Post 1 - My thoughts on David Orr's article

I enjoyed this article, and did indeed find it thought provoking. I found his reasoning and ideas very interesting and his focus on the 'right' type of education was quite inspiring. We do tend to think, that if we have an education all will be fine, we are now set for the future, lets go on as we are, and reap the benefits ....... but the simple one liner of his "It is not education that will save us, but education of a certain kind", says it all really.

I support and agree with his statement "The plain fact is that the planet does not need more "successful" people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every shape and form. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these needs have little to do with success as our culture has defined it".

How true this is. Again, we focus on success being wealth = happiness. But generally the more successful you become, the busier you are doing it, and being away from all that really matters. Time spent being a success in your field, generally means time away from your family/loved ones.

Being a successful person is far too focussed on wealth - it needs to be a more rounded, healthier option. Shouldn't a successful person be one who is happy in their work, happy in their home and is doing all they can for their planet, and therefore, securing the real future?

Moving along to Orr's own principles, I thought this one was great - "The goal of education is not mastery of subject matter, but of one's person" It is a very humanistic approach to education. Instead of educating people to be someone else, help them find themselves and form who they are going to be.

Orr's idea on the fact that a classroom creates the illusion that learning only happens within those four walls, and not in the real world, gets you thinking about what you do teach face to face to your students and what you send them away with.

All in all, I enjoyed his article, and it certainly gave me a lot to think about and work on.

Thanks :)

ps: Don't you think we all should (as learning insitutions) do his "An Assignment for the Campus?"

Article:

David Orr What Is Education For?
Six myths about the foundations of modern education, and six new principles to replace them
One of the articles in The Learning Revolution (IC#27)Winter 1991, Page 52

Welcome to MY World

Hello
My background...............I studied at Otago Polytechnic in 1996, to become a Veterinary Nurse. I worked in this profession whilst studying and for a further 6 years after. In 2001 I was asked to do some practical teaching sessions with the Vet Nursing students once a week, then, in 2002, I starting working at Otago Polytechnic as a fulltime lecturer and course coordinator - with some of those who had taught me!
I have been there ever since, coming and going a couple of times to have my two boys; Miles (4.5 years) and Flynn (2.5 years). I now share my time with working Part time at OP and the rest being with my family.

My interests in sustainability are with anything that will educate and provide a future for my family. We have our own vegge garden and compost bin; we recycle and reuse as much as we can; we cook from scratch and like to know what we are eating or putting into our bodies and the on the environment.
I am interested in knowing more about sustainability in education and how it could be applied to Vet Nurses and the industry.