Layer 436 . . . Jon Snow, Schools, Education, Universities, Classics, News, Journalism, al-Jazeera, Egypt, Revolution and Fully Evolved Humans

.
"My problem with my school was this: I wasn't interested in the things that people wanted to teach me."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y203s

Poor Jon Snow. A good man who had the misfortune to be brought up as an over-privileged child in a mega-bourgeois family; son of a father who considered him a failure because he couldn't or wouldn't learn Latin and Greek.

I nearly wrote 'geek' just then. Jon's certainly not that. He's not peculiar, or dislikable, or overly intellectual. Not a geek in any way. He's a hands-on journalist, reporter and writer. Right now he's out in Cairo - getting his hands dirty and putting his personal wellbeing on the line.

The man has soul. He would like to play the piano really well; he reads uplifting, inspiring and informative books; he rides a bike every day; he paints watercolours. He was thrown out of university for being a radical ringleader and organiser of a week-long sit-in. His home's in Dorset. He has an affinity with Africa and music by bands such as Orchestre Baobab. He enjoys classical music for all the right reasons. He's not pompous, or a fake, or insecure, or a poser. He's a fully evolved human being.

Whilst at school he decided to start a student newspaper. After university he worked in a day centre for homeless young people. He became a journo because he had a burning curiosity and was always asking questions. And because he wanted to get back to Uganda, where he'd done a year on VSO.

Snow declined an OBE because he believes working journalists should not take honours from those that they report on.

In 1976, Snow rejected an approach by the British intelligence services to spy on his colleagues. At first he was asked to supply information about the Communist Party, but he was then asked to spy on certain "left-wing people" working in television. In return he would have received secret monthly tax-free payments into his bank account, matching his then salary.

He refuses to wear any symbol which may represent his views on air; in the run up to Remembrance Day he condemned what he called 'Poppy Fascism' because "in the end there really must be more important things in life than whether a news presenter wears symbols on his lapels".

- Wikipedia

I've always hated the way everyone in politics and the media goes around wearing poppies when you know these same people supported the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Bloody hypocrites. Snow's the only media figure who obviously feels the same way. I probably have more reasons than most for supporting Poppy Day, but I refuse to wear one because it's just 'the done thing', and it's done by conformist, image-conscious 'patriots'.

I once phoned Jon Snow at Channel 4 News to offer him some information and clarification on the subject of education. Amazingly he took my call personally, and spoke with me in a respectful, genuine and unhurried manner. The man has quality.

So here's a guy who's been the main man at Channel 4 News since 1989, but suffered from the bad opinion of his teachers and of his own father because he wasn't sufficiently 'academic'. Here's someone who's of outstanding character and intelligence, who never completed a university degree. Here's a bloke who enjoys his chosen profession and has resisted opportunities to climb the greasy corporate pole because he's not interested in wealth or status or honours.

He's not ideallistic, or left-wing or pursuing any personal agenda - he's more Lennonist than Lenninist - he's a believer in truth and peace and love.

Mr Snow's a living example of someone who's done well in life, in the sense of being both personally and professionally successful, without having enjoyed school and without being academically a high achiever. I reckon he has too much sense to get into big debates about schools that are bent on teaching a set academic curriculum, instead of encouraging pupils to pursue their own learning agendas and passions. Those debates go nowhere because the Establishment has closed views on the subject of traditional educational hierarchies.

You can imagine the hours, days and weeks he wasted on trying unsuccessfully to memorise Latin and Greek when he could have been passionately engaged in pursuing his real interests. He was the victim of a pushy father and a public school system that's geared to producing Latin and Greek scholars because that's what's required to get you a place at the Oxbridge college of your choice.

Here's a headline from the front page of today's Guardian:

Universities admit 'soft' A-levels damage chance of top places

Students who 'avoid challenge' of traditional subjects miss out on places at Oxbridge or 'redbrick' institutions

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/04/university-places-traditional-subjects-a-levels

Top universities will today issue guidance which acknowledges officially for the first time that they favour students who study traditional subjects at A-level.

The guide compiled by the Russell Group, a lobbying group for Oxford, Cambridge and 18 other leading universities, confirms rumours that have circulated for years that they favour those subjects over newer ones such as business studies or photography.

It also reveals an overwhelming preference for science and maths subjects – even for seemingly unrelated degrees.

The new handbook, seen by the Guardian, is a sign that universities are having to cave in to ministers and teachers' calls for far more information on how admissions tutors decide who they award places to and why.

By not studying at least two of the following subjects – maths, English, geography, history, any of the three pure sciences or a classical or modern foreign language – "many degrees at competitive universities will not be open to you," the guide, produced in collaboration with the Institute of Career Guidance, states.

It asks students to question why they are not taking traditional subjects: "Are you trying to avoid a challenge?" It states that while there is no "set definition" of a "hard" or "soft" subject, so-called "hard" subjects are like the ones the top universities prefer and are more theoretical. It gives media studies, art and design, photography and business studies as examples of "soft" subjects and states that they are "vocational or have a practical bias".

"If you plan to take more than one perceived 'soft' subject, some caution may be needed," the guidebook warns.

