Principles are always true, they apply in every situation, and careful thought and consideration, coupled with a deep understanding of history and classics (classics being defined as a work you can come to over and over and get something new each time) will make it clear to us what these principles are.
What is missing in the schools today is this realization that there actually are principles, and that they are self-evident, that there are things that are absolutely true and always apply. Instead students are taught that truth is relative. If something cannot be scientifically proven, it will not be allowed as truth.
What does it mean to say that something is self-evident? It does not mean that everyone will always agree on principles, or that everyone automatically knows these principles. What it does mean is that through careful observation, introspection and reflection, one can know truth. Classics help us do that.
One more thought on classics. When I say classics, most people think of some literary experts list. Though many books on such a list may be classic, that is not what I am talking about. Let me give you some examples of some classics in my life.
Books:
- The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
- The Walking Drum by Louis Lamour
- Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
- The Complete Book of Composting by J. I. Rodale and staff
- Diet for a New America by John Robbins
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
- Leadership and Self-deception by the Arbinger Institute
Movies:
- John Adams
- A Man for All Seasons
- Field of Dreams
- Gandhi
- The Patriot
- Braveheart
- Moby Dick (with Gregory Peck as Ahab)
Art
- The Greatest of All by Del Parson
- The Old Man Wept by Del Parson
- The Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg
I have these and many more. I did not find these on a list somewhere. I was led to these one at a time because I pay attention when a title calls out to me. I (and everyone born on this earth) have an individual purpose in life, and when I pay attention I am led to the learning that prepares me to accomplish this purpose. Over the years I have been formed by these great works and relationships. These "CLASSICS" literally do something for me each time I put myself in a position to learn from them through meditation, introspection, and questioning.
Remember, some of the things that are classics for me may not be classics for you. We need to remember that for each student. To the extent that students are expected to meet blanket standards of conformity, they miss out on the opportunity to individualize their own list of classics. This is a tragedy.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Keys of Great Teaching
I've been meaning to cover some of the Keys of Great Teaching for some time. I haven't had much time to add to this blog lately. The following are quotes out of the book, "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille. This 'Leadership Education' is what is needed in schools today. Although I don't know that we can apply every principle to it's fullest in a public school setting, to the extent we do apply these principles, we will see greater education.
1. Classics, not Textbooks
“As students become familiar with and eventually conversant with the great ideas of humanity, they learn how to think, how to lead, and how to become great. The classics, by introducing the young mind to the greatest achievements of mankind and the spiritual teachings of inspired individuals, prepare children to become successful human beings, parents and leaders in their own time.”
2. Mentors, not Professors
“A good mentor is someone of high moral character who is more advanced than the student and can guide his or her learning. Parents are the natural mentors of children. …Teachers, professors, coaches, music instructors, employers, neighbors and community leaders can also be good mentors. [George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first law professor in America, was the mentor of Thomas Jefferson.] …None of George Wythe’s students had quite the same curriculum; each student had a personalized program designed to fit his needs and interests.”
3. Inspire, not Require
“If the purpose is to train leaders, it’s important not to force the young person through their learning experiences. Force in learning kills the spirit, dampens the passion and destroys the zest and life of learning. Force trains followers, not leaders. …Inspiring, in contrast to ignoring and forcing, means finding out what the students need and then creatively encouraging them to engage it on their own—with excitement and interest.”
4. Structure Time, not Content
“We need structure in order to give adequate time and attention to learning, but the key is to structure the time, not the content. …Different things work for different students. Remember that the purpose of the structure is simply to ensure that students have sufficient time to study. The mentor doesn’t have to be there the whole time, but should interact often, and the students should be given great freedom to read and study and experiment according to their own interests. Always remember the Phases; this type of structure is usually detrimental before the young student is truly ready for intense study.”
