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Thoughts on Training/Education, 2007
I recently read Neville Holmes’ article “Digital Technology and the Skills Shortage” (see APPEND
#1 below) in the March 2007 issue of IEEE Computer. It is a classic. It motivated me to revisit and update my
ideas on education. They follow.
1,
Who is responsible for an individual’s education?
- the individual is to some extent at all times but solely
at maturity (circa age 27) - unless society feels in danger
- parents (or in
loco parentis) until circa age 17 – unless they feel in danger – then until circa age 27
- society until circa age 27 (beyond if the society feels in
danger) – parents and individuals who do not agree with society’s constraints should drop out
2,
What are the purposes of an individual’s education?
- the individual chooses his purposes when he can
- the purposes of the parents may be many – but their
only non-arguable purposes are to produce an individual who is able willing to take care of himself, able to produce viable
off-spring, and able and willing to take care of the parents when they are no longer able to do so themselves
- society’s purposes may be many – but their only
non-arguable purposes are identical to those of the parents plus to produce an individual who will help to perpetuate the
society
3,
What kinds of education are there?
- Formal and informal self-education
- Formal and informal education by parents or parent surrogates
- Formal and informal education by society
4,
What is the content/ends of education?
- (much of education content/ends is covered in the Neville
Holmes article below)
- values
- habits
- skills
- knowledge
- judgment (aka wisdom, common sense, etc.)
- confidence
- happiness
THOUGHTS ON TRAINING/EDUCATION, 1999 –
revised 2007
SUMMARY
The purpose of this document is to present
as briefly as possible my thoughts on Training/Education gained from over 70 years participation. It is intended primarily
for homeschoolers but may be of interest to others. It addresses current educational practice and technology and advocates:
an eclectic approach, tailored to individual cognitive styles, making appropriate use of new technology. It maintains that
parents are key, that T/E must be active, not passive, and that TV is the work of the devil.
For brevity, discussion is limited to core T/E, what in an earlier time was the common school curriculum (though APPEND
#2 describes a four-year liberal arts curriculum and APPEND #3 describes a school for grades 9-12). The value and requirement
for a wide variety of T/E, some before the age of 13, most later, is not in question: the visual and performing arts, physical
T/E, vocational and military, etc.
CONTEXT
The thoughts on Training/Education (T/E) that
follow, apart from the more specific APPENDs, are directed toward contemporary North American native English speakers ages
0-17, with emphasis on 0-12. They are based on my experience but should be considered in conjunction with the ideas of two
methodological theorists of education, Howard Gardner and E. D. Hirsch, Jr. Their ideas are well presented in a lengthy article
in the "New York Times" of September 11, 1999, where they discuss their own and each other's ideas. Though they apparently
disagree strongly, I think they both are right. I will try to bridge their ideas below. The best book on education I have
read, Kieran Egan's "The Educated Mind", does this indirectly. I hope that he will produce a new version of his book, aimed
at parents, which will do this directly (as of March 2007 he has not done so).
BACKGROUND READING
A suggested reading list is in APPEND #4: it is purposefully short. Here I will
suggest some books I like in addition to those in APPEND #4.
- Anything by the Opies, Kieran Egan, Howard Gardner, E. D. Hirsch, Jr., Melvin
Konner, I. A. Richards, Andy Clark
- Piaget’s “Genetic Epistemology”
- Bruner’s “On Knowing”
- MacIntyre’s “On Virtue”
- Baldacchino’s “Educating for Virtue”
- Lakoff and Johnson’s “Metaphors We Live By” and “Philosophy
in the Flesh”
DEFINITIONS
T/E is the inculcation and/or self-acquisition
of values, habits, skills, knowledge, wisdom/judgment, self-confidence, and happiness/equanimity. Some say that training vis-a-vis education is a distinction without a difference. Others cite the old joke
distinction, "Everybody knows the difference between Sex Education and Sex Training". I think that discussing training without
discussing education, or vice-versa, is like discussing the sound of one hand clapping: they are inextricably linked with
training being anterior to education and primarily applicable to habits and skills. Education requires appropriate habits
and skills and is primarily applicable to knowledge and wisdom.
William James defined "habit" as "the flywheel
of society". Others have defined habit as "the gyroscope of the self". William Wordsworth was less sure about habit: "...
