Import Test : EDUCATIONAL QUESTION OF THE YEAR

Sandra Seagal & David Horne on "Educational Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Fri, 12 May 2006 11:08:00 GMT

"It is our belief that to be effective citizens of a global society, individuals need to have in the first place as deep an understanding of themselves and their specific ways of functioning as possible."

A brief context for the following remarks in response to the question: “What knowledge or skills will students need to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

Through 26 years of investigation involving more than 80,000 people from more than 25 cultures, we have discovered that hard-wired into everyone from birth onwards is a very specific pattern of mental-emotional-physical interplay which determines how each individual naturally “experiences experience,” thinks, learns, plans, communicates, relates to others, experiences stress and maintains well-being, as a whole system of functioning. Your specific pattern also determines your particular path of development. We have found that five such specific human systems (we term them “personality dynamics”) seem to predominate (numerically speaking) in the world, and that they exist regardless of age, race, culture and gender. In other words, these distinct “ways of being,” with their very different inherent processes, gifts and needs are present in every family, every classroom, every organization, wherever people come together, anywhere in the world.

We should add that that the mental, emotional and physical capacities that we identify are expanded along a continuum of development, ranging from the personal to the transpersonal. i.e. mental functioning can be expressed as simply thinking, or as formulating high vision; emotional functioning as simply having feelings, or as expressing deep compassion; physical functioning as doing anything, or as undertaking actions that express vision and compassion in service to humanity.

We term this new body of knowledge concerning human functioning and distinctions in human functioning: “Human Dynamics.” Programs based upon it are in use internationally, primarily in the fields of organizational development, teacher training, parenting, health care, and cross-cultural bridge building.

It is our belief that to be effective citizens of a global society, individuals need to have in the first place as deep an understanding of themselves and their specific ways of functioning as possible. By “functioning” we mean awareness of their individual inherent processes and needs with regard to such aspects of themselves as the ways in which they naturally learn, undertake tasks, communicate, relate to stress and, most importantly, develop - personally, interpersonally and transpersonally. Since these processes are inherently different for different people, effective citizens also need to be able to understand others and their particular processes and needs, in order to be able to make positive connections with others and foster harmonious and productive relationships. Especially in the context of a global society, the development of such awarenesses and skills constitutes at least as important an educational objective as the acquisition of knowledge in an academic discipline or skills in a profession or craft.

Moreover, in times of rapid change and increasing complexity, the most reliable and sustaining asset one can have is a strong sense of self, not in the sense of blind self-confidence, but in having a deep understanding of the “instrument” one has to use in life. It is also reassuring to know that one has insights that help make sense of others’ behavior, and tools and practices available to help maintain the health and well-being of the instrument and achieve one’s personal, interpersonal and transpersonal potential.

A related issue that we suggest needs to be recognized and addressed is: “How does the technological revolution impact the human system?”

Human Dynamics has identified 3 frequencies (or 3 principles) as the elemental threads from which the complexity of human functioning is woven. We have identified these frequencies as being related respectively to mental, emotional, and physical functions.

• The mental functioning in people is on a high, fast frequency.
• The emotional functioning is in a middle range.
• The physical functioning of people is, by comparison, on a much slower frequency.

From our experience the fast mental function is probably the most able to accommodate the speed at which new information is being offered and change is taking place. The emotional function will have varied responses- from frustration to elation, and everything in between. However, the physical function is likely to be in great trouble because it operates, as we have mentioned, at a slower rate.

If the physical body is stressed, the mental and emotional systems will also become stressed. The end results can range from less then optimal functioning as a whole system, to complete breakdown. Since the speed and complexity of outer events and incoming information are unlikely to change, we as educators need to provide training that builds inner capacities to handle them. We need to provide balancing practices that become part of the everyday educational curriculum.

For example, each day can begin quietly with a meditative exercise, relaxation, self-reflection or listening to peaceful music. This quiet activity can be repeated at other natural break times, such as after lunch or at the end of the day. Incorporating such practices has now become common in Swedish schools, where over 20,000 teachers have now received Human Dynamics training. Some schools in Singapore, where we are now conducting training, are now introducing similar practices into their classrooms. Such practices not only contribute to the overall development and inner stability of students, they also increase the individual’s availability and capacity for learning. At one exceptional school in China, which we recently visited, the students are given a ten minute break outdoors every forty minutes, during which they engage in some form of organized physical activity. This may not promote inner reflection, but it does provide relief and exercise for the body, re-vitalizes the brain and allows a space in which new learning can be assimilated.

In short, we believe that educational practice should be based on informed recognition and accommodation of the diversity of human functioning, and have as its goal facilitation of the development of each individual as a whole being- mentally, emotionally, physically; personally, inter-personally and transpersonally.