Just over 7.2% of pupils in England attend private schools but make up over a quarter of the intake at the 25 most selective universities, and 46.6% at Oxford. It's thought this may in part be because state school students do not receive proper guidance about what it takes to get into an elite university when they are making their A-level choices.

So here's the Conservative approach to equal opportunities - you let kids know before they embark on A Levels that pursuing their actual interests will probably disqualify them from getting a place at one of the 'top' universities. Job done.

[Last June] David Willetts, the universities minister, told vice-chancellors he had been "pushing for greater transparency from universities for some time". The advice teenagers received on university courses was "of absolute importance … so that [they] don't miss out on a particular course or a place at a particular university through not receiving the right guidance at the right time," he said. Willetts said the handbook was a "welcome step towards levelling the playing field for prospective students".

Thank goodness the government has given our children a more level playing field at last. Truly wonderful news - that kids will now know in advance why they won't get places at the elite universities.

Science and maths A-levels are recommended for degrees in archaeology, anthropology and geography among others, and law degrees do not require law A-level. History may be useful instead, the guidebook states. For history degrees, some universities do not require history, but believe English is useful.

So don't study law at A Level if you want to do a law degree. Don't study history if you want to do a history degree. Study English, Latin and Greek instead.

You couldn't make it up.


............................................

Here's the latest from Snowblog:

http://blogs.channel4.com/snowblog/

Snow brings you insights, revelations and perspectives. Join Jon for a ringside seat to follow the news.

Egypt - Reaping What The West Has Sewn
February 3, 2011 10:47 am 18 Comments

Pray, what was OUR role?

So we have witnessed the Egyptian army with American-supplied hardware and training so far failing to act decisively to protect peaceful protesters. What an end to this soiled ‘Western’ support for Mubarak.

The scales are falling from many eyes one week into this insurrection. Here for assorted mainly non-Egyptian reasons is the sorry tale of a client state. A state where a corrupt autocrat became preferred to the vision he conjured of the extreme alternative that awaited any decision to allow the Egyptian people to decide.

How convenient too, that this favoured autocrat not only sanctioned torture in his own land but was willing to undertake it for Britain and the United States when invited to do so. Some here have told me that domestic torture surged courtesy of the blessing bestowed upon it by Coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We reap what we sow.

...............................

The Day of Departure

Sorry Gil - the revolution WILL be televised - thanks to al-Jazeera, 24 hour news and citizen journalists using wi-fi and the Internet. Amazing scenes on the streets of Egypt, and elsewhere. The atmosphere is festive and celebratory. Will Mubarak depart today? The new leadership have been forced to say the people have a right to remain in Tahrir Square, Liberation Square. The army appear to be there in order to show solidarity, and to be on standby to prevent anyone smashing the place up. But this is a non-violent movement. The new Prime Minister has apologised for the behaviour of the pro-Mubarak thugs.

 http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised

http://www.gilscottheron.com/lyrevol.html

 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28ijn_the-revolution-will-not-be-televise_music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS3QOtbW4m0

.........................


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/feb/04/egypt-protests-day-departure-live

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/04/day-of-departure-hosni-mubarak

 .

Layer 405 . . . Ivory Towers, Universities, Tuition Fees, Eagleton's Eye, Enlightenment, Academia and the Status Quo

.
Professor Terry Eagleton wrote an interesting piece in the Guardian yesterday, which attracted some excellent comments, as well as the usual less enlightened stuff. Lots of trolls, neanderthals and loonies too, needless to say.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/17/death-universities-malaise-tuition-fees

The death of universities

Academia has become a servant of the status quo. Its malaise runs so much deeper than tuition fees

The gist of his piece is that we need the humanities to be taught in universities because the study of the humanities can make us better people who can help create a better world.

But think about it. You can set up ivory towers and call them universities, and you can fill them with people who think about and talk about human values, but that doesn't mean those people will actually become fully evolved humans with a lifelong mission to pursue enlightenment and a build a better world for all of us.

Better for us to have universities than not to have them, but all the coalition is doing is extending New Labour's ideology of seeing universities as places where people fundamentally pursue selfish ends in terms of gaining academic awards that are meal tickets and passports to highly paid careers in the professions and the civil service. According to this utilitarian vision those who gain the passports ought to be prepared to pay the full cost of their gain - and there appears to be a kind of 'fairness' in that idea, especially if you also offer free university courses to those who come from the least well-off backgrounds.

If we really wish to build better and more egalitarian societies, and produce more enlightened individuals, we'd do well to rethink entirely how to go about it. Universities should still play a role, but the rethinking ought to start with questioning the whole purpose and aims of education, and how those aims are best achieved from the youngest ages and throughout life.

As things stand, if anyone really cares to open their mind and pursue their own learning agendas with a view to becoming a more enlightened individual they'd be better off visiting a good library, getting themselves access to the Internet, and linking up with others who have similar ideas. There's probably more chance of finding such like-minded souls outside of universities than inside them.

Well said ArthurHughClough, mwhouse, anax, remusp, sweetdelight, Mortlach, NapoleonKaramazov, HappyHistorian, and others.

