This is the sad and unfortunate truth "only speaking one language, not being able to find most countries on a map, not knowing the names of any artists outside of American pop culture, not knowing about anyone's history apart from the recent American history as seen by the winners of wars," and what you have also said about the lack of a relationship with the earth and food sources and choices. Schools of al kinds could do a far better job of "educating" kids in these areas if this was a priority, which it isn't in most places. It will take what Jennifer Browdy names as a transformation, not a mere reformation of schools and curriculum. It will also require dedicated teachers and parents willing to introduce kids to a different world beyond the bubble where they live. Some of those kids who spend a week with you will go home changed and remember and make choices influenced by that experience. Now if we could find ways and means to multiply that exponentially for other kids, and schools, and communities, we would be onto change for the better.
Modern education is aimed at grooming young people to take their appointed roles in capitalist society. It is as highly stratified as the Alphas, Betas and Deltas of Orwell's 1984--you are born into your role, and educated to embrace it. All the screen-gazing and doom-scrolling is part of the indoctrination process, hypnotizing us away from potential distractions like actual real-life experiences that would show us another world is possible.
Thank you for stepping off the beaten path and sharing what you found, Gregory! I agree with you totally about the central importance of human beings remembering our connection to the land and to each other. How to make it happen, in a world of mega-cities--that is why we need Thrutopias to lead the way, rather than more versions of dystopian visions. I recommend @Manda Scott's work in fostering thrutopian thinking, writing and creating, and her forthcoming book, ANY HUMAN POWER.
Creativity and imagination is THE human superpower! If we can dream it, we can make it so. That is why I have shifted my teaching from focusing on problems and resistance to focusing on transformative solutions that can change the human relationship to the planet, which is at the root of all our problems. Glad to be a fellow traveler with you in this work!
Thank you for your words Jennifer, and thank you for your dedication to your students and to feeding creativity. I agree, it is our superpower! I remember, gosh, DECADES?! ago attending an FTAA protest and it was clear that few of us had a solid vision of the world we would wish to see should the one we were protesting cease to be. Another world IS possible, as Arundhati Roy so brilliantly reminds us. Let's keeps feeding this dream. And let me know if I can help your vision in any way. Happy to. All blessings....
I may invite you as a class speaker to one of my Writing/Righting the Future classes, Gregory! Meanwhile, cheering you on and glad to stay in touch with your insights via Substack.
This is the sad and unfortunate truth "only speaking one language, not being able to find most countries on a map, not knowing the names of any artists outside of American pop culture, not knowing about anyone's history apart from the recent American history as seen by the winners of wars," and what you have also said about the lack of a relationship with the earth and food sources and choices. Schools of al kinds could do a far better job of "educating" kids in these areas if this was a priority, which it isn't in most places. It will take what Jennifer Browdy names as a transformation, not a mere reformation of schools and curriculum. It will also require dedicated teachers and parents willing to introduce kids to a different world beyond the bubble where they live. Some of those kids who spend a week with you will go home changed and remember and make choices influenced by that experience. Now if we could find ways and means to multiply that exponentially for other kids, and schools, and communities, we would be onto change for the better.
Modern education is aimed at grooming young people to take their appointed roles in capitalist society. It is as highly stratified as the Alphas, Betas and Deltas of Orwell's 1984--you are born into your role, and educated to embrace it. All the screen-gazing and doom-scrolling is part of the indoctrination process, hypnotizing us away from potential distractions like actual real-life experiences that would show us another world is possible.
Thank you for stepping off the beaten path and sharing what you found, Gregory! I agree with you totally about the central importance of human beings remembering our connection to the land and to each other. How to make it happen, in a world of mega-cities--that is why we need Thrutopias to lead the way, rather than more versions of dystopian visions. I recommend @Manda Scott's work in fostering thrutopian thinking, writing and creating, and her forthcoming book, ANY HUMAN POWER.
Creativity and imagination is THE human superpower! If we can dream it, we can make it so. That is why I have shifted my teaching from focusing on problems and resistance to focusing on transformative solutions that can change the human relationship to the planet, which is at the root of all our problems. Glad to be a fellow traveler with you in this work!
https://open.substack.com/pub/jenniferbrowdy/p/from-resistance-to-transformation?r=77vfa&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thank you for your words Jennifer, and thank you for your dedication to your students and to feeding creativity. I agree, it is our superpower! I remember, gosh, DECADES?! ago attending an FTAA protest and it was clear that few of us had a solid vision of the world we would wish to see should the one we were protesting cease to be. Another world IS possible, as Arundhati Roy so brilliantly reminds us. Let's keeps feeding this dream. And let me know if I can help your vision in any way. Happy to. All blessings....
I may invite you as a class speaker to one of my Writing/Righting the Future classes, Gregory! Meanwhile, cheering you on and glad to stay in touch with your insights via Substack.