What do you think?
Rate this book
The End of Education (text only) 1st (First) edition by N. Postman
The End of Redefining the Value of School [Paperback]Neil Postman (Author)
Paperback
First published September 26, 1995
165 people are currently reading
5103 people want to read
About the author
Neil Postman
49 books1,023 followersNeil Postman, an important American educator, media theorist and cultural critic was probably best known for his popular 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. For more than four decades he was associated with New York University, where he created and led the Media Ecology program.
He is the author of more than thirty significant books on education, media criticism, and cultural change including Teaching as a Subversive Activity, The Disappearance of Childhood, Technopoly, and Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century.
Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985), a historical narrative which warns of a decline in the ability of our mass communications media to share serious ideas. Since television images replace the written word, Postman argues that television confounds serious issues by demeaning and undermining political discourse and by turning real, complex issues into superficial images, less about ideas and thoughts and more about entertainment. He also argues that television is not an effective way of providing education, as it provides only top-down information transfer, rather than the interaction that he believes is necessary to maximize learning. He refers to the relationship between information and human response as the Information-action ratio.
He is the author of more than thirty significant books on education, media criticism, and cultural change including Teaching as a Subversive Activity, The Disappearance of Childhood, Technopoly, and Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century.
Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985), a historical narrative which warns of a decline in the ability of our mass communications media to share serious ideas. Since television images replace the written word, Postman argues that television confounds serious issues by demeaning and undermining political discourse and by turning real, complex issues into superficial images, less about ideas and thoughts and more about entertainment. He also argues that television is not an effective way of providing education, as it provides only top-down information transfer, rather than the interaction that he believes is necessary to maximize learning. He refers to the relationship between information and human response as the Information-action ratio.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
January 9, 2021
This book is as annoying as it is inspirational. In 1969, Neil Postman wrote my all-time favorite pedagogy book, Teaching as a Subversive Activity, in which he deconstructs pretty much everything schools do, makes fun of a lot of common assumptions about what a "good" education entails, and tries to evaluate what's actually worth doing in the classroom. The End of Education has some of the same magic, but for every brilliantly snarky observation, there's some snobbishly pretentious idea to counterbalance it. I appreciate Postman's scathing wit and vicious skepticism--he takes very little for granted, and he's willing to challenge every conventional idea about education from the bottom up. But I also get the sense that he got a little more conservative as he got older (this was written 26 years after Subversive Activity), and there's some snobby old white man energy in this book that I don't find especially useful.
The End of Education is a provocatively misleading title--what he really means is "The Larger Purpose of Education," as in "the means and the ends." Basically, Postman is saying that the current narrative that's supposed to give meaning to schooling--which he calls "the god of Economic Utility"--is neither inspiring nor believable nor powerful enough to make education worthwhile. As he describes it:
"[...] Many believe it to be the preeminent reason for schooling: the god of Economic Utility. As its name suggests, it is a passionless god, cold and severe. But it makes a promise, and not a trivial one. Addressing the young, it offers a covenant of sorts with them: If you will pay attention in school, and do your homework, and score well on tests, and behave yourself, you will be rewarded with a well-paying job when you are done. Its driving idea is that the purpose of schooling is to prepare children for competent entry into the economic life of the community. [...] The story tells us that we are first and foremost economic creatures, and that our sense of worth and purpose is to be found in our capacity to secure material benefits. According to this god, you are what you do for a living. Goodness inheres in productivity, efficiency, and organization; evil in inefficiency and sloth."
Postman proceeds to trash this "purpose," and he spends the rest of the book searching for a new one: a larger narrative to explain why kids should be educated, and how. This is a hugely ambitious project, and this ambition is both exciting and, ultimately, overwhelming: the project feels too big for Postman, and the second half of this book becomes a bit indulgent and rambling as he gets lost in the epicness of his scope. From a philosophical perspective, this book is often exciting; from a practical pedagogical perspective, this book is basically worthless.
But teachers should think about this way more often than they do: What's the point of schooling, exactly? What's it trying to achieve? What's the larger narrative that gives it meaning and purpose? What is its role in society, exactly? How much should it reflect the world vs. shape it? How can teachers harness the boundless energy and potential of young people for the forces of good rather than the forces of evil (or the forces of indifference)? How can we make school more galvanizing and less demoralizing? And so forth.
The End of Education is a provocatively misleading title--what he really means is "The Larger Purpose of Education," as in "the means and the ends." Basically, Postman is saying that the current narrative that's supposed to give meaning to schooling--which he calls "the god of Economic Utility"--is neither inspiring nor believable nor powerful enough to make education worthwhile. As he describes it:
"[...] Many believe it to be the preeminent reason for schooling: the god of Economic Utility. As its name suggests, it is a passionless god, cold and severe. But it makes a promise, and not a trivial one. Addressing the young, it offers a covenant of sorts with them: If you will pay attention in school, and do your homework, and score well on tests, and behave yourself, you will be rewarded with a well-paying job when you are done. Its driving idea is that the purpose of schooling is to prepare children for competent entry into the economic life of the community. [...] The story tells us that we are first and foremost economic creatures, and that our sense of worth and purpose is to be found in our capacity to secure material benefits. According to this god, you are what you do for a living. Goodness inheres in productivity, efficiency, and organization; evil in inefficiency and sloth."
Postman proceeds to trash this "purpose," and he spends the rest of the book searching for a new one: a larger narrative to explain why kids should be educated, and how. This is a hugely ambitious project, and this ambition is both exciting and, ultimately, overwhelming: the project feels too big for Postman, and the second half of this book becomes a bit indulgent and rambling as he gets lost in the epicness of his scope. From a philosophical perspective, this book is often exciting; from a practical pedagogical perspective, this book is basically worthless.
But teachers should think about this way more often than they do: What's the point of schooling, exactly? What's it trying to achieve? What's the larger narrative that gives it meaning and purpose? What is its role in society, exactly? How much should it reflect the world vs. shape it? How can teachers harness the boundless energy and potential of young people for the forces of good rather than the forces of evil (or the forces of indifference)? How can we make school more galvanizing and less demoralizing? And so forth.
August 11, 2015
Neil Postman came across as a real doomsayer in Amusing Ourselves to Death, but since what he had to say rang so true, I wanted to read more of it. The title of this book seemed just as pessimistic, but it was deceptively so. By “End of Education,” Postman isn’t really talking about the death of education so much as the aims of education. What is it for? Economic utility, i.e. preparing kids for the labor market, isn’t enough of a reason – at least not to a kid. Postman doesn’t think much of helping kids develop technical and computer literacy either. To him, the ideal is for kids to be trained to be culturally literate human beings who take responsibility for the community and world they live in and who can tolerate other people’s differences. He’s a big proponent of the public schools creating a common culture that respects diversity. He blames the “multi-cultural” agenda for delivering the precise opposite.
Though I didn’t agree with every one of Postman’s points, the section that he calls “A Fable,” in which he tells the fictional story of how New York City solved its school crisis, made me want to get up and cheer. It’s for that section that I’m giving the book 5 stars. Besides that, Postman deserves it. I believe he is one of the most important educational philosophers of recent times, a John Dewey of the late 20th century. Since education, whether you get it from school, synagogue, church, or television, is really what defines our lives, everyone should read him.
Though I didn’t agree with every one of Postman’s points, the section that he calls “A Fable,” in which he tells the fictional story of how New York City solved its school crisis, made me want to get up and cheer. It’s for that section that I’m giving the book 5 stars. Besides that, Postman deserves it. I believe he is one of the most important educational philosophers of recent times, a John Dewey of the late 20th century. Since education, whether you get it from school, synagogue, church, or television, is really what defines our lives, everyone should read him.
June 17, 2013
When first approached about helping to facilitate an online discussion of Neil Postman’s The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School, I had my doubts. Postman’s book was published in 1995, and the man himself died in 2003. American education has evolved rapidly and dramatically in the intervening years. How could a book so old have any relevance for these turbulent times?
Well, shut my mouth. The End of Education is nothing short of prescient. Writing before No Child Left Behind, Common Core State Standards, ubiquitous testing, and the corporatization of public education, Neil Postman saw it all coming and vividly describes the dangers and opportunities in what has largely come to pass in the years since his book’s publication.
In 197 pages, Postman explains how the absence of a coherent narrative in American school allows a drift toward meaninglessness and creates a void that is being filled by opportunistic “educrats.” He then offers several ways to focus schools that will provide purpose, direction, and “a spiritual and serious intellectual dimension to learning.”
You’re welcome to join the discussion of The End of Education on English Companion Ning, beginning on June 23, 2013.
Well, shut my mouth. The End of Education is nothing short of prescient. Writing before No Child Left Behind, Common Core State Standards, ubiquitous testing, and the corporatization of public education, Neil Postman saw it all coming and vividly describes the dangers and opportunities in what has largely come to pass in the years since his book’s publication.
In 197 pages, Postman explains how the absence of a coherent narrative in American school allows a drift toward meaninglessness and creates a void that is being filled by opportunistic “educrats.” He then offers several ways to focus schools that will provide purpose, direction, and “a spiritual and serious intellectual dimension to learning.”
You’re welcome to join the discussion of The End of Education on English Companion Ning, beginning on June 23, 2013.
January 7, 2009
No book so clearly and regretfully demonstrates the problem with American education: the lack of the grand narrative. As Postman effortlessly lays out, schools have generally considered the how of education but lack the why, believing it to either be irrelevant or obvious. Now, Postman notes, a group of "false gods" now drive the philosophy of education - can things ever be changed?
