Ray Ong English Education

Everyone at some point has experienced an impasse in communication; those frustrating occasions when it all breaks down and people want to get up and walk out. Just look at a sample of recent headlines: “Peace Talks Breakdown” or “Labor Negotiations at a Stalemate” or “Negotiations Fail to Result in an Accord”. When the stakes are high and people are afraid they have something to loose communication becomes strained and people stop listening to one another. Usually this is while claiming that the people on the other side of the table are actually the ones who are not doing the listening. We get so concerned and fearful about getting other people to hear what we have to say, we become unwilling to hear what they have to say.

Indeed, listening seems sometimes as if it is a rare happening among human beings. We can’t really listen to another person speaking if we’re preoccupied, or if we’re trying to decide what we’re going to say when the other stops talking, or if we’re debating about whether what is being spoken is true or relevant or agreeable. Listening, in other words, is being accessible and open to what is being said.

At Landmark Education we contend that listening has an amazing power. It gives life to what is being spoken. You might even say it is with the listener that both the speaker and what is spoken exist and come alive. Think of how inspired and enlivened the elderly can become when you sit down and have an extended conversation with them. Think about what happens when someone is really listening to you. Ever notice that you become funnier and more playful when someone laughs at your jokes? What about when a child recognizes that adults are actually listening to them? Their whole demeanor shifts. In the programs of Landmark Education, you find yourself with a new ability to listen to others. You find yourself inspired by the people you have in your life. When you truly listen to people you discover the best of what they have to offer.

Speaking, meanwhile, can be something more than talking, more than the exchange of symbols or information, more than saying what you really think. In speaking we can share ourselves; we can evoke experience in others. Speaking is where our ideas become clear and possible. It is where others are expanded by our time spent with them. It allows for the futures we create. Speaking lives in poetry, in the appreciation of another, in idle conversations that pass the time, in great theories and books that give rise to wonder and thought.

Speaking allows for “who” and “how” we “are” in the world. It is what gives voice to all that is possible in being human. In our ability to speak and share we have the ability to shape the world we live in. In the courses of Landmark Education you find that true communication is creation. It has the power to shape, determine, and alter the course and quality of our lives. It moves people. It generates experience in others. It not only delivers information to others, it actually transforms their ability to hear. True communication transforms both the speaker and listener.

The Landmark Forum suggests that what it is to be human has its own domain and that domain is one of language of communication, of conversation. Through communication the realm of language, of conversation—each of us has complete access to ourselves, to others, to the very essence and possibility of what it means to be human. This is the essence of what Landmark Education is about and what The Landmark Forum provides.

Educational toys are very important tools in the development of a child’s functional skills. Most parents are aware of how important it is for their children to play and have fun. Education plays an equally important part in the development of that child’s personality. Educational toys fulfill both aspects, that of allowing your child to have fun and play, and that of significantly contributing to his or her education and process of learning. From the early stages of their life, children have amazing abilities to learn. Nothing is more appropriate than carefully selected educational toys, even from early ages. A careful selection of the child’s toys, based on criteria such as age, materials and functions, is very important. Such toys, if appropriate for you child’s age, can stimulate the child and engage his or her imagination. Many parents see educational toys as providers of an excellent medium for the education of their children. However, many such toys are too expensive for many people to afford, and so, some parents are restrained from buying them.

Shopping for educational toys online is the answer for all parents. First of all, there are many online shopping stores that you can choose from, and the variety of educational toys is overwhelming. Secondly, the educational toys you can purchase online come with the cheapest rates you will ever find. An online shopping store is where you’ll find the best prices and discounts. Moreover, shopping for educational toys online saves a lot of time. You don’t have to leave your home and spend hours going from store to store. The online shopping stores are easy to browse through, and you will be able to find the desired product in no time. What’s more, some offers include free shipment, which is even more convenient.

In order to be able to make an informed choice, you should do a little searching on the Internet to find out exactly what type of educational toys are appropriate for your child’s age. Once you have done that, you can browse through the numerous products out there and choose the ones that are most appealing to you. Any respectable online store should provide you with detailed information about the educational toys that they sell, such as detailed description or even a picture, learning objectives, price, etc. This will make your job even easier. Nothing can be more convenient than purchasing online, as it is time and cost-effective.

Educational DVDs are yet another excellent medium for stimulating your child and engaging his or her imagination. These educational DVDs are fun to watch and your children will certainly love them. The best part is that, aside from the fun they provide, educational DVDs will also teach your child a lot of useful things, while contributing substantially to his or her education. Be it infant, toddler or preschooler, there are educational DVDs for all age levels. From speech and language development to acquiring spelling and math skills, educational DVDs are a great provider of quality education for your child.

