Educing the Young

The Latin word ducere is probably best translated as 'to lead'. In turn, it has spawned a large range of related words: most obviously 'duke' ('one who leads') and 'duct' ('a path that leads') — and then verbs like 'educe', 'seduce', 'traduce', 'induce' and 'deduce'. These are followed by associated adjectives and nouns, to a total somewhere around 200 different words.

But here we are today thinking about 'educing the young'. This is actually what 'education' is about — the Greeks called it 'pedagogy' in a more youth-focussed way. To educe is to lead out or draw out towards something, and from the mid-19th century or so, it meant 'to draw a conclusion from data'. In other words, education is a process which leads people to draw conclusions from whatever data they are given.

The young are particularly in need of such a process. The old have already drawn their conclusions, whether good, bad or ugly. But the young can still be saved enough for them to in turn become the old, at least.

The main problem of the age is that time is passing so fast, and change even faster, relative to what any of the old(er) know. What I mean is that the passage of time is a known change, but the things that come with it — technology, social upheaval — have never changed as quickly in the history of humanity.

This means that trying to lead people towards making conclusions (what you might call 'education towards eduction') is a thankless task. If you teach them through inductive logic, the risk of failure is high because the past is no longer an accurate guide to the future. If you teach them through deductive logic, the risk of failure is high because the rules are being remade everyday, and axioms are no longer the worthy authorities (Gk. axiomata) around which the universe rotates.

So how then should we educate the young? Two ideas appear to dominate.

First, some suggest that the accumulated weight of past learning will suffice. Some branches of learning have a very long shelf-life, so to speak — things like arithmetic and the core natural sciences come to mind. Some branches of learning constantly reinvent themselves, and are studied with that in mind — the arts and humanities come to mind. But that is almost everything, and so past methodologies will do, if not past knowledge.

Second, some suggest that the young should be taught to teach themselves. That is, the reinvention of self and of humanity should be the main methodology taught. This is rather Darwinian; those who can reinvent themselves well enough to survive and prosper in the next age of humanity will replicate their eductive memes and educative processes through appeal to the first idea.

You will note that I've not said WHAT the young ought to learn. To those who would like to think about it, I direct you towards a search of the venerable history of human education — specifically with the key phrase 'saber-tooth curriculum'. Enjoy.

Educating for Globalism

Over the last few months, I've been reading a host of authors on how they see education reforms in this age of globalism. Almost unanimously, they say a few things:

1. Teach young people to be more aware of current affairs.
2. Let them participate in more discussions.
3. Give them opportunities to examine the key forces that drive the world.
4. Make them politically aware.
5. Allow them to be politically active.
6. Help them discover complex modes of thinking and doing.
7. Prepare them for a world with far fewer fixed jobs and far more independent opportunities.

The list goes on, and on, and on.

But what I see is that it really reduces to three very old points. What education is all about, as Howard Gardner used to point out before he got sucked into the jargon-making apparatus, is:

1. Teaching people how to figure out what is true.
2. Teaching people how to figure out what is right.
3. Giving them opportunities to decide for themselves what is fitting and beautiful (since you can't really teach that).

Truth, goodness, beauty. That's the main thing in terms of content. In the world of today, everything is a lot more accessible. There is an increasing information burden, and the effort required to turn this into knowledge is immense. But it is the same kind of effort as it always has been: the effort to decide what is true, what is the right thing to do given what is true, and how to make the best of what we have.

Young people today will be as politically engaged or disengaged as they want to be. They will know as much as they want. They will discuss things with you if they want. You can guide them as any other generation has been guided, but young people are young people and the kind of guidance required will not change much. Technology and the high information density of the converging world are about the only differences now.

One last word from even further back in time: how do we know what is good? A fellow named Micah once said, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Whether you believe in God or not, the principles of justice, mercy and humility are certainly key signposts on the road of human existence—whether global or local, in the wide world or in the streets where we live.

Octadecane

Bad pun, for those who can spot it... very sorry! But tonight, I was eighteen years old again. The music was ABBA, Duran Duran, the really old stuff, and more. And four hours of dancing to stuff like 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'I Will Survive' and all the things that were new when I was young.

The funniest part must have been when they played 'It's Raining Men' by the Weathergirls. A bunch of us perfectly respectable men, not one of who was under the age of 41, and some of who were far older, jumped hyperkinetically onto the floor at the appropriate moments. The performances entertained everyone. It surprised me how fit some of us still were. Haha!

I am sure that various young dancers must be laughing their heads off by now at the idea. Oh well.

Generation XYZ

We think in terms of generations and generation gaps. But the flow of generations is like a river; it never ceases, it is a continuous stream, it is not as clearly defined as some people would have you believe.

