Wednesday, September 16, 2009

"I will not let school interfere in my education" (Mark Twain)

Have you ever wondered how would the world look like had Thomas A. Edison's mother insisted that he went to school?

How would it look like if Henry Ford had quit after two attempts at starting up his company? or if he was in any way related with a colleague of his into discovery, Ernst Rutherford?

It turns out Rutherford did not like attorneys at all, and he openly declared many a time that if somebody would try to rob him of his pocket watch he'll fight back with his teeth and empty hands to keep his watch... Yet, "if someone comes and says 'give me your watch or I sue you'", Rutherford explained further, "I'll let them have it immediately, and I'll know for certain I stay ahead."

Well, if Henry Ford was (like) Ernst Rutherford, maybe he would've quit faced with the law suit against him by George B. Selden. And automobiles and their market today could look very different... or would they?

We don't want to be misinterepted. The questions asked here are in no way intended to support the idea of less schooling for our children. Rather of much much _different_ schooling...

If we take for example Stephen Covey's "Seven (then eight) Habits", we find them valuable indeed, yet...

... we have our own reservations about some inherent limitations/shortcomings in Covey, particularly having to do with:

(1) a much more acute need to apply/nurture the habits much earlier in one's life than when already reaching adulthood (in fact we shall find early versions of the habits say in Benjamin Franklin, with him borrowing/learning extensively from none other than Socrates), and

(2) a resulting implicit need for adapting the habits to and nurturing their adoption by young learners through a vertically integrated entrepreneurial--broad meaning--, and self-worth spirit (involved parents centered) inducing education system.

[I know, the asking questions part above was much nicer...;)]

No comments:

Post a Comment