5. Quality, not Conformity
“When Scholars do an assignment, either say “great work” or “do it again.” You can help them, but have them do most of the work and never accept a low quality submission or performance. Wythe was very demanding this way with Jefferson. Note that we’re talking here about more mature students, usually at least 12 and older, not of toddlers or children.”
6. Simplicity, not Complexity
“To achieve truly excellent education, keep it simple: Read, Write, do Projects and Discuss. The more complex our national curriculum has become, the less educated our society. …George Wythe structured Jefferson’s curriculum around these simple items: classics, discussion, projects, writing. Nearly the whole Founding generation did the same, and the further we have moved from this simple formula, the worse our education has become. What we need to improve education is not more curriculum, but better education, and that comes from classics and mentors.”
7. YOU, not Them
“Set the example. The best mentors are continually learning and pushing themselves. Read the classics. Study hard. This allows you to take the ‘agency’ approach to teaching, to let your students have a say in what they study next.
"…George Wythe studied as hard as Jefferson, and Jefferson contacted him with questions and for help through his life until he passed away. The mentor must lead the way, by reading what the student reads, discussing it with him and requiring quality work.
"…Children tend to rise to the educational level of their parents, and maybe a little above if their parents have shown them that this is important. The most effective way to ensure the quality of their education is to consistently improve your own.”
1. Classics, not Textbooks
“As students become familiar with and eventually conversant with the great ideas of humanity, they learn how to think, how to lead, and how to become great. The classics, by introducing the young mind to the greatest achievements of mankind and the spiritual teachings of inspired individuals, prepare children to become successful human beings, parents and leaders in their own time.”
2. Mentors, not Professors
“A good mentor is someone of high moral character who is more advanced than the student and can guide his or her learning. Parents are the natural mentors of children. …Teachers, professors, coaches, music instructors, employers, neighbors and community leaders can also be good mentors. [George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first law professor in America, was the mentor of Thomas Jefferson.] …None of George Wythe’s students had quite the same curriculum; each student had a personalized program designed to fit his needs and interests.”
3. Inspire, not Require
“If the purpose is to train leaders, it’s important not to force the young person through their learning experiences. Force in learning kills the spirit, dampens the passion and destroys the zest and life of learning. Force trains followers, not leaders. …Inspiring, in contrast to ignoring and forcing, means finding out what the students need and then creatively encouraging them to engage it on their own—with excitement and interest.”
4. Structure Time, not Content
“We need structure in order to give adequate time and attention to learning, but the key is to structure the time, not the content. …Different things work for different students. Remember that the purpose of the structure is simply to ensure that students have sufficient time to study. The mentor doesn’t have to be there the whole time, but should interact often, and the students should be given great freedom to read and study and experiment according to their own interests. Always remember the Phases; this type of structure is usually detrimental before the young student is truly ready for intense study.”
5. Quality, not Conformity
“When Scholars do an assignment, either say “great work” or “do it again.” You can help them, but have them do most of the work and never accept a low quality submission or performance. Wythe was very demanding this way with Jefferson. Note that we’re talking here about more mature students, usually at least 12 and older, not of toddlers or children.”
6. Simplicity, not Complexity
“To achieve truly excellent education, keep it simple: Read, Write, do Projects and Discuss. The more complex our national curriculum has become, the less educated our society. …George Wythe structured Jefferson’s curriculum around these simple items: classics, discussion, projects, writing. Nearly the whole Founding generation did the same, and the further we have moved from this simple formula, the worse our education has become. What we need to improve education is not more curriculum, but better education, and that comes from classics and mentors.”
7. YOU, not Them
“Set the example. The best mentors are continually learning and pushing themselves. Read the classics. Study hard. This allows you to take the ‘agency’ approach to teaching, to let your students have a say in what they study next.
"…George Wythe studied as hard as Jefferson, and Jefferson contacted him with questions and for help through his life until he passed away. The mentor must lead the way, by reading what the student reads, discussing it with him and requiring quality work.
