In his article “Only Connect...” The goals of a Liberal Education, William Cronon argues that a problem with our current education systems is that it is “much easier to itemize the requirements of a curriculum than to describe the qualities of the human beings we would like that curriculum to produce” (p. 2, Cronon) He states this opinion just after arguing that currently, modern educational systems “flounder” by stating the goals of education requirements. From what I could gather from the reading, he groups these educational goals with similarly problematic lists of required courses that aim to liberally educate a person. This is where I start to disagree with Cronon. I would argue that the problem does not lay in our current educational systems, even with their exhausting lists of requirements and developmental goals. I believe the current liberal educational systems can teach people how to meet Cronon’s ten specified criteria, especially the “ability to connect” (p. 5, Cronon), it’s just that current methods of teaching and evaluation do not allow for enough meaningful personal reflection and the freedom of community interaction. Too often are we required to sit in classrooms, competing with other students for a passing grade, so that we may earn the coveted college degree.
On the other hand, I agreed with how John Dewey considered the degree to which we need to educate our youth when he was examining whether formal educational instruction (which I perceived as similar to Cronon’s problematic lists of educational goals and set curriculum) is needed. On page 8, Dewey states that “Learning by direct sharing in the pursuit of grown-ups becomes increasingly difficult except in the case of the less advanced occupations.” In essence, advanced societies require more formal education because the infant population can no longer achieve a state of expertise just through adult-to-youth communication of habit. I would argue that formal education, in combination with “unconsciously knowing [information] because they have absorbed it in the formation of their characters by interaction with others” (p. 9, Dewey) could produce the ideally educated person in an advanced society.
My question for the class is this. How do you think Cronon would respond to Dewey’s claim that formalized education is required for advanced civilizations? Furthermore, do you think a person that is formally educated in institutions is capable of exhibiting the 10 characteristics Cronon outlines, or would they fail due to their inability to connect with the world we live in?
On the other hand, I agreed with how John Dewey considered the degree to which we need to educate our youth when he was examining whether formal educational instruction (which I perceived as similar to Cronon’s problematic lists of educational goals and set curriculum) is needed. On page 8, Dewey states that “Learning by direct sharing in the pursuit of grown-ups becomes increasingly difficult except in the case of the less advanced occupations.” In essence, advanced societies require more formal education because the infant population can no longer achieve a state of expertise just through adult-to-youth communication of habit. I would argue that formal education, in combination with “unconsciously knowing [information] because they have absorbed it in the formation of their characters by interaction with others” (p. 9, Dewey) could produce the ideally educated person in an advanced society.
My question for the class is this. How do you think Cronon would respond to Dewey’s claim that formalized education is required for advanced civilizations? Furthermore, do you think a person that is formally educated in institutions is capable of exhibiting the 10 characteristics Cronon outlines, or would they fail due to their inability to connect with the world we live in?
I think Cronon would disagree with Dewey's statement. Cronon mentioned the liberal education was not to be achieve and it was not "a state" but a "way of living" (5). Therefore it should not be restricted to any form.
ReplyDeleteI think a person who receives formal education may not exhibit the ten qualities listed by Cronon upon graduation; but he or she is in a better position to culminate himself or herself to possess these qualities later in life once he or she finishes the process (formal education). The qualities listed, as Cronon said, were a way of living. A person with twenty-something-year of living experience may barely understand the harsh meaning of those requirements. I think it proper to treat them like standards in the mind and use that to understand ourselves (through self denial) and to interact the world at large. We may, eventually, reach these goals; yet the process would be long and difficult.