In a message dated 4/29/2001 10:09:10 PM Central Daylight Time,
Phillip_White@ceo.cudenver.edu writes:
> could you help me out here, you Judy, or anyone else?
>
> in Steps to an ecology of mind, Bateson (1972, pg. 160) quotes Margaret
> Mead "Before we apply social science to our own national affairs, we must
> re-examine and change our habits of thought on the subject on means and
> ends. We have learnt, in our cultural setting, to classify behavior into
> 'means' and 'ends' and if we go on defining edns as separate from means
> and apply the social sciences as crudely instrumental means, using the
> recipes of science to manipulate people, we shall arrive at a totalitarian
> rather than a democratic system of life."
>
Phillip, you have greatly influenced my confusion with YE's LBE. Earlier I
had attempted to synthesize Skinner's behavioral understanding into levels
and I failed miserably. This quote from Margaret Mead is exactly what I
intended for my introduction into the idea that culture defines product and
when product is sufficiently defined their is subsequently a definable
commodity.
Skinner spent 60 years defining what psychologists now term Behavorism, yet
Yrjo places his life work into a half of a sentence blurb, burried within the
structure of Level 1 learning. Since Skinner introduced such a viable
product into academic discourse it appears to me that theorists who argue
against capitalism are complaining about the very idea that educators can
utilize capitalist ideas to structure their own classrooms.
I don't intend to structure a classrom as a means to an end but I do intend
on restructuring how an educational system will provide structure for my own
child. I intend on teaching my child on how to advocate for their own
individual needs. If the school's activity structure is counterproductive to
the subject matter being taught at home, I will not pit my child against the
school. I will voice my opinion with those in charge of the school's
activity. As a parent, I am very perturbed with the discussion that is
going on, on the xmca board. Concerns are between educators and
administrators. Questions are between professors and respondees. Theories
are for students. I have seen no questions from practitioners. Please,
anyone, tell me what a practitioner is?
Whaaat do you think?
Eric
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue May 01 2001 - 01:02:13 PDT