Shades of the prison-house begin to close/Upon the growing boy ...". But correct habit is the necessary underpinning of T/E:
eating, sleeping, hygiene, safety, punctuality, attention ... sacrificing today's good for tomorrow's better ... all are a
question of habit. Ritual is not the same thing as habit, but good rituals make for good habits (see Rappaport's "Ritual and
Religion in the Making of Humanity"). Ritual is both public and private. Habits are private.
Like habit, skills come in a multitude of forms:
from walking to riding a bicycle to plowing a furrow to playing a musical instrument to reading, riting, rithmetic, rhetoric
and recitation … all are skills. Some are necessary for survival others are necessary for the acquisition of knowledge
and wisdom. As one moves up the educational ladder, new skills are required to continue -- and sometimes new habits.
Knowledge requires both facts and meaning.
Just as training and education cannot be discussed separately in the context of education, so facts and meaning cannot be
discussed separately in the context of knowledge. One may have facts without meaning, but one cannot have meaning without
facts, nor knowledge without both.
Wisdom is usually employed to designate good
judgement/common sense in personal and social affairs. Here I use "wisdom" to mean good judgement in all human activities,
from having money left at the end of the month to building a better mousetrap to establishing a better society. "Concepts"
give meaning to facts, "meta-concepts" give meaning to lower level concepts. Some have said that man is the story-telling
animal. The mind's narrative (word, image, motor, ...) solves problems. Good solutions show good judgement, that is, wisdom.
Poor solutions show lack of wisdom. One may be wise without being brilliant (i.e., providing good solutions to less difficult
problems) and brilliant without being wise (i.e., providing poor solutions to more difficult problems).
T/E can be formal, informal, or a mix. Formal
T/E is planned, structured to some extent, and generally employs a fixed time and place. Informal T/E can occur anywhere at
anytime: by accident or in conjunction with some other activity, for example, a trip to the circus. OJT, helping mother with
the dishes, and collecting eggs from the hen house are examples of mixed T/E. (APPEND
#5 contains some tips on formal teaching.)
PURPOSE
Sane organizations and individuals have two
ends which are not means: survival (though on occasion organizations and individuals will sacrifice themselves to ensure the
survival of offspring or the larger group) always and happiness frequently. All other ends are means to one or both of these
primary ends.
T/E always has multiple ends in addition to
one or both of the primary ends, depending on the entity in charge. Public education wishes to insure the survival of the
controlling political entity and so seeks to produce the good citizen: one who obeys the law, produces more than he consumes,
and helps to produce other good citizens. The Welsh think that communal singing should be taught as a means to this end. Most
focus on history or literature. All provide ritual.
Parents often focus on teaching filial obedience,
respect for ones elders, and the obligation to support ones aged relatives.
In addition to survival and happiness, I think
the focus of education should be "Be all you can be", that is, teaching the habits and skills necessary to achieve excellence
in one or more socially sanctioned fields. This should be as good or better a way to survive and be happy as any other. (NB:
I also believe in moderation. Excellence is relative to the individual and does not entail world class.)
CAVEATS
About 95% of children can be accommodated by
a standard curriculum and a standard classroom (though the "standard" may be tailored to suit tracking by maturation, sex,
talent, or purpose). About 5% of children are exceptional (mentally, physically, and/or emotionally) and require special education.
"Mainstreaming" is damn foolishness.
But in that 95% being accommodated by the "standard",
each individual is unique and will profit more by one way of doing things than by another. In ad tech work I did for IBM in
Rochester, Minn., we/I pretty much came to the conclusion that no two "cognitive styles" are the same and that the computer
needed to provide a variety (3, 4, or more -- cf. Gardner's "multiple intelligences") of "cognitive interfaces". The best
of all possible worlds being where the computer could adapt its interface to the user's particular preferences -- second best
being where the user was given choices to permit him to tailor the interface.
I will use myself as an example. I am pretty
much standard. Certainly I went through a standard public school system (it was segregated by race but took in 95% of the
white youth of both sexes from a lower middle class neighborhood) and emerged looking pretty much like everybody else. Fortunately,
I had 2-3 teachers who recognized my cognitive style and helped me to come up to the "standard".
