Daily Byte: "The Benefits of Character Education"

"Character education is not old-fashioned, and it's not about bringing religion in to the classroom. Character education teaches children how to make wise decisions and act on them. Character is the "X factor" that experts in parenting and education have deemed integral to success, both in school and in life."

 - Jessica Lahey

Read Jessica Lahey's article in The Atlantic for an insightful and balanced argument in favour of character education in schools:

THE BENEFITS OF CHARACTER EDUCATION

Lahey argues that character education and religious education are not synonymous. Instead, teaching character is something that is compatible with secular curricula. Moreover, how else can children truly be taught anything without the character traits of empathy, focus, self-discipline, and curiosity that are the foundation of any academic program?

Daily Byte: Frontiers of Learning

Let's not talk religion, but spirit. Let's not talk dogma, but soul.

FRONTIERS OF LEARNING

The young people in this film address the great spiritual deficit found in so much of education (and society) today, and through new processes of facilitated learning, are reaching a deeper understanding about the meaning of human existence and community service. Even if you take away the religious component, the teaching methodologies are valid in almost any context: dialogue, accompaniment, mentorship, service, family involvement.

We need a new philosophy, not continental or analytic, but perennial. A renewal of the perennial philosophy that teaches young people about the unity of truth underlying culture and context.

If anything, we need to start speaking to young people about more than just academics, careers, computers, and sex. We need to start a conversation about the loneliness, confusion, and anxiety facing so many teens and adults. And we need to do it in a context of love and mutual respect. No prejudgment or proselytizing. But more than just "assembly-line" education.

Daily Byte: Discrimination at Oxford

Affirmative action (or 'positive discrimination') often gets a bad rap in higher education, but it's better than the alternative:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY ACCUSED OF BIAS AGAINST ETHNIC MINORITY APPLICANTS

The Guardian reports that the data go beyond anecdotal evidence, to show structural, "institutional" racism at one of the world's most prestigious universities.

Should we be surprised that elite schools favour certain groups over others? Legacy students - those whose parents attended the school - already have significant advantages.

Or are these differences in admission rates due to the very real "achievement gap" between white and poor or minority students?

Even if the achievement gap contributes to lower admission rates, the very fact of this gap is a form of structural discrimination that needs to be addressed.

While Oxford spokespeople refute the allegations, the data still demand an honest conversation about all forms of discrimination in education.

Daily Byte: Smallmedia.org

Having worked for almost a year with an Iranian journalist on issues of forced confessions, denial of education, and human rights in Iran, I see the future of the country as a bellwether for 21st century crises and opportunities. 

One organisation that seems to agree with this assessment is Small Media, which aims to "support the free flow of information in closed societies," with a particular focus on Iran. One project in particular caught my eye:

KNOWLEDGE AS RESISTANCE: THE BAHA'I INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The documentary I was working on last year was about the BIHE, and it is a subject I feel has great relevance for the future of education. I feel the Institute is leading the way toward a new form of knowledge creation and dissemination forged out of repression and injustice. It is schooling students in  independent thought, global service, and moral courage. And it will be a topic explored in various ways throughout this blog.