Sandra Seagal is founder and president of Human Dynamics International and executive director of the Human Dynamics foundation. David Horne is a partner in Human Dynamics International and co-director of Human Dynamics Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to educational and scientific research. They are co-authors of Human Dynamics: A New Framework for Understanding People and Realizing the Potential in Our Organizations (Pegasus Communications, 1997)

Robert Evans on "Educational Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 15:39:56 GMT

Rob Evans initially declined our invitation to respond the "Educational Question of the Year" for the reasons stated below. However, in doing so, his reply contained a fair amount of food for thought, and with his kind permission that email response is reproduced below. Although his writing and consulting has primarily focused on the K-12 arena, many of his ideas are of interest to those of us in higher education. I found his book "The Human Side of School Change: Reform, Resistance and the Real-Life Problems of Innovation" to be a thought-provoking read.

Thanks for your inquiry, Don. I'm afraid I have no expertise to offer about what students will need in the future. I thought they could count votes in Florida 6 years ago. I thought major companies, when profitable, would not lay off people or abandon their pension plans. Moreover, I have to honestly say that I'm not drawn to the question, for two reasons. First, over my professional lifetime, the "experts" who have answered this kind of question, dating back to the Rand guys from the 60s (Kahn and company), have been consistently wrong. Second, it is one thing to speculate about what students will need in the future, and quite another to imagine that schools can manage whatever this would be, given when they are up against. In this regard, I would refer you to my recent book, "Family Matters: How Schools Can Cope with The Crisis in Childrearing," or to some of my recent articles on this topic (available at my web page—see below).

Best wishes,

Rob Evans

Robert Evans, Director of The Human Relations Service is a clinical and organizational psychologist, author and school consultant. Links to several of his articles on education can be found at http://robevans.org

Roger Schank on "Educational Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:03:53 GMT

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

but, you have asked the wrong question; it is not what they will need most but recognizing what they will not need that helps frame the issues to be dealt with in education; today I noticed an article about tutoring parents in math in order to help them not look stupid in front of their kids:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060315/od_nm/media_discovery1_dc

curiously people do tend to know what they need to know as functioning adults; so, if they don't need to know math to function in their lives how come we ram this stuff down their children's throats?

Here is some stuff children don't need to learn:

algebra, geometry, trigonometry, english literature; world history; american history; economics; physics; chemistry; biology

Have I made myself clear? the entire high school curriculum is a joke -- written down in 1892 by people who were trying to get college material to high school students who would never go to college. We don't even teach most of that in college any more.

Some skills for today? OK here are some:

writing; communication; human relations; reasoning; basic medicine and health issues; dealing with the legal system in which you live; entrepreneurship; current world political issues and how to make a voting decision;

the issue is not the attempt to list what cool technologies might be coming that we need to lecture students about and make them pass tests about; the issue is getting our schools to help students do what functioning adults know how to do;

alas, this will not likely happen; too many vested interests trying to preserve the status quo

for a view on what I think is worth doing check out

http://www.engines4ed.org/

roger schank

Roger Schank is President and CEO of Socratic Arts and Distinguished Career Professor in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University and the Chief Educational Officer of Carnegie Mellon West. He is the author of more than 25 books including Designing World-Class E-Learning published by McGraw-Hill.

Educational Question of the Year Comments

Matt Scales — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 19:52:00 GMT

The following comments are reproduced from our discussion of the "Educational Question of the Year." They have been featured as an entry in order to include them in the publication of the COPPER Blog Book.

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

As a nursing professor in a community college, I find that the most useful knowledge or skill that our students need is the art of critical thought and the ability to learn how to access resources. In this rapidly changing healthcare environment, it is expected that the new nurse comes to the table with technical ability and expertise in the safe performance of nursing duties. The missing part of this scenario is that this inexperience leads to the potential for error. Without the past experience to draw from, this new nurse must rely on others to assist and guide the process of learning. Unfortunately, many of these novice nurses begin their jobs on the night shift where there are few seasoned peers to help them make critical decisions that could impact patient care. Therefore, we, as teachers, need to teach these students when to ask for help and how to find answers to their questions. Without this learned ability, many a new nurse may find that the job is too overwhelming and stressful and will opt leave the nursing field all together. With the critical nursing shortage we have now in our nation, it is imperative that each nursing educator arm her students with survival tools for their future nursing careers.