Yes, Postman answers, there are Gods that serve - grand narratives including the American Dream and a few other generally altruistic systems of belief that encourage education as an activity of both individual and communal benefit. Imagine a classroom with no textbooks, only direct communication. A classroom where service holds an equal place to lecture. A classroom where national pride and a respectful celebration of the many cultures of America are held side-by-side. Imagine a classroom that works. Take that, No Child Left Behind.
Yes, Postman answers, there are Gods that serve - grand narratives including the American Dream and a few other generally altruistic systems of belief that encourage education as an activity of both individual and communal benefit. Imagine a classroom with no textbooks, only direct communication. A classroom where service holds an equal place to lecture. A classroom where national pride and a respectful celebration of the many cultures of America are held side-by-side. Imagine a classroom that works. Take that, No Child Left Behind.
March 15, 2018
Not an easy read, but an essential one for anyone seriously contending with the problems inherent in American public education today. Postman's prescience is almost uncanny; reading his warnings about the over-reliance on technology couldn't be more spot-on in light of today's app-addicted teens. He does come off as a bit of a curmudgeon at times, however, and his writing style can be pompous and hard to take. But get past that and what lies beneath is an unflinching assessment of what's wrong with how we educate students and Postman's admittedly lofty suggestions for how to remedy it. I wish I could say I came away from the book inspired, but I can say that I was enlightened and somewhat vindicated in knowing that some of my gut feelings are validated by a theorist as brilliant and intellectual as Postman.
December 26, 2018
This book is divided into two sections: books 1 and 2. Book 1 is quite nearly mandatory reading. Book 2 is far less so.
November 20, 2022
Reading this post-Covid pandemic internet online learning is an interesting experience- he absolutely hits the nail on the head on the deficits of a “technologically “ driven education.
The more I’m with youngsters in education the more I believe the point of school is to create humans who can try to get along with each other while gaining some understanding of themselves and the world around them.
The more I’m with youngsters in education the more I believe the point of school is to create humans who can try to get along with each other while gaining some understanding of themselves and the world around them.
September 10, 2018
Buku ini saya capai di sebalik selaput-selaput debu dan di celah-celah kesempitan rak buku di dalam sebuah stor kedai buku terpakai di Maadi. Terjahan buat kali kedua ini menemukan saya dengan beberapa buku emas yang lain, tidak seperti terjahan pertama yang sedikit mengecewakan beberapa tahun lalu.
Naskhah ini merupakan hasil tangan kelima beliau yang telah saya baca selepas Technopoly, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Teaching As a Conserving Activity dan The Disappearance of Childhood. Keempat-empat karya beliau ini telah membedah sejarah, falsafah dan implikasi teknologi terhadap kebudayaan, psikologi, politik dan pendidikan masyarakat di Amerika Syarikat pasca abad ke-19.
Walaupun terdapat beberapa pertindihan mesej yang tipis dalam buku ini dengan buku-buku beliau yang lain, buku The End of Education ini menjanjikan beberapa sisi pandang baharu dalam menanggapi dunia teknologi dan perselingkuhannya dengan gelanggang pendidikan.
Pertamanya, Postman menjentik minda masyarakat hari ini yang kian silau dan sibuk dengan teknikaliti dan modus operandi pendidikan sehingga menenggelamkan apakah tujuan akhir pendidikan itu sendiri. Masyarakat hari ini terlalu sibuk memikirkan adakah penswastaan sekolah itu perlu, adakah kita mempunyai KPI di peringkat kebangsaan, bagaimana kita hendak menggunakan komputer, apakah kegunaan televisyen, bagaimana kita ingin mengajar masyarakat membaca dan sebagainya.
Fenomena ini mula membiak dengan marak dan pantas khususnya pada abad ke-19 yang telah menemukan banyak inovasi baru seperti telegraf, fotografi, telefon, mesin taip, fonograf, kabel wayar, cahaya elektrik, filem, lokomotif, roket, X-ray, komputer, stetoskop, makanan dalam tin, majalah moden, agensi pengiklanan dan juga birokrasi moden!
Sebahagian masyarakat dunia pada awalnya bertuhankan komunisme, Nazisme dan fasisme yang menemukan jalan buntu mula setapak demi setapak berganjak kepada tuhan-tuhan baru iaitu Penggunaan Ekonomi (Economic Utility), Konsumerisme dan Teknologi yang juga menambahkan parah pada luka sedia ada.
Masyarakat Teknologi (Technological Society) mula berubah tabiat dan gaya hidup mereka. Waktu malam jika tidak diisi dengan permainan video game, mereka akan menatap skrin untuk berjam-jam di atas katil untuk melayan informasi-informasi segera sebelum melelapkan mata.
Sebahagian besar yang lain pula merasakan sekolah dan universiti itu merupakan satu perkara yang tidak signifikan dan membosankan. Katanya, bukankah semua maklumat boleh diperoleh melalui akses internet dan bukankah dunia berada di hujung jari kita sahaja!
Bertitik tolak daripada penyakit terselindung inilah buku ini ditulis kerana kemahiran bersosial, membina jaringan kenalan yang luas, berdisiplin, beradab, bertanggungjawab, memelihara sensitiviti, semangat kerjasama, menjinakkan keegoan, mematuhi peraturan, berkongsi apa yang ada dan bermain dengan adil tidak dapat diperoleh di depan kaca komputer dan televisyen. Sedangkan perkara ini merupakan aspek penting dalam membentuk masyarakat bertamadun dan tuhan Teknologi tidak berminat pun untuk memikirkan tentang perkara-perkara ini.
Maka, dalam isu pendidikan ini Postman menawarkan pembaca kepada tiga paradigma: i) Para pelajar perlu berani dan tidak segan untuk membuat kesalahan ketika belajar (cipta suasana kelas yang sebenar), ii) Kita perlu merangsang kepelbagaian budaya (untuk melihat kreativiti dan mencapai standard masyarakat bertamadun) dan iii) Kita perlu memahami kepentingan dan kedalaman bahasa itu sendiri dalam melakukan reformasi pendidikan.
Menurut Postman, suasana kelas yang sebenar (the classroom environment) ialah apabila guru-guru dan rakan-rakan mampu bertoleransi dengan kesalahan yang dibuat oleh pelajar. Kesalahan pada hakikatnya bukanlah sesuatu perkara yang memalukan. Malah, ia merupakan pemangkin untuk pelajar meningkatkan kefahaman.
Apabila pelajar takut untuk melakukan kesalahan dan seterusnya segan untuk belajar daripada kesalahan, mereka akhirnya berkesudahan dengan menipu guru-guru mereka, bimbang tidak semena-mena dengan 'hari persekolahan', meniru sewaktu membuat kerja rumah dan berada di dalam dewan peperiksaan, enggan untuk menyampaikan buah fikiran serta keras kepala apabila pendapat mereka dicantas oleh orang lain.
Penulis mencadangkan penulisan Plato, Erasmus, Jonathan Swift, Jacques Ellul, Stephen Jay Gould, I. A. Richards, Mina Shaughnessy dan S. I. Hayakawa untuk perbahasan lanjut yang menyentuh tema ini.
Kepelbagaian budaya pula menurut kaca mata Postman, terakam pada empat entiti: bahasa, agama, adat dan kesenian-artifak. Daripada bahasa kita dapat melihat dan memahami pandangan alam (worldview) tamadun lain. Daripada dimensi agama pula terakam Tokoh-tokoh Penemu (Founding Fathers) dalam sejarah Amerika seperti Jefferson dan Paine yang turut mempercayai akan kewujudan Tuhan walaupun kedua-duanya mempunyai jenis skeptik yang berbeza terhadap kehidupan beragama.
Daripada sudut adat masyarakat setempat pula telah melahirkan cabang ilmu baru seperti sosiologi yang bertunas daripada ilmu antropologi. Daripada sudut kesenian-artifak pula tidak kurang hebat impaknya. Kesenian telah membentuk bahasa hati sesebuah masyarakat manakala ilmu mempelajari muzium (seperti yang dilontarkan oleh Postman dalam buku ini) mampu melakar potret kemanusiaan dalam hati masyarakat.
Bernard Shaw mengungkapkan dalam The Quintessence of Ibsenism bahawa ia turut menayangkan kesedaran sosial, mencetak sejarawan masa hadapan, menjadi senjata pertahanan daripada kegelapan dan kehampaan serta merupakan tempat kerohanian bagi kemajuan insan.
Apabila wujudnya peringkat deria dan faham yang berlapis-lapis ketika mendengar muzik, melihat potret, menatap seni bina, membaca karya sastera, menuturkan bahasa dan melontarkan idea, maka di sinilah peranan pendidikan itu bermula – meningkatkan kapasiti pelajar untuk memahami pemikiran dan perasaan manusia melalui kisah-kisah kemanusiaan. Dengarlah simfoni-simfoni Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg dan Tchaikovsky. Bacalah tinta-tinta Milton, Keats, Whitman, Melville, Poe, Molière, Ibsen, Williams, O'Neill, Shakespeare, Twain dan Dickens. Tatapilah simbahan lukisan-lukisan Goya, El Greco dan David.
Sudut terakhir yang dibahas oleh Postman ialah sudut terpenting sekali – sudut bahasa. Di sini, Postman menyeru pembaca untuk mengetahui hakikat bahasa yang membentuk sesebuah realiti. Bahasa juga bukan sahaja berfungsi sebagai kenderaan, tetapi bahasa itu – seperti yang disebut oleh Wittgenstein – merupakan pemandu. Kita menuju ke mana yang mereka bawa. Kita melihat dunia seperti yang dibenarkan oleh mereka dan dari situlah kita menggunakan bahasa untuk mencipta dunia.