We should get together one of these days. Maybe start our own party. Maybe the Guardian could arrange a seminar with Prof Eagleton. I'd chip in for refreshments.

http://oxzen.blogspot.com/2008/04/layer-20-fully-evolved-humans.html

Nice coincidence that this piece appeared the day after a blog about how young people might go about educating themselves, about ultimate values and purposes, and about Taoist philosophy - Layer 404.

Looking back, there's been a lot of blogs recently about education, enlightenment and related issues . . .


As I said to a friend recently, it's not that the politicians are thinking about education, as such. All they think about is what so-called education and academia can to for 'Britain's competitiveness'. Morons. As if Britain isn't better served by people who are enlightened, spiritually intelligent and creative, as well as having a great breadth of knowledge and critical thinking skills. Do our schools, colleges and universities cater for any of that? Really?

And as my friend said to me, they don't really think about education. They reckon that education is about preparing for adult life. Learning is about accessing careers. Thinking is not on the agenda. Enlightenment? They've even misinterpreted that into industrialisation and capitalism.
.

Layer 401 . . . Religion, Awe and Wonder, Spiritual Intelligence, Academia, the Nature of Study, Universities, Elite Education and Enlightenment

.
The cringe at the heart of Christmas

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/dec/11/christmas-cringe-god-theology

This is a strange article, and one that's difficult to respond to.

The birth of a baby - any baby - is awesome. The gift of life is awesome. The universe itself is awesome. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate these things, and you don't have to believe in a God who's 'out there'. The Nativity is a metaphor for the miraculous birth of each and every one of us. Nobody, and no particular sect or religion, has a monopoly on spiritual intelligence. Those who think they 'understand' the divine and the nature of the creative force in the universe definitely do not understand it.

..........................................


Higher Education?

It's surely a good thing that a debate's taking place about our university system.

One part of the debate concerns the funding of the system, and where the funding comes from. Another concerns whether students should 'pay as you go', to what extent they should be subsidised,  and how soon they should pay for their tuition after landing a decent job.

Leaving aside the funding issue, there's now a debate about how many universities there should be, plus how many tutors, whether lectures could be accessed via the Internet, whether certain courses should be offered and publicly funded, and how many students and graduates might be an 'optimum' number.

Yet another area of debate concerns who sets the curriculum, how learning is assessed, and the very nature of study itself. Could I, for example, as an autodidact, set about learning everything there is to know about a particular topic or subject, using libraries and the Internet, and then go along to a testing centre or examination hall and ask to be assessed on my knowledge - in order to earn myself some credits towards an academic award?

I've already learnt how to write essays and write answers to timed examination questions - so why would I want to pay for a university course in order to further my knowledge , especially if the majority of the academic tutors were dullards and bores? Personally I'd much prefer to get my lectures online from professors who are known for the brilliance of their perception and their lecturing, and not run of the mill plodders who really haven't a clue how to teach. I want access to original thinkers and inspirational speakers like Ken Robinson.

The things I retain from my undergraduate days are the things I found out for myself, from the books I found and bought myself on the topics I was really interested in - which were not necessarily those I was meant to be studying. And yet there's no way I'll get any 'credit' for those hours of reading and note-making.

Quite frankly, many more students ought to ask themselves why on earth they go to university, apart from the fact that their teachers and parents urged them to, in order to prepare themselves for highly-paid careers - hopefully. Obviously the lifestyle's a big attraction for many - but a lot less so if they're having to do crappy jobs in order to pay their way. The increased levels of debt they'll now have hanging over them will be a further deterrent, especially for those from non-affluent backgrounds, and those who have no clear idea what they really want to do with their lives and no great confidence that they'll succeed in entering a particular career when they're in competiton with those with better connections, sharper elbows, and higher levels of personal confidence, plus the 'right' accent.

.......................................................

Back in the early days of the Internet, before most people had even heard of it, let alone owned a personal computer, I had a friend who was fascinated by the Second World War. In particular he wanted to know about certain bomber squadrons of the American air force, and about tank battles. The Russian T34 tank was a thing of enormous and intense interest. He already knew a great deal, and he'd even paid a professional researcher to gather information for him.

Imagine his expression when I explained to him about the Internet and showed him how to use a PC to do an online search for information on his subjects. He literally couldn't believe the pages of information that were freely accessible.The first thing he wanted to do was get a loan for a computer and start scouring the 'net for every morsel of information he could find. This is someone who's never been on any kind of college course, and probably never will. His writing skills are near zero, and he has zero tolerance for being bored.

Another interesting thing about my friend is that he can repair virtually anything, can figure out solutions to virtually any practical problem, and can tackle virtually any physical and practical task. He'll never get 'credits' for any of those things either, even though they make him a far more useful citizen than the vast majority of the 'highly educated'.

Where am I going with this blog? I've no idea. Like Socrates I'm only interested in exploring subjects I find fascinating, and through acquiring and exchanging ideas raise my levels of awareness in order to become more enlightened. The journey itself is worthwhile, and if I do get anywhere near my goal I'll expect no credit or reward.

..............................................................

