Meet the EduPunks: Radical Self-educators Start a Movement

http://www.utne.com/Politics/Meet-the-EduPunks-Radical-Self-Education.aspx?utm_content=07.30.10+Spirituality&utm_campaign=Emerging+Ideas-Every+Day&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

A note on this article:
Can we expect students to be proactive in their education if they
cannot access the very professors they are supposed to he learning
from and working with?

Grasping a knowledge base and theoretical foundation on a subject is
typically simple enough that it can be done in a variety of
environments, but anything beyond the basic elements of a topic should
not be restricted to the bare bone walls of a traditional lecture
hall, especially if students are to grasp a holistic and functional
understanding of an issue or topic. By breaking down the restrictive
barriers and confinement of a textbook we can grasp a more broad scale
view of something and begin to tie in topics that traditionally may
not have been introduced. The impact of this is to extend an
understanding far beyond an institutionalized, intellectual grasp and
brig it well into the realm of clarity and allow for greater creative
input into developing ideas.

So often in the classroom I've listened to students make suggestions
or recommendations towards solutions to issues. While the suggestions
may bring about new questions and a good point, typically the
suggestions are based solely on information that has been presented
and are of a narrow scope. Quite often, the response to the suggestion
was scheduled to follow shortly after in the professor's planned
lecture; typically with a response along the lines of, 'as you'll see
in my next slide...' This seems to clearly represent the narrow range
of issues that are discussed in traditional classrooms and it
perpetuates a student's lack of initiative to question things or think
about an issue as a whole and the associated issues that may be
related.

Were students encouraged to seek out the associated impacts of issues
and attain the system wide understanding of something I believe that
we would see solutions to issues emerge much more rapidly and be more
robust and long lasting than that haphazard, duct tape responses we
fond so often. Maybe we would dedicate the time necessary to explore
the root problems that are submerged under various layers of static
baggage attached to issues. I also believe that stronger leaders would
emerge out of these suggested changes to our education system. A
stronger community with an interconnected learning circle between
faculty, student and professors where information is not projected
down from the podium, but rather encircled between all parties.
Professors would provide structure and guidance while accepting the
knowledge and input from their younger peers.

A Moment in Reverie

...Written several days ago on a scrap sheet of paper, I jotted down
an idea that consistently turns up in my head. It arose on this
occasion after a most beautiful of sunsets.
A potato chip shaped cloud was jutting out above storm clouds on the
western horizon. It split the waning sun into two distinct forms while
the greasy, oily, salt covered chip showed of its iridescent glare and
translucent smile at the merging point. The two forks speared into the
underside of clouds that had temporarily situated themselves just over
my body as I stood in amazement, searching for truth on the northern
shore of Long Island, the base of my body being gently caressed by the
wave-tossed stones and frequent break of velvet ripples across my
toes.

I couldn't help thinking that I am continuously in flux with regard to
my astonishment in the capacity of mankind; to think, to create, to
discover. Often our accomplishments so obvious as not to warrant
reverence while other times our species' achievements are undeniably
wondrous. However, my awe remains steadfast as my eyes, my mind and my
heart are drawn to nature.

Excerpt from "Inca Road" by Karin Muller

"...In this world people went to see each other if they had something
to say. They cooked and ate around a fire, sat together in the
evenings to spin or weave or to simply chat and chew some coca leaves.
It made me wonder if all of our comfort devices - air conditioners,
e-mail, television and even telephones - had slipped into our lives
like thieves, robbing us of some of our humanity."

This passage speaks to me something quite profound. Mind you, I could
just as easily write these thoughts out on paper so that they could be
concealed and confined to limited sets of eyes, however as I thumb
these letters across the self-correcting screen on my iPhone, I type
away all effort to conceal and any thoughts of confinement. Will these
words circulate around a network that has come to artificially
resemble the community of people that Muller refers to? I believe that
it won't. The two, no matter how integrated into our lives our
technology becomes it will not adequately replace direct interaction.
I don't think that the limited recognition of this is destined to
change the course of our culture, it is more likely that we will
continue to pursue this end with ever increasing diligence.
My idealistic and hopeful mind believes that we have an immense
opportunity to change this course or at least preserve the
understanding that simplicity has great benefits and the direct
support from a community is a vitality for the species of mankind.
How we come to merge the two different ways of living will not come
from a manual. It will not be found in some obscure textbook. The
answers lie right before each and every one of us. It is our
individual duty and responsibility to make these changes. Some people
will facilitate others to see how they can contribute or at least
create an arousal of doubt that will instill a desire for that
individual to learn for themselves. I know a facilitator like this and
he has already done great work. I have learned that we can take the
access to unfiltered, yet priceless information and use this to learn
and guide ourselves and others. I believe that while each and every
interpretation of a believe or idea is completely and wholly original,
no idea can be completely original in that there is some influence
from others. In that case, the work and works of others need to be
learned from and shared in efficient and useful ways across
non-existent barriers such as language or distance. Technology appears
that it can come very close to serving this purpose and we grow
continually closer all the time.

Adirondack Adventure: A Break from Reality or a Step into Simplicity

As I sit at the Love Lane Kitchen, drinking a Blue Point brew that's intended on numbing the soreness from the hike, the realization of the past few days comes to mind.

About two weeks ago I decided that a trip into the mountains was necessary. There was not particular purpose and at that point, no particular plan. As the date of departure came close though I began assigning purpose to the trip. I thought of it as a 'get away' or an escape from all that was going on; reality if you will. I figured that a few days in the woods would give me the necessary time to analyze all of the sudden changes that had arisen.



I'm realizing, after an intense shock back into reality that the Adirondacks, while pristine and ultimately soothing, don't give you the time to worry about your other damn issues. It's enough just to watch out for the nearest root, pile of boot-sucking Adirondack Mud and extreme effort it takes just to take in the immense beauty of the area.