Tidak dilupakan juga, bahasa menjadi jalur pembeda antara kesucian dan kekotoran. Apabila kita menggunakan bahasa untuk menyakiti hati orang, menipu, mengutuk, dan mengatakan apa yang tidak kita ketahui, maka kita telah mencemarkan moraliti bahasa itu sendiri seperti yang telah ditekankan dimensi moralnya oleh tokoh-tokoh terdahulu seperti Confucius, Socrates, Bertrand Russell dan John Dewey.
Postman menambah lagi, bahawa tiga elemen terpenting dalam bahasa yang menukang pandangan alam seseorang ialah definisi, soalan dan metafora. Ketiga-tiga elemen ini perlu diberikan prioriti yang tinggi untuk diajar di sekolah.
Metafora misalnya bukan sahaja berfungsi sebagai alat perhiasan yang cantik molek. Bahkan, metafora itu juga merupakan salah satu organ deria kerana dari situlah seseorang pembaca puisi mampu melihat, mendengar, merasa dan menghidu aroma yang terkandung dalam setiap lenggok bait-bait puisi.
Penulis mencadangkan pembaca dua perkara: i) Baca The Story of My Life oleh Hellen Keller dan ii) Setiap subjek – dari biologi sehinggalah matematik – perlu diajar dengan seluas-luas ufuk wacana (benar-salah, makna teori, fakta, inferens, asumsi, penilaian, generalisasi, bersikap kritikal, apa itu definisi-persoalan-metafora & bagaimana ia terbentuk melalui lensa sejarah) bagi memahami pertalian antara bahasa dan realiti.
Dalam teks klasik pendidikan seperti Mishnah juga terkandung contoh-contoh metafora ini. Menurutnya, terdapat empat jenis pelajar: span, penapis segi tiga, penyumbat penapis dan penapis tepung. Span menyerap semua benda; penapis tiga segi menerima pada satu penghujung dan menyingkirkan pada penghujung yang lain; penyumbat penapis membiarkan arak terkumpul lalu bertakung di situ; tetapi penapis tepung – iaitu yang terbaik sekali menapis debu-debu tepung dan mengekalkan tepung-tepung halus di atasnya!
5 bintang lagi untuk Postman.
Naskhah ini merupakan hasil tangan kelima beliau yang telah saya baca selepas Technopoly, Amusing Ourselves to Death, Teaching As a Conserving Activity dan The Disappearance of Childhood. Keempat-empat karya beliau ini telah membedah sejarah, falsafah dan implikasi teknologi terhadap kebudayaan, psikologi, politik dan pendidikan masyarakat di Amerika Syarikat pasca abad ke-19.
Walaupun terdapat beberapa pertindihan mesej yang tipis dalam buku ini dengan buku-buku beliau yang lain, buku The End of Education ini menjanjikan beberapa sisi pandang baharu dalam menanggapi dunia teknologi dan perselingkuhannya dengan gelanggang pendidikan.
Pertamanya, Postman menjentik minda masyarakat hari ini yang kian silau dan sibuk dengan teknikaliti dan modus operandi pendidikan sehingga menenggelamkan apakah tujuan akhir pendidikan itu sendiri. Masyarakat hari ini terlalu sibuk memikirkan adakah penswastaan sekolah itu perlu, adakah kita mempunyai KPI di peringkat kebangsaan, bagaimana kita hendak menggunakan komputer, apakah kegunaan televisyen, bagaimana kita ingin mengajar masyarakat membaca dan sebagainya.
Fenomena ini mula membiak dengan marak dan pantas khususnya pada abad ke-19 yang telah menemukan banyak inovasi baru seperti telegraf, fotografi, telefon, mesin taip, fonograf, kabel wayar, cahaya elektrik, filem, lokomotif, roket, X-ray, komputer, stetoskop, makanan dalam tin, majalah moden, agensi pengiklanan dan juga birokrasi moden!
Sebahagian masyarakat dunia pada awalnya bertuhankan komunisme, Nazisme dan fasisme yang menemukan jalan buntu mula setapak demi setapak berganjak kepada tuhan-tuhan baru iaitu Penggunaan Ekonomi (Economic Utility), Konsumerisme dan Teknologi yang juga menambahkan parah pada luka sedia ada.
Masyarakat Teknologi (Technological Society) mula berubah tabiat dan gaya hidup mereka. Waktu malam jika tidak diisi dengan permainan video game, mereka akan menatap skrin untuk berjam-jam di atas katil untuk melayan informasi-informasi segera sebelum melelapkan mata.
Sebahagian besar yang lain pula merasakan sekolah dan universiti itu merupakan satu perkara yang tidak signifikan dan membosankan. Katanya, bukankah semua maklumat boleh diperoleh melalui akses internet dan bukankah dunia berada di hujung jari kita sahaja!
Bertitik tolak daripada penyakit terselindung inilah buku ini ditulis kerana kemahiran bersosial, membina jaringan kenalan yang luas, berdisiplin, beradab, bertanggungjawab, memelihara sensitiviti, semangat kerjasama, menjinakkan keegoan, mematuhi peraturan, berkongsi apa yang ada dan bermain dengan adil tidak dapat diperoleh di depan kaca komputer dan televisyen. Sedangkan perkara ini merupakan aspek penting dalam membentuk masyarakat bertamadun dan tuhan Teknologi tidak berminat pun untuk memikirkan tentang perkara-perkara ini.
Maka, dalam isu pendidikan ini Postman menawarkan pembaca kepada tiga paradigma: i) Para pelajar perlu berani dan tidak segan untuk membuat kesalahan ketika belajar (cipta suasana kelas yang sebenar), ii) Kita perlu merangsang kepelbagaian budaya (untuk melihat kreativiti dan mencapai standard masyarakat bertamadun) dan iii) Kita perlu memahami kepentingan dan kedalaman bahasa itu sendiri dalam melakukan reformasi pendidikan.
Menurut Postman, suasana kelas yang sebenar (the classroom environment) ialah apabila guru-guru dan rakan-rakan mampu bertoleransi dengan kesalahan yang dibuat oleh pelajar. Kesalahan pada hakikatnya bukanlah sesuatu perkara yang memalukan. Malah, ia merupakan pemangkin untuk pelajar meningkatkan kefahaman.
Apabila pelajar takut untuk melakukan kesalahan dan seterusnya segan untuk belajar daripada kesalahan, mereka akhirnya berkesudahan dengan menipu guru-guru mereka, bimbang tidak semena-mena dengan 'hari persekolahan', meniru sewaktu membuat kerja rumah dan berada di dalam dewan peperiksaan, enggan untuk menyampaikan buah fikiran serta keras kepala apabila pendapat mereka dicantas oleh orang lain.
Penulis mencadangkan penulisan Plato, Erasmus, Jonathan Swift, Jacques Ellul, Stephen Jay Gould, I. A. Richards, Mina Shaughnessy dan S. I. Hayakawa untuk perbahasan lanjut yang menyentuh tema ini.
Kepelbagaian budaya pula menurut kaca mata Postman, terakam pada empat entiti: bahasa, agama, adat dan kesenian-artifak. Daripada bahasa kita dapat melihat dan memahami pandangan alam (worldview) tamadun lain. Daripada dimensi agama pula terakam Tokoh-tokoh Penemu (Founding Fathers) dalam sejarah Amerika seperti Jefferson dan Paine yang turut mempercayai akan kewujudan Tuhan walaupun kedua-duanya mempunyai jenis skeptik yang berbeza terhadap kehidupan beragama.
Daripada sudut adat masyarakat setempat pula telah melahirkan cabang ilmu baru seperti sosiologi yang bertunas daripada ilmu antropologi. Daripada sudut kesenian-artifak pula tidak kurang hebat impaknya. Kesenian telah membentuk bahasa hati sesebuah masyarakat manakala ilmu mempelajari muzium (seperti yang dilontarkan oleh Postman dalam buku ini) mampu melakar potret kemanusiaan dalam hati masyarakat.
Bernard Shaw mengungkapkan dalam The Quintessence of Ibsenism bahawa ia turut menayangkan kesedaran sosial, mencetak sejarawan masa hadapan, menjadi senjata pertahanan daripada kegelapan dan kehampaan serta merupakan tempat kerohanian bagi kemajuan insan.
Apabila wujudnya peringkat deria dan faham yang berlapis-lapis ketika mendengar muzik, melihat potret, menatap seni bina, membaca karya sastera, menuturkan bahasa dan melontarkan idea, maka di sinilah peranan pendidikan itu bermula – meningkatkan kapasiti pelajar untuk memahami pemikiran dan perasaan manusia melalui kisah-kisah kemanusiaan. Dengarlah simfoni-simfoni Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg dan Tchaikovsky. Bacalah tinta-tinta Milton, Keats, Whitman, Melville, Poe, Molière, Ibsen, Williams, O'Neill, Shakespeare, Twain dan Dickens. Tatapilah simbahan lukisan-lukisan Goya, El Greco dan David.
Sudut terakhir yang dibahas oleh Postman ialah sudut terpenting sekali – sudut bahasa. Di sini, Postman menyeru pembaca untuk mengetahui hakikat bahasa yang membentuk sesebuah realiti. Bahasa juga bukan sahaja berfungsi sebagai kenderaan, tetapi bahasa itu – seperti yang disebut oleh Wittgenstein – merupakan pemandu. Kita menuju ke mana yang mereka bawa. Kita melihat dunia seperti yang dibenarkan oleh mereka dan dari situlah kita menggunakan bahasa untuk mencipta dunia.