To be continued later with some stuff from the papers. Y'all come back now.
.

Layer 234 . . . . The New Learning Revolution . . . and The Aims of Education

.
To tie the ideas together from the previous two blogs on the subject of transforming schools, learning and education - I'm going to reiterate what I've written previously about Dryden & Vos's seminal book – The New Learning Revolution.

(See Layer 147 - http://oxzen.blogspot.com/2009/04/layer-147-academia-technology-desert.html)

Read large sections of it here on Google Books -

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y7LxRLxQQ_oC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=new+learning+revolution+%2B+vos&source=bl&ots=wEu8IuChPh&sig=zYMd3T-1o7pSTaUEbvSPz_tnf0Y&hl=en&ei=y9IVS6qMO9aL4gbe7aXXBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

The subject matter of this book is new ways to learn, teach, think, create and communicate.

It is now the world’s biggest-selling non-fiction book.

10 million copies of this book have been sold in China alone.

The Chinese government has completely retrained its teaching force in order for them to teach on the basis of these progressive ideas about learning and teaching. This was a massive project, and represents a radical and progressive break with their traditional methods of teaching.

Why do this? Because the Chinese government has understood that learning has to be a dynamic process, driven by the needs and wishes of learners to be responsible for their own learning and to become equipped with creative thinking and communication skills.

This stands in contrast to traditional models of education which are based on the acquisition of a specified body of knowledge and the ability to pass tests on one’s memory of that curriculum.

In a world where information is available day and night from a laptop computer or even a telephone connected to the Internet, why should hundreds of millions of pupils and students be sitting in rows of desks facing their teachers in classrooms designed for a different age?

Very soon it will be possible for all advanced countries to provide every pupil with a cheap laptop computer. In eight or ten years time it will be possible for every pupil to own a pocket computer. Those who don’t possess this technology will be severely disadvantaged.

Traditional schooling is breaking down. In Britain record numbers of pupils are being excluded from school because of their undisciplined behaviour. Frankly, many of them are bored and cannot see the point in doing what schools are asking them to do.

Not only are many teachers and schools offering no intellectual stimulation, they are also failing to provide learning in social, emotional and spiritual intelligence.

In the foreword of this book Christopher Ball, the chairman of Britain’s ‘Campaign for Learning’, says, ‘This book explains what is going on in the gradual collapse of the old model of education, and the advent of the revolutionary new models of learning’.

He goes on to say, “The old school model is as dead as the industrial revolution that spawned it. The flight of both pupils and teachers from traditional schooling will soon become an embarrassment for governments in developed countries. Neither the curriculum (what is taught) nor the pedagogy (how it is taught) is any longer sustainable.”

“What lies at the heart of this book is a shift of focus from teaching to learning, and a recognition that a new philosophy of learning must lead the curriculum.”

In the 21st Century “the rewards of the good life will go to those who are most adaptable - who learn best. They will also go to those who learn to use and share the new world of interactive technology, instant communication, collaborative innovation and multimedia creativity.”

To that list I would add that the rewards will also go to those who learn to become emotionally, socially, instinctually, intellectually, physically and spiritually intelligent.

These are the clear goals of progressive education - an education that is needed for the 21st Century.

These are the goals we must reach if we are to become “a more creative, cooperative, sharing world society”. These are the true aims of education.

…............................................ 

Here's another page worth checking out -

Pupils under too much pressure to go to university say teachers

http://www.edge.co.uk/news/pupils-under-too-much-pressure-to-go-to-university-say-teachers

There is too much pressure placed on young pupils to head for university, teachers believe, and conversely, too little connection between schools and local businesses.

According to a new study from independent education foundation, Edge, two thirds of teachers think there is too much emphasis on pupils getting a degree at a traditional university while over a third (39%) of teachers feel their institutions still offer too little practical and vocational learning. Involvement with local businesses is seen as widely insufficient with fifty-nine per cent stating that their school or college does not offer enough opportunity for students to learn with local companies.

The study was conducted among over 1,000 teachers and FE lecturers in the state and independent sectors. Exploring their views on the current education system, it shows widespread teacher support for a greater emphasis on practical and vocational pathways – and broad agreement that these routes help pupils to succeed.

Andy Powell, Chief Executive of Edge said: “Teachers know large parts of the system are too academically biased, they recognise a balanced approach is better and they are tellingly concerned that local businesses have insufficient involvement in pupils’ learning in schools.

“We support the teachers’ views. There are many paths to success and we need a richer education with more real-world learning opportunities for young people. Change is beginning to happen, but things are moving too slowly. This generation will be working in a global economy and will have to deal with extraordinary challenges – we have to ensure they are properly equipped.”

The majority of teachers (59%) believe practical and vocational learning often leads to a good career, but they also recognise their knowledge of the qualifications available falls short when compared to their understanding of academic routes.

Edge is inviting the public at large and teachers to have their say on the education system and will feedback findings to politicians of the three main parties prior to the general election. Teachers can join the debate at edge.co.uk/revolution.

The research was conducted online by YouGov between 2nd-8th October 2009. Respondents were drawn from state secondary schools (712), independent schools (105) and sixth form/FE/tertiary education environments (131), making a total sample of 1,034.

