Another Day On The Far Side

There are times when I hate teaching.  Today was one of them.  The problem I faced today is not limited to certain countries, either.  It is endemic in schools throughout the world, as the battle of Truth rages on.

Today, the materials I was given to teach included the topics of "terrorism", "healthy eating" and "climate change".  Well, if you're a long-time reader here, you'll know immediately that my hackles went up.  The articles and lesson plans were obviously unabashed propaganda with a strong US federalist bent.  The problem was, how to present this material in an "English" class without becoming part of the problem.

This is a difficult choice.  Obviously, the producers of the textbook are some arm of the US propaganda machine, and they are seeking to manipulate young, open minds with a particular point of view.  In the case of the "Terrorism" article, it was plainly trying to justify America's bombing the snot out of every Muslim country it can find.  And here I live in a predominantly Muslim country.  Doesn't take much to conclude that we are potential targets of American imperialism here.

An additional problem was that the students would be tested on the materials I was presenting.  Therefore, I had to make sure I didn't hinder their ability to regurgitate on command, while at the same time ensuring that they weren't victims of vicious and cynical forces trying to manipulate them.  Furthermore, I had to achieve these goals while keeping the class interesting and not preaching or lecturing.

The 9th grade drew the "terrorism" material.  OK, so I passed around the papers and opened the discussion with, "What is the definition of terrorism?"  A few nervous looks.  Some thumbed through the pages looking for the answer.  One student piped up, "It's when a group of fanatics attack a nation to scare people."  Obviously a victim of mind control, but not too late.

"That's partially correct," I said.  "Someone surf over to the Merriam-Webster dictionary site."  The laptops and Blackberries flew into action.  Students love when they can use their toys in class.  The first student there began reading aloud:

"..Although usually thought of as a means of destabilizing or overthrowing existing political institutions, terror also has been employed by governments against their own people to suppress dissent; examples include the reigns of certain Roman emperors, the French Revolution (see Reign of Terror), Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union under Stalin, and Argentina during the “dirty war” of the 1970s. Terrorism's impact has been magnified by the deadliness and technological sophistication of modern-day weapons and the capability of the media to disseminate news of such attacks instantaneously throughout the world."

"What can we conclude from that definition?," I asked.

"That terrorism is usually used by governments against their own people," said a bright bulb.

"And how long has that been going on?", I prompted.

"Since Roman times," came a growing chorus, as they started to get the point.

"Good!  Under the old definition of terrorism, only governments could be terrorists, because the groups of people fighting against government were revolutionaries.  Whether revolutionaries are terrorists is only a matter of whether they win or lose, right?  But government terrorism is always terrorism."

Heads bobbed up and down as they pondered this new way of looking at things.  I pressed on.

"Does anyone here believe that Osama bin Laden, sitting in a cave in Afghanistan, caused the 9/11 attacks?"

There was a pause and they looked around to see who would raise a hand.  They had learned over time that I never let someone get away with a blanket statement without a challenge.  A hand timidly raised in the back.

"Yes?  Why do you think that?", I inquired.

"Because the evidence proved he was guilty," came the reply.

"What evidence is that?", I pressed.

"Well, they had evidence that bin Laden had been planning the attack for a long time," the voice quivered a bit.

"Can you display the evidence for us?"  There was silence.  So I put them to work again.  "OK, go to Google and search for evidence that bin Laden masterminded the 9/11 attacks."

There was a swell of happy clicking as they scoured the internet for evidence.  At one point, there was a kind of lull that fell over the class.  Every teacher knows this moment.  It's when minds get opened and students take just the tiniest moment to consider that all they believed just two minutes ago might not be true.  I call it the "eureka" moment.

"How many results did you get?"

"Fifteen million five hundred thousand," came the reply.

"Now, click through a few pages and scan the headlines.  Do they seem like they are promoting the idea that bin Laden was behind the attacks?"

"Most of them are questions," came one bright voice.

"Of the links that appear to support the idea, what are the sources?", I continued.

"Some are Wikipedia and some are media websites."

"Click on the Wikipedia article and look for the section that talks about evidence of bin Laden's guilt.  What are the sources for that information?"

There was a pause as they poked around and read the articles.  Then a couple of voices rang out in unison:

"The sources are government agencies and media," they chimed.

"Given what we know about the definition of terrorism from the dictionary, do you believe government sources when it comes to evidence for a terror suspect?", I asked.

