The Art of Education

Bob Herbert’s column in yesterday’s New York Times is disturbing, but not surprising. Just a month ago at the same time Harry Potter’s latest adventure was released, I read articles declaring success statistics for “No Child Left Behind”. But according to a report from the Program for International Assessment, basic reading and math skill of American kids rank 24 out of 29 countries. And low income children in the U.S. were testing at about three grade levels behind “non-poor” students. Bottom line: only two thirds of American kids who enter high school, graduate from high school and those that graduate do not have sufficient reading skills to enter college. A few think tanks have offered solutions to America’s ever-increasing education crisis (yes, it IS a crisis): things like more hours per day in school, getting highly qualified teachers in all schools, national curriculum standards.

Okay, but school isn’t the only place where children learn. A child can sit in school 24 hours a day and if there’s no desire to learn or interest in the information presented, all the teaching in the world will not make an impression. I don’t think this is an education issue, this is a societal issue. If parents or families don’t (or can’t) lay the groundwork by instilling and perpetuating a sense of value and appreciation for reading or math skills, the prospect of the institution making a difference in the child’s life is pretty much doomed. Education in America is centered around delivering information, testing, sitting in a classroom and scheduling how much time is spent on one topic; but learning is accomplished through inspiration, nurturing and following a child’s curiosity. It’s not just about the child’s head, it’s about the child’s whole being. I think when we realize that education is communal and not institutional, we will begin to succeed in improving these statistics.

I Question Therefore I Dishonor?

Parents of soldiers who were killed in Iraq are all over the board in their response to Cindy Sheehan’s anti-war vigil in Texas. From what I read in a New York Times article on Sunday and from what I’ve heard in interviews with family members on T.V., most of the differences are civil and respectful. If they disagree with Cindy's anti-war stance, they disagree gently, compassionately albeit adamantly. The point of disagreement that I simply do NOT understand is that of parents who say that to protest the war is to dishonor the meaning behind the death of their child because they died believing in the cause. In my mind that point should go one step further—that logic should be analyzed.

War on any front, for any cause is failure. It is a failure of the leaders of government to be able to settle a dispute peacefully; it is a failure of diplomacy. It means that despite all our intelligence and all our technology, the leaders feel compelled to resort to an ancient, barbaric method of solving governmental (or political) differences with violence; life-threatening violence not against themselves, but their own citizens. Particularly in such a God fearing nation, war should not be an option.

However, as a result of our leadership’s failures, any soldier who is serving his/her country at a time of war is, of course, being dutiful and doing his/her job. And certainly if they have to go to war, soldiers have to believe that their leaders are sending them to serve a higher cause, a cause that promises ideologically, a better future. How could they put their lives on the line unless they believed their fight would serve a greater good for future generations. So did our deceased soldier believe in the war? Do any of us believe in war? I think it is safer to say we believe in the higher good, or the better world our leaders promise will be the outcome of the war. But a soldier who serves at a time of war is ultimately serving a leader who has failed, a leader who should be willing to recognize his role in the losses and sacrifices his citizens and constituents experience in that failure. In the case of Iraq, I think we have proof beyond a doubt that our leadership failed miserably.

I think Cindy has every right to believe that her leaders failed her and to question those leaders. She has every right to expect her President to help her understand why she had to lose her son to this cause and to make him recognize that more families in this country may be demanding similar or even tougher answers. Where is the dishonor to Casey in his mother trying to reconcile his death with understanding and awareness? Hopefully, her questions will precipitate a peace of some sort (hers, Casey’s, the world’s).

ICE Revisited

Came to my attention that there are some inaccuracies as to how the ICE campaign originated and some consternation as to whether or not the campaign is a hoax The latest information I found on the matter is on the East Anglian Ambulance site. It still seems like a good idea from my viewpoint, but you be the judge for yourselves.

Story in A Story

I read History of Love because I’ve read that author Nicole Krauss is an important young writer today; one that is destined for greatness. I love to hear that about young writers, I am envious and in awe, but I love to hear that there are new great young writers in our midst. Well, “great” is an understatement.

