1. Aunt Deb on August 5th, 2007 at 2:44 am

2. Steven your post raises a number of interesting points. First, with regard to access to education, I think history has shown that, regardless of how we might try to even the playing field, the rich will find a way to ensure that their children get the best. Japan is a good example. When the examination system was instituted it was an attempt to even the playing field. The rich reacted with the juku industry so now, ironically, the people benefiting most from the excellent public (and therefore heavily subsidised) educational institutions are those who least need the financial break, and since where you went to school is so important in Japan the system gets perpetuated. Fortunately the gap between the haves and have nots in Japan is narrower than in most other places.

   Having said all that, I think we need to ask a more fundamental question and that is, what is community? In theory we tend to be inclusive but in practice we tend to be exclusive. At present, people living in the cradle of humanity, Africa, are in no position to benefit from the amazing things coming out of on-line educational communities, and for all the celebrity hoopla it aint gonna change soon because no one is willing to make the changes necessary. I’m afraid that I don’t see any truly compassionate community out there. A truly compassionate community is one that relates to others on an equal basis, not on a patriarchial basis.

   2. Michael Stout on August 5th, 2007 at 8:49 pm

3. Aunt Deb: It’s great to hear that Kiel and Kaity have become so resourceful in addition to being gifted and hardworking. They both have a clear love for learning and a keen awareness of the importance of education in their lives. I look forward to hearing more about their interests and pursuits, and to being of any assistance that I can in helping them along:-) BTW–Thanks so much for the much about Motoko and me! It was very flattering and a nice surprise to find.

   3. realityonastick on August 6th, 2007 at 4:39 am

4. Michael: Great points all around. I see evidence of your examples about Japan everyday. As you know, I happen to live in a rather affluent area, so it’s easy to forget that there are still plenty of kids in Japan without options. Overall, though, Japan is a country in which you can get a decent education if you show up to class and try. But you’re right, the examination system is what it’s all about here, and the most sought after opportunities are available primarily to those who have the top tutors and cram schools at their beck and call–i.e. those with money.

   Regarding Africa and the reach of online communities…
   I agree that we are still leeaps and bounds from where we want to be, but there is evidence that we’re heading in the right direction. One example is the TED Conferences.

   While not produced by the education industry, TED’s activities are relevant to the present discussion due to its very simple mission statement: “Sharing Ideas. ”

   Conference attendance is by invitation only and used to be comprised of the elite in Technology Entertainment and Design (hence the name), but now the participants are much more diverse. The focus of attention has shifted to larger world issues, and this year the conference was held in Africa.

   Here’s a blurb from the website:
   “Africa: The Next Chapter”

   Arusha, Tanzania
   June 4-7, 2007

   Over the past few years, a growing number of people in the TED community have become passionate about Africa, a continent that appears to be at an important tipping point. Its problems and challenges are well known. Less well known is that across the continent, change is afoot. Instead of relying only on development aid, Africans across the continent are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Ingenious solutions are being applied to tackle some of the toughest health and infrastructure problems. Businesses are being launched that are capable of transforming the lives of millions. New communication technologies are allowing ideas and information to spread, enabling markets — and governments — to be more efficient. And the numbers suggest that incomes are starting to nudge up in some countries and real growth is on the way. A new Africa beckons.

   Watch TEDTalks from TEDGlobal 2007 >>

   View the Conference Program »

   100 fellowships

   We are proud to announce major support for this event from key TED partners AMD, GE and Google. Thanks to their commitments, we were able to provide fellowships to this event for 100 individuals who we believe have an important role to play in Africa’s future. These fellowships covered the conference fee, plus travel to Arusha from within Africa, and accommodation. …

   As you can see above, one of their priorities this year was sharing knowledge with promising African scholars, entrepreneurs and problem solvers. They’ve also made the sessions available online. Check out this one first. Truly inspiring.

   TED is all the rage in the edublogging and other online communities. It’s an example of what’s possible through deliberate and conscientious organization. Quite an amazing synergy surrounds the events and those who choose to promote TED’s activities and participate in its online community. Registration for next years conference is already closed.

   I’m not sure that your concerns about equal versus patriarchal compassion are answered fully, but that seems to be a consistent theme among those actively supporting Africa (at least in the reports I have read).

   Thanks again for the great comments.

   4. realityonastick on August 6th, 2007 at 5:14 am

5. What a brilliantly written post Steve.
   Loved it.
   I will air my knackered and already over aired views .
   Unfortunately I cant afford to send my kids to these schools but I am a big fan of The Small School and Summerhill etc. There is a place, a residential school modeled on Summerhill out in Wakayama, I think it is called kodomo no kuni. I would provide the relevent links but am crap at such things and have it on good authority that people rarely click on them anyway ;).
   I like the idea of teaching kids what they want to know, kids have different skills and interests, obviously literacy ( ha! think I spelt that wrong) is vital and so is basic numeracy but beyond that I am all for following the childs interests and moving away from a fact based education and getting into value based education. I would like to see Peace education, problem solving, critical thinking etc. I just want to see kids be kids for as long as possible. Just being able to get along with people, to be open minded and tolerant and a productive member of society, a productive and protective inhabitant of our glorious yet ravaged Earth.
   I have probably now strayed way off the topic but I recently read something when researching the current numbers of kids diagnosed with developmental delays or learning disabilities etc, it said instead of using the term neurotypical ( sorry no quotation marks to be found on this keyboard) we should use the term, neurodiversity, and it should be embraced, celebrated and accomodated. I pray for a classroom, a school, a system that encourages all this diversity and says everyone can bring something to the table and each is of equal value.

   Also Micahel Stout, I had no idea about the level playing field and the jukus etc, thanks for the info. Now I understand why I pay big money to absolve the public school teachers ( I know they are over worked and under paid) of any responsibility to teach my kid anything.

   Again great post!!

   5. Miss Behaving on August 9th, 2007 at 11:27 am