There was a moment of silence as they cogitated on this new way of thinking.  I could see in the eyes of several of the students that they were making the connections.  Then one of the bright bulbs spoke up:

"If governments throughout history have used terrorism as a way to control people, then we should be careful with government evidence about terror attacks?"  A teacher can always tell when they get the idea, but are afraid to declare it out of fear of ridicule.

"Exactly!", I said.  "So, when we read today's article, what should we do?"

Another pause.  "Be critical of the information in it?"  Still unsure.

"Yes!"  I felt exhilarated.  I love when minds start working.  "Now, with the things we have talked about, what do you think is the difference between 'information' and 'knowledge'?"

Even longer silence.  Then, one of the faces lit up.  I knew she got it.

"Information is not right or wrong," she mused.

"Go on," I prompted.

"But knowledge can be false?"

"Exactly!," I cried.  "Information doesn't have a context, but knowledge does.  If I say that 'leaves are green', is that always true?"

"No, because some die and turn a different color."

"Right!," I was getting excited.  "So 'leaves are green' is information, but it is not 'knowledge', because we know that leaves change colors when they die.  The information now has a context and we know it is not always true."

One of the class critics spoke up.  "So, are you saying that Osama bin Laden didn't do 9/11?"

"No, what I am saying is that you must apply history, culture and all the other contexts you know to any new information.  If the new information does not fit what you already know, then you must analyze it more closely.  If the information does not stand up to analysis, then what should you do?"

Silence.

"Throw it away?"

"Either that, or..."

"Find a context to fit the information?"

"Exactly.  And if the context you find does not fit what you know to be true?"

"Throw it away?"

"Now you're thinking!"

With that, we started reading the material at hand.

Student Becomes The Teacher

I call them my kids, but they are young adults with college degrees embarking on their first big job.

This group was all computer whizzes in the field of IT. They've been hired by a major international oil company in the support services, and the company wants them to have above-average skills with the English language. To that end, they are enrolled into an intensive class, one month long, five days a week, eight hours a day. In that time, they do nothing but read, write and speak English.

The part that is important to me is that I develop a relationship with my students. I am able to gain a good insight into their strengths and weaknesses. I am able to adjust the materials to suit their learning styles. Hopefully, I am successful in transferring what I know about the langhuage to them, many of whom have never been taught by a native speaker.

For me, it is one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. To give a key to someone that unlocks new avenues of learning and experience is something beyong ability to express. It can only be experienced.

Nearly all of the most influential teachers in my life have been my English teachers. Joe Zarantonello, Lou Swilley, Pat Schereib, and most importantly, my mother.

My mother was a task-master. I had to read constantly. When I wrote papers, they had to be perfect not only in structure, but also in penmanship, which is nearly a dead art these days. Oh the tears I cried, wathcing my papers get torn up and having to start again. The endless re-writes. The late nights trying to ensure that every letter on two pages of writing was perfectly formed, not to mention the grammar and spelling.

These days, my mother would be considered a monster. The current paradigm is to accept whatever a child does as being 'their personal best,' so that we don't damage their fragile self-esteem. Rubbish. Though the work was formidable, I have gained a skill for life that I have made a good sum of money from using. I have written articles, stories, scripts, manuals, and presentations in my professional career. I have won awards for my wordcraft. And the skill has served me well throughout the world, not the least of which is my exant situation.

I am not a vocational teacher. I have had a full career in media. In the latter half of my life, however, I have settled into teaching both as a means of eating, and as a way of transferring my experience to people who can use it to further their own aspirations. Hopefully, their skill will increase their earning power and open opportunities to them, as well.

I have never taken any 'education' clasees. My certification only means that I have been trained in the various standard techniques for teaching English as a second language. However, I have found most of the 'standard' approaches to be nothing better than jumping off points. They are a place to start, but the individual student determines what will best open the door of learning.

My teachers were as different as night and day. Joe Z was the poet, Swilley the reader of ancient texts, Schereib enjoyed old and middle English epics. But, Stan Norman taught me to interpret the word to the stage, thus bringing it alive. At the base of all that was my mother who gave me the desire to read, the skill to write and a large and useful vocabulary.

I use everything they taught me every day. In my classes, we practice the techniques, we read the literature. We imagine ourselves in real life situations and role-play them in improvisational skits.

