A recent poll found that Political Correctness is extremely unpopular in America, even amongst moderates and independents, which got me thinking on the subject. There exists an old quote from a famed British psychiatrist by the name of Anthony Daniels regarding Political Correctness. It is the best quote I know of on the subject, and I have been mulling it over for some time, considering its meaning and its implications. The quote reads:
Political Correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better.
When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed.
A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine Political Correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.
In this way, Political Correctness can be seen not only as a form of narrative control and truth suppression, but as a type of relentless bullying. Speech codes and persistent propaganda no one is even allowed to object to (like diversity worship or the fictions we constantly hear about human equality), reinforce society’s sense of powerlessness. If you can get people to assent to obvious lies, or better yet to repeat them, or better still to absorb them, which is to say to lie to themselves, there is virtually nothing you can’t make them do. You have broken the seal, as drinkers say.
It is as if you have forced a man to murder an innocent, or to rape his own sister. You have destroyed a bit of his soul, you have forced him to surrender, to submit, to choose pragmatism over rectitude, to abandon his reason for the sake of social or professional survival. Once a man has lost his sense of shame, of pride, of agency, of integrity, once he must abandon his own conscience and put on a performance for all the world to see just so that he’ll be socially accepted, he’s a sheep being led to slaughter at that point. He has been subjugated completely. His heart is a gaping wound. He has been warped and debased to his core, to his essence.
We must see Political Correctness then as a very intense form of psychological and spiritual warfare. The goal of it is not just to censor ideas and words and keep people in the dark. The ultimate goal is to destroy the subject’s sense of right, and the subject’s sense of shame, and most importantly, the subject’s will to resist, to live a life of authenticity, of honor, of virtue. Once these dams are broken, vice flows effortlessly downhill for the individual, and for societies living in the shadow of these dams, known colloquially as principle, conscience, probity, integrity, honor and civic virtue— the things that uphold human civilization.
If people aren’t even willing to stand up and rebuff the most glaring of falsehoods, what will they stand up to? They will go along with most anything at that point. People conditioned to wear a mask every day of their lives, to present to the world a perfectly false self, to celebrate things no decent or sensible person could or would celebrate, have already assented to the intolerable.
When the most unthinkable atrocities arrive, they will be more than ready to tolerate them. They have had ample practice tolerating the unthinkable already. They have already assented many times to denying the reality right before their very eyes, and to countenancing what they know in their hearts to be pure evil.
If we understand Political Correctness this way, we must understand Political Correctness to not only be an assault on the truth, which it is of course, but as the main front of a war on human liberty itself, on free minds, on free peoples, on free nations. Political Correctness paves the way for the army of horribles behind it, by turning madness into gospel, meekness into fashion, and surrender into habit.
Vanquished, demoralized peoples do not fight back, they do not rise up and deliver themselves from Marxist tyranny. They applaud rather than cringe (as all people of sound mind would do) when their overlords trot out, on national television, an 11 year old drag queen dressed up in the attire of a street hooker. They do nothing when told that 9 year old boys are perfectly capable of deciding to start physically transitioning into girls via powerful, permanently mind-altering and body-altering pharmaceuticals. They play along when Cultural Marxist oligarchs and media personalities tell us that flooding the country with criminals and imbeciles from the third world will lead to moral and social progress.
They remain silent when they are told that East Asians and whites are the real racists for not wanting to be systematically racially discriminated against in hiring and university admissions countrywide. Because who would assent to absurdity is half-way to atrocity already. He has sacrificed a piece of his soul for security, but will not receive it. The universe never has and never will reward such a bargain.
1) First of all, please tell our readers a bit about yourself, your education and experience?
Hello! My name is Matine Khalighi from Denver, Colorado. I am an incoming freshman at Harvard University, but I decided to take a gap year to focus on the nonprofit organization that I co-founded named EEqual. Since I was young, community has been everything for me. My parents always tried to show my brother and I the importance of giving back and caring for others. Those values have definitely carried my life’s direction and are the reason I am doing a lot of the work that I do today!
2) How did you first get involved in helping others?
When I was in 8th grade, I took a community service class that was centered around making a difference. This class then inspired me and my co-founder to start Helping the Homeless Colorado, a youth-led nonprofit organization. As 14 year olds, we really did not know what we were doing, but it came from a place of wanting to help and believing that we could, despite our age.
And it worked! Four years later, with the help of over 20 student leaders, we raised over $140,000, provided thousands of basic necessities to homeless people, and even financed scholarships to send homeless students to college. It was quite the journey!
3) Where are you currently located?
I am currently in Denver, Colorado, but I am hopeful that I will be able to move to Boston for school next fall. I love Colorado, especially because of Denverites passion for giving back. I think that it has been a great place for EEqual’s story to begin!
4) Let’s first focus on the homeless. In general, how does such a situation begin?
Well we should probably take a step back, there are many different kinds of homelessness out there. For example, we have students experiencing homelessness, which could look like couch-surfing, sleeping in cars, or sometimes staying at a shelter. And then, there is the more well-known type of homelessness: people living on the streets or in shelters, particularly in urban areas.
For EEqual, our focus is student poverty and homelessness primarily because there aren’t a lot of organizations out there working to support this specific group of people. This is really because there is a complete lack of knowledge about the issue of student poverty and homelessness.
Students in public education can experience homelessness for a number of reasons. For example, it can happen to a student because they got kicked out of their parents house because of their sexual orientation or their family can’t find affordable housing.
