PHILOSOPHER | EDUCATOR | COMPOSER
  • home
  • Educator
  • Composer
  • Blog
  • bio

PHILOSOPHICAL INSIGHTS

What are you ashamed not to know?

11/30/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Image by donations welcome from Pixabay

​Seth Godin published a great blog titled “Ashamed to not Know” (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/03/ashamed-to-not-know.html).  In it, he points out that “society changes when we change what we’re embarrassed about.”  It is now shameful to be a racist in public.  The question is “how long before we will be ashamed at being uninformed, at spouting pseudoscience, at believing thin propaganda?”  

The trouble with many students today seems to be that they have no shame at all about their ignorance.  Many seem to wear it as a badge of honor.  “Of course, we don’t know about American history, geography, basic mathematics, statistics, or science,” they seem to be saying.  “So what?”  

Their peers don’t seem to pressure them to learn either.  Given this, it’s difficult to convince them that there are good reasons to learn the subjects they are being taught.  If the only ones sending them the message that it’s important to learn are their elders many will not be inspired and motivated to learn.  

In my case, I remember thinking, as I first stepped into a college classroom, that what I would now be learning was important and mattered in a way that what I learned in high school didn't.  I cared what I learned about and whether I was learning it.  But, students really need to care about what they’re learning well before they get to a college campus.  We need to begin early and cultivate their caring as an ongoing process.  

How can we do that? I think it begins with a few simple components:

Lead by Example: The adults in a student’s life have to care about learning and show this.  This means their parents, their friends’ parents, and of course, their teachers.  Young children need to be introduced to adults who have an interest in learning about lots of different things and they need to be shown that this is an important part of adult life.  Simply telling them to care about learning without leading by example won’t cut it.

Explain:  While showing is important, articulating why you should care about learning is also important.  Provide reasons and talk about them in the context of learning and do this often and consistently.  

Show that It’s OK to not know: But, then give them the tools to find out and learn.  We can’t know everything and children quickly learn that the adults in their life aren't omniscient.  This is OK as long as you then provide a way to learn what you don’t know and show that you care about doing so.  You don’t have to learn everything but if you provide the tools for children to learn on their own and encourage them to do so you will be providing them a set of skills they will value and use throughout their life.

Care has to be cultivated and encouraged.  It takes time, conversation, and starts with caring on your part.  I suspect it also contains a small amount of shame.  Being ashamed to not know and then acting on this.  As Alain de Botton pointed out “Anyone who isn't embarrassed by who they were last year probably isn't learning enough.”

If you are not ashamed to not know some things, your children and students will never be inspired to learn.  What are you ashamed to not know?
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    KEVIN J. BROWNE

    Philosopher / Educator

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    These blog posts contain links to products on Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Categories

    All
    Beliefs
    Book Review
    Connections
    Critical Thinking
    Education
    Ethics
    Homeschooling
    Influence
    Learning
    Lifestyle
    Logic
    Motivation
    Philosophy
    Psychology
    Quora Question
    Quotations
    Reading
    Relevance
    Teaching
    Thinking

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture


    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Kevin Browne's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (read shelf)
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • home
  • Educator
  • Composer
  • Blog
  • bio