Why YOU, why NOW and why the LIBERAL ARTS?
"That I, whose experience of teaching is extremely limited, and whose life of recent years has been almost wholly out of touch with educational circles, should presume to discuss education is a matter, surely, that calls for no apology. It is a kind of behavior to which the present climate of opinion is wholly favorable. Bishops air their opinions about economics; biologists, about metaphysics; celibates, about matrimony; inorganic chemists about theology; the most irrelevant people are appointed to highly-technical ministries; and plain, blunt men write to the papers to say that Epstein and Picasso do not know how to draw. Up to a certain point, and provided that the criticisms are made with a reasonable modesty, these activities are commendable. Too much specialization is not a good thing. There is also one excellent reason why the veriest amateur may feel entitled to have an opinion about education. For if we are not all professional teachers, we have all, at some time or other, been taught. Even if we learnt nothing—perhaps in particular if we learnt nothing—our contribution to the discussion may have a potential value. Without apology, then, I will begin." Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Dorothy Sayers, 1948
In the 70 years since Sayers spoke so freely and convincingly about education, much has changed ... and nothing has changed.
- Curriculum in schools has moved away from qualifying and widening the metaphysics of the humanities and philosophy towards quantifying and narrowing the certainties of science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] ... while difficult moral questions continue to proliferate as STEM expands amidst a generation of students who are too often unable to frame them in a coherent, historically-contextual conversation.
- Pedagogy in schools has tried everything from teacher-less discovery to discovery-less teachers ... while the best way to learn how to learn anything continues to be practicing with somebody who can lead and instruct you in the use of the ancient tools of grammar, logic and rhetoric [the trivium] which are somehow [and for some reason] biologically embedded in human cognitive activity.
- Large and small bureaucracies [public and private alike] have come to dominate the Management [nomos] of education [including curriculum and pedagogy] ... while timely, robust feedback loops directly between attentive teachers [as providers] and supportive families [as consumers] continue to be the bedrock for timely assessment and adjustment [especially in times of social upheaval] needed for education to flourish. Indeed, teachers everywhere lament the loss of the influence of the "Household" [oikos] in which one or both parents are missing or stretched too thin.
1. Begin
What is a plain person ... like YOU or ME ... supposed to do in the face of such challenging problems? Sayers says quite simply and directly ... do not apologize just contribute ... lend your voice and use your common sense to help find solutions to the problems education is facing.
Thus the primary purpose of AT LAST is to assemble a group of persons who value education to thoughtfully
- define, declare and dialogue ... innovate and collaborate
- with others
- about the dreams, theories and experiences of ways
- to improve the quality and lower the cost
- of securing an education [primary, secondary and post-secondary].
2. Look ahead
As parents, teachers and students facing the questions about and challenges of education, we tend to merely look forward to "the next" corner [Greek "kontinos" from which we get our word "continue"] ... but that is not far enough. We must look ahead to "the end" [Greek "teleos" from which we get our word "intelligent"] first to understand what lies there ... then to work back and to plan each step needed to bring us to our desired educational destination.
Thus the secondary purpose of AT LAST is to
- bring together individual schools
- working at various mileposts along the student's journey
- to coordinate smooth pathways for a liberal education
- that reach across learning chains
- in which each school understands and performs its specific role
- while forging links with the schools that precede and follow it
- so that the student can take steady, sequential learning steps
- without gaps or overlaps
- that make the destination of a high quality, low cost education reachable.
All schools are welcome to join with us, because we believe all schools benefit from engaging the liberal arts. And if you doubt this, we encourage you to take a look around this blog. Then if you want ... join us and become part of the solution to the problems facing education.
3. See the path
de Familia
... our blog's HOME page which periodically presents you with POSTS ... diverse voices about education ... some experts or authorities ... but mostly fellow pilgrims. In that sense these postings are personal and experiential ... so read with patience ... then comment to edify ... and, if you can, offer to share your voice about something that is important to you. We are always heartened to hear your thoughts ... and we ARE listening. And never fear ... when a posting disappears from the main de Familia page, it goes to the Blog Archive [on the right] ... so look for it there ... its thoughts will be glad to share their value with "whosoever will" read them in the years to come.Curiositas
... encourages you to bend down and take a more careful look into wonderfully radical [from the Latin radix meaning root] things you may have seen superficially but never stopped to examine. If you have articles to share, put a link into a comment and we will review it for inclusion.Animus
... is the heart and soul of liberal education ... the highest fruit that perennially springs from the deepest root ... which prevents all the rest we think, say and do from being merely vanity ... resounding gongs ... or clanging cymbals. We hope you catch the spirit.Comitum
... contains the curriculum vitae of those acting as AT LAST friends or coordinators [on behalf of a member school]. They not only work together toward our common goal of promoting liberal education, but they also want to help YOU to better understand how a liberal arts learning chain can benefit and be constructed for your students. Just contact them with questions ... and then give them time to get back in touch with you ... it will be worth the wait.So there it is. Now it's up to you to listen ... think it thru ... then share your thoughts ... and help us forge the links for strong liberal arts learning chains ... at last.
tandem [Latin for ... "finally" ... or ... "it's about time"],
Chaerephon
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