All in all, as a parent, you will always want the best for your child. Education is a very important part of your child’s life, starting from infancy. Educational toys and DVDs are considered the best option, as they contribute to the development of knowledge and encourage playing and fun at the same time.

Why Parents Choose a Home School Education

An increasing number of children today are receiving a home school education. The reasons for making the choice to homeschool their kids varies from family to family but there are three main reasons why parents are removing their children from the public school system and giving them a home school education. The first reason is that the public education system in the United States is struggling to provide a proper education for the nation’s children with out of date text books, run down school buildings and inadequate equipment. Provision of a home school education enables the parents to have control over the quality of the educational materials used by their children and the general conditions in which they are educated.

The second reason is that parents wish to assume more control over the influences their children will be exposed to. This is often on the basis of religious grounds but, very often, it is simply because a home school education will ensure the child learns the values upheld by the family and is taught from an early age what behavior is appropriate. Unfortunately, many public schools have a poor reputation for instilling good discipline in students. This often results in badly behaved children disrupting lessons and preventing their peers from getting the full benefit of classes. Discipline and the upholding of proper standards of behavior is an important part of a home school education.

The third reason many parents choose to give their children a home school education is fear for their safety. Violence is on the increase everywhere and the public school system has not escaped this trend. Violence in the public education system is getting worse and the individual acts of violence are more serious. Since the shocking events at Columbine High School there have been further tragedies involving firearms where teachers and students have been injured or killed. A home school education ensures the safety of children who would otherwise be seriously at risk of harm.

The Disadvantages of Opting For Homeschooling Providing a home school education is not simply a matter of parental choice. In most cases the state education board of the state in which the family resides will have to approve a decision to give a child a home school education. The person taking on the responsibility of homeschooling must be certified to be a home teacher, the curriculum must follow the state curriculum, and the text books and other educational materials to be used must be approved by the state. Although this might seen like undue interference in what is a matter of personal choice, the state has a responsibility to ensure that all children receive an adequate standard of education and checks will be made to ensure that any child being kept away from public school is being properly educated.

A home school education might mean that a child is deprived of certain opportunities which would have been available within the public school system. There could be difficulties in providing facilities for athletic children to realize their potential. Musically talented children could be similarly disadvantaged. In some states there is provision for children receiving a home school education to take part in amenities such as being able to attend sports lessons and join after-school clubs. However, the level of assistance provided to homeschooling parents is not uniform and varies a lot from state to state.

The final potential disadvantage to affect children receiving a home school education is that they will not develop the social skills which will be important as they grow up. Social interaction with their peers and with adults outside the family is essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly balance personality and a reasonable level of social skills. These developmental issues can be fairly easily overcome if the child lives in a state where homeschooling parents are given support and the child receiving a home school education is accepted into classes and extra-curricular activities. The decision to keep a child out of the public education system is not one any parent would make lightly and any weighing up of the pros and cons must take into account the level of support the state will provide. However, if the public school system continues to deteriorate, the number of children receiving a home school education is bound to increase.

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The History of Education goes way back when Adam set his foot on this earth and passed his knowledge on to the generation followed by him. Education thus in Simple words is passing of already discovered knowledge to another generation. Education as a science cannot also be separated from the educational traditions that existed before. Knowledge was actually the natural outcome of an individual while fighting the battle of survival and the transfer of this understanding to the newcomers originated the phenomenon of Education in general. The transfer of knowledge gradually evolved into distinct cultures and oral language was developed into Symbols as well as pictures to further enhance the process of handing over.When cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond the basic skills of communicating, trading, gathering food, religious practices, etc, formal education, and schooling, eventually followed.

Education and religion:

Initially the most popular mode of education in various regions of the world was religion. The religious priests not only taught religion but also the principles of writing, the sciences, mathematics, and architecture. The regions like Egypt, India and China are popular for the propagation of education through religious scholars. The basis of formal education were really strong in religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Jewish. All of the religions incorporated their sacred worship places as a mode of extending their knowledge and learning about the realities of life.Education in Greece and Rome  Romans and Greek serves as one of the origin of formal education as the ancient Greeks’ education focused on the study of philosophy. The Romans, on the other hand, were preoccupied with war, conquest, politics, and civil administration. The renowned names in the Greek philosophy include legends like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The main focus of these philosophers in the beginning was grammar, logic, and rhetoric, subjects that eventually formed the core of the liberal arts. Later The Greek philosopher Socrates wanted to discover and teach universal principles of truth, beauty, and goodness. Socrates believed that true knowledge existed within everyone and needed to be brought to consciousness. His educational method, called the Socratic Method, consisted of asking probing questions that forced his students to think deeply about the meaning of life, truth, and justice. Plato, who had studied under Socrates, established a school in Athens called the Academy. Plato believed in an unchanging world of perfect ideas or universal concepts.