"…Children tend to rise to the educational level of their parents, and maybe a little above if their parents have shown them that this is important. The most effective way to ensure the quality of their education is to consistently improve your own.”
Principles of Free-Enterprise in Public Education
When I mention that quality teachers should be compensated more than poor teachers, people are concerned about who gets to say which are the bad teachers are and which are the good teachers. I ask them, "Do you know who the poor teachers are in your child's school?" They answer "Yes." And there I make my point, we've been trained to think there is no measure you can use for good and bad, yet everyone knows when something is good or whether it is bad, even when it comes to teaching.
What happens because of collective bargaining and tenure for teachers is that poor teachers remain in the system and have no incentive to become quality teachers. Parents who are involved and know the system pull strings and leverage their children into the quality classrooms. This leaves other children, whose parents don't get as involved and have more need of quality teachers, with the poorer teachers. There are principles that apply here, they can be called principles of free-enterprise.
Free-enterprise principles teach:
- That when high-quality and low-quality options are compared side-by-side, it is self-evident which is the high-quality option.
- That whenever you allow freedom to choose, people choose the best options for them
- That these options are usually provided in the most efficient, effective way by those trying to attract others to certain options.
- That if parents were free to choose the classrooms and schools for their children, and schools and teachers were paid according to the number of students they attract, the following would happen:
- The better teachers would consequently be better compensated
- The poor teachers would have incentive to become better teachers
- The optimum number of students per classroom would naturally become evident, and it might be different for every teacher and classroom, being dependent on the teaching styles of teachers and the learning styles of students
- The optimum number of square feet per student in a school would also become evident, and it might be different for each school
- The competition would improve the entire school system as each school's administration and each teacher find more ways to attract students and more effective ways to educate
What happens because of collective bargaining and tenure for teachers is that poor teachers remain in the system and have no incentive to become quality teachers. Parents who are involved and know the system pull strings and leverage their children into the quality classrooms. This leaves other children, whose parents don't get as involved and have more need of quality teachers, with the poorer teachers. There are principles that apply here, they can be called principles of free-enterprise.
Free-enterprise principles teach:
- That when high-quality and low-quality options are compared side-by-side, it is self-evident which is the high-quality option.
- That whenever you allow freedom to choose, people choose the best options for them
- That these options are usually provided in the most efficient, effective way by those trying to attract others to certain options.
- That if parents were free to choose the classrooms and schools for their children, and schools and teachers were paid according to the number of students they attract, the following would happen:
- The better teachers would consequently be better compensated
- The poor teachers would have incentive to become better teachers
- The optimum number of students per classroom would naturally become evident, and it might be different for every teacher and classroom, being dependent on the teaching styles of teachers and the learning styles of students
- The optimum number of square feet per student in a school would also become evident, and it might be different for each school
- The competition would improve the entire school system as each school's administration and each teacher find more ways to attract students and more effective ways to educate
Friday, September 24, 2010
Disturbing Trends in Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
I've found a disturbing trend in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Student enrollment has remained essentially the same each year for the last twenty years, around 15,000 students. The number of teachers has remained about the same, usually just under 1,000 (this number actually includes teachers, counselors, and librarians.) The disturbing trend is that District Administrators have more than doubled in the last 10 years. There were 8 District Administrators in 1990 to and there were still 8 in 2000. Now there are 18. And although teachers and students have remained roughly the same, support staff has roughly doubled from 402 in 1990 to 817 in 2009.
The numbers of the people that are really needed when it comes to education (students and teachers) have remained about the same for 20 years. Yet in those same twenty years every other class of employees in the school district doubled (except for principals and assistant principals which has remained about the same.) And even though student enrollment has remained about the same, four schools have been built since 1990 and now the District is complaining about overcrowding. Remember this the next time the school district comes crying for money and help.
Vote Michael Ames for School Board if you want someone on the School Board that will fight to reduce the district administration and return power to the teachers, parents, students and local communities.