Posted by: Susan Stone | May 04, 2005 at 08:53 AM

I am grateful to Susan Stone for sharing her insightful comments on nursing education. Her response to the 'educational question of the year' highlights the problems that novice nurses face when they enter the healthcare profession. I agree with her suggestion that nursing education should foster critical thinking skills and socialize students to ask for help. I also think we shouldn't let our community partners (hospitals etc.) off the hook.....possibly they could provide more support for the newly graduated nurse...mentoring programs etc.

Another thought would be to get some input from Patricia Benner....She is directing the Study of Nursing Education at Carnegie....also, she wrote the book that captures this problem..... From Novice to Expert....

Posted by: Marie Ryder | May 10, 2005 at 01:35 PM

The National Council of Teachers of English in partnership with a number of other organizations is planning a conference on 21st century skills for Fall 2006, so I am very interested in what contributors to this blog identify as important for what students need know how to do and be.

Having recently read Etienne Wenger's Learning for a Small Planet, I am intrigued by his "curriculum for meaningfulness" that would include the following experiences:

experience of localized depth
experience of boundary crossing
experience of time depth
experience of time dislocation
experience of cultural dislocation
experience of agency and power,
experience of scale.

He summarizes, "I would suspect that one needs at least one serious, transformative experience of each kind to be a full participant in the 21st century."

Real food for thought as we consider how we contribute to structuring educational experiences for students.

Posted by: Barbara Cambridge | August 15, 2005 at 11:33 AM

As I read the above comments and remember last semester's research papers, I find myself agreeing that students need transformative experiences, and that these experiences often help them hone their critical thought processes and research skills. (Though most students equate critical thinking with pit bull inquiry -- “Why? Who says? How come?”) However, I also think we as educators must remember that transformations aren't always accompanied by lightning bolts. It's often the quiet encouragement of a caring professor or continued success through hard work that provide fertile ground for growth. Community colleges are perfectly placed to provide students with the skills so necessary for success in the ever increasing complexity of the 21st century. Let’s not forget that even when we’re buried under the five class schedule or a work-to-rule order, taking the time to encourage and require excellence make the difference for our students.

Posted by: Dona Cady | September 02, 2005 at 06:29 PM

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

I know I’m echoing Barbara Cambridge and others when I say that I think that interdisciplinary critical thinking and problem solving, which requires the ability to locate and use resources as necessary, along with a willingness to think and act globally and “out of the box” present the biggest challenges for us in higher education. The reason that I think that these understandings and skills present us with the greatest challenges is because I believe it is difficult, though not impossible, to nurture the development of skills and attitudes that one does not him or herself possess, and many of us are products of an educational system that valued “following the rules” over “thinking outside of the box”. I started my education in Catholic schools, and quite clearly remember being punished by having to sit under the desk for having been too active and talkative in KINDERGARTEN! Certainly times have changed, but I, along with my same-age colleagues, are all products of those times and similar educational practices. As an undergraduate education major, I learned how to “manage a classroom”, create thematic bulletin board displays, and present content. I do not remember learning how to engage students in the process of learning, create ill-defined problems for them to work collaboratively to solve, nor how to create multiple and varied opportunities for them to demonstrate their learning. I do remember learning how to create multiple choice tests and use student grades as a mechanism for feedback to students regarding their learning process.

As a community college faculty developer and adjunct faculty member, I am particularly concerned with our role in preparing our students to take leadership, as opposed to “worker bee” roles in the future. Certainly we need employees as well as employers, but I worry that many of our students are products of K-12 learning experiences where the only way to succeed was to “follow the rules”, and by the time they reach us, they have become passive “consumers” of the educational experience, seeking the credentials necessary for employment, rather than the critical thinking capacity necessary to lead. I believe it is our particular challenge, as community college educators, to provide our students with the kinds of relevant learning experiences that require their active participation and demand that they learn to articulate, in multiple formats, as well as defend, their thought processes.

Posted by: Elise Martin | September 06, 2005 at 12:22 PM

One of the biggest challenges facing Americans in general and American students is truly feeling like a member of a global community. We are proud to be Americans, rightly so, but we need to feel tangibly connected to people in India, China, Palestine, Pakistan, South Africa and many other places. We need to believe that we share experiences with these people, that their successes and failures are allied to our successes and failures and that we are responsible for their lives as they are for ours.

The alternative, believing that we are separate--better, smarter, more deserving-- has been a dangerous ideology historically.

Our students will work with people who have grown up in others countries and cultures. They need to see this as a plus and realize that the American way of doing things is not the only way and not the best way. Learning about the native, grass-roots HIV/AIDS prevention and education effort in the townships of South Africa or the documentation of Pol Pot's regime by Cambodian artist Van Nath brings a powerful realization--that there are courageous, intelligent, moral and insightful people beyond our borders.

