A work in progress. Prof James Fairfield-Sonn at University of Hartford wrote about “The Conundrum of Education”: “As a Christian with strong roots in the environmental movement and a Professor who has always been devoted to promoting learning rather than teaching, I found your piece to be thoughtful, stimulating, informative and valuable. Well done.”
Enjoy and feedback is welcome!
EducationPhilosophyWalkerBrief2 Also in Merlot: The Conundrum of Education And at open Book Publishers: Education Dive
For more research on education today here is just one site the Center On Education and the Workforce at Georgetown.
You generally have to register properly on this site to read responses. Here is one from a top former student at Charter Oak State College:
Throughout reading The “Conundrum of Education in the Age of Distraction,” I repeatedly found myself thinking, “wow! What a brilliant piece.”
Throughout the years, I have read and reread this essay at least 7 or 8 times, yet I not only continue to enjoy its depth and profundity, but I also extrapolate new points, and relate to different insights each time. Artistically, you write broad enough to allow for the application of not only a diverse reading group, but also for the evolution of an individual on a journey. With that, you still manage to be detailed and personal in a way that makes the text feel very relatable.
Reading this essay in 2011, and then again today, underlined the evolution of different variables, struggles and triumphs that are intrinsically a part of the search for education and ultimate happiness. The world is in a perpetual state of constant change, and as human beings, we too share this characteristic. The exploration of means versus ends, distraction versus self-awareness, and our relationship with nature and the attainment of true happiness will always pose a struggle on some level. Yet, that struggle may manifest in different forms and foster diverse questions for an individual depending on the circumstance, or ones personal journey. What moves me the most, is that this same essay, continues to resonate with me despite the personal and circumstantial changes I have endured since my Junior year in college.
Specifically, the conflict you elaborate on in regards to our positive need to be distracted, compelled by our drive for new information, with our need to contemplate and gain self-awareness which allows us to understand our own disposition, are so poignant, I find myself truly moved. Not subscribing to a ‘tuned out’ philosophy, is not just an important value, but is actually necessary in the current information driven workforce and society. Yet, as you point out, how can one’s personal “door” or “key” ever be understood or even discovered in such a distracted environment. Other times I wonder if we only feel so distracted as a result of the magnitude and fast nature of this technological revolution but over time, perhaps, we will learn to consciously, and sub-consciously adapt and revert back towards our natural disposition involving nature, self-reflection and awareness?
Thank you for writing such an inspiring piece!