Understanding that Knowledge is Contentious and Incomplete does not make me despise it. On the contrary, I find myself pursuing knowledge with newfound vigor and rigor. Because now, it no longer exist as a pragmatic entity to success, but it is an important key to unlocking the mind and eventually, to life. As I explore and acquire knowledge with a discerning and open mind, I find myself discovering more truths upon which I begin to rebuild the foundations of my life and hopefully, build the foundations of my children's life. And that is exciting to me.
Back to the book - It is through this exploration of knowledge that one's mental muscles are trained. And it is this mental training that will prepare a teenager as he steps out of textbooks and enters the real, dynamic world. I agree with the author that the process of education is like "a learning gymnasium" whose aim is to strengthen our mental muscles and it is a phrase that I will borrow as I think about the kids education.
I remembered how I first started on reading about education in preparation for Sarah and Samuel, I was considering the classical approach and then I was soon exposed to whole plethora of other methods and then I found myself swimming in a big big ocean. I find myself returning to the starting point and asking -What am I really teaching my kids when I choose to delve in the classics? Why do I want to introduce to them the works of art of the masters? Perhaps, even if my kids could replicate their work, it really doesn't effect in true learning. I think the copy artist of Thailand and Indonesia do a better job at reproducing the originals of the great artist.
But perhaps, if we could, as we explore the works of the great- but immerse into an iota of these great minds and ask - what were these great men really thinking about? What was Gustave Eiffel trying to do when he built the Eiffel tower? Why did Leonardo Da Vinci decide to paint the ceiling? What inspired Vincent Van Gogh's choice of the color yellow in his famous Sunflowers? Journeying along the great minds of artists, musicians, writers, scientists and philosophers would do more to the mind than merely be able to rattle the biography of each great men, or memorize the entire repertoire of their works, or even draw an accurate reproduction of the great paintings.
Much to learn even with knowledge itself,
There is knowledge to be acquired, there is knowledge to be mastered and there is knowledge to be appreciated and there is knowledge to be questioned and there is knowledge to be refuted and there is knowledge to be created
Back to the book - It is through this exploration of knowledge that one's mental muscles are trained. And it is this mental training that will prepare a teenager as he steps out of textbooks and enters the real, dynamic world. I agree with the author that the process of education is like "a learning gymnasium" whose aim is to strengthen our mental muscles and it is a phrase that I will borrow as I think about the kids education.
I remembered how I first started on reading about education in preparation for Sarah and Samuel, I was considering the classical approach and then I was soon exposed to whole plethora of other methods and then I found myself swimming in a big big ocean. I find myself returning to the starting point and asking -What am I really teaching my kids when I choose to delve in the classics? Why do I want to introduce to them the works of art of the masters? Perhaps, even if my kids could replicate their work, it really doesn't effect in true learning. I think the copy artist of Thailand and Indonesia do a better job at reproducing the originals of the great artist.
But perhaps, if we could, as we explore the works of the great- but immerse into an iota of these great minds and ask - what were these great men really thinking about? What was Gustave Eiffel trying to do when he built the Eiffel tower? Why did Leonardo Da Vinci decide to paint the ceiling? What inspired Vincent Van Gogh's choice of the color yellow in his famous Sunflowers? Journeying along the great minds of artists, musicians, writers, scientists and philosophers would do more to the mind than merely be able to rattle the biography of each great men, or memorize the entire repertoire of their works, or even draw an accurate reproduction of the great paintings.
Much to learn even with knowledge itself,
There is knowledge to be acquired, there is knowledge to be mastered and there is knowledge to be appreciated and there is knowledge to be questioned and there is knowledge to be refuted and there is knowledge to be created
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