There is much more to education than sitting in classrooms for years and absorbing the facts or stories presented. Despite earning a Master’s Degree in Psychology, I must state that most of what I’ve learned in this life has come from observation, personal experience, and books. I am grateful to all that contributed along that path. There are some excellent teachers, alas, there are also a number of them that may do more harm than good. Perhaps it is their materials, methods, but a good teacher has their heart invested in the outcome. If you find yourself inspired by this or any of the other quotes in this series, and decide to create a post, please let me know. I should enjoy reblogging it. Thank you, Léa
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“The whole educational and professional training system is a very elaborate filter, which just weeds out people who are too independent, and who think for themselves, and who don’t know how to be submissive, and so on — because they’re dysfunctional to the institutions.”
― Noam Chomsky
Hmm, this could explain the unfortunate demise of my career in higher education.
Some of the best teachers, and professors that I’ve known, have been targeted by the administration that prefers assembly line education? It deprives the instructor but also the students who are deprived the experience that some educators have to give and do so willingly. I have no doubt that the students who attended your courses, benefited from the experience and took something of value with them to pass on.
Unfortunately, higher education is more about money than teaching and learning. The genuine teaching and learning I’m seeing now is happening in online communities. It seems the spirit of John Dewey lives after all.
As long as we have viable brain cells, the capacity to accept new information and curiosity, learning will continue in one form or another. Unfortunately, there is a lot of “negative” education taking place and much of it starts even before school. Those who hunger to learn, will prevail.