…........................................

 How would you change the education system? 

http://www.edge.co.uk/revolution

Help revolutionise education now.
…....................................

Venice hit by high water

Flood waters engulfed the lagoon city of Venice leaving close to 45% of the historical centre under water

 Saw this on the Guardian website – amazing pictures of Venice under water.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/nov/30/venice-flooding-under-water

….............................................................. 

Disturbing reports about the national health service -

The worst NHS wards ... where safety is a lottery

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/29/nhs-safety-hospitals-deaths

…..........................................................

Desert Island Discs – Morrisey

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr

For those who didn't know that DID is now available on iPlayer and podcast – wake up!

This piece from the Guardian about the Morrisey programme is less interesting than the comments afterwards on CiF -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/nov/30/morrissey-desert-island-discs-kirsty

Morrissey: This charming Man Friday

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2009/nov/29/observer-profile-morrissey

.

Layer 147 Academia, Technology, Desert Island Discs and The New Learning Revolution.

.
Thursday 16th April

Bob Dylan’s take on academia goes like this:

You’ve been with the professors
And they’ve all liked your looks,
With great lawyers you’ve discussed
Lepers and crooks,
You’ve been all through
F Scott Fitzgerald’s books -
You’re very well read,
It’s well-known.

But something’s happening here,
And you don’t know what it is -
Do you, Mr Jones?

From Ballad of a Thin Man.

----------------------------------------------

It’s been interesting, observing and studying the academics. What a strange world. Very different from the phase of education I’m used to, where you begin work as a teacher from the premise that you’re there to meet the needs of the pupils. At least that’s the way it used to be in the days when meeting the needs of pupils seemed to matter. Now it’s all about meeting government, local authority and governing body academic targets. In stupid-arse factory-school Britain, at least. So very bloody shameful.

Academia is about as curriculum-centred as you can get, which is pretty bizarre when you consider the high level of independent study skills most university students posses, and how capable they ought to be of pursuing their personal learning goals, given half a chance.

I was talking to Yoko last night about my lecture on Saturday, on 'the aims of education', and the problem that I have with not knowing my audience and their learning needs. It seems they’ll be pretty mixed ability - i.e. Masters degree students, some of whom have never taught, and some of whom are experienced teachers and school leaders.

Professors and lecturers seem to start from the egocentric premise that they have a brilliant mind and also have possession of a body of thought which an audience should feel privileged to have some contact with - and if the audience is too thick or too limited to be able to connect with it - well that’s their problem. I guess the role models for professors are - other professors.

Thinking about academia brings back memories of my own undergraduate days - those wonderful heady days of ’68 and ’69, demonstrations and sit-ins, Paris, Woodstock, peace and love. Liberation, counter-culture, protests, festivals, and wave after wave of incredible music. And going to live rock, soul and blues shows just about every week for almost no money.

In contrast to all that was also having to sit in dull, boring lectures listening to some dull-witted academic prattling on about stuff that was tedious enough in its own right without being regurgitated by someone who had no idea how to make it interesting or relevant.

How could anyone take that academic game seriously when there was a vast, exciting world outside where people were genuinely opening themselves up to new forms of knowing and feeling, and aspiring to join together to make a better world?

In those lecture rooms there was no intellectual stimulation, which is what I’d assumed university would be about. Partly that was down to the ‘vocational’ course I’d chosen, and so I decided to do the minimum necessary to get a degree, and in the meantime start to educate myself by embarking on my self-devised course of study in politics, philosophy and economics.

Getting to grips with sociology, psychology, Marxism, political theory and Eastern philosophy was what I needed to be doing. Arguably it’s what every university student should be doing, if they only knew it.

-------------------------------------------------------

Living alone in a flat in a country where you don’t speak the language may well be the nearest most of us could or would want to get to living alone on a desert island. I thank goodness I brought my discs with me - all 4 gigabytes of MP3 magic.

Since I can’t get any English-language TV or radio programmes and have no Internet access at the flat, I’m cut off from the usual sources of stimulation.

In this situation music becomes the major source of spiritual nourishment and sensory stimulation. So yesterday there was a bit of a crisis when my malfunctioning Zen player decided to take itself off random play and limit itself to just 8 tunes. Having heard them a few times over it seemed clear the Zen wasn’t about to correct itself and go back to normal random service.

Fortunately I could get access to the memory of the Zen via laptop and USB cable, and so was able to start filtching my favourites tunes from it and pasting them into a “best of” folder on the laptop. Hooray for technology!

Writing this, I’m again listening to “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?” which must be one of the Stones’ longest and most complex tracks (Undercover of the Night is another), since it meanders through such a variety of sonic and rhythmic passages, and also uses sax solos to such good effect. I was listening to Springsteen’s “Radio Nowhere” this morning, and noticed the similarities between the two tracks which make them such classics of rock - a dynamic, ringing guitar intro; great vocals; dark lyrics; fantastic rhythm, and wonderful saxophone playing. Rock yer socks off.

