I think that the “big” key idea from the lecture is that some of the great Eastern educational thinkers looked at a person’s education holistically, instead of as a collection of subject-based experiences. It really stood out to me that subjects were not (or barely) mentioned in the lecture – instead the summaries of the educational ideas of Confucius, Lao tzu and Gandhi were all about teaching people to reach their potential as good human beings.
The key idea that I took from the part of the lecture (and my reading) on Confucius was that good individuals made for good society. He emphasized things like “know yourself” and “love others” and “pursue the highest good.” Not, learn science to get a good job! Which, of course is also important, but the more abstract things that Confucius believed in make for a more civil society (in my opinion).
The key idea that I took from the part of the lecture on Lao tzu, and having read the Tao Te Ching, is that learning is organic and happens at the appropriate moment. I think that this is a little harder to wrap my head around. I guess I’m more of a Confucian – I need some rules and codes. It’s a little scary to think about how this would work in my middle school… His ideas on learning remind me of Waldorf schools. The idea (for example) that students will read when their ready, not on a schedule has its pluses and minuses. As I’ve said in previous posts, I’m not in favor of pushing kids into algebra before they’re ready – BUT, we should have reasonable benchmarks so that we can assist students who are having difficulties.
The key idea that I took from the part of the lecture on Gandhi is the emphasis of the student as a part of society. This fits in with last week’s “Paideia” idea, which I really liked. This is also important as we’re a very multicultural society. We have to take into account, and honor students’ home language, culture and experiences since these things frame how students interact with the world.
