IMPORTANT: All posts, pages, art and written work found in this blog are licensed through Creative Commons:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
All books are available here.
We are all ABOUT education. We believe our current models of education are NOT really ABOUT education. Our challenge is Socratic in nature. Xenophon’s Socrates is our model.
These ideas have been self-published in the book: “Writings on Education”, Asquith Press, Toronto, 2018. (ISBN: 978-0-9950004-3-8). Accepted into Library and Archives Canada, 2018.
It is now available as an eBook via Kindle, here.
(Those interested in purchasing the book, ISBN 978-0-9950004-3-8, contact me at: amelo14@gmail.com)
The book is partly based on our Post bearing the same title. Here at the bottom of this Page, an excerpt.
_______________________________________________________________
Excerpt on the book on education:
WRITINGS ON EDUCATION
2016 / 2017
(Completed)
_______________________________________________________________
ONE
You must NEVER EVER create conditions for people to fail, specially for the best of people. You must only create conditions for SUCCESS. Otherwise, stand aside. This is ABSOLUTELY a MUST in the area of education.
Even creating conditions in which errors may occur is perfectly sensible; errors may lead to great SUCCESSES. What is totally insensible is to create conditions where errors are the direct path to failure.
Most education nowadays is of the second kind. A striking example is the “solemnity of plagiarism”. As if teaching a CODE were teaching/reaching a person.
_______________________________________________________________
TWO
Education is wholly based on either: a) sacrifice, or b) happiness (“eudamonia”). It cannot have it both ways.
Now, some think that learning sacrifice LEADS to happiness. We strongly think those who believe this are quite confused. We can show why. We can’t do it here, though!
In contrast, we believe these two educational roads never ever touch, and that road b) is rarely taken —hardly known— because road a) has great powers on its side. These powers are in high positions (political and entrepreneurial), and perhaps are even otherworldly!
In other words, we know so little of happiness (“eudaimonia”), it has become unrecognizable in our lives and in our education.
Nonetheless, everyone believes, almost blindly, that they ARE happy: preferably so, if less questioned about what their happiness means! Here, the education on happiness, road b), comes to an end.
(Note: “eudaimonia” is the word Aristotle uses for what we kind of understand as “happiness”)
_______________________________________________________________
THREE
Industrialized education does not teach to love learning and its many gentle, even fun, shared surprises.
Rather, industrialized learning —the learning of our time, and especially of our ginormous educational facilities– teaches the repetitive process of information sharing towards a marketable degree. It hardly teaches one to laugh. It is the most serious of the serious. It proudly speaks of “industry standards”.
And though, super serious, industrialized learning is intent on the unimportant: on the ritual of attendance, on the ritual of the exam, on the ritual of the levels and prerequisites, on the ritual of extremely minute objectives and goals, on the ritual of the attack on plagiarism, on the ritual of certification. Its seriousness is one based on mere formality. This kind of seriousness is empty.
Industrialized education sacrifices the potential inherent in our human encounters, those infrequent encounters sought by those of us who truly wish to learn to learn. This is unforgivable. For these encounters are far and between, these encounters are face to face —-many a time—- on a one-on-one basis. They are so rare, people generally cannot understand what is going on when they do happen. They are surprised by actually seeing and feeling for themselves the real nature of learning. They even get quite angry.
Moreover, industrialized education requires a weird notion of “teamwork”, one which means that being part of the “team” means adjusting to the unquestioned demands of these processes themselves! I mean, “don’t rock the boat, otherwise, it might sink!” This is why a proper metaphor for industrialized education is certainly the Titanic; the most industrial of things ever. They never thought they would sink.
And yes, all this is truly being part of a team, alright. But, it is being part of a BAD team! Luckily, there are a few better teams out there! And besides, a “team” is nothing other than the quality of its players; their quality not as experts —which is what industrial education loves— but their quality as humans.
Finally, industrialized education is an education –ironically– that cannot question; it especially cannot question itself.