He asserted that since true knowledge is the same in every place at every time, education, like truth, should be unchanging. Plato described his educational ideal in the Republic, one of the most notable works of Western philosophy. Where as Plato’s student, Aristotle, founded his own school in Athens called the Lyceum. Believing that human beings are essentially rational, Aristotle thought people could discover natural laws that governed the universe and then follow these laws in their lives. He also concluded that educated people who used reason to make decisions would lead a life of moderation in which they avoided dangerous extremes. Quintilian, another influential Roman educator who lived in the 1st century ad, wrote that education should be based on the stages of individual development from childhood to adulthood. Quintilian devised specific lessons for each stage. He also advised teachers to make their lessons suited to the student’s readiness and ability to learn new material. He urged teachers to motivate students by making learning interesting and attractive.

Famous Methods of Education: Montessori’s methods of early childhood education have become internationally popular. She developed a specially prepared environment that featured materials and activities based on her observations of children. She found that children enjoy mastering specific skills, prefer work to play, and can sustain concentration. She also believed that children have a power to learn independently if provided a properly stimulating environment. Montessori’s curriculum emphasized three major classes of activity: (1) practical, (2) sensory, and (3) formal skills The work of.

American philosopher and educator John Dewey was especially influential in the U. S. and other countries in the 20th century. Dewey criticized educational methods that simply amused and entertained students or were overly vocational. He advocated education that would fulfill and enrich the current lives of students as well as prepare them for the future. The activity program of education, which derived from the theories of Dewey, stressed the educational development of the child in terms of individual needs and interests. It was the major method of instruction for most of the 20th century in elementary schools of the United States and many other countries.

The work of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget had a major impact on educational theory in the early 20th century, particularly in Europe. Piaget wrote extensively on the development of thought and language patterns in children. He examined children’s conceptions of number, space, logic, geometry, physical reality, and moral judgment. Piaget believed that children, by exploring their environment, create their own cognitive, or intellectual, conceptions of reality.

By continually interacting with their environment, they keep adding to and reshaping their conceptions of the world. Piaget asserted that human intelligence develops in stages, each of which enhances a person’s understanding of the world in a new and more complex way.

Education till today has come along way and here we have just highlight some landmark developments in this yonder as today education is defined as a formal system of learning based on schools, colleges and universities.

STANFORD, Calif. — Education Next is the most influential journal in education, according to a study released last week by the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center. The study, Influence: A Study of the Factors Shaping Education Policy, was based on an extensive survey of the education field’s opinion-elite.

Education Next, published quarterly by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, was the sole journal, peer-reviewed or otherwise, listed among the top-ten information sources in the EPE survey, surpassed only by agencies of the U. S. government, Education Week, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the non-profit organization Education Trust.

“The other editors and I are very pleased to learn that this young journal, now in its sixth year of publication, has attained such prominence and recognition,” said Paul E. Peterson, editor-in-chief of Education Next and director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University. “The honor reminds us to keep focused on our central mission, namely to ‘present the facts as best they can be determined, giving voice (without fear or favor) to worthy research, sound ideas and responsible arguments. ‘”

EPE’s study also ranked most influential research in education as well as the most influential individuals. Research on school vouchers conducted by Peterson and his colleagues at Harvard was cited among the thirteen “blockbuster” studies of the past decade. A study of graduation rates by Jay Greene, an Education Next contributing editor, was also listed as one of the top thirteen. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, conducted under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Education, was listed as the most influential research study.

Education Next Senior Editor Chester E. Finn Jr. , who also serves as chair of the Hoover Institution’s Koret Task Force on K-12 Education and president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, was named as one of the 20 most influential individuals in education. Microsoft founder Bill Gates held the top spot as the single most influential person in education in the last decade.

In a statement, EPE Director Christopher Swanson said the study provides “a unique look at the power-brokers in American education who have shaped much of what happens in our nation’s classrooms over the last 10 years. The influence rankings also shed some light on the movers and shakers to watch in the next decade. “

Education Next features and forums provide opportunities for experts and analysts to cover key issues in school reform. All items in its research section are subject to double-blind peer-review. The journal has garnered national and international attention in recent months with the publication of ground breaking research on such topics as the increased achievement of students when taught by teachers of the same gender, the failure of school phys-ed classes to fight obesity, and the hidden social costs for academically successful minority students in integrated public schools. Regular features of the journal, such as its annual report card on states’ proficiency standards and its “Check the Facts” column, which shines a spotlight on inaccurate and misleading research, are widely referenced by the media, policymakers, government officials, and education practitioners.