Next up is Frank Zappa’s wonderful “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace” - something that good old priapic Frank seemed happy to put up with as an occupational hazard, probably to the end of his daze. It’s unbelievable how underrated Zappa still is as a guitarist and composer.

He was also a very good, very funny lyricist, with a true sense of the absurd, the bizarre and the ridiculous. Hot Rats was an album that completely blew me away when I first heard it - guitar-playing like nothing I’d ever heard; some kind of strange jazzy/bluesy/rock from out of nowhere. Even the album’s cover was brilliant and totally original. The extended guitar soloing was also kind of unique for its time, definitely veering towards jazz improvisation rather than the blues/heavy metal that was far more commonplace at that time. I felt so lucky to have seen and heard Frank and the Mothers of Invention playing live at the Bath festival of blues and rock.

Another outstanding track that I’d forgotten was on the Zen is U2’s version of “All Along the Watchtower”, from Rattle and Hum. It’s interesting how a song that started out as one of Dylan’s shortest and gentlest tracks became a true monster of rock, thanks to the brilliance of Hendrix, who had the intelligence, skill, imagination, creativity and sheer musical ability to seize on it as soon as it was released and turn its wonderful rhythm and melody (and lyrics) into something that’s never been equalled in the entire history of rock - lyrically, musically and dynamically it’s a perfect track.

Dylan, in turn, paid Hendrix the ultimate compliment when he started to perform the song when playing live with The Band in the style of Hendrix’s version.

----------------------------------------------------------

I’ve decided to conclude my lecture on the Aims of Education by saying something about Dryden and Vos’s book. Just a taster to whet their appetites.

The New Learning Revolution.

Consider this. The first time I visited Japan, in 2001, I didn’t even bring my mobile phone. There was no point. It couldn’t work in Japan.

Nowadays wherever I go in the world I take this little machine with me. It enables me to contact anyone I wish to speak to from anywhere I happen to be on the planet. And vice versa. I can send and receive texts. I can send and receive emails. I can access the vast world of the Internet. It allows me to take and send digital photos, to record and to send conversations, to write notes, either using its keyboard, or by using a stylus to create handwritten notes on its screen. It will also convert my handwriting to text. It’s a global positioning indicator. It’s a satellite navigator. It has maps, it has spreadsheets, a calculator, a diary, a calendar, a database creator, and it can run Powerpoint presentations. Most importantly of all it carries my music collection and will play my favourite music through headphones or through a hi-fi, even using Bluetooth. It’s a computer that fits in my pocket.

Eight years ago such a machine was impossible to imagine, let alone buy. Nowadays these machines cost very little to manufacture, and are given away free by telephone companies when you sign up for their service for 2 or 3 years. After one year the phone company will exchange this phone/computer for a completely new, updated model. That’s how fast the world, and the world of technology, is changing. Of course Apple, Nokia and others make similar machines.

The subject matter of this book is new ways to learn, teach, think, create and communicate.

It is now the world’s biggest-selling non-fiction book.

10 million copies of this book have been sold in China alone.

The Chinese government has completely retrained its teaching force in order for them to teach on the basis of these progressive ideas about learning and teaching. This was a massive project, and represents a radical and progressive break with their traditional methods of teaching.

Why do this? Because the Chinese government has understood that learning has to be a dynamic process, driven by the needs and wishes of learners to be responsible for their own learning and to become equipped with creative thinking and communication skills.

This stands in contrast to traditional models of education which are based on the acquisition of a specified body of knowledge and the ability to pass tests on one’s memory of that curriculum.

In a world where information is available day and night from a laptop computer or even a telephone connected to the Internet, why should hundreds of millions of pupils and students be sitting in rows of desks facing their teachers in classrooms designed for a different age?

Very soon it will be possible for all advanced countries to provide every pupil with a cheap laptop computer. In eight or ten years time it will be possible for every pupil to own a pocket computer. Those who don’t possess this technology will be severely disadvantaged. I’m quite sure that you as a student or as a teacher or professor wouldn’t want to go back to a world without computers.

Traditional schooling is breaking down. In Britain this week there is news that record numbers of pupils are being excluded from school because of their undisciplined behaviour. Frankly, many of them are bored and cannot see the point in doing what schools are asking them to do.

Not only are many teachers and schools offering no intellectual stimulation, they are also failing to provide learning in social, emotional and spiritual intelligence.

In the foreword of this book Christopher Ball, the chairman of Britain’s ‘Campaign for Learning’, says, ‘This book explains what is going on in the gradual collapse of the old model of education, and the advent of the revolutionary new models of learning’.

He goes on to say, “The old school model is as dead as the industrial revolution that spawned it. The flight of both pupils and teachers from traditional schooling will soon become an embarrassment for governments in developed countries. Neither the curriculum (what is taught) nor the pedagogy (how it is taught) is any longer sustainable.”

“What lies at the heart of this book is a shift of focus from teaching to learning, and a recognition that a new philosophy of learning must lead the curriculum.”

In the 21st Century “the rewards of the good life will go to those who are most adaptable - who learn best. They will also go to those who learn to use and share the new world of interactive technology, instant communication, collaborative innovation and multimedia creativity.”