5) For students in school, what is a primary concern and what are some of the basic necessities that are needed to keep them in college?
Research shows that education is the most effective way to break the generational poverty cycle. So, the biggest concern is these students not finishing their K-12 education or not attaining some degree of higher education. These students need help funding their higher education, while also helping them get access to resources that will help them be successful in public education.
This is why EEqual’s programs are all centered around helping these students navigate their way to higher education. For example, our Scholarship program: we finance scholarships for students in poverty who apply to our program to attain associates degrees, attend vocational or trade school, or even get education certificates.
Right now, we are in the process of piloting a micro-grant program that covers the costs that come with public education (like computers, field trip money, graphing calculators, etc.) This way students in need can start having access to the resources that they need to be successful students.
6) I applaud your work and efforts to get high school students into a local community college- because once there- they seem to thrive and there are internal supports. But how do we help them with the transition from high school to community college?
All of EEqual’s programs put a huge emphasis on mentorship. We really believe that these students need a friend in their corner to motivate them and help them get out of their situation. For both our scholarship program and micro-grant program, we pair students with a mentor who can really be their support system.
I, as a student who has been very lucky and have never had to worry about my education-related costs, struggled to navigate through the college admissions process. The number of variables were endless: ACT/SAT scores, Common Application, FAFSA, Activities lists, Scholarships, etc. It is simply unacceptable to expect a student who does not have access to adequate resources or support to be successful in this process. That is why providing these students with mentorship and necessary resources, we can help them get on their way to higher education.
7) Where can interested readers get more information? And where can they donate?
Yes! Please feel free to check out our websitewww.EEqual.org to learn more about us and our programs. In addition, because we are a youth-led organization, social media is our jam. Please follow us @EEqualNonprofit on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
If you would like to support EEqual please visit the “Donate” tap on our website! Also, if you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to email us at: hello@EEqual.org
8) Are there other organizations out there that support you?
EEqual is in our fourth month, but we have received quite a bit of support! I was actually just recognized with two awards (Prudential Spirit of Community & The Barron Prize For Young Heroes) which helped raise over $13,000 for the organization.
My team and I are getting started on pitching to business for sponsorships and applying to some grants! We are so excited for what is to come.
9) What have I neglected to ask?
I think one thing that makes EEqual very special is that we are a for youth-by-youth nonprofit organization. All of our operations from programming, fundraising, and leadership are done by teenagers like myself. At the same time, the people that EEqual is trying to support are students! So, we are introducing a new “young people helping young people” dynamic into the nonprofit sector.
EEqual really is a movement that inspires young people to become advocates for their struggling peers, reinstates the power of youth philanthropy, and reminds us all of the important role education plays in our society. You know, students are our America’s most valuable resource, and we can never put a price tag on what they offer the future. We have to do everything we can to support them and help them succeed!
“Who is aware that this city, completely destroyed at the time of liberation, which suffered barbarism, led by abject men, is currently ruled by a young woman of 30?” – Xavier de Lauzanne
9 Days at Raqqa is a portrait of Leila Mustapha, a young woman who is Kurdish and Syrian and who was elected Mayor of Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State which was destroyed during the Syrian Civil war. Leila, an engineer by training, was just 30 years old at the time. Operating in a man’s world, Leila’s mission has been to rebuild her city, enable reconciliation and re-establish democracy. The story of Leila is told through the perspective of French writer Marine de Tilly who travels to Raqqa, a still dangerous city, and is given 9 days to tell her incredible story. 9 Days of Raqqa was Officially Selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival.
The Global Search for Educationis pleased to welcome Xavier de Lauzanne, Director of 9 Days at Raqqa.
“I was inspired by this woman, Leila Mustapha, by her strength, her optimism, and her humility.” – Xavier de Lauzanne
Xavier, why did you choose to tell this story now?
We have all heard of Raqqa, the former self-proclaimed capital of the Islamist state during the war in Syria. We were even directly affected by Daesh, in particular during the attacks in Paris; the orders for which came directly from there. European fanatics left to fight alongside the Islamists. Our history is now linked to that of Raqqa and we cannot deny it. And yet, who knows Leila Mustapha? Who is aware that this city, completely destroyed at the time of liberation, which suffered barbarism, led by abject men, is currently ruled by a young woman of 30? Isn’t that amazing? The war is now elsewhere and so very few journalists are going there. As a filmmaker, I considered that my role was to go after them, after the chaos, to enter the sensory universe of characters who have been at the heart of the news, to better understand history through their journeys, to tell about the future prospects and to look at what binds us.
I was inspired by this woman, Leila Mustapha, by her strength, her optimism, and her humility. I was also inspired by the system that the Kurds are trying to establish in the region. In Syria, they do not claim territorial autonomy as in Iraq. They see themselves above all, as Syrians. But Syrians defend a certain idea of the nation: democratic and egalitarian. Gender parity in their administration is the perfect example of this singularity. In the Middle East, they are the only ones to really move the lines and Raqqa is a post-war laboratory that has moved me deeply.
What surprised you most during the creative process of making this film? What lessons did you personally learn?