The numbers of the people that are really needed when it comes to education (students and teachers) have remained about the same for 20 years. Yet in those same twenty years every other class of employees in the school district doubled (except for principals and assistant principals which has remained about the same.) And even though student enrollment has remained about the same, four schools have been built since 1990 and now the District is complaining about overcrowding. Remember this the next time the school district comes crying for money and help.
Vote Michael Ames for School Board if you want someone on the School Board that will fight to reduce the district administration and return power to the teachers, parents, students and local communities.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Enlightened or Unenlightened?
The following experience, written some time ago is what eventually led me to be interested in making a change in the educational system by running for School Board in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. I have come a long way since this was written, and I feel ready to make a difference.
“Let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened:-Behold! human beings living in an underground [cave]...” Thus begins Book VII of Plato's Republic. These prisoners are chained so their heads cannot turn, a fire is behind them casting shadows on the wall from objects carried in front of it. These prisoners see the shadows before them and hear those who are carrying the objects conversing. They assume the echoes are the voices of the shadows themselves. They have contests in which they name the different shadows and bestow honors upon those that identify the shadows the quickest or guess which shadows will come next.
One of these prisoners is released and dragged out of the cave into the sun. He is at first blinded. Gradually his eyes become accustomed to seeing shadows, then reflections, then objects themselves, and finally he is able to see the sun in the sky, the source of his sight. He returns to his former companions and excitedly announces his discoveries. He can no longer see clearly the shadows in the dim light of the cave. “He has returned blind!” they exclaim and refuse to listen to his tales. To them the shadows are real, the echoes are real. This man, in leaving his place, lost his sight, and perhaps, his mind. This does not, however, make the world outside the cave any less real.
I began a serious study of truth nearly two years ago. My learning has been different than I expected it to be. I was expecting great knowledge, the memorization of many things that would help me be, or appear to be, smarter. However, I studied and studied and studied, and nothing ever came, I never became 'smart'. I haven't been able to understand Euclid, I haven't been able to pick out every subtle theme in a book and argue with it's suppositions. Instead, the opposite happened. I felt as if all the 'smarts' I had, started to disappear. I was going backwards. In my quest for knowledge I felt as if I was actually losing knowledge.
Before this I had every fact, every bit of knowledge pigeonholed into a specific compartment and it all fit together nicely in my universe. Then I started to read, study, discuss, and above all, THINK...my universe was shattered, nothing fit perfectly into it's little compartment anymore. Everything ran together and created chaos inside of me. It was agonizing, heartbreaking, humiliating. In this condition, I turned to a series of Liberal Arts courses offered by Face to Face with Greatness Seminars, Inc. Readings were chosen from The Great Books of the Western World, a set of books designed to allow any individual the ability to become self-reliant thinkers rather than automatons of popular thought. Most of the works assigned for the first class I had read before, and reading them again didn't have immediate impact on me. I had three weeks after reading them, to think about them, to refer back to them, to read everything I could find about them and their authors, and to prepare to write about them. I still wasn't smart, and I had no idea what to write for the paper required for this class. I was feeling down and depressed and ignorant of everything. I wondered what was wrong with me. Why did other people claim such great knowledge and ideas when reading? I could read and not even be able to intelligently express what the book was actually about, even if I thoroughly enjoyed it.
One evening while preparing for my paper, my mind was opened, I experienced a large 'aha' or a paradigm shift. I don't understand everything yet, I don't see everything, but I believe that the true quest is not to fill my mind with facts and information that I might gratify my pride with great knowledge. The first real object of this quest, this education, is to see myself. To see myself as I really am, not the lying mask I put on to feel good about myself, and not the torturous inner hell that is all my evil, but to simply see me and my capacity for greatness. In greatness I mean, on one hand, my great capacity to do good, and on the other hand, my great capacity to do evil, both ever available to my choices. I don't have to hide from myself anymore, from my potential to do great evil. And in so doing, I no longer need to hide from my capacity to do great good.