To that list I would add that the rewards will also go to those who learn to become emotionally, socially, instinctually, intellectually, physically and spiritually intelligent.

These are the clear goals of progressive education - an education that is needed for the 21st Century.

These are the goals we must reach if we are to become “a more creative, cooperative, sharing world society”. These are the true aims of education.
.

Layer 143 Lost In Mukogawa, Kyoto, Cherry Blossoms and Academia.

.
Wednesday April 1st and Thursday April 2nd

I saw an enormous curved ramp from the elevated motorway in the night sky, wending its way around a block of flats, several stories above my head, and I finally had to admit this wasn’t a dream or a nightmare - I was lost. Either the ramp shouldn’t be where it was, or I shouldn’t be where I was, and frankly I had no idea where I was.

It seemed sensible to assume that the ramp had every right to be where it was, whereas I had no business at all being somewhere I shouldn’t be, wherever it was. Being under that ramp was no part of my plans, back at the point of leaving Mukogawa station, looking to stroll the mile or so back to my apartment. Memorising the route and the general directions I’d need to take had seemed easy - or so I’d thought.

Still - there was no need to worry. I still had the map in my rucksack. I took it out and consulted it under a nearby streetlight. On this particular street there were no people. Back in London in the dead of night on an unknown street with no-one around I’d have been starting to feel slightly worried. No need for that here, though - surely Japan has no petty crime and no crazy street gangs, armed to the teeth and looking for easy pickings?

The map had seemed easy to read yesterday, at the point of knowing exactly where I was on it, and where I needed to get to. Now that I’d somehow departed from the straight and narrow, and no longer had a clue where I was, the map was useless, on account of the fact that it was entirely in Japanese, and so were the actual street signs -assuming I could eventually find one or two of them. Trying to memorise the look of the characters on the road signs and then scour the map for the exact same Japanese characters would be a nightmare, standing there in the chill wind of the Spring darkness.

After a couple of minutes pondering how on earth I’d gone away from the proper route, I noticed an old guy coming slowly along the street, for all I knew having had a few drinks at a nearby bar. Not feeling at all optimistic I held out the map and said in English, “Excuse me, I need to get back to this place and I don’t know where I am.”

He looked down at the map and muttered something in Japanese, and immediately shuffled off in the direction he’d been heading. I didn’t feel I could blame him - there was no way we were going to communicate, and I doubted that he could read or understand the cluttered little photocopy of a map that had on it only the names of the main roads, and in very small characters.

And then he was suddenly back again, standing next to me, holding a pair of reading glasses, having gone somewhere to collect them. So much for my intuition and my faith in humanity. Of course - he couldn’t read the map because he couldn’t focus on it properly! After a couple of moments he looked up and pointed in the general direction I’d need to go in.

And then he pulled on my arm, clearly saying, look - come here - I’ll show you. He not only walked with me to the next intersection where I’d need to turn left - he came with me for several blocks till we reached a main road, from where it was obvious where I should go to complete the journey. Then he shook my hand, bowed, and went off home.

--------------------------------------

The Temples

It had been a fitting and affirmative ending to what had been an excellent day. Yoko had phoned early and asked whether we could meet at 9.00 instead of 10.00, as it was a beautiful, bright day and we should make the most of it. We agreed it should be possible for me to catch the two trains I’d need to take to get to central Osaka station, assuming I had my wits about me, and in the event I caught one that went all the way through.

Kayo was waiting for us when we arrived at Kyoto, two more trains later. And then it was down into the underground for a train that took us from north to south, and out into a windy street to wait for the ‘community bus’ that was in effect a shuttle bus to the Daigo temple complex we intended to explore - a bus that was about the size of an average American taxi but able to contain about forty tightly-packed humans, obviously with most of them standing and strap-hanging..

Yoko said she could tell from the accents that a great many of the people who were flocking to the temples this cherry-blossom time were from the Tokyo area. It was interesting that there were virtually no Euros or North Americans.

And finally we had confirmation that this was the very peak of the 2009 cherry blossom season - the vast majority of the blossom on the trees in the temple gardens was in full bloom, and there was absolutely none of it down on the ground. Neither had the new green leaves burst from their buds.

There’s no point trying to describe the cumulative effect of the blossoms in the gardens and the temple walkways - it was just sensational. The atmosphere was festival-like, but quiet and respectful, and suitably in awe of nature’s amazing display. New wonders came into sight with every turn and with each fresh vantage point. Thousands of photos were being snapped, and hopefully some of them will do justice to the spectacle, and bring back some of the feeling of the day.

We went from one meditation hall to the next, higher and higher up the mountain, past streams and ponds, over bridges that looked down on slow-swimming Koi carp, past raked pebble gardens and waterfalls and a huge pagoda, past pine trees and leafless Japanese maples.

Truly a memorable and incredible experience, never again to be repeated. I can’t imagine ever again being able to coincide a trip to Japan with the very peak of the cherry blossom season.

Next week I’ll go back and take photos of the blossom scattered like a carpet of snow on the ground, and floating in the ponds and streams, having drifted down like snowflakes.