Tidak dilupakan juga, bahasa menjadi jalur pembeda antara kesucian dan kekotoran. Apabila kita menggunakan bahasa untuk menyakiti hati orang, menipu, mengutuk, dan mengatakan apa yang tidak kita ketahui, maka kita telah mencemarkan moraliti bahasa itu sendiri seperti yang telah ditekankan dimensi moralnya oleh tokoh-tokoh terdahulu seperti Confucius, Socrates, Bertrand Russell dan John Dewey.
Postman menambah lagi, bahawa tiga elemen terpenting dalam bahasa yang menukang pandangan alam seseorang ialah definisi, soalan dan metafora. Ketiga-tiga elemen ini perlu diberikan prioriti yang tinggi untuk diajar di sekolah.
Metafora misalnya bukan sahaja berfungsi sebagai alat perhiasan yang cantik molek. Bahkan, metafora itu juga merupakan salah satu organ deria kerana dari situlah seseorang pembaca puisi mampu melihat, mendengar, merasa dan menghidu aroma yang terkandung dalam setiap lenggok bait-bait puisi.
Penulis mencadangkan pembaca dua perkara: i) Baca The Story of My Life oleh Hellen Keller dan ii) Setiap subjek – dari biologi sehinggalah matematik – perlu diajar dengan seluas-luas ufuk wacana (benar-salah, makna teori, fakta, inferens, asumsi, penilaian, generalisasi, bersikap kritikal, apa itu definisi-persoalan-metafora & bagaimana ia terbentuk melalui lensa sejarah) bagi memahami pertalian antara bahasa dan realiti.
Dalam teks klasik pendidikan seperti Mishnah juga terkandung contoh-contoh metafora ini. Menurutnya, terdapat empat jenis pelajar: span, penapis segi tiga, penyumbat penapis dan penapis tepung. Span menyerap semua benda; penapis tiga segi menerima pada satu penghujung dan menyingkirkan pada penghujung yang lain; penyumbat penapis membiarkan arak terkumpul lalu bertakung di situ; tetapi penapis tepung – iaitu yang terbaik sekali menapis debu-debu tepung dan mengekalkan tepung-tepung halus di atasnya!
5 bintang lagi untuk Postman.
May 8, 2024
Maybe would have enjoyed a little more if I didn’t have to rush through it but I still thought it was so good! Postman wants to shift the education conversation from the constant talk of different means and methods to discuss the end or purpose of the public school system. The public school system requires Americans to live under a shared narrative/god to continue and have meaning. Yet in our current culture many people live according the false gods of economic utility, consumerism, technology, etc which are unfulfilling and don’t provide satisfying meaning and reason for education. This book was really interesting but I still like Amusing Ourselves to Death better;)
February 11, 2020
A crucial book for anyone who's even slightly interested in education. Be prepared to rethink everything you think you know of education.
Postman brilliantly shows insights which make every teacher smile while reading them. Ideas that every teacher thinks of but doesn't say, or ideas that every teacher says but doesn't think about more deeply are discussed.
Perhaps if we all would listen to Postman a little more, and pay a little more attention to our own practices, we would be able to reform the educational system to a system of sustainability and profound quality.
Loved reading it.
Postman brilliantly shows insights which make every teacher smile while reading them. Ideas that every teacher thinks of but doesn't say, or ideas that every teacher says but doesn't think about more deeply are discussed.
Perhaps if we all would listen to Postman a little more, and pay a little more attention to our own practices, we would be able to reform the educational system to a system of sustainability and profound quality.
Loved reading it.
January 2, 2022
I can’t recall what prompted me to pick up this book in the first place. It’s out of date, with a copyright of 1995, but in reading it, I am reminded that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The trends in education he discusses have only become exaggerated. The book is a bit all-over-the-place and doesn’t always seem to stick to the point. That said, his theme seems to be that public education must have a purpose, a narrative, a moral goal of sorts and that the modern gods of education (collectivism, technology, and economic utility) are insufficient purposes. If public education does not find a sufficient sustaining purpose, it will be supplanted by private education, subsumed by technology, or taken over by corporations. Public education must provide moral guidance, a sense of community, and explanation of the past, clarity to the present, and a sense of hope for the future. He’s less clear about how public education should do that.
Postman emphasizes that the thirst for absolute knowledge (which he means as something like dogmatism) is bad for education. But so too is the ethnic separatism that was being encouraged in the 90s and has only grown today. “Every school,” he writes, “save those ripped asunder by separatist ideology, tires to tell a story about America that will enable students to feel a sense of national pride. Students deserve that, and their parents expect it. The question is how to do this and yet avoid indifference, on the one hand, and a psychopathic nationalism, on the other….I propose, then, the story of America as an experiment, a perpetual and fascinating question mark.”
Almost tangentially, he proposes improving teaching by getting rid of all textbooks (this has more or less happened in my kids’ schools, and I don’t see that it has led to improvement in their educations) and by having science teachers teach English and history teachers teach math and such for an experimental period because they’ll have a better idea of what it’s like to be a student struggling to learn a subject if it’s not their subject. That’s a nice idea in theory but in practice it would probably be disastrous.
Postman emphasizes that the thirst for absolute knowledge (which he means as something like dogmatism) is bad for education. But so too is the ethnic separatism that was being encouraged in the 90s and has only grown today. “Every school,” he writes, “save those ripped asunder by separatist ideology, tires to tell a story about America that will enable students to feel a sense of national pride. Students deserve that, and their parents expect it. The question is how to do this and yet avoid indifference, on the one hand, and a psychopathic nationalism, on the other….I propose, then, the story of America as an experiment, a perpetual and fascinating question mark.”
Almost tangentially, he proposes improving teaching by getting rid of all textbooks (this has more or less happened in my kids’ schools, and I don’t see that it has led to improvement in their educations) and by having science teachers teach English and history teachers teach math and such for an experimental period because they’ll have a better idea of what it’s like to be a student struggling to learn a subject if it’s not their subject. That’s a nice idea in theory but in practice it would probably be disastrous.
February 22, 2017
The End of Education
I prefer this book over Postman’s most famous work, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Both are great reads—insightful, thought-provoking, and well-written. The latter book centers on television as an eroding force of American political discourse. It’s a brilliant analysis but it offers no real remedy—only a diagnosis of a grave social-political problem. Though entirely different in subject, The End of Education is nonetheless Postman’s prescribed treatment for mitigating the ailing national spirit that he diagnosed in Amusing—at least, this is how I see the relationship between the two books. At the core of America’s social and political problems is public education. This is where it really begins, where our country’s values, character and purpose is defined in the minds of our youth. Postman asks a fundamental question: What is the purpose of public education? The popular response is: to help students get good jobs. Or the slightly loftier claim by the Common Core Standards: “to prepare students for college and careers.” We are in a dire state as a country if the only purpose of public education is to “serve the god of economic utility,” laments Postman. Although training kids for good jobs is worthwhile and necessary, it is not a sufficiently inspiring goal. Public education needs other gods to serve, he says. Postman insists that schools should first be making Americans of our diverse population: they ought to be promoting unity, love of country, the Bill of Rights, and a common culture--not multiculturalism. He adds that what schools need are meaningful narratives that bind us as Americans, regardless of our ethnic origins. Schools should teach character and emphasize moral instruction; they should teach conservation and make students into “stewards of the earth”; they should instill the humbling idea that humans are fundamentally an error-prone species with the capacity for improvement; they should teach the notion that America continues to be an experiment in the ability of a free people to self-govern, that America is not superior to other countries but most definitely a unique nation that is “youthful, admirable, and opened wide to unfulfilled human possibilities.” Postman goes on to outline other narratives he considers necessary and meaningful. Of all the books on reforming public education, Postman’s is certainly one of the most rational and inspiring.
I prefer this book over Postman’s most famous work, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Both are great reads—insightful, thought-provoking, and well-written. The latter book centers on television as an eroding force of American political discourse. It’s a brilliant analysis but it offers no real remedy—only a diagnosis of a grave social-political problem. Though entirely different in subject, The End of Education is nonetheless Postman’s prescribed treatment for mitigating the ailing national spirit that he diagnosed in Amusing—at least, this is how I see the relationship between the two books. At the core of America’s social and political problems is public education. This is where it really begins, where our country’s values, character and purpose is defined in the minds of our youth. Postman asks a fundamental question: What is the purpose of public education? The popular response is: to help students get good jobs. Or the slightly loftier claim by the Common Core Standards: “to prepare students for college and careers.” We are in a dire state as a country if the only purpose of public education is to “serve the god of economic utility,” laments Postman. Although training kids for good jobs is worthwhile and necessary, it is not a sufficiently inspiring goal. Public education needs other gods to serve, he says. Postman insists that schools should first be making Americans of our diverse population: they ought to be promoting unity, love of country, the Bill of Rights, and a common culture--not multiculturalism. He adds that what schools need are meaningful narratives that bind us as Americans, regardless of our ethnic origins. Schools should teach character and emphasize moral instruction; they should teach conservation and make students into “stewards of the earth”; they should instill the humbling idea that humans are fundamentally an error-prone species with the capacity for improvement; they should teach the notion that America continues to be an experiment in the ability of a free people to self-govern, that America is not superior to other countries but most definitely a unique nation that is “youthful, admirable, and opened wide to unfulfilled human possibilities.” Postman goes on to outline other narratives he considers necessary and meaningful. Of all the books on reforming public education, Postman’s is certainly one of the most rational and inspiring.