The current issue of Education Next (Winter 2007) headlines research that shows that state certification requirements that call for a specific course of study in education schools have little impact on student learning in the classroom. The issue also includes analyses of evidence and arguments used in education adequacy lawsuits and an assessment of the effectiveness of early childhood education. Other articles reveal the local barriers to charter school reform and the extent to which school restructuring is not taking place under No Child Left Behind.

Read the new issue of Education Next now online.

Education Next is a scholarly journal published by the Hoover Institution committed to looking at hard facts about school reform. Other sponsoring institutions are the Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.

According Ediger (2000), elementary school career education is important. Ediger stated that “the elementary school years are not too early to begin to achieve a vision of what one desires to do in life contributing to the world of work”. Without career education, students have unrealistic perceptions of careers due to a lack of knowledge and poor decision making. Students have limited knowledge and exposure to careers. (2,3) When students look at the different industries e. g. sports, media and entertainment, most students underestimate the skills and time required to have successful careers. (3)

The Basics for Elementary School Career Education Programs

In career awareness programs, students do not make premature career choices. Elementary school career education is not career exploration or career preparation. Elementary students remain open to new career ideas and possibilities. (7,8,13,15) Elementary students build awareness of self, personal interactions, school, and the workforce. (2,15) Elementary school counselors and teachers build self-awareness, family awareness, school awareness, community awareness, career/ work awareness, attitude development, skill development, decision making strategies, and self-worth. (2,4,11)

Career awareness programs use age appropriate materials that match the developmental levels of the students. Age appropriate activities expose students to a variety of different jobs, career information sources, and the reasons why people work. Programs also incorporate academic career pathways into classroom activities. According to CareerTec (2000), the preliminary career education skills serve as foundations for future skills. As the students progress, previous skills are reinforced, developed, and expanded. (2,4,11)

As elementary students get older, the students modify career visions and goals. After completing an elementary school career awareness program, students have higher grades, higher academic achievement, improved school involvement, as well as an increase in career awareness exploration, personal, and interpersonal skills. (1,15) In addition, the students complete more complex courses and have a higher graduation rate from high school. (9)

In summary, in career programs, students:

Learn and apply the academic material

Know and value self

Build self-esteem and confidence

Identify interests and build relationships between the school environment and the work force

Build academic, communication, problem solving, and social skills

Increase awareness of the need for future jobs skills

See the connections between learning in school, academic skills, job related skills, and careers

See career possibilities

See themselves as a future contributor to the job force

Receive empowerment

Build self-determination (2,7,9)

Examples of Elementary School Career Education Resources

Career awareness programs widely use tools are the Individual Career Plan (ICP) and the Individual Career Develop Portfolio. According to the Ohio State Department of Education (2000), Individual Career Plans (ICP) are essential for the development of self-awareness, employability skills, decision making and goal setting, community involvement, economics, and the reduction of bias. Students use the Individual Career Plans as they identify and explore initial career goals and educational plans. Elementary students use Individual Career Plan (ICP) to develop skills and to prepare to make future educational and career decisions. (12)

Another important tool is the Individual Career Develop Portfolio. Individual Career Develop Portfolios are collections of the career awareness activities and experiences that have occurred during the school year. (12) Other elementary school career awareness activities include:

Artistic displays

Career Days

Career Fairs

Career research

Career videos

Collages, murals

Community speakers

Educational games

Family group discussions

Field trips

Information interviewing

Job shadowing

Library book report

Mentors

Poetry

Phonics

Pictured dictionary

Puppets

Role playing

Scrapbook

Story reading

Student group discussions

Word search and comprehension activities (8,9,11,12,16)

Elementary school programs help students build connections between academics and real life situations. (9) Teachers and counselors use career education principles to stress the importance of language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Language arts have many uses in the workplace: Reading, writing, and listening skills. The uses for Mathematics include: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills to solve problems. In Social Studies, students gain understanding about other countries, languages, cultures, and the aspects of living in a global marketplace. Students learn the importance of Science having skills to solve problems as well as understanding how science is involved in different industries, such as food, media, agricultural, and automotive industries. (8)

Guidelines for Elementary Education Career Resources – National Career Development Guidelines