Posted by: Jan Arabas | September 15, 2005 at 11:43 AM

It seems to be part of human nature to initially reject others whom we perceive as being different from ourselves. Our students need to be prepared to accept and work cooperatively with others who are not similar to themselves. They need knowledge of other cultures, and should realize that their own personal assumptions about basics like time, space, and interpersonal relations won't necessarily match with those of someone from another location in our global community. If our students learn to suspend judgment and work around any barriers, they will be prepared to work transnationally in our increasingly interconnected world.

Posted by: Darlene Furdock | September 27, 2005 at 02:00 PM

Great discussion...

An effective citizen should realize that the truth is not so easily arrived at but which everyone believes they know and therefore reality must be an illusion (BEAUTY (and TRUTH) IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER).

This in itself is TRANSFORMATIVE. How do we get there? As educators we need to provide those seeds for growth. We need to be transformed. The key is MINDFULNESS.

We need to become aware of how our minds work, how we deal with the myriad of responses we make each day. Then we need to change the direction of the ship we call Public Higher Education in this state. We need radical changes in our thinking and unfortunately there are few, if any, signs that this is happening.

Posted by: George Medelinskas | October 25, 2005 at 08:41 AM

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

It may very well be that what our students need most we are ill-suited to provide: a sense of certainty, a feeling of stability, and an assurance that meaning can found in the chaos that dominates and defines our world today. As an English professor, at ease with textual ambiguity and skeptical of reductive readings, I can hardly simplify things for my students. But this brings me squarely to my point: perhaps our students need to be at home with difficulty, with complexity that strains the mind and heart. If we say to our students that the problems awaiting them will probably call upon multiple approaches and upon an easiness with not knowing one-size-fits-solutions, we are doing them a service. But we can't stop there: we need to endow our students with habits of thinking that are highly complex and anything but dualistic. Don't dis difficulty, let's tell them; embrace it and learn.

Posted by: Howard Tinberg | January 30, 2006 at 02:48 PM

Comments in response to Carol Cowan’s featured entry:

The alternative, believing that we are separate--better, smarter, more deserving-- has been a dangerous ideology historically.

Posted by: Jan Arabas | September 15, 2005 at 11:29 AM

Building on Carole's points--re: globalization and lifelong learning.

Historically, influence of globalization has been from US and other countries in the Global North towards those in the South (LA, Southeast Asia, Africa). Increasingly, it's going the other way--not only in fields such as textiles and agriculture, but also in software engineering and on-line technical advice. The latter are being outsourced to India, for example. What are implications for US practitioners in the field and for how we educate them? Enrollment of foreign students in US educational institutions is also dropping dramatically--a de facto brain drain that may increase movement of high-value jobs overseas.

Second, regarding Carole's point on need for lifelong learning. To her list, I'd add that students--and current job-holders--should pay attention to their involvement in "communities of practice" in their chosen fields. It is through peer relationships with colleagues on the job--shared experiences, peer coaching, conversations, story-telling, problem solving, support--that we go beyond the textbook to gain deep expertise. It is by participation in our professional networks that we gain reputation and job leads. Your community--your network of colleagues--is what will be a constant when you leave one organization for another. So, who's your community now? How strong are your relationships? How well do they support your own learning, opportunities, and sense of connectedness? Latter is important: it accelerates learning, makes it fun, and often we find our best friends through sustained collegial relationships.

Posted by: Bill Snyder | October 05, 2005 at 04:03 PM

Continuing to build upon what Carole and others have said but with an eye toward thinking locally in a global context.. It is clear that the combined forces of technology, global economics and demographics are dramatically changing the world and communities that we live in. It will be critical that we adapt to these forces and learn to make connections and be responsive through building competencies in education, business and at the community level. It will be more important than ever to have individuals become involved in their communities. I would encourage students to become engaged in issues that effect their environment, values and socio-economic well-being. Working in "collaboration" versus "isolation" is critical in today's political and economic environment. Educational opportunities that provide for understanding the strategic interplay between governments, educational institutions, businesses, non-profit organizations, and community sectors is vital to a student's understanding of this ever changing world; and hopefully inspire individuals to be apart of building sustainable economies and livable communities.

Posted by: Michael Creasey | October 24, 2005 at 05:42 PM

From a concrete perspective. . .Building upon the ideas that have been expressed by Carole and others such as the importance of working in “collaboration” versus “isolation”, it is critical that we give students the opportunity to acquire public speaking skills as well as writing skills to articulate their ideas, influence and persuade others, and truly contribute to collaborative endeavors. We need to encourage students to share their ideas effortlessly and enthusiastically both in front of a group and in collegial settings. Communications skills are essential to effectively contribute to an organization and a community. When students find their voices, they can give life to their ideas and convictions, participate in our democracy, and enrich society.

