Key question in critical thinking:
‘Hang on, what are you trying to persuade?’
Tag: criticalthinking
Concept of Value in Education
In my opinion value is a special message embedded in education. It may consciously or unconsciously transferred to students. It reflects the condition of the society, of what regarded important by the society, or maybe even what is regarded important by the educator.
For example, in 1929 an Indonesian educator established an education system which called ‘freedom system’ (Takwin, 2010). The value brought by that system is independence; the ability to be obedient but autonomous. It reflects high level of nationalism because at that time, Indonesia was trying to get its independence.
A couple of decades later, the system was substituted by more moderate curriculum, which stresses on conformity. Governed by authoritarian leader, schools promote uniformity. Differences were seen as something inappropriate and those who show different opinion or idea may be punished.
After Indonesian reformation in 1998 the value internalized in education changed again. People have started to put emphasis on individual development and embrace diversity. The government, until now, is still trying to increase economic resource. Education is seen as a mean to produce qualified people who can work to increase economical power. According to Indonesian vice president, Boediono (2012), education is a strategic sector because it will prepare future workers in getting their skills in science and technology. It is also used to support country’s development through social, economical, and political construction.
The examples above are the example of how value of education changes across time according to the leader, circumstances, or external forces. However value transfer is not limited to the big ones. In small scale, a teacher may transfer his personal value to the students.
There are lots of needs and agenda that people want to insert into education. It seems for me, that adults or whoever got the power can promote one or certain value to children through education. But what about what children want? What about the value of children itself? If education is used to internalized values to children, then for whom the education actually is? Is it for children and students? Is it for those who got the power? What if children are given so many values that they are actually confused? Isn’t education then going to create those confused, valueless apathy people?
Dec 06, 2012
What Education Means to Me
Every person may have different understanding about education. Some people define education as schooling; some others relate education to learning activities. In my opinion, education is a lifelong, social context related process which involves getting information from environment and reflecting obtained information within self. It enables one to survive and it is important to make one’s life more valuable and beneficial for others.
Education is not limited to particular time duration. Human is born with capable mind which can be used for a life time. It is not limited to school, because education can be taken everywhere. It is a process because education should persist and gradually change one’s skill, ability, or behaviour. Education is always related to social context because the level of importance of skills or abilities differs in every society. For example, in a fisherman village, a child learns how to fish in early year. He may not attend special course about fishing, but practically helping his father educates him to be a fisherman. His experience continues to make him an expert and in implicit way it educates him to be a better fisherman. Fishing skill may be important in a fisherman village but in a modern city it might be placed in the bottom of education priority.
Education involves two things. The first one is getting information. Human senses enable human to receive stimulus. Therefore it is human nature to be able to receive information from external world. Inputs received by senses then processed in human brain and eventually the information can be used in any way to help human live. Education also involves personal reflection. What is obtained from surroundings will be interpreted in a specific personal way. One can reflect and learn through one’s own perception. This will cause education unique, different for everybody even though the education received is similar.
Education enables human to survive. Obtained skills and abilities from education will definitely help one to not only survive but also make the quality of one’s life better. Education is a crucial thing in human’s life because it is a mean to make one’s life more valuable and to enable human to help each other. By education, an average fisherman can be a better fisherman, gives a better life for his family. In addition, the fisherman can also help other people by providing more fish, opening job opportunities, or even educating other fisherman.
My version of the meaning of education involves three principles. It is a lifelong, social context related process. There are two activities in education, which are receiving information and processing the information by reflecting it within self. The aim of education is to make human survive, to enhance the quality of human’s life, and to enable human gives benefit for others.
Oct 07, 2012
Sustainable
Sustain (v) to keep sb/sth alive or in existence
(Oxford Learners Pocket Dictionary)
I was thinking lately about this word. Sustainable. The first time I really involved with this word was when I had to teach my private student about 8 goals of MDGs. Well, quite a hard topic for a junior high student. But then, it turns out that I have to use the word more often.
A week or two ago I went home with my friend from school. In this case, school is my place of work, not where I study. I had a chat with her about some of my students. We were wondering why are their scores in so many subjects bad. We thought about three reasons; unclear explanation from the teachers, unprepared students during the test, or inability to absorb the materials and extract them when they are needed.
If the reason is unclear explanation from the teachers, then there will be so many teachers at stake here. There is one teacher for one subject and we doubt that all teachers are that incompetent. No way. They are hired as a teacher for some reasons and the reasons must be good. They should have a capability, skills, to handle the children and transfer the knowledge. Nope, I don’t think that the teachers are the reason.
Students preparedness of the test should be worked out by teachers and parents. At school they study. As soon as there will be upcoming exam, the teachers prepare the students. There are exercises and homework given out so students get used to answering written questions. The experience say that those students were able to do both things well. They had good results for their exercises and homework. So what went wrong? There is still one more preparation that should be done; preparation at home. Well, the homework should prove that they prepared themselves at home, right? I am quite sure that the parents were aware of the upcoming exam and asked their kids to learn. Well, at least the kids told so.
Then there is the third reason. Maybe they can’t absorb the materials and extract them when they are needed! Humans have brains, right? How can they not be able to absorb knowledge? Then I remembered one of my student. He always get answer for his questions easily. Whenever he is challenged, he step back and choose not to try. He totally shut down. Maybe that is the reason. They always get the answers to their questions easily that they don’t have to think, they don’t have to analyze, they don’t have to strive to come up with an answer. Well, God gives us brain in order to give us a chance to think. As stated in the Holy Qur’an.
Finally I concluded. Sustainable. They were not sustainable. They can’t keep their knowledge exist this whole time and can’t get the benefit of their knowledge. People tend to easily forget what they know or have when they get it easily. I forget that I have 2000 rupiah money when I pick it up from the street (well, this isn’t really happen). These children easily forget what they know because they don’t need to think. The brain doesn’t put the information in long term memory and therefore they were unable to produce the answer in their exam.
I really think that teachers should be able to make the students sustainable. They have to be able to give the students skill to strive in this world. Teachers can easily pass out the knowledge like they are passing hand outs. But really? Is it going to help the children? Give the children opportunity to think. Push them to the edge but equip them with safety tools. When they are skilled, every exam will be as easy pizzy lemon squeezy.
Apr 12, 2012
The Adventure of Izzao 