The NCDG Guidelines is a career knowledge, skills, and decision-making framework. The NCDG framework has three domains, goals, and indicators. Teachers and counselors use the domains, goals, and indicators as guidelines to design and create career resources. The three domains are: Personal Social Development (PS), Educational Achievement and Lifelong Learning (ED), and Career Management (CM). Each domain represents a developmental area in a career education program. Under each domain are goals or competencies. Under each goal, indicators highlight the knowledge and skills needed to achieve the goal. The National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG) is the foundation for career education products, research development, tests and tools. (14)

Summary

Elementary school career education programs build self-awareness, family awareness, school awareness, community awareness, career/ work awareness, attitude development, skill development, decision making strategies, and self-worth. Elementary school career awareness programs use age appropriate materials that match the developmental levels of the students. As a results of career education, schools reported that students had higher grades and academic achievement, improvement in school involvement and performance, as well as an increase in career awareness exploration, personal, and interpersonal skills. Career awareness activities include Individual Career Plan (ICP), Individual Career Develop Portfolio (ICDP), Career Days, Career Fairs, Field trips, information interviewing, and library book report.

References

1. American Counseling Association, Office of Public Policy and Legislation. (2007). Effectiveness of School Counseling. Alexandria, VA: Author.

2. Angel, N. Faye; Mooney, Marianne. (1996, December). Work-in-Progress: Career and Work Education for Elementary Students. (ED404516). Cincinnati, OH: Paper presented at the American Vocational Association Convention.

3. Benning, Cathleen; Bergt, Richard; Sausaman, Pamela. (2003, May). Improving Student Awareness of Careers through a Variety of Strategies. Thesis: Action Research Project. (ED481018). Chicago, Illinois: Saint Xavier University.

4. Career Tec. (2000). K-12 Career Awareness & Development Sequence [with Appendices, Executive and Implementation Guide]. (ED450219) . Springfield, Il: Author.

5. Carey, John. (2003, January). What are the Expected Benefits Associated with Implementing a Comprehensive Guidance Program. School counseling Research Brief 1. 1. Amherst, MA: Fredrickson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research.

6. Dare, Donna E. ; Maddy-Bernstein, Carolyn. (1999, September). Career Guidance Resource Guide for Elementary and Middle/Junior High School Educators. (ED434216). Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

7. DuVall, Patricia. (1995). Let’s Get Serious about Career Education for Elementary Students. AACE Bonus Briefs. (ED386603). Hermosa Beach, CA: AACE Bonus Briefs.

8. Ediger, Marlow. (2000, July). Vocational Education in the Elementary School. (ED442979) Opinion Papers

9. Gerver, Miriam, Shanley, Judy, O Cummings, Mindee. (2/14/02). Answering the Question EMSTAC Extra Elementary and Middle Schools. Washington, DC: Technical Assistance Center, (EMSTAC).

10. Hurley, Dan, Ed. ; Thorp, Jim, Ed. (2002, May). Decisions without Direction: Career Guidance and Decision-Making among American Youth. (ED465895). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Ferris State University Career Institute for Education and Workforce Development.

11. Maddy-Bernstein, Carolyn; Dare, Donna E. (1997,December). Career Guidance for Elementary and Middle School Students. Office of Student Services Brief, v9 n1. (ED415353). Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

12. Ohio Department of Education, Division of Vocational and Career Education, Ohio Career Development Blueprint, Individual Career Plan, K to 5 (ED449322). Columbus, Ohio, 2000

13. Splete, Howard; Stewart, Amy. (1990). Competency-Based Career Development Strategies and the National Career Development Guidelines. Information Series No. 345. (ED327739). Columbus, Ohio: ERIC Clearinghouse on Education and Training for Employment & Ohio State University

14. U. S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education. (1994, 2004). National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG). Washington, DC: Author.

15. Williams, Jean A. , Ed. (1999, January). Elementary Career Awareness Guide: A Resource for Elementary School Counselors and Teachers. (ED445293). Raleigh, NC: NC Department of Public Instruction, NC Job Ready.

16. Woal, S. Theodore. (1995). Career Education–The Early Years. AACE Bonus Briefs. (ED386603). Hermosa Beach, CA: AACE Bonus Briefs.

SEX EDUCATION AMONG CHILDREN

The reason we boast sometimes on Indian culture, is because it has rich values, values that are of high morale and unique to the world. Values are something on which our life thrives. We find organizations thriving on values, families stand united on its values, and the very humanity stands on human values. Without values, an individual would have no identity. We deliver value when we execute pride in holding our national symbols. We deliver value when we show respect to our elders. We owe value when we look at each female with the respect as high as that for a mother. And it is these values, that brings in us courage to hold against the odds. It is these values that help us to go ahead in life along with our family, with our friends, with our colleagues, with the society and with the nation all together. No doubt, values are as important as our life itself.

