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I've only been partially/peripherally following the debate this morning
on the list and thought that, instead of reaching for my tinfoil hat I
would actually come in and contribute. I tried to make this post make
sense... and have failed miserably. onward.<br>
<br>
Brian Holmes wrote:<br>
<i>"What I propose is to press for high-quality education at all class
levels, in all areas of cities and also in the suburban and rural zones
where so much of the USA's current neofascism and religious zealotry
has come from. This education would definitely include musical
education, access to musical instruments, access to different ways of
using them also."<br>
<br>
</i>What I find interesting about this kind of statement is how someone
with a liberal arts education from a prestigious university thinks that
the silver bullet of 'high-quality education at all class levels' is
somehow going to destroy fascism. Your argument here seems to follow a
fairly standard postmodern line<br>
<i><br>
"From my perspective, cultures are shaped, not only by the free will of
those who live in them, but also by the patterns of expresion and
interaction which have been deliberately organized."<br>
</i><br>
A line that I have a great deal of sympathy for. And yet. And yet you
somehow believe that 'A Good Education' is going to save America from
falling into the depths of religious fanaticism. Where is this 'good
education' that you are speaking about? Those instruments you propose
to give to students... what will be played on them? The education
system we have was designed by imperialists to teach the masses a few
basic lessons. read. write. obey a clock. follow discordant and
alienating instructions. obey. It IS the controlling influence in our
society, it affects 'young people' in a way that is far more profound
than any media organization would even dream of putting on their
Christmas Wish List. <br>
<br>
Trying to get down with the young folk isn't about giving up the vision
of the past... it's about trying to field a product that those students
will have any connection with. We are fighting, sadly, against a legacy
of that 19th century educational system that has convinced the people
who went through it that that is what education MUST BE. Any changes
need to be seen in the light of who actually makes the policy decisions
in education. <br>
<br>
If you've got the educational system that we can apply on a country
wide scale... a system that allows us to force students to
hypermediate, to think for themselves... To actually learn the patience
that it takes to actually think through something.<br>
<br>
What I'm not convinced about, though, is that there is any connection
between 'deep thought' and hypermediation. Media tricks aren't really
all that savvy. <br>
<br>
thanks for the interesting conversation...<br>
<br>
dave.<br>
<blockquote cite="mid459A9ADE.7030709@wanadoo.fr" type="cite"><br>
<br>
john sobol wrote:
<br>
So if I’m cautiously optimistic about the possible
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">evolution of networked youth culture it is in
fact specifically in the modest hope that if such bridges are built it
may help slow the suicidal industrial tendencies of literate society by
integrating ‘diffuse awareness’ in the economic value chain. It’s not
something that I expect to happen quickly, if at all, but what exactly
are you offering as an alternative?
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Just the modest proposal that one quit gushing the advertising talk for
long enough to consider the general disaster of commercialized
communication in the USA. We definitely agree that literate society is
beset by suicidal tendencies, but I don't think they can specifically
be blamed on literature, nor do I think that the solution is
integrating diffuse awareness in the value chain. Distraction has been
engineered for so long that it's pretty well integrated. What I propose
is to press for high-quality education at all class levels, in all
areas of cities and also in the suburban and rural zones where so much
of the USA's current neofascism and religious zealotry has come from.
This education would definitely include musical education, access to
musical instruments, access to different ways of using them also. When
it comes to an ability to survive with both pleasure and dignity in
this world, there is room for lots of people's approaches, I was just
objecting to this kind of line I see and hear all the time, "you gotta
do what the kids are doin." From my perspective, cultures are shaped,
not only by the free will of those who live in them, but also by the
patterns of expresion and interaction which have been deliberately
organized. Distracted consumption has been deliberately organized, with
a particular focus on young people. However, I really doubt that is
what you are offering the world, John. I'm just suggesting maybe
there's a better language - whether spoken or written - to describe the
way forward.
<br>
<br>
best, Brian Holmes
<br>
<br>
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<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
=========
dave cormier
educational coordinator <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://worldbridges.net">http://worldbridges.net</a>
cohost <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://edtechtalk.com">http://edtechtalk.com</a>
tech coordinator University of Prince Edward Island
</pre>
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