When you navigate the ruins of a city of 300,000 inhabitants, which could be any city we know, you have two reactions. Firstly, to observe with horror what man is capable of, and secondly, to hold onto the signs of life that appear. Behind every destruction is a gigantic distress. But behind each distress there is also a striking burst of life and, in Raqqa, Leila Mustapha is its figurehead. I think I have rarely been so admiring of a person I have filmed. Creating and building peace is much more difficult than making war. On the other hand, during the filming, we had no control over anything. Our safety depended on others and our schedule was created hour-by-hour. I forced myself to let myself be carried away, without preconceived ideas, without fantasies, by trying to capture with my camera the “truth” of this woman, her authenticity, her sincerity, her spontaneity. Since nothing was calculated, it was difficult for her to form a way of being. We slipped into her daily life, without changing anything. Making a feature documentary halfway around the world, about an unknown woman, in a war zone, with only 9 days, is a gamble. Before leaving, nothing assured me that I had the material to make a film. The unexpected, even if it means coming back empty-handed, has been my source, my wealth, and my reward.
“Creating and building peace is much more difficult than making war.” – Xavier de Lauzanne
What do you hope audiences will take away from Leila Mustapha’s life and her mission?
I believe the film exposes a one-of-a-kind experience. I hope viewers will remember that you should never be too preconceived about others and other places. Iraq and Syria are seen only through the prism of war, of permanent conflict. It’s always easier for the media to show off images of guns, bombs going off, and people killing each other. I am not saying that it should not be done, but behind our “duty to inform”, there must also be the “duty of balance”. Otherwise we can create an erroneous picture of the world. We believe we are informed, but we are only partially informed by perspectives that are mainly anxiety-provoking because sensationalism makes money, while peace, by definition, is boring. On the other hand, we like to reassure ourselves about our own condition by locking up warring people under leaden covers from which they will never escape. And when they do, the media is gone! So I’m here as a filmmaker to tell people that there is also another way of looking at our world – more courteous, more just, more constructive and no less captivating! Leila Mustapha is the perfect example.
The story is told from the perspective of a female writer. Why did you decide to tell Leila’s story this way?
I wanted to tell the real story. I was put in contact with this writer who was going to meet Leila Mustapha and who had only 9 days, under incredible conditions, to gather the information that would allow her to write her book. The writer was our facilitator, who we identify with, who takes us to Raqqa and then leaves room for Leila’s emotional power. On the other hand, I’m a man and I made a feminist film. I found it interesting to completely step aside behind these three women (Leila, the writer, and the performer) and let the naturalness of their meeting live without interference or obsessions on my part. I tell a story of cinema, inked in reality, which ends moreover with the return of the writer a year later, to bring to Leila the book she wrote. When making documentaries, I am primarily filmmaking and I have only one credo: “once upon a time …”.
“We believe we are informed, but we are only partially informed by perspectives that are mainly anxiety-provoking because sensationalism makes money, while peace, by definition, is boring.” – Xavier de Lauzanne
How did the pandemic impact the creation and marketing of your film?
After filming the last sequence in Raqqa (the writer’s return a year later), we crossed the Syria-Iraq border just as everything froze. Like in a movie, we saw borders and cities close in our path, just long enough to catch the plane in Erbil! But the pandemic itself did not have an impact on the making of the film. On the other hand, after having obtained the prestige of the “Cannes 2020” label of which we are extremely proud, we now have to show the film… We are waiting for other festivals to launch the film’s promotion around the world, hoping that the situation will improve and not degrade again.
9 days is the first part of a trilogy.
Yes, it is the first part of a trilogy that I am producing on the reconstruction of social ties in Iraq and Syria after the war through three experiences: political, media and cultural. The other two films are in production.
Thank you Xavier.
C.M. Rubin and Xavier de Lauzanne
Thank you to our 800 plus global contributors, artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, researchers, business leaders, students and thought leaders from every domain for sharing your perspectives on the future of learning with The Global Search for Education each month.
C. M. Rubin (Cathy) is the Founder of CMRubinWorld, an online publishing company focused on the future of global learning, and the co-founder of Planet Classroom. She is the author of three best-selling books and two widely read online series. Rubin received 3 Upton Sinclair Awards for “The Global Search for Education.” The series, which advocates for Youth, was launched in 2010 and brings together distinguished thought leaders from around the world to explore the key education issues faced by nations.
“Tapi! was created as a way to examine the erasure of indigenous spiritual practice in favour of the dominant religions of Christianity and Islam.” – Jim Chuchu
Tapi! is a short documentary that explores a formative moment in the life of a young Kenyan ritual healer, Jackson, who is one of the last practitioners of the ritual healing practice called utapishi (‘tapi’). The leaders of the local Christian church are not happy with the influence of the ritual and decide to take Jackson to court. Tapi! continues Director Jim Chuchu’s exploration of African and black spiritualities, in this case the post-colonial erasure of indigenous ways of believing. Written and directed by Jim Chuchu, the film received its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome Jim Chuchu Director of Tapi!
“What does it mean for a people to lose their gods?” – Jim Chuchu
Jim, what was your inspiration for creating Tapi!?
Tapi! was created as a way to examine the erasure of indigenous spiritual practice in favour of the dominant religions of Christianity and Islam. This particular phenomenon is one of many ways in which old systems of knowledge on the continent are being set aside in a way that echo the troubling colonial frameworks that set out to ‘civilize’ or ‘modernize’ people of colour and their cultural practices. The modern influence of colonial histories in Africa is substantial and difficult to pin-point, but I think it is imperative to keep a continuous and close watch on this influence on present-day African societies.
What are the main takeaways you want for the audience on your story?
I hope that there are several different takeaways for different audiences. For non-African audiences, I hope that the film allows them to consider the still-unraveling effects of European and American history on the people of Africa. These troubled histories are not often taught to young people growing up in those societies, and the resulting unawareness creates room for new generations of citizens in the Global North to enact new oppressions, oblivious of the historical contexts into which they fall.