One of these great Indian values is about educating our children to hold against the most devastating erotic feelings towards opposite gender, the so called ‘Sex’. Sex is a powerful temptation and it requires very strong values to hold upon it. However, it is now days challenged by educated section of society, particularly the followers of western culture, in the name of exposing the mystery to the curious and immature child.

The conclusion made by these literates is that it is a prevention methodology, which would make the next generation safe from the perils of Sex. Universally, prevention is better than cure, goes as a law, but the question remains – Is sex education a prevention, cure or an experiment the result of which is either not known or is deliberately being forced in the society? What if you have educated a child in sex and he fails to hold his temptations thereafter? What would you call that situation – the prevention failed or the medicine failed? Let us try to understand prevention in a better way. If I am not mistaken, prevention is a boundary, a boundary that tells you what lies on the other side. At a broad level, there are three types of boundaries:

• First, we are completely aware what lie on the other side of the boundary. For example, nearly every one knows the after effect of smoking.

• Second, we are partially or unaware of the negative factors and accept the boundaries as a part of cultural values, with the awareness of the positive factors within the boundary. For example, if we do exercise, we say it is a preventive measure from bad health. The details of bad health may not be known in completeness to the doer, but there is a straight conception that fits to his mind – exercise is good for health.

• Third, we are completely unaware of positive or negative factors on either side of the boundary. For example, doing some rituals as a religious practice.

If Sex education is a prevention boundary, it should find a place in one of the above category. First, why do we need this education? A simple answer is that we do it sometimes. Second, how do we do sex (even with our spouse): in privacy or publicly? Do we discuss it out openly with friends and expose our spouse to them? If answers to these questions is ‘No’ and convincingly ‘No’, then the first boundary lies with the adults itself – how can they talk sex with their children or students, when we cannot practice it before them? We have to understand a very important aspect here. If we dare to talk such things with children, we are breaking away the boundary of respect and regard straight away (they or we not able to talk sex with each other signifying that there is some regard that produces this shyness or hesitation). We are undoubtedly introducing a concept that would teach our children to go beyond this boundary and easily practice sex, the barriers being broken and broken by teachers and parents first. During childhood, sex is a curiosity and hence is not known to them completely. All they know is that it is considered wrong by elders and is practiced between parents. Curiosity can take shape of temptation and temptations would lead to doing the wrong, if children are not taught of values that can help them prevent the temptation. Talking to them about sex would kill their curiosity and give birth to educated temptation. Thus, sex education so seeming to be an experimented cure, would necessarily lead to side effect of practicing sex as an educated practitioner. Sex education would in fact as a catalyst in producing sexual practices, and can in no way be a preventive measure. This education has no relation with feelings like temptations. Temptations can be only held by practice of cultural values, may be as a fear to breach the respectful barrier. Preventive measures are healthier and positive aspects, and can be talked and propagated positively towards everyone. Holding to values and teaching our children to remain in boundaries is actually a preventive measure and would protect majority of them from committing the hazard.

The proposed solution is still experimentation – the world is yet to see a generation that would be protected from practicing sex early during childhood and teenage after getting educated on sex. The proposed solution of sex education is thus very much risky and it can totally devastate the society if it fails to deliver the purpose, provoking children to enter premature sexual relations.

The intuition and notion of sex education as a solution started to create the awareness towards the deadly disease ‘AIDS’. It is a disease born out of sex and can spread out of various reasons which includes unsafe sex, blood transfusion, etc. The first unseen and politicized mistake is acceptance by the society that people need to be aware of this disease and should adapt to safe sex practices. At this point it seemed unquestionably correct, as adults were to be educated for usage of condoms. Unfortunately, this was the stepping stone towards growing errors. The ground error is that it is accepted that adults cannot hold from doing extra-marital and pre-marital affairs. And the true solution negated is – people not educated on values and importance of holding on values. It is here values plays its importance and Indian value in this term is very much known to the society – no extra-marital affairs and no pre-marital affairs – complete honesty with the partner and thus complete dedication towards their home leading to a life that is happy and supported by your relations and respected by outsiders – No possibility of AIDS in existence.

