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Written by Roger Prentice
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Tuesday, 09 January 2007 |
Basics: Introductory B) with some discussion around the one sentence version of my SunWALK model.
In Basics: Introductory A) I made some points and raised some questions around my answer to 'What is the real difference between the 'holistically minded teacher/practitioner' and the 'non holistically-minded teacher/practitioner'?'
Here I want to re-introduce the one-sentence version of my model and raise around it some issues and questions. There are several versions of the one-sentence model - but they are essentially the same.
Some questions: What constitutes a holistic model of education? What elements, systems, concerns etc. must it have to qualify as holistic? What would 'fail' a model? Is there any justifiable rank order of importance? How and in what ways can intellectual rigour be ensured/guaranteed/improved within a holistic model of education?
Here is a 'vertically presented' version:
The SunWALK model of spiritualizing (or humanizing) pedagogy sees education as:
nurturing
capabilities through the
storied development
of meaning, which is
constructed, and de-constructed,
physically
mentally and
spiritually, through
Wise &
Willing
Action, via
Loving and
Knowing - developed in
Community, through the
‘Dialectical Spiritualization’ of
Caring,
Creativity &
Criticality discourses, all undertaken in the light of the
‘Sun’ of chosen higher-order
values and
beliefs, using best available, appropriate
content.
This in one sentence covers most of what I think is essential for any educational model (or school, or system) that claims to be holistic.
Over the next few days/weeks I will comment on each concept-element and then move on to comments and questions on the 30 unit course.
The educational model is itself based on a model of being human. Being human is seen as having capabilities in caring, creativity and criticality (the 3Cs) - acquired and expressed via the agency of the human body.
We all need to make a decision as to whether we are essentially material beings or spiritual beings. My choice is to see the human as spiritual - caring, creativity and criticality are seen as capabilities of the human spirit - but in this world they are more or less dependent on the agency of the human body.
The true 'subject matter' of the teacher is the human spirit hers/his and the students'. The goal is the nurturing of the human spirit - just as Tai Chi masters nurture each student's chi or life-force.
This of course is done 'in community' and for the purpose of living well. Living well is itself a matter of debate. I choose to be inspired by the perennial wisdom of the great wisdom traditions. A fine book that focuses on the essential nature of those traditions is Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh.
These spiritual teachings of course nurture the moral voice. Philosophy and science are particularly nurturing for the IT voice of the objective. Creativity is particularly nourishing for the I voice of subjectivity.
The list of key concept-elements in the one sentence version of the SunWALK model.
My argument is that all of these concept elements need to be accounted for in any educational model that claims to be holistic. AS such SunWALK is both a means for evaluating any model and in itself a meta-model. Many courses, such as MA courses, in effect require the student to articulate the model that each of us has implicit in how we approach the study of and practice of, education.
Such courses require us to articulate that which in us might be vaguely conscious and we do this against ideas found in public theory.
The concept-elements then are:
model
spiritualizing/humanizing)
pedagogy
education
nurturing capabilities
storied development
meaning
constructed/ion de-constructed/ion
physically
mentally
spiritually
Wise/Wisdom
Willing/volition
Action
Loving
Knowing
Community
‘Dialectical Spiritualization’
Caring,
Creativity
Criticality
discourses
the light of the ‘Sun’ of chosen higher-order values and beliefs
content - best available, appropriate
After the series of mini-articles on the key concept-elements in the one-sentence version of the model the next set of Basics articles will follow the subjects of the units in the 30 unit course
SEE http://spiritofholisticeducation.org.uk/content/category/12/38/61/
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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 January 2007 )
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