For African audiences, I hope that the film prompts some reflection on our contemporary ideas of African spirituality, and the interruption of indigenous spiritualities that was the result of colonial disruption and violence, and the separations caused by slavery. What does it mean for a people to lose their gods?
“Tapi! explores the idea of a broader framing of ‘queer’ that expands beyond the contemporary understanding of queerness as a framework of sexuality and gender identity to a wider frame that includes otherness, and ways of being that include indigenous spirituality and mysticism.” – Jim Chuchu
How difficult was it to get your innovative film made? How are audiences responding?
Tapi! explores the idea of a broader framing of ‘queer’ that expands beyond the contemporary understanding of queerness as a framework of sexuality and gender identity to a wider frame that includes otherness, and ways of being that include indigenous spirituality and mysticism. Otherness of all kinds, including those related to sexuality and gender identity, are treated with suspicion in Kenya, and the socio-cultural forces of conformity are deeply entrenched in the ways that Kenyans police public ways of being. Because questioning of religion, and exploration of queerness and otherness are sensitive topics in Kenya, the production of Tapi! faced one or two challenges along the way.
First, the Kenya Film Classification Board – to whom all film scripts are submitted for approval before production – asked us to strike out any mention of queerness in the script, highlighting the ways in which this state agency takes active steps to curtail cultural expression that explores topics deemed sensitive. I find this disappointing because the stifling of cultural conversations makes it difficult for societies to build consensus around the very important questions of identity and membership.
Second, casting for the film was a tricky proposition because at one point during the shoot, several extras expressed strong reservations around the thematic areas explored by the film, causing us to change our shooting schedule and drop several scenes. Thankfully, the main cast of the film were deeply committed to the story, allowing us to complete the production.
In terms of distribution, we were happy that the film was chosen to screen at the 2020 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which allowed us to reach a wider audience than we could locally. Our inclusion in the We Are One Global Film Festival further widened our reach, and we were very honoured to have one of our works be a part of an unprecedented global film event. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are yet to hold a screening of the film locally, so we are looking forward to a time in the future when we are able to gather an audience for physical screenings once more.
“A key question raised by the pandemic has been: what does holistic artistic practice look like in a world where the effects of increasing pressure on resources are more readily apparent?” – Jim Chuchu
How have you as a filmmaker been affected by the pandemic and in what ways are you responding? What are you working on next?
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have halted ongoing productions at the Nest Collective, in part because filmmaking at the scale we usually do would flout the state guidelines on social distancing and public gatherings. Additionally, some of our productions required travel, both out of town and beyond the national border. These have had to be recalibrated significantly because of border closures globally and movement restrictions.
On a more positive note, the pandemic has caused us as a collective to critically analyze the frameworks of our artistic practice going forward. A key question raised by the pandemic has been: what does holistic artistic practice look like in a world where the effects of increasing pressure on resources are more readily apparent? How do we equip our audiences with grounding knowledge that recognises and soothes growing anxieties, while fronting new and fresh ideas for forward movement? How can we all transition, together, towards more sustainable ways of being, recall the ones we used to know, and reinforce the ones we already engage in?
These are questions I am looking forward to tackling in the years to come and in any forthcoming productions.
C.M. Rubin with Jim Chuchu
Thank you to our 800 plus global contributors, artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, researchers, business leaders, students and thought leaders from every domain for sharing your perspectives on the future of learning with The Global Search for Education each month.
C. M. Rubin (Cathy) is the Founder of CMRubinWorld, an online publishing company focused on the future of global learning, and the co-founder of Planet Classroom. She is the author of three best-selling books and two widely read online series. Rubin received 3 Upton Sinclair Awards for “The Global Search for Education.” The series, which advocates for Youth, was launched in 2010 and brings together distinguished thought leaders from around the world to explore the key education issues faced by nations.
If you’re wondering why Joe Biden still won’t say whether he supports packing the U.S. Supreme Court if he’s elected president, it’s because he doesn’t have to. His Democratic Party has been actively transforming state courts into legislative backstops for years – and will undoubtedly pressure Biden to do the same to our nation’s high court, if given the chance.
In states across the country, where Democrats have failed to achieve their increasingly radical agenda at the ballot box, leftist groups have spent millions of dollars installing on state supreme courts liberal, activist judges, who are all too willing to legislate from the bench. In 2020, that means helping to elect Biden president by ignoring critical election security laws designed to protect against voter fraud.
Look no further than in battleground Pennsylvania, where Democrats in 2015 seized on turmoil created by three resignations from the state’s highest court and spent millions of dollars to win those seats for liberal judges. The Democratic Party, state and national labor unions, and billboard trial lawyers all chipped in, knowing the stakes – and the opportunities – were high.
The Republican State Leadership Committee led the fight to stop them in an election that would ultimately become the most expensive state judicial election at the time – a record $16.5 million was poured in by outside groups. Democrats recognized how useful a partisan, activist majority on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would be for their policy agenda and political preferences for years to come.
The outcomes didn’t take long to pay off: This year, that same Democrat majority on the court used the Pennsylvania Constitution’s “Free and Equal Elections Clause” to ignore state law requiring absentee ballots be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The court adopted a politics-first interpretation of the law, allowing it to rewrite deadlines that it found inconvenient.