The second object of this education, is to make myself. Make myself into what, I do not yet know, but I trust that when my vision becomes accustomed to the bright light of truth, I will discover it. I suppose that when I arrive at a point where I know what to make myself, I will find myself already made into it, not by me, but by God. My experiences and studies will have already brought me to be the person He wants me to be, a true leadership education will have made, me.
My journey has been painful, very different than I expected, and sometimes, agonizingly slow. I can see now that the destruction of the shadows on the wall is what led me to believe that I was going backwards, that I was losing the knowledge I already had. I can not see the shadows so well anymore after being exposed to such great light. Unfortunately, neither can I see outside the cave very well. What I needed was someone who can see in the light to lead me around a little. I found this in Dr. Shanon Brooks and his Liberal Arts class. He didn't take me by the hand and lead me around, naming all the new objects in this new world like I expected. I suppose if he did, I would again make false assumptions considering my blurry vision and I might be content in my new-found ignorance. Instead he simply let me know that there were great things out there, let me wander around, and offered an occasional word to help me avoid pitfalls. Because of this, my education has really changed me, rather than adding to my facade of knowledge.
Now I ask you, how far is your nature enlightened or unenlightened? Do you really know? There is a whole universe beyond the cave and I believe leadership education can help. I know the shadows are very distracting and the journey is hard and frightening, but it is so worth it. I will help you along the way to the best of my ability, I am just beginning to see.
Life is different outside of the cave, and I will never live there again. I agree with Socrates, “Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner.”
“Let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened:-Behold! human beings living in an underground [cave]...” Thus begins Book VII of Plato's Republic. These prisoners are chained so their heads cannot turn, a fire is behind them casting shadows on the wall from objects carried in front of it. These prisoners see the shadows before them and hear those who are carrying the objects conversing. They assume the echoes are the voices of the shadows themselves. They have contests in which they name the different shadows and bestow honors upon those that identify the shadows the quickest or guess which shadows will come next.
One of these prisoners is released and dragged out of the cave into the sun. He is at first blinded. Gradually his eyes become accustomed to seeing shadows, then reflections, then objects themselves, and finally he is able to see the sun in the sky, the source of his sight. He returns to his former companions and excitedly announces his discoveries. He can no longer see clearly the shadows in the dim light of the cave. “He has returned blind!” they exclaim and refuse to listen to his tales. To them the shadows are real, the echoes are real. This man, in leaving his place, lost his sight, and perhaps, his mind. This does not, however, make the world outside the cave any less real.
I began a serious study of truth nearly two years ago. My learning has been different than I expected it to be. I was expecting great knowledge, the memorization of many things that would help me be, or appear to be, smarter. However, I studied and studied and studied, and nothing ever came, I never became 'smart'. I haven't been able to understand Euclid, I haven't been able to pick out every subtle theme in a book and argue with it's suppositions. Instead, the opposite happened. I felt as if all the 'smarts' I had, started to disappear. I was going backwards. In my quest for knowledge I felt as if I was actually losing knowledge.
Before this I had every fact, every bit of knowledge pigeonholed into a specific compartment and it all fit together nicely in my universe. Then I started to read, study, discuss, and above all, THINK...my universe was shattered, nothing fit perfectly into it's little compartment anymore. Everything ran together and created chaos inside of me. It was agonizing, heartbreaking, humiliating. In this condition, I turned to a series of Liberal Arts courses offered by Face to Face with Greatness Seminars, Inc. Readings were chosen from The Great Books of the Western World, a set of books designed to allow any individual the ability to become self-reliant thinkers rather than automatons of popular thought. Most of the works assigned for the first class I had read before, and reading them again didn't have immediate impact on me. I had three weeks after reading them, to think about them, to refer back to them, to read everything I could find about them and their authors, and to prepare to write about them. I still wasn't smart, and I had no idea what to write for the paper required for this class. I was feeling down and depressed and ignorant of everything. I wondered what was wrong with me. Why did other people claim such great knowledge and ideas when reading? I could read and not even be able to intelligently express what the book was actually about, even if I thoroughly enjoyed it.