My cognitive style has, perhaps among others,
the following peculiarities. One, though genuine tone deafness is rare, I am tone deaf. It is not just that I cannot carry
a tune: my hearing is discontinuous. There are some tones in the normal range of hearing that I cannot hear. This was not
recognized until I was in the 6th grade. After that, I was excused from music and given special treatment in elocution.
Two, I have exceedingly poor visual memory.
Not only do I have trouble spelling, I often do not recognize people I know well and get lost on an often-traveled route.
I was on the point of being held back in the 9th grade because I could not pass the spelling test then required to advance
into the 10th. One of my teachers took me aside for counseling. She said, "Lucian, you are never going to be a good speller,
but you might be able to pass the test if you spell the word like it sounds rather than the way you remember it." Either the
advice was good, or the rules were bent, because when re-tested after that bit of counseling, I "passed" the test. But, whatever,
I passed into the 10th grade.
Three, though I have quite good large-muscle
co-ordination, I have poor small-muscle co-ordination and use cursive writing only to sign my name. In the school system I
attended, they were keen on cursive writing. My 3rd grade teacher and my 4th grade teacher and my 5th grade teacher insisted
that I practice cursive writing. My 6th grade teacher was a little wiser. She said, "Lucian, you are never going to be able
to write a legible cursive script. Use printing now. Learn to type as soon as you can." I think this was good advice -- at
any rate, I type ("keyboard") quite well. In fact, I earned my living for some months in 1958 as an IBM keypunch operator.
Almost all children (and adults) learn better
by doing than by observing or reading (except, of course, where one is learning to observe or to read). But, some are word
oriented, some image, some motion, some perhaps other oriented (tone, smell, etc.). It has recently been discovered that craftsmen
and surgeons have brains shaped differently from those who are not craftsmen or surgeons (perhaps they actually do "think
with their hands").
The good teacher will adapt the "standard"
curriculum and methodology to the various aptitudes and interests, the cognitive style, the multiple intelligences of the
student.
Finally, about 95% of children will benefit
from formal T/E up to puberty. Perhaps 50% will benefit up to about 17. About 25% will benefit beyond 17. North America does
not accommodate this situation at present. Even improved OJT/Apprenticeship programs will not fully accommodate this problem.
I think it a problem without a good solution, but the problem might be alleviated if it were generally admitted. (This was recently addressed by Charles Murray in a series of three articles on the op-ed page of the January
16, 17, and 18, 2007 WSJ.)
T/E TECHNOLOGY
Some seek cost-effective T/E. For others this
is not a concern. In general the T/E Guidelines listed in the next section take cost-effectiveness into account, but it is
not an overriding principle.
T/E technology has improved significantly in
the past 50 years. Some employ the new technology well, others employ it poorly, many do not employ it at all. Those who employ
it well KNOW that learning is not a passive activity and seek to take into account individual cognitive styles. TV should
be used sparingly in both home and school.
The improved T/E technology consists of hardware
and software and well-structured learning programs. These may employ the traditional tools of text, paper, and pencil only
but more generally consist also of multimedia equipment (e.g., language labs, math labs, computer assisted drill and practice)
and hands-on kits. It is good now and improving rapidly. It is necessary to stay abreast of new developments, particularly
in what is called the "Edutainment" industry. (This is addressed in more detail
by Neville Holmes in APPEND #1.)
GUIDELINES
The guidelines listed in this section address
formal T/E, no matter where conducted: school, home, business. Though various areas are covered, the focus is on reading,
riting, rithmetic, rhetoric and recitation for ages 0-12.
1. Formal T/E (hereinafter in this section
called T/E) should be fun. But in all significant human endeavor, there is no gain without pain. Hard work is required and
drill and practice are necessary.
2. T/E should consist of short spurts with
playful breaks. Appropriate spurt length will vary with the individual but generally increases with age. Almost all spurt
lengths are less than 45 minutes.
3. The optimum number of spurts within a 24-hour
period varies with both the individual and the subject matter or matters. Most adults should not spend more than five hours
out of the 24 on a single subject.
4. Trial and error is required to determine
the correct tools and usage for each subject for each individual.