Instead of applying the “received by” deadline statute, a neutral, even-handed rule that applies to all Pennsylvania voters equally, the court created a rule requested by Democrats who believe this outcome benefits their party, and their candidate, politically. Under the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling, only absentee voters can cast valid votes after Election Day. In-person voters can’t.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling has been appealed by Republicans to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Biden’s Supreme Court shortlist is likely full of activist judges on state supreme courts who have ignored legislatively adopted rules, procedures, and deadlines when it was inconvenient for their politically preferred outcome.
Whether they come from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, or Ohio, Democrats have been quietly electing partisan, activist judges to state supreme courts across this country. The Republican State Leadership Committee is the only national group fighting on this field in support of the rule of law.
“Elections have consequences.” That’s the refrain from winners in the game of power politics, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump. But we expect those elections to be run according to the rules, procedures and deadlines adopted by legislatures after sober consideration, not stripped of security provisions by partisan, activist judges.
Forgive us if we’re rightfully skeptical that Biden will stand up to the radical left when they ram through Congress an institution-crumbling, court-packing scheme.
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Andrew Wynne leads the Republican State Leadership Committee’s Judicial Fairness Initiative.
I recently caught up with Tom Watkins who was on the cutting edge of sensible school reform as Michigan’s state superintendent of schools, (2001-05) and remains so today, to take a look at remote/e-learning in the time of Covid.
Tom has perhaps one of the most eclectic careers serving in leadership roles in K-12 and preschool education, higher ed, health and behavioral health, business, politics, and media. He was recognized by EdNews as a Upton Sinclair awardee and been active in building global educational bridges; especially with China. He is a “go to” person on both sides of the Pacific when it comes to China US relations, which he considers the most important bilateral relationship in the world today. He is often quoted as saying, “Going forward, all the major world issues will intersect at the corner of Beijing and Washington, D.C. How our respective leaders address these concerns will impact the people of China, the USA and all of humanity”. Perhaps the only subject Tom speaks out more on – beyond the need to support public education — is China/US relations. Read some of Tom’s China thoughts here: CHINA US Focus
Now, let’s dive into Tom’s thoughts on e-learning today.
EDNEWS: Mr. Superintendent, as you have often said, “the only constant in the world today is change.” We have certainly witnessed a great deal of change since Covid-19 washed up on our shores. How do we assure this “change” produces progress for our schools and teachers?
Tom Watkins: Covid-19 has forced the world to examine new ways of doing things. Covid, became a accelerate for remote/e-learning. With technology we chat, zoom, live lectures, and other means of videoconferencing are all possible through the internet.
It is amazing what a global pandemic can do to fast-forward the adoption of new ways of teaching and learning. Education leaders cannot be mired in what they feel they can’t do because of what they have done in the past and must be focused on finding creative solutions to the very real problems at hand.
Remote and e-learning was viewed as inferior to face-to-face traditional educational models prior to the pandemic. Yet, we all know, necessity is the mother of invention. Education must adapt to a changing world by moving away from the traditional building/classroom learning environment— learning does exist in the clouds. The Chinese people have led the world as early adopters of technology, remote or e-learning should be no different.
No school, community or nation can lead in the 21st century without casting off the anchors of archaic laws, policies, and beliefs that bind us to 20th century education models. With or without the global pandemic, e/remote learning is here to stay. Wise leaders will find ways to uses this new tool to advance teaching and learning advancing opportunities for their students and nation.
EdNEWS: What are your thoughts on remote or eLearning. As I recall, you are one of the early pioneers in this work and certainly Michigan was an early adopter of this new way of teaching and learning.
Tom Watkins: Since the inception of e-learning, technology has delivered increased bandwidth, and more engaging multimedia tools. Innovative instructional methods supported by a growing body of best practice have advanced the efficacy of remote learning. Solid learning about how to maximize the teaching and learning experience is being shared by exceptional teachers across the globe.
I know a bit about remote/ online learning, having written an internationally recognized report on the topic in 2005, while serving as the assistant to the president at Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan USA after by tenure as Michigan’s state superintendent of schools from 2001 to 2005.
The report: “The New Education (R)evolution: Exploring E-Learning Reforms for Michigan”
offers a series of policy recommendations that are as relevant today in the US and across the globe as when I wrote them in 2005.
EDNEWS: What are some of the advantages in e-learning in your eyes?
Tom Watkins: Technology, specifically e-learning, can assist in customizing the student\’s learning experience. E-learning covers a wide set of applications and processes such as Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration. The report I referenced above provides 29 major recommendations designed to further develop and enhance e-learning
Some schools and nations have embraced this technology and are partially ready to continue learning for their students during this crisis. Sadly, many are not.
I am not advocating online learning replace the human touch of face-to-face teaching and learning. Yet, sadly, few schools have adopted the full potential technology can offer our schools and children in a way that prepares students for their future, and not our past.
EDNEWS: Do you see the uses of e-learning as a passing fad to paper over the problems that Covid has forced on our schools— is it here to stay?
Tom Watkins: Schools across the globe will be stronger in the future if we are willing to do a deep self-reflection on anchors that hold us back when this crisis ends. When Covid -19 virus struct, wise policymakers and educators wasted little time casting blame or cursing the darkness but reached for new technology tools to enable quality teaching and learning to continue.
EDNEWS: as I recall, you have been working developing powerful cross cultural educational partnerships going back decades and most recently have been connecting Chinese and US Schools. How has e-learning helped in this regard?