Read
April 3, 2023The End of Education title is a double-entendre meaning not only the possible ending of education as we know it, and also an exploration of purpose of education. He anticipates the way in which teachers generally plan for education now, with the end in mind with this second meaning. Neil Postman writing in the 90s is among the most 1990s things I can conceive of. What this means is that while he's very very on to something about the failures of contemporary education, that focuses on an unthinking adoption of technology for technology's sake and for education to be a capitalist cog-making machine. Both of these are incredibly fair critiques that still resonate with education today in my experiences as a teacher. I don't think the technology part is changing, and is getting worse, but I do think there's some push-back to the capitalism cog-making part, but that's also complicated. He discusses how as purposes for education these fail for a lot of reasons, the most being that they are too limited, too specific, and too depressing/uninspiring for kids. They might make good workers, but they don't make good people.
Postman suggests a number of new narratives to replace these two, and a few of these are quite good. Seeing ourselves (teachers, students, citizens) as "fallen angels", crew members of "Spaceship Earth" and "World Makers" (storytellers). All good. He falls over himself in two other areas. He cannot shut up about how much he hates multiculturism and how much he wants schools to teach to love America. His opinions about multiculturism are not only out-dated and racists, they completely ignore that multiculturism developed out of systemic inequality that really made it impossible for a straight up "you should love America" agenda to be taken seriously without significant reform, and of course he misses the most important issue: teaching about "loving America" and those other traditional values is also identity politics and race-based teaching, through teaching whiteness as default.
Postman suggests a number of new narratives to replace these two, and a few of these are quite good. Seeing ourselves (teachers, students, citizens) as "fallen angels", crew members of "Spaceship Earth" and "World Makers" (storytellers). All good. He falls over himself in two other areas. He cannot shut up about how much he hates multiculturism and how much he wants schools to teach to love America. His opinions about multiculturism are not only out-dated and racists, they completely ignore that multiculturism developed out of systemic inequality that really made it impossible for a straight up "you should love America" agenda to be taken seriously without significant reform, and of course he misses the most important issue: teaching about "loving America" and those other traditional values is also identity politics and race-based teaching, through teaching whiteness as default.
January 17, 2022
I almost stopped reading at Postman’s terrible take on multiculturalism. His bias as a white man is so obvious. This book was written in 1995 and his arguments sounded very similar to a lot of the anti-CRT people these days. I’m glad I continued because Postman has some interesting points about framing education with narratives that are motivating and inspiring to young people. I like that this book pushes me to think beyond the « how » of education and focus more on the « why. » Is the « why » clear to me? Clear to my students? I’ll definitely continue to think about this: what narratives I tell, whether they are honest, whether they inspire and motivate, whether they need to change…
February 3, 2017
Great ideas but long winded writing. Had a hard time getting through second half of book. Ideas themselves are top notch. I wish the author would have condensed his style.
November 20, 2018
Have yet to read a Postman book I haven't loved.
June 25, 2018
Professor Postman's books tend to be timeless, though he does suffer from dropping in references that try too hard to be relevant to the time that he is writing in - perhaps an unconscious need to seem "cool" to his college students over the years. That said, it's more amusing than annoying, and doesn't happen frequently enough to take away from what are often thought-provoking strains of thought.
Written in 1995, Postman had not yet seen the rise of MOOCs and the disruption and decentralization of education that is happening and continues to happen as the internet forever removes schoolrooms as claimants to the monopoly of "education." Good riddance, too. Universal public education hasn't been around that long, and it has failed to deliver its promises, across dozens of countries and cultures (if not more). It was Chesterton who said something to the effect of he would advocate more for public education if it produced an educated public. You only have to look around in any developed country to see that it hasn't. Teaching people to read is not the same as teaching them to think, and we have a woeful lack of the latter.
As good as his commentary might be, Professor Postman fails to see that without a unifying story of how/why we are as humans, the impetus to learn (and school) will always be an imperative without a soul-satisfying purpose. It is the wonder of catching ahold of an enchanted universe that drives the best scientific research, art, music, poetry, and literature.
Commenting on one strain of America's narrative in her schools: "...the tale of the Protestant ethic...the story tells us that we are first and foremost economic creatures, and that our sense of worth and purpose is to be found in our capacity to secure material benefits" (p. 28)
In response to Presidential policy to task schools with vocational learning: "Of course, this is exactly the wrong solution, since the making of adaptable, curious, open, questioning people has nothing to do with vocational training and everything to do with humanistic and scientific studies." (p. 32)
On the unreasonable load that modern society expects teachers to carry: "The principal argument is that teachers are not competent to serve as priests, psychologists, therapists, political reformers, social workers, sex advisers, or parents." (p. 143)
Written in 1995, Postman had not yet seen the rise of MOOCs and the disruption and decentralization of education that is happening and continues to happen as the internet forever removes schoolrooms as claimants to the monopoly of "education." Good riddance, too. Universal public education hasn't been around that long, and it has failed to deliver its promises, across dozens of countries and cultures (if not more). It was Chesterton who said something to the effect of he would advocate more for public education if it produced an educated public. You only have to look around in any developed country to see that it hasn't. Teaching people to read is not the same as teaching them to think, and we have a woeful lack of the latter.
As good as his commentary might be, Professor Postman fails to see that without a unifying story of how/why we are as humans, the impetus to learn (and school) will always be an imperative without a soul-satisfying purpose. It is the wonder of catching ahold of an enchanted universe that drives the best scientific research, art, music, poetry, and literature.
Commenting on one strain of America's narrative in her schools: "...the tale of the Protestant ethic...the story tells us that we are first and foremost economic creatures, and that our sense of worth and purpose is to be found in our capacity to secure material benefits" (p. 28)
In response to Presidential policy to task schools with vocational learning: "Of course, this is exactly the wrong solution, since the making of adaptable, curious, open, questioning people has nothing to do with vocational training and everything to do with humanistic and scientific studies." (p. 32)
On the unreasonable load that modern society expects teachers to carry: "The principal argument is that teachers are not competent to serve as priests, psychologists, therapists, political reformers, social workers, sex advisers, or parents." (p. 143)
February 7, 2017
I initially enjoyed this book, whose thesis is that students have begun to enter a system in which we do not value education as a democratic ideal, but rather as a means to an economic end. I found the idea radical and was intrigued. The author continued to say that we are not worshipping any 'gods' in the classroom, and that we need to rally around a common educational mission imbued with deeper spirit.
The plot thinned, however, once the author began to reveal his own religious and social leanings. One of the 'false gods' of education Postman decried was that of multiculturalism, which he blames to have created the opposite of a pluralistic society. If we are trying to admire all cultures, Postman asserts, then we will be unable to create a central culture for our students. This opinion would not rankle so much if it were backed up by any empirical or literary evidence, but instead, the author decides to present his own viewpoint with no outside references for over a hundred pages. The crusade against multiculturalism begins to sound like a stereotypical white man fervently speaking out for a common culture that is his own.
The threads of religion and nationalism also run through this book, as gods (lowercase 'g,' the author points out) that Postman thinks we should be worshipping in our pursuit of education. I apologize to the author for my own bias, but I cannot accept your viewpoint without substantiation.
Overall, I understand Postman's positions, but in the end, that's all they are--positions. Without a more in-depth study of these issues, relying not just on opinions but also on evidence and references to other academics, this book is more of a light treatise than an actual study.
The plot thinned, however, once the author began to reveal his own religious and social leanings. One of the 'false gods' of education Postman decried was that of multiculturalism, which he blames to have created the opposite of a pluralistic society. If we are trying to admire all cultures, Postman asserts, then we will be unable to create a central culture for our students. This opinion would not rankle so much if it were backed up by any empirical or literary evidence, but instead, the author decides to present his own viewpoint with no outside references for over a hundred pages. The crusade against multiculturalism begins to sound like a stereotypical white man fervently speaking out for a common culture that is his own.
The threads of religion and nationalism also run through this book, as gods (lowercase 'g,' the author points out) that Postman thinks we should be worshipping in our pursuit of education. I apologize to the author for my own bias, but I cannot accept your viewpoint without substantiation.
Overall, I understand Postman's positions, but in the end, that's all they are--positions. Without a more in-depth study of these issues, relying not just on opinions but also on evidence and references to other academics, this book is more of a light treatise than an actual study.
June 19, 2012
The end of education. The END of education. Deliberately obfuscatory, Postman delivers a powerful vision of what is the point of education. I was spellbound by his holistic approach to a classroom, and how inquiry and exploration should be shifted to the center of education. We experience, talk about, and interact with the world in ways different than we have before, and classrooms should embrace the abstract, imperfect nature of knowledge, rather than cling to the rigid catalog of knowledge pandered by schools.
What students need to be prepared for in this world is not what schools train them for, is one take-away from this book. Particularly in the sections on language, and in his metaphors for what learning is and should be, did I find a serious, powerful, and essential book for me as an educator - and a humanist.
Most applicable to me is his discussion of technology and how its advance isn't additive, but "ecologically" competitive - new technologies literally drive out others, and we change as a result. In one of my classes next year, every student will have an iPad, and I assumed that I would spend the summer engaged in a titanic struggle with how my use of technology will add, rather than substract, from my students' learning. Having read Postman, now I wonder how their learning will simply be different, rather than better. Can this new technology make my class more interesting, more thought-provoking, more deserving of an "inquiry"-based approach than one without? I now perceive my Summer as a way to make sure this technology doesn't hinder the learning, or provide a distraction from learning.
