We Believe

Call it a pet peeve, but I hate when one person attempts to speak for an entire nation, group, or tribe.

Perhaps it happens as a matter of shorthand, but Oren Lyons (Barry Lopez, "The Leadership Imperative," page 205- 213) falls right into that trap. He says "We believe that everything is made by a Creator" (209). Oh really? So there's no place for atheism in Native American cultures?

That's just one example of the "we" statement, although there are plenty more throughout the essay. Some of the time the "we" refers to Native Americans from times long ago (like before the European invasion), and sometimes it refers to the current generation. So, not only is he speaking for everyone living today, but he's speaking for all of those that lived throughout hundreds of years of history.

Does being born into a tradition make you a spokesperson for that tradition? Does it make you the authority on that tradition's history? Does it give you the right to speak for all?

Maybe I'm just being sensitive here, but...

Virtual, non-authentic experiences

Lowell Monke's "Charlotte's Webpage" (pages 194-204) suggests that too much technology isn't good for the souls of little boys and girls.

And here's something to consider: if you're overexposed to a "similated world," you risk becoming dead to the real world. You risk losing all sense of connection, your sense of place.

Basically put, technology is way too powerful for human beings to use sensibly, especially little boys and girls with undeveloped brains.

Computers come with a cost, one that Monke describes as "a Faustian bargain." Wow.

Again, I understand the points Monke is making, although I do feel that he's being a bit over the top. Do kids need more experiential learning opportunities? Sure. Is too much exposure to technology, especially computers and gaming systems, harmful? Well, maybe. But maybe not to the extent that Monke suggests.

I was saddened to learn that many schools have eliminated recess. I cannot imagine how a school can eliminate the milk break at 10, the lunch break at 12, and the afternoon respite at 2. Seriously. Kids gots to play. And schools that don't get that are more of a threat than schools that spend money on technology.

Love It before You Know It

David Sobel's "Beyond Ecophobia" (pages 181-193) begins the Reverence section of The Future of Nature.

It's hard to disagree with what he's saying, but let's be careful. He seems to suggest that we should insulate kids from the realities of the big bad world, and I guess I disagree.

I do agree that it's important to get kids outside, to give them an appreciation for nature before asking them to "save" the world; but I don't think it's necessarily an either/or question. And really, neither does Sobel.

When I attended grade school in the early 1980s, I distinctly remember a lack of science in the curriculum. We would do Math, Reading, and social sciences every day, but we only did science once a week. Is this because our tiny little minds couldn't handle science? Couldn't handle theories and so on?

Sobel also warns about "curricular brainwashing." What is that? When does something move beyond education to brainwashing? When does something become "activism"? And when do kids lose the ability to choose and decide for themselves?

All important questions, and this is a good article to help get the discussion started.