But more ground fact is that above values cannot be achieved unless it is inculcated in people when they are still ripe, when they are as young as children. Childhood is a state where you shape up your character. It takes huge effort for adults to change their nature, but not for a child. Values inculcated in children can help them grow to a brighter and healthier personality. This seems to me so simple to execute, simple because it can very easily get passed on to following generation as family values. In fact, it is still a part of Indian culture, which by the weapon of sex education, being totally devastated under the umbrella of the word ‘EDUCATION’. What is wrong in asking our children to respect elders and consider every woman as respectable as our own mother and sister? It is all about building this strong and positive perception in our little gems. In fact, would we dare to call our little angels as angels and gems, the moment we realize that he has adopted to means like sex which is not suitable to his age, which his mind would not absorb to the fullest of the concept, where there would be every chance for him to slip towards experiencing it because now the education is exposing the vulnerable erotic and ecstatic feelings which is yet in abnormal form of curiosity in the child – would we still dare to call our children as angels and gems. Will he not start challenging his patience by thinking the same about his relations? Will he then enjoy respect and regards towards any of the opposite gender? And I wonder why it is not thought that once sex goes into the education stream of children, children would by natural manner start talking about it among them. A child boy will talk to a child girl about their sex knowledge – a boundary that protects every child (at least most of them), from sexual pitfalls at early age would be totally destroyed. Is this what our modern parent expects from their children? As long as children do not talk about sex, they would fear to break the boundary and majority of the generation can be saved. But once, this is broken, majority of the generation would be devastated.

I sometimes ponder, why is human so weak to not realize the problems of practices like sex education? Why didn’t they look at societies which has already experimented this as a solution? We can very well go into the western education system where sex is a compulsory education and try to quantify and derive statistics on whether it has actually helped children from doing sex. The facts would be un-amazingly opposite to what is being proposed. They are exposed to sex as an adoptable practice, they are aware of how to protect from sexual disease, for instance by using condoms, and they simply enter into actually doing it. Why don’t we realize a simple thing, children would experiment everything if they are given the freedom? As responsible adults, we are to guide children about wrong and right and not expose them to the wrongs and the means to do the wrongs without getting harmed.

It would be surprising to understand that foundations of such human weaknesses are laid down by modern western thinkers, who adopt the theory and practice of allowing children to do what they wish. These thinkers believe that children require information about everything that they see and hear and if not provided they will get it from wrong sources, and hence, as responsible parents and elders we should share with them all problems like sex, deaths, hazards, etc. Truly speaking, there is a very thin boundary between good and bad, between right and wrong, so thin that once you cross, there is nearly no regret, no comeback. People often start smoking or drinking, with an attitude to taste – how it feels – and the boundary is broken. Next time, it is not the first time and they do it with the intention that it would be the last time and the action repeats. Why can’t we straightaway put into the minds of our children to keep away from these things by letting them realize that it is bad – very bad? Some parents agree to this as the impact of smoking is quite visible to them. How can it happen that all other behaviors of life don’t have similar negative impacts? It is seriously required to define the boundary of right and wrong in all that we do. For instance, philosophers and psychiatrists are now provoking people to talk sex with children. They believe that they will learn it from wrong sources and stealthily, which would create negative behavior in them. How silly? Why can’t children be allowed to consider it wrong as long as they are children? Why aren’t they allowed to learn about such things as they grow in boundaries and learn to practice it only in right manner at right time? Why are these great thinkers so eager to take away the opportunity of self – development from these children, which nature has provided them? Nature doesn’t allow children to do sex and hence it is wrong for them as long as they are children. What is wrong in telling them that it is wrong and bad when actually it is wrong at their stage? They automatically will learn its importance and usage when they grow and such children will respect sex and practice it religiously as a part of married life.

Accepting that children would learn sex from wrong sources, is actually an acceptance to the happenings in the society around – cultural degradation in social environment remains unchallenged and in fact attains maturity by allowing the upcoming generation to get educated on it and practice it untimely. Children would grow physically weak, and to much greater extent mentally weak if they endeavor to unfold their temptations through sexual education. The next generation is being challenged for their superiority of behavior and the induced sex education would surely overthrow the master culture of respect and regard.

We need to help our children to enhance their resistive power, their tolerance power, their patience, their understanding to respect and regard the values taught by parents and teachers. We cannot simply accept that our children would learn from wrong source about habits that are tempting, if we do not allow them to learn from us. We cannot make our children so weak that they go for anything that fulfills their mental desires and curiosity. We need to develop in them right from their childhood a habit to hold on temptations, so that they get matured enough to handle toughest situations in life. Indian culture have always taught children to grow up by practicing patience, yoga, respect towards elders, and all positive aspects that can create a great individual. Isn’t it necessary for our society to have stable families with respectable practices?

