Beginning Conversations

To open this series of posts that speak to ideas of Integral Theory and Practice, I share what was one of my last posts that was in DRAFT until I resurrected this blog for this course. I can help but see the thinking of was is the thinking that now and that this thinking did not stifle but expanded. I can't help but think metaphorically. All brains are wired to see connections and make sense of the world by fitting round things in any shaped hole. It's a scary thing if ignored. My brain does this but does so as if always on steroids; I just hope that round is with round...most of the time. We learn through our mistakes. This is an overwhelming task that requires commitment and respect. I won't go into this, as this is what I speak to in other posts. I want to talk about the what-we-SHOULD hold-on-to, in spite of  dis-confirming 'evidence' or really, because of it. The world we live in is a crazy place- let's think about the core values that are non...

"The Little House" vs Educational Institutions It's difficult not to recognize similarities and differences between this movie and education- from the the pendulum swing and initiatives short lived, standing firm when others are pushing, the disconnect between between form and function, that 'progression' is inevitable, not progress... How can we use what we 'see' to reflect on our own institutional choices? In other words, what is 'it' that we hold onto so dearly? What are we unwilling to let go even in the face of overwhelming evidence?  What practices, issues, ideas are archaic in nature, ridden with  'experience as evidence' beliefs (see Jan 22 blog post), that permeate our school? What norms are simply vestigial organs of a time past and need to be removed, rather than just ignored? In the most simplest of terms: What do we keep? What do we throw? What do we grow? What is our obligation as an institution to insist on learning-...