Dear colleagues:

 

As we grapple with the sensational news about how athletics/education is funded/not funded I am fascinated with the broader picture of changes occurring rapidly in our culture. While social and political scientists might argue about the labels, many would agree that we have moved from the Age of Specialization (exclusive  knowledge) to the Information Age (widely available knowledge). This megatrend, driven by technology, affects us in multiple ways, some obvious and some more subtle. As Marshall McCluhan so aptly put it thirty or so years ago:

 

"Today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned. Rapidly, we approach the final phase of the extensions of man - the technological simulation of consciousness, when the creative process of knowing will be collectively and corporately extended to the whole of human society, much as we have already extended our senses and our nerves by the various media."

 

It's easy to gauge some technological changes by, let's say, counting how many computers we have on campus compared to 10 years ago. It's not so easy to trace the effects of technology on the shift from public financial support to private financial support in our public institutions. My somewhat oversimplified explanation would be that, in the past, government (public institutions) had a veritable lock or at least some control on certain kinds of knowledge and services. We depended on government to meet out needs, and actually had some confidence they would. As technology (TV primarily) gave us a window into how things really worked, we began to mistrust government and look for other ways to be prosperous, happy citizens. Privatization became the buzzword, as we looked for better and faster ways to do things. We could argue whether faster and better is the creed we should live by, but it's what we've all come to expect.

 

Thus, athletics is assigned more value than education because it's more in step with our true cultural values, which, despite our protests, are evidenced by our behavior. (I confess; I buy more tickets when the MOCS are winning). So the issue is not how to devalue athletics, it is how to increase the value of education. We can only do that by recognizing - like it out not - that our roles as teachers are changing. We are no longer the primary repositories of information. Many of our students already suffer from information overload. That's why the same lectures that formerly dazzled our students now put them to sleep!

 

The most vital role we can play requires softer skills, helping people grow emotionally and developmentally (by this I mean awakening their passion and enabling them to place knowledge in some kind of meaningful context). We must also help them apply learning where it'll yield more tangible benefits.

 

Another component of effective education today lies in its entertainment value. I know some will disagree on this one, but students will not "pay" attention if we can't stimulate them. In the Post-September-Eleven-World every minute of our time has been elevated in its importance, and students won't squander precious minutes on teachers who induce a state of catatonia.

 

All that being said, yes, I'm a little miffed, too, that Jeff got a Lexus and I didn't, and I'm even more frustrated with our legislature! Yet, I also have every confidence that educators have the capacity to learn. If we have lost some public confidence then let's strive to regain it. Let's not rest until the crowds are clamoring for more of what we have to offer. Let's work hard to get better at what we do and let's stand together as educators to fight for the resources we need to do our jobs well. After all WE ARE TEACHERS and we have our own "3-point play" - Information, Imagination and Inspiration. We also possess the quintessential "slam-dunk" - Ingenuity.

 

P.S. (Counselors too)

 

Tom Bissonette