COE Exchange

Archive for the ‘Character Education’ Category

For decades, educators have advocated , both as a means to advance academic achievement and as a means to support positive character development. In contrast, many educators have been wary of using competition. The popular education writer, , summarized the concerns of many in his acclaimed book, No Contest: The Case Against Competition. Pitting people against each other, Kohn argued, is inherently harmful and counterproductive. Is Kohn right? In an article in the February 2010 Phi Delta Kappan, we suggest that Kohn is both right and wrong. His criticisms of competition hold, but only if we limit ourselves to the…

Marvin Berkowitz, the Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor of Education at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, assists Arthur Oyange achieve his goals in character education. Read more in UM Saint Louis’ News Room article:

Given the furor over the Obama speech to America’s students and the inquiries I have gotten surrounding it, I decided to pen a few words about this and to make a suggestion.  Here goes: First, years ago a philosopher named wrote a book call “Laws of Form” in which the opening line is “Draw a line.” What he meant is that knowing must begin with a distinction. This is not a unique idea, as and and other developmental theorists have echoed similar notions. Sadly, however, human knowing often ends there as well; that is, with a simple dichotomy. The world…

Many Indonesian teachers in Pulomas, East Jakarta, are investigating the possibility of focusing more attention in the curriculum to issues of character education. There is a Character School on Jl. Raya Bogor, Depok, which focuses completely on character training. Teachers encourage students to identify their own interests and pursue learning about them. There is the Cikal School in Cilandak which seeks to involve parents in the schooling of their children along with community work and psychological strategies to foster character development. Executive Director Rahma Dewi, of the Character School complains public schools fail to focus on moral development of children.…

Especially in the current educational climate of No Child Left Behind and high stakes testing, education has become myopic and ahistorical.  We have forgotten why we educate our youth and we have become monomaniacally devoted to schools as college preparatory institutions, even elementary schools.  Well I have news for you…education has multiple purposes and academic learning is only one of them.