Perspectives of a Lifelong Learner
Empathy is usually the biggest skill. That doesn’t just mean feeling sorry for people with problems. It means an ability to understand the needs and wants of a diverse group of people – Anders http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190401-why-worthless-humanities-degrees-may-set-you-up-for-life?fbclid=IwAR2L23uwDYl_SL78aAfiBRdpcjfeahw0jzHLNW5HtkXDErauFyNABlueXsA
"Civic Saturday is a civic analogue to a faith gathering: a gathering of friends and strangers in a common place to nurture a spirit of shared purpose. But it’s not about church religion or synagogue or mosque religion. It’s about American civic religion—the creed of liberty, equality, and self-government that truly unites us. At Civic... Continue Reading →
https://represent.us Our political system is broken, or so says Represent.Us. Regardless of the source, this thesis certainly needs our attention. On the surface, the organization offers food for thought for those concerned about the apparent dysfunction of our political process and methods of governance. Though well intentioned, it does makes an overly generalized statement concerning... Continue Reading →
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/opinion/sunday/political-polarization.html?fbclid=IwAR0t4dN76SYMSwq0VcLp_Eo6cjEAwCmpB0SBxksbJRDrFi6fuACkUCgodJg This is a must read. Arthur Brook's focus on contempt does seem to capture the mood of the nation although I would posit, with all due respect to the Civil War, this is not the most polarizing period of American history. It may just be quibbling but the Reconstruction Period, the occupation of southern States... Continue Reading →
"This crisis of incivility has become a chronic condition of public life. Consequently, incivility is compromising the success of American society and especially the viability of the government. We should not, however, assign the blame exclusively to our leaders. As a people, Americans have become highly desensitized to behaviors that would have been outrageous not... Continue Reading →
"Developing that sense of local connection could be the surprising secret to combating the rise of political alienation and extremism in rural areas. It’s not a challenge any local area can claim to have conquered — but it’s one they’re taking increasingly seriously." Fergus Peace https://apolitical.co/solution_article/how-to-tackle-populism-rebuild-rural-civic-life/
On to more important things and a reminder that our system of governance has worked in the past, and it will work again. Even with the disturbing events of our times, one could certainly argue that we've thankfully not matched the tumultuous times of the 1960's through to the end of the Vietnam War. For... Continue Reading →
"An especially noteworthy conclusion of the (Brown) report is that “strengthening the social studies teaching workforce is particularly important at a time when many Americans are wondering about their country’s civic and political well-being – and are wondering about what schools could do to help.” ASPA members—both academic and practitioners—have a vested interest in... Continue Reading →
"Overcoming toxic arrogance is not easy, and our present political moment is not making it any easier. But if we want to live in a tolerant society where we are not only open-minded but willing to learn from others, we need to balance humility and conviction. We can start by looking past ourselves —... Continue Reading →
I've signed up for Malcolm's master class in writing. Since it's "Malcolm," it's intimidating. But it's also really cool. He makes it clear that writing is a calling. It has purpose. It has meaning. I've got the intent. Now for the talent. As a part of the program, he has included one of his... Continue Reading →
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