And one last teacher who influences me: my father. He was a history teacher, and that gave him a passion for the etimology of words and the precision of language. He ensured that I studied Latin in high school. I hated every minute of it, but it has served me well over the years. Not only has it deeply influenced my writing, but it has opened ancient texts and the impenatrable fortress of 'the law' to my prying mind.

So, I got misty today as we wrapped up our month-long course. I made the students read the daily paper, so they made hats out of folded newspapers. I spent time playing with language, not only English but Indonesian. I told them about the Indonesian word I made up, memberlihat-lihatkanilah. I said that it means, "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt," though in Indonesian it is pretty much unintelligable. Never-the-less, they gave me a T-shirt with my imaginary word on it. They also gave me a photo, a LARGE photo, framed behind glass, of our group together outside on the campus.

I was floored. I wanted depereately to make a quick escape before I let loose too much emotion. They, of course, wouldn't let me go that fast. I was overwhelmed by the gratitude and thoughtfulness of their gifts. I wish that I could extend that moment, but I can only cherish it: the feeling that I did something for a group of people that opened some locks. And that they were so moved as to invest time, effort and money to show their gratitude.

So, as I write this, wearing my T-shirt emblazoned with 'memberlihat-lihatkanilah,' I am in the presence of the ghosts of teachers past. Perhaps I can never tell them personally (though I have already told my mother) how grateful I am for what they gave me, but I can take those tools and pass them on to others. I can use them to open doors and offer some measure of what those tools have done for me to another generation.

With any luck, they will use the tools to make their part of the world a better place. Hopefully, something I did will lead to greater understanding and new insights. But, if nothing else, I hope they will be enriched both financially and spiritually by something they learned in my class.

The key word there is 'hope.' Hope is such a strong motivator and powerful weapon. The greatest gift anyone can give, is hope. And in my case, I was the recipient. It strengthens my spirit and empowers me to hope that the future is better than the past. I teach not just to give hope, but to get it.

By the way, who made the British the arbiters of the English language, anyway? Most of them can barely speak it themselves! Half of English is Latin, which means a Roman would be just as qualified to teach English as a Brit.

I'm just sayin'.

Hidupan, Alam Semesta dan Semuanya

One reason I write a blog is to exchange ideas with other minds out there, whether they see things the same as I do, or not. The mail I get is often inspirational and thanks to my blog, I have made new contacts in various parts of the world. A big note of tanks goes to George Ure, at UrbanSurvival, for giving me a wider audience!

Because of my eyesight (or lack thereof), I am a bit slow on reading and responding to email, but this morning I received an email that really inspired me, to whit:

"My daughter has enrolled her son and daughter in cyberschool. What a difference it makes. It gives them a lot of room for self expression. You are right about doing the same old thing over and over again.My daughter is an artist in mosaics, but when she was in school, if she dared to step out of the teachers way, she got into hot water, never allowed for self expression. It is a different mode now and if more parents did it, there would be more free thinkers. If the USA goes the way it looks like it is going, the schools won't be able to affort to run busses anyway.And I despise the fact that every school has a cop in it. What is wrong with these people. I always say it was created by the "puckerbutt Mamas" who had nothing better to do than go to PTA meetings and harp about a teacher touching their children. Lets face it "we have been had by the PTB and it is up to the free thinkers to change things."

In addition to giving me a wonderful new adjective, 'puckerbutt,' this letter also inspired me. I therefore replied in my usual brief and concise manner:

Please pardon my delay in replying, but WOW what a great letter to receive!

It's gratifying to hear that there are folks out there who are opting out of the system. Freedom of self begins with freedom of thought, and we can't think clearly nor freely if we are sent to cookie cutter schools.

I'm an artist, as well. I spent 40 years of my 50 total (so far) working in theater, film and TV. I had some brilliant, real teachers, beginning with my mother, who not only encouraged free-thinking, but demanded it.

Your letter reached me at an opportune time. I am currently developing a system for teaching English online so that it can reach students in Indonesia who are very remote and don't have access to the resourses available in Jakarta. You see, English is a way for people to move up here. They can use it to get good jobs and expand outside their villages and borders. They can access a much larger world of ideas by learning a single skill. However, when I teach English, I use ten different languages to do it. I show the students that language is simply a way to encode and decode information, just like math, computers and art. I come at the problem from a different angle than the standard rote memory curricula available on the market. Language is an organic, living thing and cannot be taught in a cold, rigid manner, just as plants cannot be raised without water and sunshine and exposure to the environment.