5. The home is responsible for introducing
the child to those habits necessary for survival and happiness, generally in an informal manner. For those children who go
to school, the school will continue this in the beginning years. Formal T/E will later cover some of the material in "science"
classes (e.g., home economics, biology). For some, religion is a matter of habit, for others a matter of knowledge, and for
still others a combination of the two.
6. Language and number seem to be part of being
human -- but need to be encouraged by parents. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are relatively new and are the basic skills
required to progress in T/E. They should be introduced to the child as soon as it is ready: every parent should be in the
homeschooling business even if the child goes to a public or private school. The three R's should be introduced as play --
and continue as such as long as possible. Some schools are quite effective with reading and arithmetic. Few schools are effective
with writing, as it is very expensive to teach writing skills.
7. Parents must read to their children -- and
their children must read to them. Silent reading should be introduced as deemed appropriate, but reading aloud should continue
in conjunction with silent reading until 9 or 10 or even longer. Nursery rhymes and songs are a good start -- first as talking/singing,
then as reading. Poetry should be emphasized as much or more than prose. Memorization and recitation are important. If any
musical capability exists, then singing is important too.
8. Writing follows reading as reading follows
listening. Writing is difficult and less fun but it must be emphasized as much as talking. (I recommend Bartholomoe and Petrosky's
unfortunately named book "Facts, Artifacts, and Counterfacts" for background reading in this area.)
9. In addition to verse, children should be
introduced to both fictive and factual prose works. It may be that the reading of prose fiction is only appropriate to women
and children, but it is very appropriate for a child's T/E. Narration is a mandatory skill for problem solving.
10. By the age of 12, the child should have
been introduced to some of the great works of English literature -- some will have learned to read them with pleasure. Between
12 and 18, most children should continue the study of literature at whatever level is appropriate to the individual. Recitation,
public speaking, singing, and dramatic performance should continue for those interested and able. Creative writing will be
appropriate for a few. Most should increase their skills in factual writing.
11. Skills in counting, measuring, and integer
arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) must be in place before moving on to fractions and decimals.
By the age of 12, the child should be skilled in all of these -- both with paper and pencil and with computers and calculators
-- and should have some knowledge of number theory and how to guestimate measure and number. Between 12 and 18, various children
will develop other math skills. All should, but won’t, master business arithmetic up to double entry bookkeeping and
enough geometry for a carpenter. The more mathematically inclined will learn additional number theory, algebra, geometry (plane
and solid), trigonometry (plane and spherical -- enough for surveying and navigating), and probability and statistics. Calculus
can wait.
12. By the age of 12 the child should have appropriate knowledge of history, natural science (including geography and
astronomy), civics, and economics. This starts with his home and family, goes on to his neighborhood and country, and eventually
includes the world and the solar system. Between the ages of 12 and 18, these subjects should continue with more sophistication.
BEGIN APPEND #1 ç Neville Holmes article
Digital Technology and the Skills Shortage
Neville Holmes
University of Tasmania
Governments and businesses
in many advanced countries complain about the current skills shortage. They blame it for high wages, lowered economic growth,
outsourcing, the need to import skilled workers, the failure of medical care, the high rates of car accidents and unemployment,
and pretty well any instance of technical malfunction and project failure.
The irony of this is that digital technology could be used both to raise
the average skill level of most young people and also to depopulate jails by using the same technique to rehabilitate the
misfits who so often end up there. To achieve this, however, our whole approach to education must be redesigned, the education
profession reorganized, the school system remodeled, and parents constrained to share the responsibility for their children's
education. Even then, it would take a generation for the investment to start paying off.
SKILLS
Skill and intelligence are closely related. Intelligence is perhaps best
defined as the unconscious application of skill to the conscious solving of problems. Therefore, the more skill someone has
in any area, the more intelligently that person can function. For example, the better a person understands and can manipulate
numbers, the more intelligently they can solve numeric and mathematical problems.
Skill of any kind has several essential features: It develops through
practice, is best developed early in life, and develops accumulatively. The accumulation widens skill while intensifying it.
These features are well known to people who train athletes and musicians, but they apply to all kinds of skills.
Although there are many kinds of skills, the types overlap. Howard Gardner's
multiple intelligences (Frames of Mind, HarperCollins, 1983) map onto multiple
skills extremely well and give a basis for effective skill development.