But, we ask, has there ever been a real education —-a worthwhile education— which teaches anything other than actually learning the difficult process of questioning? For, isn’t questioning oneself, the most difficult thing to do? Aren’t we perturbed when we are led gently to face ourselves? For isn’t it easier to hide from ourselves, easier to live our lives in permanent hiding from ourselves? “Being unknown to yourself”; THAT, is a life not worth living. However, isn’t the great teacher, the great student, the one who allows us to seriously contemplate, first, the nature of questioning oneself and our actions, and only then, the nature of kindly questioning those around us and their actions? And yet, industrialized education can hardly teach us to ask a single important personal question.
Nowhere is this terrifying reality more easily seen than in the worldwide, extremely powerful, and billion-dollar producing industry which is the teaching of the English language. It even teaches you solely to learn to pass language exams. To be honest, it is kind of embarrassing to spend the days and hours of your precious life just repeating an exam over and over to pass the very same exam! And yet, this is the accepted norm. Universities are the other striking example. For you see, among many other things, first you must pass the language exams to be able to, finally, access university “education” itself! But this is all wrong, seriously wrong. These institutions not only have a chance to change things, they have a responsibility to do so.
Education must return to a certain kind of simplicity to be effective at all, to be education at all; an education in which we learn to love to learn. Simple.
(And in our defense. All education now says it is intent on teaching “critical thinking”; we who have taught many “critical thinking”, surely should be able to exemplify it. Ironically, in ESL this is left almost exclusively to those in EAP. Dumbfounding.)
_______________________________________________________________
FOUR
One of the many paradoxes of education is this:
Few become good teachers, yet every single parent wants their child to be taught by a great teacher.
Healing this situation involves rethinking learning beyond sacrifice.
_______________________________________________________________
FIVE
Having taught for so many years in different areas and, especially, in personal one-to-one contexts, it has become clear that only Socratic philosophy really sees that education ought to, first and foremost, direct its attention to the question of human anger (“thumos”). Most education today sidesteps the issue. Many academics would rather hide within the walls of their disparate universities and departments than confront certain realities outside them. The reality of anger scares them. In the ESL context, it is striking to see how much anger moves freely in multiple directions. Our education makes the presence and question of anger quite invisible and therefore fails terribly at educating. Just think of the horrifying, yet quite common, reality of bullying.
In contrast, Socratic philosophy raises the question both with respect to the anger one feels towards others, as well as to the anger one feels towards oneself: the two clearly interconnected as everyone has experienced personally. The most famous Socratic example is swearing at an inanimate object with which you have hit yourself because YOU have been too clumsy!
“Fu …&@#@#%”, chair”, you say angrily at an object that is lifeless!.
Humans, especially modern humans with the power of science, even spread their silenced anger towards nature and its creatures. Hence the appearance of extinction.
This anger, especially the one directed towards oneself, is the main block towards a fuller understanding. But unlike other traditions —for instance, the Christian or Buddhist traditions—- the Socratic tradition does not seek to destroy this anger. Rather, it channels it in different ways. Unlike Christians, and their notion of divinity, Socrates wants to deal with the question of anger in human terms, not in another world. Famously, it attempts to redirect the terrible consequences of anger in the political arena. Socratic philosophy cures the desire for tyranny which, Socratic seems to have believed, is intimately connected to our human nature. This connection being even more pronounced in the case of those who themselves, and friends, and parents, and society, consider to be “the best”. In short, in those who hear, feel and learn to love applause.
The most important reality which follows from a prolonged Socratic education (which, of course, involves reading the life of Socrates!) is the appearance of a certain serene happiness. Ironically, those who come into contact with such a way of being will —-instead of seeking to overcome their own anger—- try to do everything to prove that this strange way of being is impossible. The less those educated in this Socratic tradition respond with anger, the greater the anger the person who has not undergone this change feels. The Socratic should never be afraid of such situations.
It seems Socrates believed that feeling this anger is perhaps the first step in overcoming ourselves. However, our modern educational models cannot even see the issue.
(Note. For bullying in Canada, see: link )
_______________________________________________________________
SIX
To read all the numerals on Education, go to: Writings on Education
….
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Finally, as part of my ABOUT Page I have decided to add a brief writing which brings together all elements of this website.
_______________________________________________________________
ABOUT
(Work in progress. Shared in generosity.)
My life can best be seen using the metaphor of a tree. I know. Please, just read till the end.