Anyway, I could wax philosophical for hours, as you can see from my blog. I am verygrateful to you for writing me. You inspired me with your ideas. Tha is one rreason I write, so that I can exchange ideas with a wider audience, and not only be inspired, but translate that into inspiration for the next generation.

I wish the best for you and yours. I am overjoyed that someone out there is seeking something different from the same ole same ole. We can win this Thing one mind at a time. It's daunting, but not impossible.

Thank you kindly for your letter, I know that to inspire someone to write back, there must be some ideas in my writings that move and motivate, and that is gratifying. Best of luck to you all, and blessings on you and yours.

Best regards,
Bernard

Education.

That's the key. That's how we defeat the PTB. One mind at a time. It took generations of indoctrination to get to where we are as a civilization, and it will take the same to get out. We just have to have the same resolve to be truly free that the bastards have to enslave.

Great books, such as Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World, show us where we are heading now. But books such as, Shang-gri La and Stranger In A Strange Land and 2001: A Space Odyssea, show us where we could go.

People such as Richard Hoagland and David Icke, even if they are wrong, show us that thinking bigger can free us of so many constraints. People such as the reader who wrote me above show us that something as simple as art can elevate us above the mundane and propel us to new thoughts, new heights and New Frontiers of Humanity.

And it all begins with Education.

I was a threat to the United States. They castigated me and persecuted me because I did such radical things as forbid vaccinations for my children, filtered their water of things like flouride and chlorine, and homeschooled. I refused to follow the proscribed path and for that, my wife was killed and my children were used as weapons by the State.

the danger of free thought is very real. Trust me.

Ask Galileo. Ask anyone who presents to true and credible challenge to the status quo. If you push against the GAP (Generally Accepted Paradigm), you will be punished severely. People don't like their apple carts upset, especially those who profit from building the carts and growing the apples. They only profit when the apples are neatly stacked in a controlled area. If the apples are rolling down the street, then anybody can pick them up.

It comes down to this: who controls the mids of our children?

I've had some great teachers in my life. They were not famous nor did they want to be. They had one goal, to make me think.

There's Mrs. James and Mrs. Speck. There's Mr. Z and Stan. There's Swilley and my trig tutor, whose name I don't even remember, but who taught me that math can be understood.

But, at the core of it all, after years of education that has yet to stop, there's my mother. She taught me language and art and the most important thing of all: to read.

It's all there in a book somewhere. The collected knowledge of the ages is written down and waiting for discovery. To read is to be free. Because of reading, my teachers include: Newton, Kepler, Galileo, Plato, Aristotle, Ovid, Pythagoras, Nietzsche, Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Benedict, Lao Tsu, Sun Tsu, Gengis Khan, and scores of others.

Because I learned art, I was trained by Monet, van Gogh, Michaelangelo, da Vinci, Rodan, Orson Welles, and so many more it would take an encyclopaedia.

There were my language teachers for Spanish, Latin and German. There were the incredible cast of characters I have met traveling. There were monks at Christ in the Desert.

All the great thinkers, artisits, writers, and philosophers of all time came to me through one simple skill: reading. Thanks Mom!

So, if you want to teach your children to think, not parrot, you have one job, and only one job...get them to read. Open the doors to the Universe by turning off the TV and the video games, and turn on the books, essays, manifestos, and papers. Give them inspiration, and the rest follows. Stop trying to be you kid's best friend and start thinking for the long term, far beyond your lifetime.

What can you do now that will affect generations?

I don't teach to get rich or even to make a living. I teach because I have a burning desire to open the mind of fresh, young thinkers who can change the world I will never live in. And in the end, that's the thing that must change: what is it that benefits us? Is it what car we drive or what house we live in or the luxuries in our lives? Or is it the world we can build through our children and their children, and the faces we will never know and the world we will never inhabit?

To paraphrase another great thinker, 'Ask not what the world can do for you, but what you can do for the world.'

And for God's sake, stop being a consumer. The real economy is not what we buy, but what we offer. Change your mind and change the world is the simplistic slogan that came out in the 80s. Though the intention was to sign folks up to comsume something, it is never-the-less true.

The difference between freedom and slavery, between wealth and poverty, is nothing more than a point of view.

It's that simple.