One evening while preparing for my paper, my mind was opened, I experienced a large 'aha' or a paradigm shift. I don't understand everything yet, I don't see everything, but I believe that the true quest is not to fill my mind with facts and information that I might gratify my pride with great knowledge. The first real object of this quest, this education, is to see myself. To see myself as I really am, not the lying mask I put on to feel good about myself, and not the torturous inner hell that is all my evil, but to simply see me and my capacity for greatness. In greatness I mean, on one hand, my great capacity to do good, and on the other hand, my great capacity to do evil, both ever available to my choices. I don't have to hide from myself anymore, from my potential to do great evil. And in so doing, I no longer need to hide from my capacity to do great good.
The second object of this education, is to make myself. Make myself into what, I do not yet know, but I trust that when my vision becomes accustomed to the bright light of truth, I will discover it. I suppose that when I arrive at a point where I know what to make myself, I will find myself already made into it, not by me, but by God. My experiences and studies will have already brought me to be the person He wants me to be, a true leadership education will have made, me.
My journey has been painful, very different than I expected, and sometimes, agonizingly slow. I can see now that the destruction of the shadows on the wall is what led me to believe that I was going backwards, that I was losing the knowledge I already had. I can not see the shadows so well anymore after being exposed to such great light. Unfortunately, neither can I see outside the cave very well. What I needed was someone who can see in the light to lead me around a little. I found this in Dr. Shanon Brooks and his Liberal Arts class. He didn't take me by the hand and lead me around, naming all the new objects in this new world like I expected. I suppose if he did, I would again make false assumptions considering my blurry vision and I might be content in my new-found ignorance. Instead he simply let me know that there were great things out there, let me wander around, and offered an occasional word to help me avoid pitfalls. Because of this, my education has really changed me, rather than adding to my facade of knowledge.
Now I ask you, how far is your nature enlightened or unenlightened? Do you really know? There is a whole universe beyond the cave and I believe leadership education can help. I know the shadows are very distracting and the journey is hard and frightening, but it is so worth it. I will help you along the way to the best of my ability, I am just beginning to see.
Life is different outside of the cave, and I will never live there again. I agree with Socrates, “Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner.”
Monday, September 20, 2010
Completed Campaign Brochure
I finally finished a brochure for my campaign for school board seat D. If you would like a copy to give to your family and friends, send an email to michaelamesak@gmail.com and I will send a copy to you. I am running this campaign with no financial donations from anyone so I need your help to get the word out. If there are other ways you can help, let me know.
Tomorrow's Leaders and Leadership Education
The problems we face in the world today seem vastly different than the problems we've faced in the past. We have no examples to show us what to expect when we make certain choices. Can we really combine the ideals of liberty found in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence with the large array of services that now seem to be required for modern society and demanded by citizens? The problems we face are new, but the process of problem solving has always been the same. The founding fathers of this nation faced a new problem, stated in the first 'Federalist' article. Hamilton wrote, “...it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country...to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.”
The founding fathers were up to the challenge of founding a nation because they had an education that taught them how to think and how to solve problems, even if the problems had never been solved before. The type of education they had has been suppressed almost to extinction. I will introduce you to this type of education as well as two other types of education for comparison. These three types of education are called the Conveyor Belt model, the Professional model, and the Leadership model. I will attempt to explain all three as well as each model's goals, methodology, and curriculum.
Goals of each Educational Model
The first model of education is the Conveyor Belt. Conveyor belt education is used in most public schools and in many private and home schools. The goal of conveyor belt education is job training; it was introduced as job training for the poor. It accomplishes this goal by teaching students what to think. It prepares students to get a job by teaching them to obediently and compliantly do repetitive tasks and has, historically, been very successful at these goals.