What students need to be prepared for in this world is not what schools train them for, is one take-away from this book. Particularly in the sections on language, and in his metaphors for what learning is and should be, did I find a serious, powerful, and essential book for me as an educator - and a humanist.
Most applicable to me is his discussion of technology and how its advance isn't additive, but "ecologically" competitive - new technologies literally drive out others, and we change as a result. In one of my classes next year, every student will have an iPad, and I assumed that I would spend the summer engaged in a titanic struggle with how my use of technology will add, rather than substract, from my students' learning. Having read Postman, now I wonder how their learning will simply be different, rather than better. Can this new technology make my class more interesting, more thought-provoking, more deserving of an "inquiry"-based approach than one without? I now perceive my Summer as a way to make sure this technology doesn't hinder the learning, or provide a distraction from learning.
June 2, 2023
This man of posts has written about a time when the education must end. Just too much education happening when other things need taking care of. Postman says we've moved into relaxation, and that's where man's hearts truly be. We are the highly relaxed generation and need to put our relaxation techniques to proper use. We've reclined in so many positions and yet there are infinitely more positions in which one can find repose. We've conquered the fetal position but have yet to explore the possibilities of the Neo-fetal position or the toddler position. We've explored every nook and cranny of the lotus position but have yet to appreciate the subtleties of the daffodil position or even the milkweed pose. I think I understood everything about this book and agree with Posts that education must end here and now and forever.
January 4, 2010
I loved this book and now have a minor intellectual crush on Postman. In my graduate program, there are so many elementary/secondary teachers who bemoan NCLB and the current education system- all want to start incorporating technology and global issues into their classroom, but have little power to do so. Postman's idea of restructuring the system around a grand narrative- gods that will stand the test of time and mean something- is fantastic. The ridiculous thing is that most of the people who wield the power to review/change the educational system will write this off as sensational or overly optimistic. The educational system in America needs just as much- if not more- attention as health care, airport security, and climate change-- but we're letting it rest on the back burner.
May 31, 2011
Loved this book. Despite it being 16 years old (which was interesting in and of itself, knowing where we've come with technology & education since Postman authored the book)this book made such thought-provoking & profound points. And in the burgeoning experimental era we're in with charter schools, his ideas on re-thinking schools are rather brilliant ones that someone should explore. Though we're still mired in NCLB, any self-respecting teacher will see that Postman's notions would offer a much richer classroom experience than most kids are engaged in today.
January 6, 2015
Misnamed, too American, too Christian, too unscientific, too impractical, too unrealistic, already outdated, too dry and boring. Some good ideas, mostly about the arts, but you'd do better just watching Sir Ken Robinson's talks on Youtube.
March 20, 2014
I was not very impressed with this book. It was highly recommended by professors of education. It was just a little too religious and not very substantive on the research side of things for me.
June 28, 2022
To give the general idea of this book we can use the famous aphorism of Nietzche: "He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how."
August 23, 2021
This book impressed me.
With erudition, conviction, and a little snark, Neil Postman writes on the aims of education. School creates the public, he says, and creating an ideal public depends on “the existence of shared narratives and the capacity of such narratives to provide an inspired reason for schooling.” These narratives, he writes, need to offer “moral guidance, a sense of continuity, explanations of the past, clarity to the present, and hope for the future.”
Postman identifies narratives that don’t meet these requirements: Economic Utility, Consumership, Technology, and Separatism. Economic Utility is the “get an education to get a good job” rationale. Consumership is the “get an education to make a good living and buy stuff” rationale. “Separatism” is what he calls “multiculturalism,” which he distinguishes from Cultural Pluralism in this way: Multiculturalism focuses on the differences among diverse groups and is not desirable because its intent (or at least its effect) is to divide, whereas Cultural Pluralism honors the contributions of all. This part I found striking because it goes against the prevailing narrative (the book was published in 1995), and it reads a little like heresy for me as a progressive. I have been part of teachers’ groups that advocate completely removing the work of “dead white men” from the curriculum. This is the kind of thinking Postman cautions against. In writing about the work of marginalized authors, he says, “In the story of diversity, we do not learn of these people to advance a political agenda or to raise the level of students’ self-esteem. We learn about these people for two reasons: because they demonstrate how the vitality and creativity of humanity depend on diversity, and because they have set the standards to which civilized people adhere.” I agree, although the “civilized people” part of the statement is obviously problematic. My best guess for what he means by “civilized” here is “educated.” One of the major elements of a good education, he says, is diversity, so it doesn’t seem that he wants to limit the curriculum to dead white men; rather, he views a discipline’s standards of excellence, its canon, as a living entity that is capable of changing.
The five “narratives” he describes as possible “ends” for an education are as follows:
1. “Spaceship Earth.” Humans as stewards of the planet. A sense of awe, interdependence, and global responsibility. He proposes that all students learn archaeology (prehistory), anthropology, & astronomy.
2. “The Fallen Angel.” The limits of human knowledge, a view of history and the advancement of knowledge as a series of errors and corrections. This is what Robert Maynard Hutchins meant by “The Great Conversation”--as knowledge is passed on, it’s modified, refined, and corrected. He proposes that all subjects be taught from a historical perspective.
3. “The American Experiment.” America as a great experiment and center of continuous argument.
4. “The Laws of Diversity.” Difference contributes to increased vitality and excellence, and, ultimately, to a sense of unity.
5. "The Word Weavers/The World Makers." We create the world through language.
If you're interested in exploring what school is for, this is totally worth a read.
With erudition, conviction, and a little snark, Neil Postman writes on the aims of education. School creates the public, he says, and creating an ideal public depends on “the existence of shared narratives and the capacity of such narratives to provide an inspired reason for schooling.” These narratives, he writes, need to offer “moral guidance, a sense of continuity, explanations of the past, clarity to the present, and hope for the future.”
Postman identifies narratives that don’t meet these requirements: Economic Utility, Consumership, Technology, and Separatism. Economic Utility is the “get an education to get a good job” rationale. Consumership is the “get an education to make a good living and buy stuff” rationale. “Separatism” is what he calls “multiculturalism,” which he distinguishes from Cultural Pluralism in this way: Multiculturalism focuses on the differences among diverse groups and is not desirable because its intent (or at least its effect) is to divide, whereas Cultural Pluralism honors the contributions of all. This part I found striking because it goes against the prevailing narrative (the book was published in 1995), and it reads a little like heresy for me as a progressive. I have been part of teachers’ groups that advocate completely removing the work of “dead white men” from the curriculum. This is the kind of thinking Postman cautions against. In writing about the work of marginalized authors, he says, “In the story of diversity, we do not learn of these people to advance a political agenda or to raise the level of students’ self-esteem. We learn about these people for two reasons: because they demonstrate how the vitality and creativity of humanity depend on diversity, and because they have set the standards to which civilized people adhere.” I agree, although the “civilized people” part of the statement is obviously problematic. My best guess for what he means by “civilized” here is “educated.” One of the major elements of a good education, he says, is diversity, so it doesn’t seem that he wants to limit the curriculum to dead white men; rather, he views a discipline’s standards of excellence, its canon, as a living entity that is capable of changing.
The five “narratives” he describes as possible “ends” for an education are as follows:
1. “Spaceship Earth.” Humans as stewards of the planet. A sense of awe, interdependence, and global responsibility. He proposes that all students learn archaeology (prehistory), anthropology, & astronomy.
2. “The Fallen Angel.” The limits of human knowledge, a view of history and the advancement of knowledge as a series of errors and corrections. This is what Robert Maynard Hutchins meant by “The Great Conversation”--as knowledge is passed on, it’s modified, refined, and corrected. He proposes that all subjects be taught from a historical perspective.
3. “The American Experiment.” America as a great experiment and center of continuous argument.
4. “The Laws of Diversity.” Difference contributes to increased vitality and excellence, and, ultimately, to a sense of unity.
5. "The Word Weavers/The World Makers." We create the world through language.
If you're interested in exploring what school is for, this is totally worth a read.
August 9, 2022
Another postman book. Can't say I'm as impressed by this as by Amusing Ourselves to Death or Technopoly, but this was still a valuable read, especially as I may be in education myself one day.
This book has two parts. The first makes the case that we need a teleology of education (i.e. the why). I agree with this, and it would be weird not to. After all, that's 18-22 years of life that we're taking from the young in our society. There has to be a good reason for that. Then Postman argues that the current dominant teleology, of preparing men and women for productive work doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I tend to agree with this: if I was being prepared for a specific career (biologist), my undergraduate and late-highschool education would have been better served as an apprentice in lab. However, I also think that in addition to this problem, the education system doesn't really know what it's teleology is. In highschool especially I heard many mixed messages from teachers as regards to this.
In the second part, Postman has some concrete suggestions as to what the teleology of education should be. I generally liked these and don't have much to say about their content.
So why the four stars? Postman is very in favor of "public" education, and I'm not really sure how much value such a system has. Not everyone in society is either fit or willing to be interested in art, music or philosophy. I think a platonic system where everyone has their own natural place, and thus different form of education would be much better suited to our society.