Tom Watkins: I was working in China prior to the pandemic partnering with one of the oldest and largest private K-12 schools in China. Serving as the China Partner and Managing Director of WAY American Schools (https://www.wayamericanschool.com/)
we were providing highly qualified American teachers to teach Chinese students using a powerful technology platform, HERO (centriclearning.net) that was developed, not by techies, but by educators/teachers for educators. Offering a rigorous project based learning platform WAY American Schools/Centric Learning are internationally accredited enabling the awarding of an American High School diploma, anywhere in the world. Partnering with Chinese educators enable us to bring the best of education from each nation.
EDNEWS: Tell our readers more about Centric Learning?
Tom Watkins:The Centric Learning platform provides for ways for teachers and students to engage in real-time and through technology 24/7 learning. Further, assessments are done by high quality teachers and not computer generated. The assessment is competency based. Students develop projects in order to demonstrate their mastery over a given topic or subject matter. Our project based learning curriculum engages students and prepares them for success for their future.
At Centric Learning, we constantly ask ourselves, “How will this help our students?” Any crisis, even a global pandemic is a terrible thing to waste; and we have looked for ways to uses our decades of experience to benefit students with our powerful e-learning educational platform. We’ve spent over a decade developing truly engaging curriculum and intuitive teaching tools to enhance learning. Our HERO Learning System was designed to bring out the hero in students and teachers. We work with a growing global network of private, public and charter school partners on multiple continents who are excited to work with us to impact student outcomes. Our students success is our success.
EDNEWS: You have also partnered with schools in China using this technology and educational platform?
Tom Watkins: Yes. WAY American Schools in China and across the globe have created effective online learning courses which requires knowledge, time, experience, talent, passion, commitment, great communication skills, and a true passion for learning— all of which our in our education and technology teams DNA.
Today, Centric Learning is working with students face-to-face and remotely in the USA, China, South America and the European Union.
This robust, rigorous Centric Learning WAY American School/ HERO educational platform had the built in capability to switch to remote elearning without skipping a beat. While schools across the globe were struggling to continue educating students WAY American Schools and our Chinese partners did not miss a day of teaching and learning completing the school year as strongly as we began. Further, we are continuing our partnership remotely this school year with our highly qualified American teachers using the internet to teach their eager and bright students in China.
EDNEWS: Has e-learning been an easy sell in China. It certainly has not been quickly adopted in schools in the US?
Tom Watkins: I recall the blank stares I encountered both in the US and China in the early 2000’s while serving as Michigan’s state superintendent of schools when I attempted to introduce blended and e-learning into the mainstream. There was little appetite to be early adopters of this new technology and teaching modality into public and private schools in the US and across the globe. Today, universities and schools are offering online learning to fill the void today. Online learning has been in the educational shadows and has now popped into the spotlight. Under it, learning is no longer regulated to the six-hour school day, four walls of a classroom or the two bindings of a book — if educators are prepared to uses these tools.
EDNEWS: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, remote/e- learning may become normality. Concerning remote learning, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this way of teaching and learning?
Tom Watkins: Remote learning offers Positive Aspects:
Greater flexibility
Can be done in the mist of a pandemic. ..
Globalizing Education– making it easier for students from around the globe to connect with learning via e-learning
Learning in a language which is not your native language can be a challenge. Yet with e-learning the lecture can and be seen and heard again and again if you do not happen to understand the topic first time around.
Using technology to digitalize and personalize learning;
Enables global learning without leaving home.
Self paced
Tap Western educators
Ability to learn 24/7
Study any time, place, pace
Personalize learning
With E-learning you can access the content an unlimited number of times.
Today’s learners want relevant, mobile, self-paced, and personalized content— remote learning can and is delivering it.
Challenges:
imagination. We all need to cast off our historic beliefs and move boldly into the 21st century using ALL tools to advance teaching and learning. The next educational advancement will come with the embedding of AI (Artificial Intelligence) into our schools to advance learning.
* students can be distracted
scheduling issues around different time zones
Technical or internet connectivity issues
Assuring these advancements reach ALL students, not simply the elite.
Equity issues, assuring poor, minority and rural school children have equal access is always a challenge in America.
EDNEWS: How may education opportunity and economic benefit evolve under remote learning?
Tom Watkins: Technology is another tool educators can and must uses to assure quality teaching and learning. Educators skilled in using new and old tools are best prepared to adapt to meet the needs of students.
EDNEWS: In medium and long term, is it likely that the remote learning may change the politics of many countries?
Tom Watkins: Change is easy, progress is always much more difficult. Sadly, the tensions between China and the US coupled with the global pandemic has made it increasing more difficult for students at the high school and university level to travel to America and other Western countries to receive an education. The Covid has also, reduced the number of Western teachers in China. The uses of remote or e-learning has enabled teaching and learning to continue uninterrupted. This has benefits for both China and the USA.
EDNEWS: What has the economic impact of remote learning on universities in the US and China?
Tom Watkins: The loss of Chinese and other foreign students unable to return to universities in the US has resulted in a loss of significant revenue and opportunities for students to interact face-to-face. Australia, Canada and the U.S. face shortfall in applicants because of travel bans; revenue growth relied significantly on Chinese, Indian students. Prior to the pandemic, China has over 320,000 university students in the US. Some of these students are attempting to continue their studies remotely, while others were forced to withdraw. It is estimated that Chinese students spend about $40 billion a year globally on overseas tuition.
In China, the China’s Ministry of Education historically has not accepted online degree courses, so universities are scrambling to figure out a way to offer some classes in person. It would be wise for the Chinese Ministry of Education to review this policy as well as eLearning is proving to be as robust as face-to-face modality.