The goal of the Professional model is to train an expert by teaching them when to think in their given field. This means that when an expert, such as a doctor is in his field, he is thinking in terms related to that field. If he needs to do something outside of his field, he simply calls on other experts.
The goal of the Leadership model of education is to train leaders by teaching them how to think. This is a leader who knows how to solve problems, who has a deep understanding of what is right and wrong, true and false, good and bad, and has the ability to apply true principles, or self-evident truths in every situation. This is an education that understands that each student has a purpose in life that she needs to prepare for. This is not a new model of education. This is the model of education that the founding fathers had. It is what every great leader in the past has had, and what every great leader in the future needs.
Methodology of each Educational Model
The methodology of a Conveyor Belt education is the soviet conveyor belt. This means if you are in that system you must conform to a certain mold. If you fall behind, the teacher spends more time with you and the administration spends more money because they want no child left behind. If you get ahead, they leave you alone long enough until you get back in line. There is usually an established class system, 1st grade, 2nd grade and so on until you're a finished product. Then they slap a diploma on your head and turn you out to be sold to the job market.
The methodology of the Professional educational model is the competitive conveyor belt. On the competitive conveyor belt if you get behind, they simply drop you. And here the conveyor belt makes sense. If you're training to be an expert, you must know some things before you should learn other things.
The methodology of the Leadership model is mentoring. A mentor who has a leadership education, or is at least one step ahead asks the student, “What are your dreams, goals, desires, etc.?” and then helps the student prepare a curriculum that is tailored to that student, in line with the life purpose, or life mission of that student.
Curriculum of each Educational Model
The curriculum of a Conveyor Belt education is usually seen as textbooks. Textbooks are actually the secondary curriculum. The primary curriculum is socialization, which is important if you're trying to produce obedient, security-minded workers.
The known curriculum of Professional education is case studies. These are usually packaged like textbooks but students study past and hypothetical cases in their field of expertise. The other half of the curriculum is socialization, but in the professional model they call it 'ethics'. This is what you must do or not do in a given field to be accepted by the others in that field.
The curriculum of the Leadership educational model is classics. A classic is a work that is worth studying again and again and you can learn something from it each time. There are classic books, classic movies, classic works of art, classic music, classic architecture, etc. Something may be a classic for you but not for someone else, only you can know what is a classic for you and what is not. The fundamental difference between leadership education and the other models is that leadership education is individualized.
Conclusion
We live in a nation where childhood education is rooted in the conveyor belt model, and adult education usually in the professional model. Tomorrow's leaders are not being trained in leadership at any time in their schooling. The tragedy of this is that we live in a nation that says, “You be the leaders, you run the government.” Yet we are producing obedient, compliant, security-minded individuals who look to experts to do their thinking. The choice is not between Professional and Leadership education, students can get both. The choice is between the Conveyor Belt and Leadership models.
Take a look into the eyes of your child, grandchild, or other special child in your life and see if you don't regard that child as someone special, someone who was born to make a difference in the world. Ask yourself if that child's current education will prepare them to make that difference. The principles of leadership education applied at every level of schooling and in the life of every person in America, an education rooted in a deep understanding of history and the classics is the education that will produce leaders, thinkers, entrepreneurs, artists, inventors and statesman that know how to think for themselves and will lead the world into and through the 21st century.
*These principles of education are found in "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Fairbanks Daily News-miner Questionnaire
Do you support the planned elementary school boundary changes starting next school year?
School boundaries should be lifted and children and parents should be free to choose the school and the teachers that best fit their needs and goals.
Do you think a new school is needed in North Pole?
Our school district spends approximately $16,000 per student. Give that money to each child for education. Turn schools over to local communities with minimal district control. Let parents and students choose their schools and the classrooms. The money that follows each student will show where schools ought to be built, which may or may not be in North Pole.
Do you think all students ought to be issued laptop computers?