Life has given me the opportunity, unlike many, to develop several branches instead of just one, what people call their “career”. I have developed various careers. Doing so is an example of risk-taking for continual learning in breadth, and in depth. Each career is like a branch of a tree. Simple, as “simple” as a tree can be. My tree-like resume can be found online here:
https://andresmelocousineau.com/my-resume/
The first branch is that of the Humanities where I have an M.A. for the University of Toronto in political philosophy and even started my Ph.D. a few years back dealing with ethics and politics in the Ancient Greeks, particularly, Aristotle and Xenophon in the Straussian interpretation. More than part of a branch, they are our trunk. Some of the best fruit created under this branch is the book I self-published last year (2018) on Colombian politics based on such readings. It represents a defense of republicanism within the chaotic reality of Colombia amidst a peace process lacking in openness and capacity for self-criticism. A peace imposed is a kind of war. It was accepted into Library and Archives Canada and into the Centre for Historical Memory of Colombia as well.
https://andresmelocousineau.com/colombia/
I actually wrote an Appendix to it just this month of August 2019. Likewise, another fruit is a self-published book entitled “Writings on Education” which tries to defend a certain kind of Socratic thinking within the modern non-Socratic educational environment. Philosophy as a way of life. My Ph.D. bibliography, researched as a private individual with no specific connection to any university for specific reasons, can be found here:
https://andresmelocousineau.com/phd-research-bibliography/
The second branch is that of ESL teaching. Not only have I had more than 10,000 hours of teaching ESL in various contexts —I mention the 10,000 hours because this is what the person with one sole limited career thinks is what makes them an “expert” on that ONE thing, and CONSEQUENTLY they believe an expert on an understanding of the whole (I myself do not really believe this)—- but I have also obtained certification here in Canada which I received via TESL Canada and, secondarily, TESL Ontario. Proudly, I can say I am TESL CANADA LEVEL II Permanent. The most important fruit of this branch is the fact that I love teaching ESL and have taught thousands of students who remember me with love and respect. Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed I would have taught as I have. Also, as part of my POST-TESL development, I graduated with distinction on the topic of Occupational English (specifically, Business English), by QUESTIONING constantly in SOCRATIC fashion the ALMOST UNQUESTIONABLE presuppositions underlying the Canadian workplace, including certification and learning areas. I believe Canadians lack this capacity for self-critique, and yet Canadians tend to believe themselves to be the most capable of critical thinking. All diplomas, references and such can be seen here:
https://andresmelocousineau.com/tesl/
Unfortunately, and related to the first branch, central Canadian Teaching Unions defend tyrants such as Maduro in Venezuela (here; contrast, here) Shameful, and the consequences for this branch of ours are obvious as we are also of Colombian nationality. One cannot call oneself a teacher and defend tyrants. But many in Canada do just that, Moreover, and related to this branch, I have learned multiple languages (Mandarin, Ancient Greek, Portuguese, German), including in the Canadian context, French, as my family is partly Quebecoise. Finally, this branch has opened possibilities such as teaching in China. Should have been in China by this September (2019), but the decision was made not to go for the moment for very specific, unbelievable, reasons. Still, used the opportunities created to link this branch to the Humanities one by seriously studying the work of Confucius as preparation for future work.