--------------------------------------------

Flashbacks

I keep getting flashbacks of the journey to Japan. I guess I’m still recovering from it.

Last night I had a very sharp memory of the shiver of dread that ran through me at Heathrow when I suddenly had a thought- is Emirates a DRY airline? Holy fuck! Was that the reason it was the only airline that still had seats available to Japan in the cherry-blossom season? How bad would that be! More than 16 hours flying time via Dubai - without any free booze! Aaaarrrggghhhh!

Calm. Calm. Worst case scenario. The best case scenario was that there was unlimited quantities of top-class beer, wine, spirits and liqueurs to help pass the hours in a haze of well-being and olfactory delights.

When I asked the steward for a second can of Heineken he said, “I’ll give you two more.” Now that’s what I CALL an airline.

So - three cans before dinner, wine with it, and a generous glass of Hennessey to follow.

The spicy chicken and basmati rice, salad, bread, cheesecake and coffee weren’t bad either.

The double-decker Airbus 380 - 800, the biggest damn passenger plane in the world, and in the entire history of the world, sailed smoothly on at over 1,000kph, and every single man, woman and child in its massive cabins, and no doubt in its similar cabins upstairs, was sitting in front of an individual flat screen on which was playing a UNIQUE image.

No two images or programmes the same. It was unbelievable. The plane had more channels and films on tap than my home cable TV service. Plus a constantly updated map of where we were on our journey, and exactly which bit of which country we were flying over. Plus a constantly updated notification of airspeed, groundspeed, outside temperature, time at destination, time at point of departure, etc. Incredible.

Plus - the ability to touch the screen to change from a video image of what’s directly ahead of the plane to what’s immediately beneath it, to what the entire plane looks like from a video camera mounted at the top of the tailplane.

------------------------------------

Academia

Yesterday I went to look around the university and to attend a seminar that involved a colleague of Yoko plus three of Yoko’s post-grad students - Kayo, Tomoko and Megumi. The subject was the history of education and the progressive movement in Europe the late 19th and early 20th Century. These guys know a damn sight more about it than I do - Dewey, Montessori, etc.

At the end of the session I asked if I could do a video interview with them as a group. I had four questions. Why are there so many women-only universities in Japan and what do they feel are the advantages? What did they think were the main benefits of the Montessori approach to early years learning? What could they tell me about wabi sabi? Why do most Japanese people seem to know very little about (and care even less about) Zen?

When I find the time I’ll try to transcribe the discussion from the tape. Interesting.

In the afternoon I managed to set up my laptop for Internet access in Yoko’s office via the uni’s network, with the help of one of Yoko’s very pleasant colleagues. No sign of anyone having a guitar to lend me as yet!

We then went back to her new house, which I was visiting for the first time, and made dinner whilst trying to get the gist of what was at that very moment happening live in London - the G20 demonstrations. Felt very annoyed to be missing such events in my adopted city. Oh well . . .

-------------------------------------------------------

I have to write a speech for the start of year faculty meeting at the university tomorrow, so here goes.

Good morning everyone. Ohayo Gozaimas. I’m sorry I don’t speak any more Japanese, but I’m going to try hard to learn some in the next three weeks. Professor Yamasaki has very kindly bought me this Instant Japanese book - so I hope it will be instant!

I’ve only been back in Japan for a few days, but I’ve already decided I don’t want to go home to London. Being in Japan at cherry blossom time is very exciting and a huge thrill for me. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. Yesterday in Kyoto was wonderful beyond description. I wish I could show you the two thousand photos and one hour of video I took! I guess you have lots of photos of your own at home!

I’m missing the G20 meetings and demonstrations in London this week. My generation of students grew up in the 1960’s, so I have a fondness for political demonstrations. I haven’t lost my belief that by working together, people like us can help to make a better planet.

My home is in east London, which is where the next Olympics will take place in 2012. The main stadium’s construction is now reaching its full height. You can see it on internet webcams. Or feel free to come and see the games in 2012. I’m not sure I’ll be there myself though. I may have to escape to Japan for a more peaceful life.

I was a Primary teacher in London, and was then a headteacher of a Primary school for 20 years. My school was well known as a place where progressive child-centred education was pioneered in a State Primary school in the 1960’s, and onward.

I have now been happily retired from headship for two years, and these days I’m running my own educational consultancy, working with associates who are able to offer to schools, universities and local authorities advice and support on children’s wellbeing, personal, social and emotional intelligence, creativity, and pedagogy for child-centred education. I can give you a web site reference if you’re interested in knowing more.

I look forward to meeting some more of you and getting to know you better in these next three weeks. I’d like to thank those of you who have already been so welcoming and helpful. And I’d especially like to thank Professor Yamasaki, who wrote an academic paper with me and published it in Japan a few years ago.

With her help and support I’ve been able to develop my 3 Dimensional model of human intelligences, and it’s thanks to her generosity and continuing friendship that I’ve been able to return this year to Japan, a country I really love, yet again.

I wish you all a very happy and productive new academic year. Take care of one another, and enjoy life together.

Thank you all. Arigato gozaimas.
.