Posted by: Susan Kavanaugh | October 28, 2005 at 12:18 PM

Comment in response to John Chafee’s featured entry:

What a thought-provoking analysis of an issue we all wrestle with in the classroom! There's good material here for my Day 1 orientations to Management and Human Resources courses. It is essential that managers and HR professionals view issues from a variety of perspectives, solve problems and make informed decisions, analyze complex issues, establish goals and plans on how to get there . . . in short, manifest all of the "specific abilities" that you posit for critical thinkers! Well said!

Posted by: Robert D. Lewallen | October 24, 2005 at 10:37 AM

Comment in response to Ellen Langer’s featured entry:

Ellen Langer's statement "mindlessness is at the root of virtually all of our society's problems" weighs heavily on me. I ask myself how can I take a mindful approach to Math teaching and help the students learn in a mindful way? I agree that "having students think about and apply the material as they encounter it, they are able to demonstrate greater understanding, increased ability to apply concepts, and better retention".

In Mathematics, at the lower level, it is relatively easy to mix theory with applications. But at the higher levels, it is hard to present and work with meaningful applications to complex theorems in the classroom setting within the timeframe of a semester.

Maybe instead, we can help students develop a self-awareness of how they learn Math and what the stumbling blocks to their learning may be.

Posted by: Hayat Weiss | November 15, 2005 at 08:00 AM

Comment in response to John Saltmarsh’s featured entry:

As two leaders who have developed and coordinated the service learning program at Middlesex Community College, we would like to respond to the issue raised in John’s article, which is “students need to have civic learning outcomes as part of their education across the disciplines” We believe the answer to be yes, and would like to tell you why.

With over 13 years of experience, we have guided students in their academic learning experience as they have met vital community needs.

Service-learning at MCC is now responding to the changing face of national service by incorporating a broader civic engagement focus. With the resources from a three-year Learn and Serve grant, Middlesex Community College and Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, MA have joined together to form The Lowell Civic Collaborative (TLC).

The implicit goal of this initiative is to invigorate the SL program and to redefine its emphasis to be more closely and explicitly aligned with civic engagement themes. Thirty one Liberal Arts and Science faculty have received substantial professional development monies to support civic engagement curricula development.

In addition to faculty support, one of the most exciting parts of The Lowell Civic Collaborative has been the opportunity to offer students, faculty and staff opportunities to participate in citizen gatherings. In October 2005, over 170 participants were involved in a civic dialogue supported by McNeil/Lehrer By the People-America Program. Participants gathered to discuss the question, “What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens in our world in the future? “

The most common response by all was the need for compassion and respect toward others. Many agreed on the need to develop respect, tolerance and compassion as well as being responsible, having good work ethics, the ability to compromise and work on teams. Additional responses include:

*having reading and writing skills, the ability to adapt to technological changes,
*having math skills including money management
*the importance of learning a trade
*a knowledge of the world around them
*knowledge of how all levels of American government work, voting and the election process *knowledge of social change – how we can get things to really happen.
*The importance of having an education, having an understanding of the economy
*understanding different cultures and languages and learning why people act the way they do.

In two years of hearing directly from students, we have learned they do genuinely care about their communities, but often are unsure where to start to make change and how to take on a leadership role. They often feel they do not have a voice, but when given the opportunity to express ideas, they do so.

There’s no doubt that civic learning outcomes are important in education, as Saltmarsh believes, and from our work with students we are convinced higher education has an obligation to give students the civic skills and knowledge to be effective citizens in the future.

Sheri Denk, MCC Service Learning Coordinator
Geralyn Vasile, MCC Service Learning Coordinator 1993-2000, and The Lowell Civic Collaborative Program Associate, Present

Posted by: Sheri Denk & Geralyn Vasile | February 16, 2006 at 12:03 PM

The New Creative Economy

Matt Scales — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:36:34 GMT

Thanks to MCC's Dona Cady for forwarding the following thematic summary of the recent New England Board of Higher Education's fiftieth anniversary conference. The issues addressed are relevant to our ongoing Question of the Year discussion as we attempt to prepare students for the future.

The theme for the New England Board of Higher Education’s fiftieth anniversary conference in Groton, Connecticut was “Channeling New England’s Arts and Culture Assets for Success in the New Economy.” Highlighting this drive towards a new Creative Economy, Daniel Pink, keynote speaker and author of A Whole New Mind, warned us all that the age of information is ending. The conceptual age is taking its place and if we aren’t ready for it, we will be left behind, for the future belongs to the right brain, to those who are innovative and creative.