Internet access is valuable, however, laptop computers are not essential to the kind of education students need. What students need is a great education that is rooted in a deep understanding of history and the classics, where teachers act as mentors helping students establish and execute individual goals.
The school district recently hired numerous people using federal economic stimulus money. What do you think should happen when that money runs out?
The District should never have accepted the money. The current administration was shortsighted when they accepted and hired permanent employees with temporary money. Many corporate employees are making it through these tough times by voluntarily reducing their incomes instead of letting their coworkers go. This is an appropriate and compassionate thing to do.
What infrastructure improvements do you think are needed?
These decisions are better handled at the local level and not by a centralized, distant district administration.
What steps do you think should be taken to improve graduation rates in local schools?
Students should learn they have an individual purpose in life for which they need to prepare. Students should be free to excel according to this purpose and their individual genius and to study what interests them. Teachers acting as mentors inspire students to love learning. Then students will endure and graduate.
State money for maintaining schools has diminished. How should ongoing maintenance be funded?
There is excess money in the school district. It does not take $16,000 per student per year to get a world class education. Reduce the bloated administration and apply that money towards maintenance. The district needs a maintenance program where projects are anticipated and budgeted for years in advance, rather than being sprung on taxpayers as urgent.
What is the most pressing issue facing the school district?
The biggest issue facing the district is an emphasis on conformity. Students and teachers currently must conform to the administration's will and demands of inferior curriculum, producing obedient, compliant, security minded students. Teachers, free to mentor students in history and the classics, will produce the leaders, thinkers, artists, inventors, entrepreneurs and statesmen needed to lead the world through the 21st century.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The 7 Keys of Great Teaching*
1.) Classics (Not Textbooks)
2.) Mentors (Not Professors)
3.) Inspire (Not Require)
4.) Structure Time (Not Content)
5.) Quality (Not Conformity)
6.) Simplicity (Not Complexity)
7.) You (Not Them)
2.) Mentors (Not Professors)
3.) Inspire (Not Require)
4.) Structure Time (Not Content)
5.) Quality (Not Conformity)
6.) Simplicity (Not Complexity)
7.) You (Not Them)
More to come...
*found in "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille
Monday, September 13, 2010
Education Myth
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has less students enrolled than expected this year, which translates into less funding from the State for education. Now the School District is looking for Federal funding to make up the shortfall. Less students, but they still need the same amount of money?
We keep throwing more and more money at education. The School Board claims responsibility for children's education. Teacher's think it's theirs, Government claims it belongs to them. Parents believe that they have responsibility for their children's education. The only person that thinks it's not their responsibility is the one person who's responsibility it really is. The Students'.
We operate under an educational myth, and that is that one person can educate another. The simple fact is that you have chosen the level of education that you have received. We can inspire others to educate themselves, or we can require that they do so with threat of punishment or banishment, but we cannot educate another individual. When the responsibility for education is understood by everyone to be in the hands of the student, teachers will be more inspiring, parents will be more inspiring, government will seek to attract students to their institutions. Let's put the responsibility back where it belongs, to the students with guidance from their parents. Let's release teachers from the system and let them act in a mentorial capacity as an inspiration and guide, rather than an expert pouring 'education' into young people's minds.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
What is a great education?
- Is it good grades and high test scores?
- Is it memorization/regurgitation of facts and dates?
- Is it measured by how much income one can earn, by how much political power one can amass, or by popularity?
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
by Erica Goldson
The following speech was delivered by top of the class student Erica Goldson during the graduation ceremony at Coxsackie-Athens High School on June 25, 2010
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast – How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contend that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme.
While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking?" Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Michael Ames for School Board
There is a constant, filthy river of ideas and policies eroding the foundations of liberty. Nothing will secure liberty more than individual education. When students learn how to think, future generations will be free. Many parents agree that home or private schooling is best, but this is not an option for everyone. I would like to see the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District become an option of equal or greater value for these parents.
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