EDNEWS: What are your expectation for the future of remote/ e-learning?
Tom Watkins: There is a saying: “you can’t unring a bell, turn back time or unscramble an egg. Remote learning is here to stay. Yet, like most things in life, not everything on the market is the same or equal quality. Parents, students school administrators and policymakers need to be diligent in choosing quality remote/e-learning. As my colleague Ron Stefanski, executive director of Sales and Marketing at Centric Learning says – great teachers:
Engage students directly in their own learning and help them think independently.
Excite students’ natural curiosity and appetite for learning.
Adapt their teaching to students’ needs and use creative alternative approaches.
Nurture relationships and assist children in doing so.
The truth is — this is how effective learning takes place remotely or using e-“
learning as well.
EDNEWS: Anything you want to add about the benefit of remote e-learning, that I failed to ask?
Tom Watkins: It was said in the past in America that students needed to “focus on the 3 R’s Reading, Righting and Rirthmatic.” Today, need to be serious about the new 3 R’s — Restructure, Reform, and Reinventing teaching and learning.
Clearly, we are living in a fast paced, hyper-competitive, disruptive, transformational, technologically driven, global, knowledge economy where ideas and jobs can and do move around the globe effortlessly– staying even is falling behind. Our children, both in the US and China are not simply competing against the child in the next seat, district, or state—- they are competing with the children of the world. Change is difficult and is avoided until it can be avoided no longer. As we know– the only human that truly likes change is an infant. We have to get to the point where the only adjective that matters before school— is QUALITY! Preparing our children with the abilities to learn, unlearn, and relearn, will help them navigate the tsunami of automation and technology that offers potential for even greater disruption of our traditional ways of living and working in the coming decades.
As the 21st Century unfolds, new technologies like e-learning and artificial intelligence (AI) will permeate our world— educators and policymakers need to lead change that produces progress for our children .The community, state, Provence or nation that invests in teaching and learning will prevail as the 21st century unfolds.
The pandemic has created an environment to speed up the need and acceptance of e-learning. Educators took this tool and have demonstrated the wide set of benefits it gives to students. E-learning has proven to be successful and quite popular and appreciated among students all over the world. With e-learning/technology, the impossible is possible now.
There is no going back – and students and the world will benefit.
EdNEWS: As always, thank you for your keen insights that maintain a focus on quality teaching and learning.
For a country as wealthy as ours, the prospect that some disadvantaged children may never go back to school is unacceptable.
By Anton Leschen
I recently spoke with a principal in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. During the first lockdown, her school worked tirelessly to support students through remote learning. But now, months later, the threat of “lost learning” isn’t her chief concern. Instead, what keeps this principal up at night is the prospect that some of her students – as young as primary school children – “may never even return to school”.
The Smith Family’s Victorian general manager Anton Leschen.
This is as extreme as it sounds – we’re talking about primary school-aged kids never returning to school. But this isn’t Dickensian London; this is Victoria in 2020 – and for a country as wealthy as ours, it’s a prospect I find unacceptable.
When Victoria’s lockdown was extended, my thoughts went to a great mother who’s been doing it tough all her life. I’ll call her Sue. She’s a single parent living in Bendigo, and not in paid employment.
Faced with the task of co-ordinating the home schooling of her four children, Sue struggled with just one computer and limited data access, somehow also juggling the responsibility of caring for her elderly mother. Despite the brave face, it was increasingly difficult to keep her children engaged with school.
Sue didn’t finish high school and is the first to admit she isn’t much help to the older two with their schooling. She works hard to create a home and save for her family. Cupboards and bookshelves are dragged across bedrooms to create makeshift walls and private study areas. Sue’s trying, but getting her kids educated has gone from really hard to almost impossible.
This may not be considered the “standard profile” of a family living in this country, but for Australian children living in poverty, it’s real.
And for thousands of Victorian families like Sue’s, lockdown 2.0 isn’t just a tough time to be endured, it has come to represent a compounding moment when thousands of young people stand at a critical crossroads.
Before our second lockdown, the Grattan Institute estimated students from disadvantaged backgrounds may be learning less than 50 per cent of what they would in the classroom, due to school closures.
That was in June. Since then, the majority of Victorian students continued with home learning, and the challenges, especially for vulnerable students, have been exacerbated. And students living in poverty were behind in their learning even before COVID-19.
Financial hardship is just the surface issue; other problems include a lack of learning resources, support networks and opportunities to aspire to a different way of life. Challenges mount and without the right support at the right time, young people can easily disengage from school.
We need targeted interventions to combat this risk. Students experiencing disadvantage need learning devices, affordable internet and long-term tailored support to re-engage with their learning and catch up to peers. By identifying students most in need of “catch-up” tutoring, making it available at no cost and ensuring quality delivery over a sustained period, we can limit the impact of COVID-19 on children like Sue’s.
Anton Leschen is the general manager, Victoria, at children’s education charity The Smith Family.
Homeschooling parents unerringly find the most efficient textbooks. This is only natural if you have to spend all day at a kitchen table teaching children.
A decade back, I was startled to find homeschoolers almost unanimous in praising the legendary John Saxon (1923–1996). What was his secret?
Saxon, with three advanced degrees in mathematical subjects, flew jet planes in the Air Force, first as a bomber pilot and then as a test pilot. Reaching retirement age, he wasn’t certain what to do next. A counselor suggested he teach math at a community college. He liked the idea but was dismayed to find that his students knew almost no math. Now he had found his destiny. He would fix this problem. How could he possibly do that? By creating better textbooks. He ended up creating a publishing empire that was sold for roughly $100,000,000 in 2004.