According to Daniel Pink, there are three forces tilting economic security away from left brain activities – abundance, Asia, and automation. From dishwashers, to cell phones to the $17 billion a year self-storage boom (for all our extra junk), today’s middle class experiences an abundance that is truly breathtaking. Who wants a $3 toilet brush when you can buy a $6 Michael Graves original design at Target. Functionality and utility no longer guarantee success. Esthetics and design combined with emotion and spirituality now rule. Jobs that do not have this additional dimension will and have been outsourced to Asia. From routine legal work to the ease of Turbo Tax, any job that can be reduced to routine and automation will be gone. Only those jobs that infuse the creativity of right brain skills will be harder to replace.

This theme played repeatedly throughout such conference sessions as: Positioning New England in the Global Economy; Charting a Course for Arts Education; and Building Creative Communities: Local, State, and Regional Perspectives. Speakers and panelists stressed that not only can the artistic community energize and revitalize cities but that colleges provide an essential link in this process. Kay Sloan, President of Massachusetts College of Art, stressed that competitive strength is tied to a competitive workforce.

Colleges are primed to nurture and develop creative talent often in cutting edge areas that are not commercially viable. Colleges also help build audiences in the profit and non-profit arena. From professional theatre to product and fashion design to even media exhibitions, educational institutions support emerging artists so they can be economically successful. As communities, colleges, and students join in this entrepreneurial relationship, they fuel a stronger and brighter future for everyone.

- Marty Meehan on "Question of the Year"-

Matt Scales — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 20:46:51 GMT

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. Our requirements for world leadership, our hopes for economic growth, and the demands of citizenship itself in an era such as this all require the maximum development of every young American's capacity. The human mind is our fundamental resource."
-John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy's words resonate loudly in today's global economy. In order to succeed in the public and private sectors, students must be able to understand, effectively communicate, and think critically about public policy, government, business, mathematics, science, and the global economy. Today, it is essential that students become "Renaissance" men and women and gain a broad range of skills and knowledge.

For this to happen, we must work to increase educational opportunities for young people and adults. I am working in Congress to expand Pell Grants, eliminate loan fees, and lower the interest rates for student loans. Furthermore, for U.S. students to remain competitive globally, it is especially important that we train new mathematicians, scientists, and engineers. Training future scientists and engineers will ensure that the U.S. continues to create new technologies and the next wave of high-paying jobs.

The benefits of a higher education system that challenges students to become global citizens and learn and think critically about a number of subjects are clear. We must continue to work on a federal, state, and local level to provide student's with the educational experience they will need for success.

Congressman Martin Meehan has represented the Fifth Congressional District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. He is a member of both the House Armed Services and Judiciary Committees, and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Tobacco and Health.

Participate in our "Question of the Year" Discussion

Matt Scales — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 18:10:00 GMT

There are several ways to add your voice to our Educational Question of the Year discussion:

1. You can click on the "comments" link after any blog entry to add your thoughts or reactions to what has been posted. For example, you might want to comment on the ideas of one of our featured guest respondents, or simply reply to the original general question . Links to all our guest respondents are available on the top left hand side of this page.

2. If you have received an invitation to be a guest respondent, or would like to have your ideas featured for reading and discussion, contact blog editor Don Margulis at margulisd@middlesex.mass.edu Your entry can be forwarded in the body of an email or as an attachment.

3. If you prefer to post your guest response directly to the blog as a featured entry and you have an interest in future postings, you can request a "guest editor's" account. This will allow you to post directly to the blog site as well as edit your entries. Send your request to Don Margulis.

We're looking forward to adding additional replies to the already rich collection of ideas that have been posted in response to our question.

Ellen Langer on "Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 15:30:00 GMT

Harvard Psychologist Ellen Langer is well known for her work on "Mindfulness." In her book "The Power of Mindful Learning" she challenges the traditional notion that learning new material is necessary before a student can then apply and achieve a deeper understanding of the content. Her research demonstrates that by teaching in a "mindful" way, that is having students think about and apply the material as they encounter it, they are able to demonstrate greater understanding, increased ability to apply concepts, and better retention than are those who are simply exposed to the material (in written or oral form) and expected to "learn it."

In the following response to our Educational Question of the Year, she shares her thought process on the future value to both students and society of providing learners with the skills and habits of mindful learning and thinking .

I think that mindlessness is at the root of virtually all of our society's problems. That means that teaching people to be mindful would go a long way in improving people's psychological and physical well being and as such would reduce the desire to behave badly. (When people become more mindful, they show an increase in self esteem, for example, which then decreases unkindness (e.g. bullying) as a way to momentarily increase self esteem.)

Mindfulness, in my terms, is both easy to teach and easy to practice so that the goal stated above is within reach. It relies on and results in a different appreciation of uncertainty than most people now have. People tend to confuse the stability of their mindsets with the stability of the phenomenon in question. Things are all the while changing, so trying to hold them still as we do when we seek certainty or teach unconditional facts, is mindless.

In my book, The Power of Mindful Learning, I present research showing the broad effects of mindful teaching and mindful learning and how to prevent mindlessness. In my newest book, On Becoming An Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity, I essentially deal with a way to cure ourselves of the mindlessness that is now pervasive in our culture and our daily lives.

Ellen J. Langer is professor in the psychology department at Harvard University. Her work has focused on the study the illusion of control, decision making, aging and mindfulness theory.

John Chaffee on "Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 14:15:00 GMT

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

In ancient Greece, most advanced students studied philosophy in order to achieve “wisdom.” (The term philosophy in Greek means “lover of wisdom.”) In today’s world, it is essential that effective citizens become the modern-day equivalent: informed, critical thinkers. A critical thinker is someone who has developed a knowledgeable understanding of our complex world, a thoughtful perspective on important ideas and timely issues, the capacity for penetrating insight and intelligent judgment, and sophisticated thinking and language abilities. The word critical comes from the Greek word for “critic” (kritikos), which means “to question, to make sense of, to be able to analyze.” A critical thinker is someone who takes a reflective attitude towards themselves and their world, meeting Socrates’ startling challenge, “The unexamined life is not worth living” and acceding to his request that we “take care of our souls” rather than pursuing wealth, power, and reputation.

What are the specific abilities that critical thinkers have developed and display in every area of their lives? Here are some of these key abilities:

view issues and situations from many different perspectives
solve challenging problems and make informed decisions
analyze complex issues and arrive at reasoned conclusions
establish appropriate goals and design effective plans of action
analyze complex bodies of information and reach well-supported conclusions
communicate effectively through critical reading, discussion, thoughtful writing
critically evaluate the logic, relevance and validity of information
ask penetrating questions at every cognitive level of complexity
engage in Socratic analysis through the systematic exchange of ideas with others

But sophisticated critical thinking abilities are not enough. In order to insure that there is a world for us to be citizens of, effective citizens need to develop an enlightened moral compass, a deeply rooted set of values that can effectively confront the great threats to our lives – war, persecution, pollution, starvation, disease – spawned by human greed, hostility, arrogance, narcissism, and nationalism. Citizens need to become “citizens of the world” in the broadest and most authentic sense. This is how we discover the meaning of our lives as individuals and determine our direction as a human race. Viktor Frankl, author of the influential book Man’s Search for Meaning which he began writing when interned in a Nazi death camp, explains it this way:

“We had to learn ourselves, and furthermore we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life but instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life, daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly set for each individual.”

To become sophisticated critical thinkers, to develop an enlightened moral compass, to accept responsibility for finding the right answers to the challenges that life presents to us, to engage in right action and principled conduct – these are the qualities that citizens of the world need to develop in order to discover the meaning of their own lives and to contribute to creating the kind of world in which we all want to live.

John Chaffee is Professor of Philosophy & Critical Thinking & Language Learning at Laguardia College, and Director of the New York Center for Critical Thinking and Language Learning. He is the author of several books on critical and creative thinking including the text Thinking Critically (8th Edition) and The Philosopher's Way.

Carole Cowan on "Educational Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 15:05:14 GMT

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

First and foremost, students of today need to be global citizens. It is critically important that they see their role as American citizens in the context of the global environment. By doing so, they will have an understanding of our country's economy and what it will take to be successful in their chosen field.

Skill sets will by necessity include the "desire to learn." Much of what businesses and companies are looking for are individuals who can contribute in a variety of ways. The ability to work in teams with common objectives; the ability to problem solve; critical thinking; and the ability to see the bigger picture will be among the most important skills individuals can bring to the table.

Carole A. Cowan is President of Middlesex Community College, Bedford and Lowell, MA

Barbara Cambridge on "Educational Question of the Year"

Matt Scales — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 15:52:00 GMT

What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

Thinking and acting out of the box present the biggest challenges for us in higher education. Developments in our society, in technology, and in what we know about learning mandate our imagining and implementing new ideas about education. Because we must value lifelong and lifewide learning, we need new ways to provide educational spaces.

I'll think aloud about two kinds of spaces, both supported by the technological advances that enable new ways of generating, recording, and assessing learning.

Connected learning

So long as we divide learning into semesters and into credits, we limit the integration of learning across formal and informal settings. One reason that I am an advocate of eportfolios is that they break through the need to evaluate at arbitrary times and to isolate classroom learning from other sources of learning.