This book has two parts. The first makes the case that we need a teleology of education (i.e. the why). I agree with this, and it would be weird not to. After all, that's 18-22 years of life that we're taking from the young in our society. There has to be a good reason for that. Then Postman argues that the current dominant teleology, of preparing men and women for productive work doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I tend to agree with this: if I was being prepared for a specific career (biologist), my undergraduate and late-highschool education would have been better served as an apprentice in lab. However, I also think that in addition to this problem, the education system doesn't really know what it's teleology is. In highschool especially I heard many mixed messages from teachers as regards to this.
In the second part, Postman has some concrete suggestions as to what the teleology of education should be. I generally liked these and don't have much to say about their content.
So why the four stars? Postman is very in favor of "public" education, and I'm not really sure how much value such a system has. Not everyone in society is either fit or willing to be interested in art, music or philosophy. I think a platonic system where everyone has their own natural place, and thus different form of education would be much better suited to our society.
September 7, 2020
Neil Postman remains oddly prophetic regarding the progress(or regress) of the education system. Though this is almost 30 years old, he presents a disheartening view of the ways in which our system is failing our kids(and it doesn't end in 12th grade). He also presents several solutions that it would be interesting to try(particularly the no- textbook solution).
His disgust for the typical classroom makes me wonder if he practiced what he preached.
His disgust for the typical classroom makes me wonder if he practiced what he preached.
July 18, 2024
📌وقفات مهمة من كتاب 📚:
النهاية من التعليم: إعادة تعريف قيمة المدرسة
المؤلف: نيل بوستمان -ناقد إجتماعي وثقافي
صدر الكتاب: عام 1996 ميلادي
• محتوى الكتاب يخصصه المؤلف لمناقشة بعض المفاهيم المهمة التي ترتبط بالتعليم والمدرسة من أبعاد إنسانية أعمق وأشمل! من أهمها بأنه لا يجب أن يختزل التعليم المدرسي في طرق التدريس والوسائل والتقييم والمناهج ودور التقنية فقط!
التعليم الحقيقي أعمق من كل هذه الأشياء التي لا تجيب على السؤال الأهم المرتبط بالغاية لا الكيفية وبالسؤال عن لماذا نتعلم؟ وليس كيف نتعلم؟
•النقطة الرئيسية للكتاب هي عن الغاية والنهاية التي قد يصل إليها الطالب بعد رحلة التعليم المدرسي! وهنا يستنتج الكاتب بأنه إذا لم يساعدهم التعليم المدرسي على التساؤل والتفكير والتفحص والريبة والسؤال فهو فقط تعليم يهتم بتجهيز وإعداد أدوات بشرية تُستخدم لزيادة النمو الاقتصادي والاستهلاك المادي! يمثل الكاتب التعليم هنا بصناعة القطار الذي يغادر المحطة في الوقت المحدد بالضبط ولكن قد لا يأخد الركاب إلى الوجهة التي يقصدونها!
•يلتحق الطلاب بالمدراس ولديهم الكثير من علامات الاستفهام (؟؟؟) ويخرجون أو يتخرجون منها بالنقطة(…) كنهاية لكل تساؤل!
البيئة المدرسية لم تساعدهم وتشجعهم على التوسع في البحث عن إجابات لتساؤلاتهم لأنه تم اختزالها في الكتب الدراسية والمناهج والاختبارات والدرجات والحفظ والنجاح والرسوب!
• الخطأ جزء أساسي في ثقافة المدرسة التعليمية التي تشجع الطالب على البحث وتفحص الحقائق والسؤال! ولذلك يقول لا يوجد خطيئة في أن تقع في الخطأ ولكن الخطيئة هي عدم الرغبة في تجاوز الخطأ بتفحص المعلومات والحقائق من حولنا والاعتقاد بأن الجهات الرسمية كالمدارس و الكتب الدراسية و المعلمين لا يقولون إلا ماهو صحيح ولا مجال فيه للتساؤل والسؤال!
• يؤكد على أهمية تدريس العلوم التي ترتبط بالآثار والإنسان والفضاء والتاريخ لأن حصيلة الطالب فيها تساعده على تكوين قاعدة أساسية ينطلق منها في معرفة الكيفيات التي شُكلت فيها بعض المفاهيم الأساسية عن الكون والعلوم الطبيعية المختلفة! دراسة مثل هذه العلوم يساعد الطالب على معرفة الطرق التي استنتجها العلماء والمفكرين في الأزمنة السابقة لفهم هذه العلوم والمفاهيم وتسلسل تعاقبها للأجيال في الأزمنة اللاحقة! وكأن المؤلف يؤكد على فكرة أن فهم الحاضر يكون أكثر وضوحًا بالرجوع إلى الماضي بقراءته وفهمه، ليسير الجيل الحالي على جسور ثابتة تمتد من الماضي إلى الحاضر ثم إلى المستقبل!
• يتحدث عن أهمية القيمة الإنسانية التي يجب أن تضاف "كصبغة" على المواد الدراسية حتى تلامس مشاعر وعقول الطلاب، وذلك عن طريق العودة إلى جذور وتاريخ المواضيع التي يتم دراستها بما يتناسب مع مراحل الطلاب الدراسية! بدون هذه "الصبغة" في المنهج يظل الأدب مجرد قواعد في النحو والصرف والتاريخ مجرد تواريخ عن الماضي المجهول والعلوم الطبيعية مجرد معادلات وأرقام وقياسات بدون معنى أو صلة بالطالب كإنسان!
•المناهج الدراسية لا تحقق القيمة الأهم من العملية التعليمة لأنها تقدم المعلومات كحقائق ثابتة يكتسبها الطالب وينقلها المعلم كما كُتبت في المنهج! ولذلك لم نفكر أصلًا في التساؤل عن بعض الحقائق والفرضيات المذكورة فيها! على سبيل المثال لم نفكر من كتب هذه المعلومة ومن أين نقلها أو أعتمد على ذكرها، لذلك نعتقد أنه لا يجب علينا تفحصها لأنها مطبوعة في منهج دراسي يجب أن نتعلمها ونحفظها كما نقلت لنا!
•تقدم المعرفة في المنهج الدراسي كسلعة يجب على الطالب أخذها وليس كمعاناة وجهد يبذل للوصول إلى فهم حقيقة قابلة للخطأ والصواب بعد العثرات التي يقع فيها الإنسان لسبيل الوصول إليها! ولذلك المنهج الدراسي قد يساعد المعلم في تجنب بعض المتاعب ولكن الضرر الذي يحدثه في عقول الطلاب هو العاقبة الأخطر! الحقائق لا يجب أن تُصور للطالب على أنها أشياء "معلبة" تأخذ كما هي!
•فرق بين أن يكون المعلم "مخبر" "ومحقق" في كشف الخلل! المخبر ينقل المعلومات كما هي في المناهج الدراسية بينما المحقق يحاول أن يتفحص ويتحقق من الحقائق المنقولة لتقليل الضرر مما يساعد الطلاب في تنمية معارفهم ومهاراتهم!
كما أن دور الطبيب ليس في معالجة الناس الاصحاء ولكن العلل الصحية وفي محاولة تشخيصها، ودور المحامي في المحكمة التحقيق والمدافعة للتقليل من الظلم حتى يتحقق العدل! وبالمثل يكون دور المعلم في بذل الجهود في التحقق من صحة المعلومات والحقائق مع إدراك أن الوقوع في الخطأ جزء من طبيعة الإنسان! الحث هنا هو على تنقية المعرفة والحقيقة من الشوائب والأخطاء قدر الإمكان بالتجربة والبحث وهكذا!
• مهم أن يكون المعلم مطلع على التاريخ والكتب الجادة وخاصة 'أمهات الكتب' التي كُتب فيها عن المفاهيم والعلوم الأساسية!
•الحث والتشجيع على التنوع في التعليم المدرسي بدراسة الأديان واللغات الأجنبية والعادات والفنون.
العلم لا يستطيع الإجابة على بعض التساؤلات التي تتعلق بأسرار الكون والمعنى من الوجود الإنساني ولذلك الدين يجيب على هذه التساؤلات المهمة! اما اللغات الأجنبية فلا تعرفنا على ثقافات تختلف عن ثقافتنا فقط بل تساعدنا على رؤية العالم من أبعاد مختلفة وذلك بتعلم لغات تلك الثقافات.
•اللغة هي المنظار الذي نرى ونحكم على العالم من خلاله! ومثال ذلك الصور الاستعارية التي غالبًا ما نعتمد عليها دون وعي منا في تحديد مواقفنا من الظواهر والتعميمات!
في المدرسة نتعلم أن لكل مفهوم تعريف (مصطلح) مُحدد نستطيع خلاله مشاهدة هذا المفهوم كما نشاهد الغيوم والشجر والطبيعة من حولنا! الإشكالية هنا أن المفاهيم المجردة مُعرفة مسبقًا بهذه المصطلحات لتصبح في نظرنا حقيقة ثابتة وكأنها مثل الأشياء الملموسة من حولنا في الطبيعة! والمعنى من كل هذا هو التأكيد على أهمية دراسة اللغة ومفاهيمها في التعليم المدرسي لأن اللغة (منظار) تحدد رؤيتنا للمفاهيم! من ينسج اللغة (المفاهيم) يصنع العالم!
• في آخر الكتاب يناقش المؤلف أهمية دور المدرسة في زيادة وعي الطالب في الجوانب المتعلقة "بعصر المعلومات والتقنية"! التعليم المدرسي يجب أن يهتم بهذا الجانب في توسيع مدارك ومفاهيم الطلاب عن العواقب الإيجابية و السلبية عن التقنية وتطبيقاتها في شؤون الحياة! وذلك يعني أن تشمل جميع الجوانب الاجتماعية والسياسية والتعليمية وغيرها! التعليم التقني لا يعني فقط كيف يستخدم الطلاب التقنية بكفاءة عالية ولكن لماذا يستخدمونها!