In the latest US presidential elections, the youthful demographic segment aged 18-29 broke for President-Elect Obama by a margin of 66-31. It was the largest proportion since pollsters had begun to collect such data. In a generation's time, they will be aged 48-59. It will still be too broad a demographic segment to say anything much about, except that they will be no longer youthful.

I was reading a book about the globalisation of education last night (yes, yet another one). This line caught my eye: educationists should learn to take seriously the pleasures and power of the young. It was a very thought-provoking statement.

One Of A Kind

I was at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle once, atoning quietly for my sins. The sunlight streamed in on the ancient flags and the modern tourists. In one sweep, you saw the valour and the grime, the tawdry and the excellent, the British humour and the English comedy. I have always loved chapel services. They bring out solemnity and grace, together with moments of (un)intended irony, just as one imagines daily life by the Sea of Galilee might have done in Jesus' time.

Recently, a friend of mine posted this poem by Stephen Spender. It was running through my mind in all its poignant majesty during chapel service this morning. Here you go.

I think continually of those who were truly great
Who, from the womb, remembered the soul's history
Through corridors of light where the hours are suns,
Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition
Was that their lips, still touched with fire,
Should tell of the Spirit, clothed from head to foot in song.
And who hoarded from the Spring branches
The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms.

What is precious, is never to forget
The essential delight of the blood drawn from ageless springs
Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth.
Never to deny its pleasures in the morning simple light
Nor its grave evening demand for love.
Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother
With noise and fog, the flowering of the Spirit.

Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields,
See how these names are feted by the waving grass
And by the streamers of white cloud
And whispers of wind in the listening sky.
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire's centre.
Born of the sun, they travelled a short while toward the sun
And left the vivid air signed with their honour.

To-Do List

Eeeergh. This is horrible. You dig around in old papers wondering what on earth you kept them for, and then lo! and behold! you encounter a list. And what a list it is. It is a list of all the things you wanted to do when you were 15 years old, had just turned 15, and were wondering what you should do before Father Time got his filthy hooks into you – i.e. by the time you became old at 30.

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1. Become a teacher: will need a major discipline (Lit? Chem?) and work on core skills (computer assembly, programming and protocols; psychology and communication) - forget the other subjects unless Mrs T complains again - can I do Law first, or must I have teaching subject to do education?

2. Life skills: learn to cook, at least good if not tasty; learn to repair clothes; keep on with the carpentry and woodwork - is it worthwhile learning to renovate a house, or just a garden enough (note: cultivate brother) - and how to survive in foreign cities without being foreigner?

3. Get some money: don't count on family fortune (not so big anyway), estimate seed size; if teacher, how survive - unique means premium - what about UN job, and what power can you have without money?

4. Self-fulfilment: get some proper writing done, publish SF/fantasy bits - maybe poetry - learn some Greek, Latin and Hebrew for bible study - also see (1) above - figure out gifts and how to deal with bad parts (arrogant idiot, angry and stubborn ass).

5. Get married: target for 10 years' time; start database, decide what parameters - need objective monitoring else things go wrong - start a new list?

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Well, we were all younger once. I am, once again, humbled by what I wrote and what I actually achieved. As God wills, so does He dispose. And all we can do is wonder at the things we are allowed to do.

Prenostalgic Warning

Warnings are pointless when it comes to experiential learning. It is true that the burnt child dreads the fire; but it is the burnt child with the clever support group that learns to tame the flame. And that is why I have come to believe that while I cannot always deliver warnings effectively, I can help by acting as support and shelter for anyone who needs it.

It took me by surprise, though, that I do feel a few regrets about the way I spent my earlier youth. But Simon and Garfunkel say it better here, and just for convenience, I reproduce their bittersweet and yet jaunty lyrics below.

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A Hazy Shade Of Winter

Time, time, time, see what's become of me
While I looked around
For my possibilities;
I was so hard to please.
But look around, leaves are brown,
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.

Hear the Salvation Army band
Down by the riverside;
It's bound to be a better ride
Than what you've got planned.
Carry your cup in your hand
And look around, leaves are brown now,
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.

Hang on to your hopes, my friend:
That's an easy thing to say,
But if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again...
Look around, the grass is high,
The fields are ripe, its the springtime of my life...

Ahhh, seasons change with the scenery,
Weaving time in a tapestry.
Won't you stop and remember me
At any convenient time?
Funny how my memory slips
While looking over manuscripts
Of unpublished rhyme,
Drinking my vodka and lime...

But look around, leaves are brown now,
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter

Look around, leaves are brown...
There's a patch of snow on the ground...