https://andresmelocousineau.com/tesl/
The third branch is that of art. Once a teacher in high school told me I had an artistic spirit in me. I did not really believe him, and here we are 30 years later. In particular, this branch has developed for the past 20 years in photography, but not exclusively. The most developed fruit from this branch was last year’s creation of the powerful visual project “Toronto in Quartets” which was not only presented as a volunteer at the YMCA but also as a product for sale and for appreciation at the famous Arts Market store here in Toronto. The fundamental SOCRATIC question is: what makes us Torontonians? Specifically, why are Torontonians so attracted to something as FREE as Street Art if their daily life is so regimented and covered almost fully by LAW and ORDER? Does this have to do anything with the .mental health crisis that affects Canadians as is evident by the opioid crisis? I have also been able to publish a book on street art here in Toronto which was accepted into Library and Archives Canada. They can all be seen online here as part of my photography website which also includes my photographic portfolio:
https://andresmelophotography.com/p691917880
The fourth branch is that of translation. Certified by the Government in Colombia since 1996 in both the EN-SP direction and SP-EN direction due to a beautifully unbelievable story. Also certified by ATIO in Canada since 2004 in the EN-SP direction. Of course, if you are not a translator TRYING to explain the concept of both directions is bewildering, to say the least. Such ideas occur when one’s life is less that of a multi-layered and multi-branched tree and more that of a single self-enclosed branch. Created this year a very detailed and polished Dossier in order to somehow keep this branch alive here in Canada with little success given the experts’ tendency to bureaucratic self-affirmation in spite of serious lacks. As a matter of fact, this “About” is a reply to such impoverished realities. Some of the most beautiful fruit from this branch is the creation of a Company here in Canada which was accepted as a provider for the Canadian government. Fortunately, I will keep this branch alive in Colombia where I was able to contact many important customers when I started translating. My guides in translation are deeply connected to the first branch, namely, the Straussian translator’s of the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Xenophon, and the famous Middle Age Arabic translators of the Ancient Greeks (here). That is to say, I see translation as the path to philosophy as a way of life rather than the path towards an industry based on certification and technological efficacy. To translate is to modify one’s soul. Other than that, it is just a technique. All information can be found here:
https://andresmelocousineau.com/tesl/
As I get older, I am honestly quite proud of having kept all these diverse branches alive for so many years. So many years seeing them grow and intermingle in creativity. I hardly know anyone who has taken this path of learning, a path open to the complexities of the WHOLE of life. Instead, I do remember being told not to pursue this multibranched existence by people in each branch, namely, its so-called experts! I have been able to keep alive all these branches against the general tendency of sticking to one career, which in the particular case of newcomers here in Canada generally involves certifying a single career to guarantee some kind of economic future within its expensive cities. This is, to say the least, odd. Of course, keeping alive all branches takes imagination, time, energy, money and strength. And talk about seeking human connections fro the most diverse types of individuals! For instance, in order to grow one, another must be postponed for a period of time, only to be retaken at a later date at a higher, more developed, stage. Consequently, those specialized in a single branch cannot but be quite unable to understand. It is the path to success in starting to understand, however inadequately, the WHOLE. It is a life based on spiritual courage and the trusting search for life’s interconnections. In Socratic terms, it is an attempt to understand the whole through an understanding of the nature of human virtue, nobility and the good. For I repeat, the first branch is more than a branch, it is our trunk. Our guides will never cease to be Aristotle and Xenophon. Just look at the titles of their multifaceted works to have an idea of what underlies our motivation.
But if you find the metaphor of the tree, a bit childish or a bit too limited, I would: first, give you some time to think about our stunning modern success at destroying nature from our specialties that look more like rootless branches than trees (just recently, the fires destroying the Amazon jungle); and second, briefly mention my last, fifth branch. It deals with permaculture which is a way of growing plants and food which, in contrast to “agriculture”, tries to create the conditions for a natural process that, when designed properly, is almost self-sufficient. In this regard, it is noteworthy to recall that it is Aristotle who founds all biological studies in a non-scientific fashion from which we can learn much. All information about my project in Colombia can be found here.
https://andresmelocousineau.com/permaculture/
Furthermore, this summer of 2019 —by using Toronto’s admirable Urban Harvest heirloom seeds— I was able to create a 3-meter by 5-meter organic heirloom garden with over 40 plants (vegetables, herbs, flowers). The whole project —it is impossible to put into words its shared beauty and interconnected stories— can be seen here, :
https://andresmelophotography.com/p286694634
And then there is the word for a garden in Persian, which translated is “paradise”. Or Xenophon’s story recounted in his book on the education of the magnanimous Cyrus. As I am a teacher, I leave you with that homework. Nobody should not know that story. Yes I know, a double negative. Here it is totally worth it.
There is a sixth branch. Perhaps more than a branch, it is my very soil. But I will not go into any details. You can find it in my Resume.
To sum up.
All in all, I’d rather be a tree with multiple branches than an overpowering ultra-specialized branch which destroys all diversity, life, and happiness. Multiple branches open the whole in greater depth. Multiple branches bear multifaceted fruit. Let us cease loving being really like twigs disguised as complex branches, poorly unleashing great power over the world and others.
_______________________________________________________________
Rarefactions: by Andrés Melo Cousineau 
Leave a Reply