•الخلاصة من محتوى الكتاب هي أن قيمة المدرسة الحقيقية في تهيئة الطالب لإدراك الحياة بجميع أبعادها الإنسانية.
النهاية من التعليم: إعادة تعريف قيمة المدرسة
المؤلف: نيل بوستمان -ناقد إجتماعي وثقافي
صدر الكتاب: عام 1996 ميلادي
• محتوى الكتاب يخصصه المؤلف لمناقشة بعض المفاهيم المهمة التي ترتبط بالتعليم والمدرسة من أبعاد إنسانية أعمق وأشمل! من أهمها بأنه لا يجب أن يختزل التعليم المدرسي في طرق التدريس والوسائل والتقييم والمناهج ودور التقنية فقط!
التعليم الحقيقي أعمق من كل هذه الأشياء التي لا تجيب على السؤال الأهم المرتبط بالغاية لا الكيفية وبالسؤال عن لماذا نتعلم؟ وليس كيف نتعلم؟
•النقطة الرئيسية للكتاب هي عن الغاية والنهاية التي قد يصل إليها الطالب بعد رحلة التعليم المدرسي! وهنا يستنتج الكاتب بأنه إذا لم يساعدهم التعليم المدرسي على التساؤل والتفكير والتفحص والريبة والسؤال فهو فقط تعليم يهتم بتجهيز وإعداد أدوات بشرية تُستخدم لزيادة النمو الاقتصادي والاستهلاك المادي! يمثل الكاتب التعليم هنا بصناعة القطار الذي يغادر المحطة في الوقت المحدد بالضبط ولكن قد لا يأخد الركاب إلى الوجهة التي يقصدونها!
•يلتحق الطلاب بالمدراس ولديهم الكثير من علامات الاستفهام (؟؟؟) ويخرجون أو يتخرجون منها بالنقطة(…) كنهاية لكل تساؤل!
البيئة المدرسية لم تساعدهم وتشجعهم على التوسع في البحث عن إجابات لتساؤلاتهم لأنه تم اختزالها في الكتب الدراسية والمناهج والاختبارات والدرجات والحفظ والنجاح والرسوب!
• الخطأ جزء أساسي في ثقافة المدرسة التعليمية التي تشجع الطالب على البحث وتفحص الحقائق والسؤال! ولذلك يقول لا يوجد خطيئة في أن تقع في الخطأ ولكن الخطيئة هي عدم الرغبة في تجاوز الخطأ بتفحص المعلومات والحقائق من حولنا والاعتقاد بأن الجهات الرسمية كالمدارس و الكتب الدراسية و المعلمين لا يقولون إلا ماهو صحيح ولا مجال فيه للتساؤل والسؤال!
• يؤكد على أهمية تدريس العلوم التي ترتبط بالآثار والإنسان والفضاء والتاريخ لأن حصيلة الطالب فيها تساعده على تكوين قاعدة أساسية ينطلق منها في معرفة الكيفيات التي شُكلت فيها بعض المفاهيم الأساسية عن الكون والعلوم الطبيعية المختلفة! دراسة مثل هذه العلوم يساعد الطالب على معرفة الطرق التي استنتجها العلماء والمفكرين في الأزمنة السابقة لفهم هذه العلوم والمفاهيم وتسلسل تعاقبها للأجيال في الأزمنة اللاحقة! وكأن المؤلف يؤكد على فكرة أن فهم الحاضر يكون أكثر وضوحًا بالرجوع إلى الماضي بقراءته وفهمه، ليسير الجيل الحالي على جسور ثابتة تمتد من الماضي إلى الحاضر ثم إلى المستقبل!
• يتحدث عن أهمية القيمة الإنسانية التي يجب أن تضاف "كصبغة" على المواد الدراسية حتى تلامس مشاعر وعقول الطلاب، وذلك عن طريق العودة إلى جذور وتاريخ المواضيع التي يتم دراستها بما يتناسب مع مراحل الطلاب الدراسية! بدون هذه "الصبغة" في المنهج يظل الأدب مجرد قواعد في النحو والصرف والتاريخ مجرد تواريخ عن الماضي المجهول والعلوم الطبيعية مجرد معادلات وأرقام وقياسات بدون معنى أو صلة بالطالب كإنسان!
•المناهج الدراسية لا تحقق القيمة الأهم من العملية التعليمة لأنها تقدم المعلومات كحقائق ثابتة يكتسبها الطالب وينقلها المعلم كما كُتبت في المنهج! ولذلك لم نفكر أصلًا في التساؤل عن بعض الحقائق والفرضيات المذكورة فيها! على سبيل المثال لم نفكر من كتب هذه المعلومة ومن أين نقلها أو أعتمد على ذكرها، لذلك نعتقد أنه لا يجب علينا تفحصها لأنها مطبوعة في منهج دراسي يجب أن نتعلمها ونحفظها كما نقلت لنا!
•تقدم المعرفة في المنهج الدراسي كسلعة يجب على الطالب أخذها وليس كمعاناة وجهد يبذل للوصول إلى فهم حقيقة قابلة للخطأ والصواب بعد العثرات التي يقع فيها الإنسان لسبيل الوصول إليها! ولذلك المنهج الدراسي قد يساعد المعلم في تجنب بعض المتاعب ولكن الضرر الذي يحدثه في عقول الطلاب هو العاقبة الأخطر! الحقائق لا يجب أن تُصور للطالب على أنها أشياء "معلبة" تأخذ كما هي!
•فرق بين أن يكون المعلم "مخبر" "ومحقق" في كشف الخلل! المخبر ينقل المعلومات كما هي في المناهج الدراسية بينما المحقق يحاول أن يتفحص ويتحقق من الحقائق المنقولة لتقليل الضرر مما يساعد الطلاب في تنمية معارفهم ومهاراتهم!
كما أن دور الطبيب ليس في معالجة الناس الاصحاء ولكن العلل الصحية وفي محاولة تشخيصها، ودور المحامي في المحكمة التحقيق والمدافعة للتقليل من الظلم حتى يتحقق العدل! وبالمثل يكون دور المعلم في بذل الجهود في التحقق من صحة المعلومات والحقائق مع إدراك أن الوقوع في الخطأ جزء من طبيعة الإنسان! الحث هنا هو على تنقية المعرفة والحقيقة من الشوائب والأخطاء قدر الإمكان بالتجربة والبحث وهكذا!
• مهم أن يكون المعلم مطلع على التاريخ والكتب الجادة وخاصة 'أمهات الكتب' التي كُتب فيها عن المفاهيم والعلوم الأساسية!
•الحث والتشجيع على التنوع في التعليم المدرسي بدراسة الأديان واللغات الأجنبية والعادات والفنون.
العلم لا يستطيع الإجابة على بعض التساؤلات التي تتعلق بأسرار الكون والمعنى من الوجود الإنساني ولذلك الدين يجيب على هذه التساؤلات المهمة! اما اللغات الأجنبية فلا تعرفنا على ثقافات تختلف عن ثقافتنا فقط بل تساعدنا على رؤية العالم من أبعاد مختلفة وذلك بتعلم لغات تلك الثقافات.
•اللغة هي المنظار الذي نرى ونحكم على العالم من خلاله! ومثال ذلك الصور الاستعارية التي غالبًا ما نعتمد عليها دون وعي منا في تحديد مواقفنا من الظواهر والتعميمات!
في المدرسة نتعلم أن لكل مفهوم تعريف (مصطلح) مُحدد نستطيع خلاله مشاهدة هذا المفهوم كما نشاهد الغيوم والشجر والطبيعة من حولنا! الإشكالية هنا أن المفاهيم المجردة مُعرفة مسبقًا بهذه المصطلحات لتصبح في نظرنا حقيقة ثابتة وكأنها مثل الأشياء الملموسة من حولنا في الطبيعة! والمعنى من كل هذا هو التأكيد على أهمية دراسة اللغة ومفاهيمها في التعليم المدرسي لأن اللغة (منظار) تحدد رؤيتنا للمفاهيم! من ينسج اللغة (المفاهيم) يصنع العالم!
• في آخر الكتاب يناقش المؤلف أهمية دور المدرسة في زيادة وعي الطالب في الجوانب المتعلقة "بعصر المعلومات والتقنية"! التعليم المدرسي يجب أن يهتم بهذا الجانب في توسيع مدارك ومفاهيم الطلاب عن العواقب الإيجابية و السلبية عن التقنية وتطبيقاتها في شؤون الحياة! وذلك يعني أن تشمل جميع الجوانب الاجتماعية والسياسية والتعليمية وغيرها! التعليم التقني لا يعني فقط كيف يستخدم الطلاب التقنية بكفاءة عالية ولكن لماذا يستخدمونها!
•الخلاصة من محتوى الكتاب هي أن قيمة المدرسة الحقيقية في تهيئة الطالب لإدراك الحياة بجميع أبعادها الإنسانية.
January 2, 2024
While I agree with some of Postman’s arguments more than others, overall I found this book to be an engaging overview of the previous (now outmoded) motivations of public school and candidates for one or more replacements. I appreciated the five “new” narratives that are posited, with “Spaceship Earth” and the “World Makers” as the most noteworthy
p.s. special shoutout to the nine hour car ride where I read most of this one
p.s. special shoutout to the nine hour car ride where I read most of this one
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews