Sometimes I can't help but wonder if we know what we are doing...
If what makes us happy has to be the thing which makes everyone else in the whole world happy.
Schooling The World: The White Man's Last Burden trailer HD from lost people films on Vimeo.
The world, the times they are -a-changing.
But at whose cost?
Thanks, Sir Ken Robinson
Karenne
And whether or not, we care...
If our 'way' has to be the only way.
If what makes us happy has to be the thing which makes everyone else in the whole world happy.
I wonder if we're happy.
Playing with our toys while wanting to have the toys of others...
Schooling The World: The White Man's Last Burden trailer HD from lost people films on Vimeo.
The world, the times they are -a-changing.
But at whose cost?
Thanks, Sir Ken Robinson
Karenne
Posts
“There is an assumption that western education, western knowledge, is something that is superior… there is an idea that we have evolved to a higher level of being, and that these people, however lovely they are, they’re going to benefit from this superior knowledge" Helena Norberg-Hodge
“We’ve moved from wisdom to knowledge, and now we’re moving from knowledge to information, and that information is so partial – that we’re creating incomplete human beings.” Vandana Shiva
“One of the things that is most disturbing to me — on a level of justice and morality — is that you have an institution that is in place globally that is labelling millions and millions of innocent people as failures.” Manish Jain
Hey Karenne,
No, our way isn't the only way. What makes me happy probably wouldn't make you happy. When more people around the world start to understand this, to accept and especially respect individualities, diveristy (of cultures, beliefs, lifestyles)... the world will be a much better, calmer place to live in.
And by the way, I care. And so do you.;-)
Cecilia
Hi Cecilia,
I do.
Sometimes I forget, now that I am here in Germany... sometimes I forget about the 10 years I spent working with people with nothing. Sometimes I forget how hard it is to be culturally aware, to share with them our knowledge without robbing them of theirs.
And sometimes I look around me and I think we no longer use the church as our excuse for the abuse we do to those in the 3rd world, but we are still on our mission to make money and send the message home that all we're doing is saving them from themselves.
Na ja, all a little political.
All a little bit too tragic to watch this wheel being turned again.
Thanks so much for your comment!
K
Hi Karenne,
One of the texts that I enjoyed most reading about was Stephen Bax's critique of CLT. He touches pretty much the idea that some people know exactly what works for everyone else and then set off to criticise anything that's different from what they believe in.
If there's anything that teachers must teach their learners, this one thing is respect and tolerance for diversity and differences. One man's meat is another man's poison, I guess. Are we really going in the right direction? Unfortunately, we have to walk a long way until we're certain... let's just hope it's never too late for a u-turn and some corrections, right?!
Cheers!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Very moving and thought-provoking regarding the true costs of globalization. I don't think you can be a teacher without being political. It's not just respect for diversity that we have to teach, we have to create time and space to live it ourselves, and provide that time and space to our students, too.
I like Vandana Shiva's comment on wisdom, something this person seems to have acquired. Globalization is too fast. Cultures far richer in human values than westerns are succumbing because they don't or can't "keep up" the pace. This is ridiculous and I think we are on the wrong track, although there seems to be no turning back. What will the future global culture have in store for us...? I hate to think.
Thank you so much, Peter - I am not so keen on turning back as I don't know, advocating critical thinking - being conscious of what we are doing and how we do so that don't erase our humanity.
I'm really not sure if this makes sense, I am (as an edtech educator) while participating in the changes, concerned that we do not lose ourselves in flash and dash.