Comments on: Rethinking WalMart Patronage http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:35:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: OLDaily[中文版] » Blog Archive » 2007å¹´4月16æ—¥ http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33774 OLDaily[中文版] » Blog Archive » 2007å¹´4月16æ—¥ Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:50:33 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33774 [...] 第二则内容是Wesley Fryer的帖子，题目“重新思考对沃尔玛的惠顾”，记录了他看了关于这个企业巨头记录片之后的感受。我觉得他在讨论中说到了点儿上，最后归结在信仰和理性的融合：“所有的人类应该也有权利被作为终极存在对待，而不仅仅是一种利用手段。这种观点同时出现在了伊曼努尔.康德、耶稣基督以及其他很多人那里。进行中的识字能力的开发和培养对所有人都是一种核心的需求……教育者每天都在做着这个神圣的工作，这部片子前所未有地让我对此感受深刻。” [...] [...] 第二则内容是Wesley Fryer的帖子，题目“重新思考对沃尔玛的惠顾”，记录了他看了关于这个企业巨头记录片之后的感受。我觉得他在讨论中说到了点儿上，最后归结在信仰和理性的融合：“所有的人类应该也有权利被作为终极存在对待，而不仅仅是一种利用手段。这种观点同时出现在了伊曼努尔.康德、耶稣基督以及其他很多人那里。进行中的识字能力的开发和培养对所有人都是一种核心的需求……教育者每天都在做着这个神圣的工作，这部片子前所未有地让我对此感受深刻。” [...]

]]> By: Sarah Puglisi http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33752 Sarah Puglisi Sun, 15 Apr 2007 22:23:50 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33752 This was a brave piece. Thank you. This was a brave piece. Thank you.

]]> By: sylvia martinez http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33751 sylvia martinez Sun, 15 Apr 2007 18:01:13 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33751 Wow - you said it all. Terrific piece. Wow - you said it all. Terrific piece.

]]> By: Stephen Downes http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33750 Stephen Downes Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:39:58 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33750 As Kant said, and many others before and after, and as you so well sum here, that each person is an end in him or her self, and not a means. And they are ends, not in the sense that they are deficient, and must be fixed, but rather, are ends in and of themselves. Our language sometimes leads us astray, even if we are well-intentioned. We always want to talk about 'worth' or 'value' (as in 'self-worth', say) but the worth is beyond worth, the value beyond value: there is no exchange we can make of material things for a human life. There's still a lot to talk about - public health care, for example - but this post more than any other you've written makes me feel that such dialogue would be worthwhile, that you have penetrated through the major myths being perpetuated in today's media, and have a grounded and well thought out alternative perspective on things. Learning isn't about being productive or being able to compete in today's world or even being entrepreneurial. It is about making choices for yourself, being in control of your own destiny, about leading a good life, being the best you can be, however you define 'good' and 'best' to be. Anything else is marketing. Anything else is someone attempting to subvert the educational system to their own ends - and in so doing, treating students as means to that end, always to the detriment of the students. As Kant said, and many others before and after, and as you so well sum here, that each person is an end in him or her self, and not a means. And they are ends, not in the sense that they are deficient, and must be fixed, but rather, are ends in and of themselves.

Our language sometimes leads us astray, even if we are well-intentioned. We always want to talk about ‘worth’ or ‘value’ (as in ’self-worth’, say) but the worth is beyond worth, the value beyond value: there is no exchange we can make of material things for a human life.

There’s still a lot to talk about - public health care, for example - but this post more than any other you’ve written makes me feel that such dialogue would be worthwhile, that you have penetrated through the major myths being perpetuated in today’s media, and have a grounded and well thought out alternative perspective on things.

Learning isn’t about being productive or being able to compete in today’s world or even being entrepreneurial. It is about making choices for yourself, being in control of your own destiny, about leading a good life, being the best you can be, however you define ‘good’ and ‘best’ to be.

Anything else is marketing. Anything else is someone attempting to subvert the educational system to their own ends - and in so doing, treating students as means to that end, always to the detriment of the students.

]]> By: Kyle Brumbaugh http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33749 Kyle Brumbaugh Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:05:04 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/04/15/rethinking-walmart-patronage/#comment-33749 Wesley: There are three points you bring up that I think are the crux of many of the issues plaguing education today. The first is the fact that we need to teach media literacy and how to sift through information and recognize areas of bias. Secondly, the idea of teaching entreprenurism. We need to teach students, through mentoring, how to take control of their own economic and educational lives. Should we fail in this task, we will create a situation where there will be many thousands of individuals unable to take part in the economy of the 21st Century. Third, the idea of citizen journalism. This idea is related to the first issue I presented, but it is different in that it is the duty of all people to report and share what they have witnessed to others in the society. To do this, all citizens need to have media literacy skills and the ability to differentiate fact from opinion. Wesley:

There are three points you bring up that I think are the crux of many of the issues plaguing education today.

The first is the fact that we need to teach media literacy and how to sift through information and recognize areas of bias. Secondly, the idea of teaching entreprenurism. We need to teach students, through mentoring, how to take control of their own economic and educational lives. Should we fail in this task, we will create a situation where there will be many thousands of individuals unable to take part in the economy of the 21st Century. Third, the idea of citizen journalism. This idea is related to the first issue I presented, but it is different in that it is the duty of all people to report and share what they have witnessed to others in the society. To do this, all citizens need to have media literacy skills and the ability to differentiate fact from opinion.

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