tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post1700153956428285134..comments2024-03-28T06:53:24.022-05:00Comments on a blog about school: What does it mean to be well educated?Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12919030671050831251noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285353362748898720.post-60834181427140680132010-11-12T21:03:22.178-06:002010-11-12T21:03:22.178-06:00Chris: These are great questions. I too value heal...Chris: These are great questions. I too value healthy skepticism, and think that an ideal education would be one that encouraged such a trait in kids. I fear, though, that schooling most often has the opposite effect. Despite the current emphasis on "critical thinking skills," for instance, I think schools actually value a kind of unquestioning, rah-rah enthusiasm, and reward the kids who unequivocally exhibit it. Kids who do not display this cheerleader attitude—towards the school, the sports teams, the curriculum, towards everything, really—are dismissed as having a bad attitude. <br /><br />I'm trying to think of what a school that encouraged true critical thinking would look like. I don't have the answer but I think it would have to be a lot less institutional than your average public school, because institutions—in order to sustain themselves—require people who believe in them. <br /><br />I'm very tired, and I suspect not making sense. (I've already caught a dozen typos, and I'm sure there are a dozen more I have missed--sorry!) I'll just add that my daughters have managed to find a kind of middle ground between mindless enthusiasm and outright rebellion. They appear to be good little girls at school, but at home they express a lot of healthy skepticism. I'm thankful for that, at least.StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.com