Thinking Thursday – The End?
Knowledge
In 1854 Herbert Spencer suggested that “before there can be a rational curriculum, we must settle which things it most concerns us to know; …we must determine the most relative values of knowledge.”
In other words, Spencer felt the question for education was “What knowledge is of most worth?” In seeking the answer, he made the following list of human activities based on their importance:
1. activities that relate directly to self-preservation,
2. activities that indirectly minister to self-preservation,
3. activities having to do with the rearing of offspring,
4. activities that pertain to political and social relations, and
5. activities that relate to the leisure part of life and devoted to the tastes and appetites.
Based upon Spencer’s research and perspective, he deemed the knowledge of most worth as Science.
Interestingly enough, it would seem that it has yet to be determined what knowledge students really need. In the most recent issue of edutopia (Dec 2008/Jan 2009; pg 12) readers respond to the question “What is the most critical skill students should master to succeed?”
So, what do YOU think?
What knowledge is of most worth? What is the most critical skill students should master to succeed?
As you gather your thoughts, here is a link to an article entitled, What Knowledge Has the Most Worth? (AASA, Feb 2008) written by Yong Zhao, a keynote speaker at our International 21st Century Learning and Leading Conference this weekend.
http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=9737
January 8th, 2009 at 10:08 am
One interesting thing that keeps popping up since people started to believe that the world really is flat(I disagree, no one from China or India can come clean my house for me, only an American in America with a tertiary (the highest)level job can do that) is that we need to be teaching American students how to compete for jobs in a global market.
American students should have a well rounded education based on critical thought and self sufficiency whith a clear understanding of how be a vital member of a team. Why on earth should we be aiming to work for someone else? To compete the “global environment” our kids need to be prepared to be the employers, not the employees. That is what high quality of living and high standard of living is all about. If you want a good example of what that looks like check out Hong Kong. They have the only government on earth that operates at a profit. They also have one of the lowest incidences of poverty world wide. Most importantly they lack social care and operate their nation from a sink or swim philosophy and guess what? Almost everyone swims.
If as you were reading you thought, housekeeper?, highest level? She’s nuts, think on this…my aunt has her own housekeeping business, works fewer hours than I do and blows my salary out of the water. She is just one example. I could go on and on.
We need to stop freaking out about not being competitive with people from developing nations and really focus on maintaining our status as world class leaders, innovators, and industry captains.
Science, math, social studies, language arts, the arts, and physcal education are ALL important, we cannot turn education into a CARB DIET, everyone knows what a disaster that has been – 1/3 of us are off the charts obese.
So, the most critical skill our students need is self responsibility, our education district is already supplying the other stuff (we could do better on personal finance and wealth building since the sooner they start the greater their chance of financial independance will be).
January 8th, 2009 at 10:24 am
I totally agree with Herbert Spencer because the ideas although maybe interpreted differently based on culture, social status, income status, etc. still is true to direct and indirect self-preservation. Let’s just say a person has the potential to live to be 80 years old, give or take 18 years is spent in formal schooling, 4 years in the beginning reared by parent/parents/guardian that leaves 58 years to figure out how to live and survive among a competitive world. Of the 18 years have a person learned everything they will need to know to survive for 58 years? How much knowledge are we, educators, responsible to impart on our children for them to survive in this world? I would venture to say life skills should be at the top of the list of what should be taught and can be taught by infusing it into all academic courses not just core courses. A simple lesson of teaching children how to read and write on what interest them, real world issues and the career they are interested in is call integration that will benefit them in this journey of life. Oh! don’t forget teaching conflict resolution, children and even adults can not learn or even the worst case scenario survive when life conflicts arise and can not resolve them to move on with learning and/or life.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I completely agree with Heather. Until we take curriculum out of the hands of “educated” men and women who have not been in a classroom in 5 years or more, we will continue to chase our tails in an attempt to implement the NEXT BEST THING. Education should not be based on memorization of a few disjointed facts, but on becoming well rounded, confident, adaptable, responsible and productive citizens
January 8th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Over the break I asked my cousin who is a Vice President in a company that designs websites “What skills do you think us as teachers should be teaching our students?” She said that the number one skill that people need to be successful in business is Communication skills. The people she works with need to be able to communicate to each other, about themselves and have presentation skills. The difference between being hired by her firm or not is someone that can communicate effectively.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
How to think. How to question. Inquiry. Curiosity.
Fostering a want to want to know why and how. That leads to innovation and inventiveness. That leads us to the future.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Even though I recognize critical thinking as being incumbent to the scientific process; I don’t know that I totally agree with Spencer’s assertion with Science as knowledge of most worth. I do know that knowledge without understanding, application, or value is worthless.
For children to succeed they need a sense of purpose, the tools to achieve that purpose, the opportunity to practice and master skills learned toward that purpose, and the ability to evaluate their effectiveness in achieving that purpose. Once this happens, learning becomes relevant, useful, and has value….it becomes “Real”.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
This has been fascinating! I have shared the comments with our group on developing a visionary plan for Gloucester County Public Schools. The 21st century is challanging to each of us. Can’t stop rethinking now, can we?
Best wishes to all who have shared!
January 13th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I think we have to back up a step. What is self-preservation? This term is open to interpretation, or at least a difference of opinion, based on your frame of reference. As a teacher with a background in alternative education, self-preservation to my students revolved around staying alive. Children who live in extreme poverty or violence have different needs and their self-preservation is entirely different than a child who has not grown up in the midst of such challenges. We are dealing with a completely opposite set of values and unspoken rules. In order to reach all students in education, since we cannot educate only the middle-class students, we need to teach children to think. This to me is the most critical skill in education – to be independent thinkers who can analyze a situation and develop their own opinions and problem-solving skills. As teachers we are attempting to “train” students for jobs that do not even exist. If we do not prepare them to think critically and independently, how will they have the ability to adapt to a culture that is changing so quickly?