Sunday, December 03, 2006
More and more, I read about how technology can help transform what we need to do in education. This article, Futurist: To fix education, think Web 2.0, reports on a talk by John Seely Brown at a recent conference at MIT.
Posted by Randy Ziegenfuss in
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I spent a lot of time last Friday talking with Randy about the Ed Barlow presentation that he, Barbara, Bobbie, and I had attended last week. We had a great conversation, and he encouraged me to “blog” about it. While I feel much more comfortable with a face-to-face dialogue, I am willing to step outside my comfort zone and see the power of making my thinking “public” to all of you....ah, progress!!!
For those of you who were unable to attend, Ed Barlow is a futurist who, I believe, is on a mission to shake up our traditional educational system (and it needs to be shaken up) and to alert us to the realities on a global level (and they are numerous). He was very interesting, very informed, and provided many specifics and examples of his ideas; however, the presentation lasted 3 HOURS which was a bit too lengthy for me.
While I am not going to attempt to address his numerous topics and ideas, what struck me were his constant references to the economic realities of globalization. He referenced the constant and accelerated aspects of change; he spoke of being “left behind” and having to deal with a lower style of living; he spoke about the changing job market and what an individual needs to do to stay competitive and have strong earning power; he spoke of the skills and knowledge needed to get a high paying job and a high standard of living, etc.
While I do not disagree with much of what he said (and to be perfectly honest, with the parts that I really understood and could relate to), I was taken by the lack of emphasis on “emotional intelligence.” If we need to develop a reflective capacity in order to develop a “mental desktop” that will keep us up-to-date and competitive, I believe that we need (more than ever) to develop a reflective capacity in the area of emotional intelligence.
I offered this idea to him and the group, and Ed was very positive in his reponse to my comment. However, I think he took my idea to mean the “etiquette” aspects of E.Q. What I was referring to were the aspects of self-awareness, knowledge of one’s values and priorites, and being able to discern and decide whether or not (or to what extent), a person is willing or can afford to or is able to “live life” at that pace. I don’t think it is ALL about standard of living, income, and being competitive. What about living life deeper? more consciously? with gratitude? with choice?
I guess my ultimate question is, What and how are we providing this reflection to our students? How are we preparing them to evaluate, prioritize, and make judgments about what they truly want their lives to look like? What opportunities are we providing our students to look at their choices critically and with choice? As Morrie stated (Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom), “Just because something is the popular culture does not mean we have to accept it.”
Okay, Randy, I have gone PUBLIC!!! I must admit, I am wondering what others think about this so maybe this is a good first “blogging” step for me.
on 12/04 at 02:28 PM