Saxon had a big heart, an exceptional mind, and a precise vision of how children can most quickly learn arithmetic. Perhaps the indispensable trait is that he was a fighter. He challenged the Education Establishment, offering to pay all expenses for head-to-head competitions. He had no takers. People said he should perhaps be more polite to the education professors. Saxon said they didn’t deserve it. Their offerings were absurd.
…Saxon Math, since its debut in 1981, has proven successful with all “subgroups” of both boys and girls. John Saxon is the only author and publisher of math textbooks to prove the effectiveness of his teaching methods and materials before selling his books to schools…
He field-tested his first book, an algebra textbook, in 22 Oklahoma schools under the supervision of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. They gave it a rousing thumbs up. That’s when the establishment realized that it had a problem. The big New York City publishers refused to publish his work. The professors began a counter-attack.
…This group bitterly demonized Saxon’s ideas even though they were demonstrably superior. And what is the mechanism of that superiority? Saxon believed in step-by-step instruction, with constant practice and testing to make sure students have truly understood the lessons, and constant recycling of all the main ideas.Repetition is assumed to be the mother of instruction…
Here’s the clincher. It takes about two hours for teachers or parents to learn how to use Saxon Math effectively. Teachers of progressive mathematics require a minimum of two weeks of costly training plus more “professional development” throughout the school year. Two weeks of wading through gunk so you can teach gunk.
Nakonia (Niki) Hayes is the author of the only full biography of the great man, John Saxon’s Story, a genius of common sense in math education. For many years she was a schoolteacher and school principal. She is a battle-tested veteran of the Math Wars. Now 80, she’s still helping teachers and parents to survive these wars. (For a more complete story,visit her site.)
Niki Hayes cautions that revised versions of John Saxon’s books published after 2007 are not acceptable.Older versions can be found on the internet.Publishers bought the rights to John Saxon’s books apparently with the shameful goal of mangling them into conformity with Common Core approaches.
New Math (roughly 1962); Reform Math (many varieties, roughly 1985 and thereafter); and Common Core (more recently) share the same flawed theories and depressing results. Children don’t learn to master math. They learn to hate math. Indeed, the most touching part of the John Saxon story is that students loved math and loved the author.
The Saxon story is a window into everything wrong and indeed corrupt throughout American K–12.Proven methods are disdained and discarded. Grotesque complexities doom most children to become innumerate. They don’t go on to advanced subjects. And then, for years, we have to listen to disingenuous experts complain that America is neglecting STEM subjects. More accurately, Common Core guarantees this outcome.
Protect your students. Understand the evils that John Saxon set out to defeat. Give your students textbooks designed to work.
1) Professor Dal Porto, first of all, what are you currently doing in this pandemic? How are you coping and providing instruction to your students?
Thank you for having me. I am doing my best to cope by not focusing on the pandemic and recognize that what is happening is mostly beyond my control, with the exception of my wearing a mask and social distancing when out in public. Regarding my teaching, it is exclusively online at this time and I am continuing to hone my skills on how to best teach in this environment so that my students are still able to effectively learn and be motivated and to continue with their education and pursuit of their life goals.
2) Secondly, I hear that you have just won 3 awards from the American Prize Association in composition-choral, chamber, and orchestra. When did you find out and how did you feel?
I found out in June 2020 that I had won three awards, those being for my orchestral work Mystic Mountain, choral work From Spring Days to Winter, and chamber work Exotic Animals Suite. I certainly felt honored and was very pleased to receive these awards since it is an extremely competitive competition. All of the aforementioned works are included on my CD Peace, Nature & Renewal released last year and sold at various retail outlets.
3) Now, the American Prize Association- where are they located and how often do they award these prizes?
The American Prize Association is located in White Plains, NY and they are a national nonprofit organization in the Performing Arts. They award prizes annually in music and theater.
4) How did you go about winning these prizes? Did you have to submit sheet music, or public performance or recordings of these compositions?
I submitted five scores plus recordings for The American Prize 2019-2020 competition. All five works were selected as semi-finalists with three winning finalist award certificates.
5) Now choral is basically for voice- am I correct? But chamber music is written for what instruments?
Yes, choral means an ensemble of voices, typically sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses (“SATB”) being the most common choral group. Chamber music is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace “chamber” or large room.
6) Big question- writing for an entire orchestra. What does that involve?
Composing for an entire orchestra entails a large amount of work, but I thoroughly enjoy the process. Because you are writing for a sizable group of musicians, it takes a good deal of time and forethought to not only write the music, but strategically and colorfully orchestrate it, making sure it balances, blends, and effectively highlights every emotion and nuance of your melodies, rhythms, and harmonies.
7) Last question, how are you coping musically during this pandemic? I am feeling a bit depressed. Does your emotional state with this pandemic impact your composing?
Yes, my compositional output has been somewhat limited in the sense that live performances, competitions, and concerts have been put on hold which has disrupted my creativity and motivation. On the other hand, I have now been able to find more private time and inspiration in completing the largest work I have yet written, a symphony for full orchestra. It is now getting close to being completed and, when finished, should be close to an hour in duration.
8) Anything I have forgotten to ask?
Perhaps why I compose music. I find it to be an excellent source of self-expression and its purpose for me is to communicate feelings, thoughts, and memories that engage my listeners and transport them to their own unique and special place.
