Children are taught to tests now. It is all about knowing a few memorized answers rather than learning how to question or think, which leads to the sudden cramming of Sarah Palin so she can answer some questions that will give the illusion that she has the ability to govern this country.
Leadership is about more than showmanship and soundbites. It is about integrity, compromise, and depth.
If we test our children with multiple choice, then, we tell them answers are black or white, right or wrong.
Each day when I have time with young Zach, I see how malleable our minds, how creative, how fluid. He views problems and solutions in his own way. I am reminded now of Neil Postman who said "Children enter school as question marks and come out as periods."
Education expert and creativity guru Sir Ken Robinson believes "we are educating people out of their creativity."
The essay tests are what allow the grays, comparisons, and digging for examples and results, the individual mind diligently at work to view material new. I used to do great on essay tests and poorly on multiple choice, as usually I was able to make an argument in my head for more than one answer, to see more than one point-of-view. This interest in dissection is what we are not seeing in McPain. They are managed like Bush and we see where that got us. If they win, it will show us how completely our educational system has failed, or it may show us the advancement in changing computer results, and or how to make it difficult for Democrats in certain areas to vote.
I believe we must unite this country in more expansive ways. The world is not black and white. It is multi-colored as we see when we look around and see richness of color and diversity of plant and animal life. Of course, some do not support that richness of diversity. They are happy to let the polar bear go. What does the polar bear really do for us anyway?
Well, maybe it does this. Maybe it is an example of another upcoming extinction. The polar bear hair or fur is not white. It is clear, transparent. It would appear that the loss of the bear is the tip of the iceberg, as to the loss of clarity and transparency.