History of Love is a complex, tightly written, intelligent story that completely drew me into its web of a novel within a novel within a translation of a novel. The story mysteriously builds as it drifts between the very authentic voice of Leo Gursky, an aging immigrant who is the only member of his family who escaped WWII Poland, and the very straightforward, innocent voice of fourteen-year-old Alma who lives with her widowed mother and younger brother. Central to the story is a book History of Love, written in Yiddish by Leo Gursky who entrusts the manuscript to a friend who is escaping Poland. The friend translates the book into Spanish and publishes it as his own in South America, Alma’s father buys the book in South America as a gift for Alma’s mother, and years later a mysterious stranger asks her mother to translate the book from Spanish to English. The book is inspired by Leo’s unrequited love for a young woman in Poland named Alma. The story twists and turns beautifully around this love story and leads to a final scene that is pure genius; a scene that will make you smile and break your heart.

Kraus is a reflective, deep thinking writer who expounds on ideas in beautiful language while maintaining a quick tempo and a stranglehold on the reader’s interest. This capability is a huge improvement over her first novel, Man Walks Into a Room, which while formidable in content and language, has a tendency to stall the reader in those reflective thoughts. The characterization in History of Love is also vastly improved from the first novel: the voices are clear, the reader can’t help but become attached to the characters of Leo, his friend Bruno, Alma, her brother Bird. They are alive with personality and emotion and ethnicity.

Both novels are rich, engaging, intelligent stories. Both have a unique premise, yet they are believable and worthwhile. But History of Love shows a flow and a maturity that Man Walks into A Room doesn’t quite accomplish. Nothing about these books is typical, some of the ideas are even quirky, but overall these are deep, shining works deserving of attention and respect. She’s young, but Nicole Krauss is wise and her work …well, I can’t imagine what she will accomplish next, but I’m certain it will be great.

Cell Phones on ICE

A campaign encouraging people to enter an emergency contact number in their mobile phone's memory under the heading "ICE" (for "In Case of Emergency"), has rapidly spread throughout the world as a particular consequence of the terrorist attacks in London. Originally established as a nation-wide campaign in the UK, ICE allows paramedics or police to be able to contact a designated relative / next-of-kin in an emergency situation.

The idea is the brainchild of East Anglian Ambulance Service paramedic Bob Brotchie and was launched in May this year. Bob, 41, who has been a paramedic for 13 years, said: "I was reflecting on some of the calls I've attended at the roadside where I had to look through the mobile phone contacts struggling for information on a shocked or injured person. Almost everyone carries a mobile phone now, and with ICE we'd know immediately who to contact and what number to ring. The person may even know of their medical history."

By adopting the ICE advice, your mobile will help the rescue services quickly contact a friend or relative - which could be vital in a life or death situation. It only takes a few seconds to do, and it could easily help save your life.

Why not put ICE in your phone now as a new contact in your phone book. Enter the word 'ICE' and the number of the person you wish to be contacted. For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.

Details, Details....

Looks like one has to be extra, extra careful when researching and writing biographies these days. According to the New York Times, heirs of psychology icon Carl Jung are forestalling the German publication of Deirdre Bair’s book Jung, A Biography (published in the U.S. by Little, Brown & Co. 2003) stating that there are numerous inaccuracies; in fact they have provided a 12-page list of all the inaccuracies. Bair claims that the book stands correct based on scholarly documents she used in her research. The Random House subsidiary intent on releasing the book in Germany has decided to insert two pages of the Jung family’s version of facts in the translation—they say this is a “compromise” since they are subject to attack from either the family or the author if they do nothing. Whoa—I have to agree with Paul Aiken, Executive Director of the Author’s Guild in New York—the insert undermines the credibility of the author and is a bit like putting a “negative review on the cover of the book.” Perhaps they're not worrried about how the book sells in Germany....