Since we know that integration both supports and is evidence of deep learning, we need a way for us to reflect on and analyze our learning in our various roles, including but not restricted to the student role, and to do so throughout our lifetimes. I like the term lifewide because it validates my multiple roles as association administrator, mother, friend, teacher, lay leader in church, reader, theater goer, and so on. In each experience and setting, i.e in each space, I can connect what I've learned in other roles to the current one I inhabit. One way to enable that connection making is through an electronic portfolio in which I bring together my experiences and reflections to make common sense of them.

Connections with others

We talk about being a global society. To enact that global connection, we need virtual communication that enables understanding and learning how to thrive with differences among us. Where do we in education provide space to explain why we believe and act as we do? Individual and group identities can easily become stereotyped without sufficient unpacking of those identities. Examples are the underprepared student, terrorists, the dean, community colleges, a part-time faculty member, or a Middle Easterner.

Electronic portfolios can include evidence and reflection that disable easy stereotyping. Especially as we operate in a global context, we need to use technology effectively to provide space for generating better understanding of one another.

I think that we need to think unconventionally about structures and practices that enable us to promote and value lifelong and lifewide learning and to connect with one another for the common good.

Barbara Cambridge

Barbara Cambridge is the director of the Carnegie Academy Campus Program, senior associate director at the National Council of Teachers of English, co-leader of the National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research, and faculty member and associate dean of the faculties at Indiana Purdue University Indianapolis. Previously she held various roles at the American Association for Higher Education, including vice president for fields of inquiry and action, director of the Assessment Forum, and director of the Teaching Initiatives.

We Have A Winner!

Matt Scales — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:00:00 GMT

The Educational Question of the Year has been chosen from a list of twelve possibilities by respondents to our online poll. While all the questions received at least one vote, several clearly were the most popular. Here's a list of the top five:

In fourth place with 6 votes:
What were the unique qualities of the "greatest" teacher you have ever had?

In third place with 7 votes:
You've been appointed the first President of an innovative college currently in development. What educational principles or programs would guide the formation of this new institution?

Tied for second place with 9 votes apiece:
What were the qualities of your most powerful learning experience? Can they be applied to the academic setting?

You are teaching a class in which you can only teach one "thing" - a concept, a bit of knowledge, or a skill. What would it be?

And the winner with 12 votes is.......
What knowledge or skills will students need most to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

Poll: Educational Question of The Year

Matt Scales — Sun, 03 Apr 2005 22:00:00 GMT

Only a few days left to cast your vote!

To participate in choosing the COPPER Blog's Educational Question of the Year simply click on the link and select one or more of the proposed questions from the online poll. Further information on this project is available in the March 7, 2005 Blog post.

Educational Question of The Year Project

Matt Scales — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 11:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this Blog project is to pose a broad and provocative question from the field of education and invite leading educators and thinkers from other fields to respond to this question in a public online forum (COPPER Blog). Cluster members and visitors to the site can also respond to the question as well as comment on the replies of invited guests. This project was inspired by the work of “The Edge World Question Center” featured in a previous post.

Listed below are some possible questions for consideration. If you have additional ideas for questions or want to comment on any of the listed items, feel free to respond in the comments area. In recommending one or more of these (or adding a question of your own), think not only of which question(s) you would like to answer, but of the responses you would most want to read.

An online poll will be created that will allow us to vote for our preferred question of the year using the proposed questions, added questions and any feedback.

The Questions:

1. You have been granted three “educational” wishes. That is, you've been provided with three opportunities to improve education. What would your three wishes be?

2. You’ve been appointed the first President of an innovative college currently in development. What educational principles or programs would guide the formation of this new institution?

3. A wealthy benefactor has given you 500 million dollars to improve the quality of education. How would you spend it?

4. What key changes do you see occurring in education in the next 10 years?

5. What knowledge or skills will students most need to be effective citizens of our world in the future?

6. What were the unique qualities of the “greatest” teacher you have ever had?

7. What were the qualities of your most powerful learning experience? Can they be applied to the academic setting?

8. Given the time and resources to learn any new subject or skill what would choose to learn and why?

9. Upon your retirement, The Chronicle of Higher Education writes a piece on your contributions as an educator. What would you want the article to say about you?

10. You are teaching a class in which you can only teach one “thing” – a concept, a bit of knowledge, or a skill. What would it be?

11. You’ve been abducted by curious aliens who want to know how the human species learns. What would you tell them?

12. What one skill that is not currently an integral part of teacher preparation would you want all teachers to acquire?

13. Other possible questions?