If Indian values and practices that taught children of such high attitude are considered as Stone Age by modern tutors, this would be unfortunate for the country. It is so simple to understand that people of Stone Age were used to living in nudity, and if we have grown rich in knowledge and understood the importance of clothes in societies, we have to respect clothes. Clothes are the first indication of boundaries against sex and children are to be protected from media which breaks this boundary. Let us promise to help our upcoming generation to become strong mentally, brace enough to fight these petty temptations and grow powerful in their thinking so that they are capable of doing great tasks.

SEX IN HINDUISM

Swami Vivekanand said, “In west, every woman other than mother is a wife. Among Hindus, every woman other than wife is a mother. ” I do not know other religion, than Hinduism, which teaches values of so high regard. Such high values exist because sex was never neglected in Indian philosophy – it was rather researched to be a powerful source of energy in any individual. It was understood that any energy has to be utilized in the boundary of natural law and hence, sex was to be practiced by recognized partners, only for specific purpose and within age boundaries. It was recognized that mastering sex required immense control on the self and practicing it only with partners required even greater control on self. Going beyond this to practice it only for the purpose of reproduction, to meet the purpose of nature, was even tougher. Thus, this natural power of every creature was considered as a natural power and as usual, every natural power in Hindu philosophy holds a Deity in its name. Thus, ‘Kamadeva’ (Deity of lust) came into being. Sex became a concept of worship and anything worship-able was never misused.

Sex as a study went deep to unfold all its secrets for Ayurvedic practitioners. But for the common people, it remained a respectable action. This is one major reason, why we do not find any major disease related to sex known in Indian societies. People often quote examples of ‘Khajuraho’ as a symbol of Hindu sex – which is very wrong – why was such sensual images created in caves? Were such caves a general practice of production? How many books of Hindus describe Sex as openly as ‘Khajuraho’? The answers to these questions, clarifies, that there must have been some purpose behind ‘Khajuraho’ which is lost in the past.

Hinduism has never taught utilizing any natural power in negative fashion – unlike modern science. And sex is one such power that exists in Hinduism within natural human boundaries.

It is often seen that one bad belief by virtue of its natural capacity draws another bad belief. If Sex education among children is an attempt to molest the future of nation, the Long Leaders by virtue of their devastating attitude build one after another similar attitude – producing Reservation into system that can eradicate the unity of the nation and prove the critics that Casteism is a part of not only Hinduism, but also of Hindu nation – in which case, the concept of Secularism would be lost and immediately the Hindus would get attached to it.

The demand for qualified educators has increased rapidly and this trend is not likely to change anytime in the near future. If you choose teaching as your career, you are in the right path because education is an extremely rewarding field with a 2 digits projection growth toward year 2012. Whether you are interested to be a college professor, a high school teacher, a special education instructor or a corporate trainer, you are sure to find a career with a master degree in education.

If you have involved in teaching field for years and you are hoping to advance your career in the education leadership, an advanced degree is a necessity. In fact, many school districts have requested their educational staffs to take graduate-level courses in order to refine and improve their instructional strategies. Hence, you should upgrade your degree to a master degree level if you want to move your career into a higher level.

Many online and traditional universities are offering online master degrees in education that enable you to earn a master education degree from your comfort home while maintaining your current living style. Getting an online master degree in education is convenient and flexible, just one thing to be aware of: Diploma Mills. You need to be very careful in searching and selecting your online master education degree program, make sure you choose the online master degree in education from a prestige and reputable online university to ensure the master degree can helps you to advance your teaching career to next level.

Here are a few online universities that are famous in providing online master education degrees and their degrees are widely accepted in the job market:

American InterContinental University Online (AIU)

AIU online provides master of education degree with concentration in Leadership of Educational Organizations. If you are interested to advance your teaching career to a management position, master of education degree in leadership prepares you with the necessary skills and knowledge for the position.

Western Governors University (WGU)

If you are planning to advance your teaching career that focus on K6 to grade 12, then one of WGU online master of education degrees can be your option. WGU offers various master degrees in education and teaching fields that focus on the education, assessment and evaluation for students in K6 to grade 12.

Grand Canyon University Online (GCU)

Master of Education degrees from GCU can help you to advance your teaching career if you want to make a success career in elementary education. GCU does offer master degree in Curriculum and Instruction that specialized in Reading and Education Technology, so if you need the skills and knowledge in these areas, these degrees may be your option.

Besides the above online universities that offer online master education degrees, there are still many online master education programs available for your selection. Many online master education degrees carry the same title but their courses offered in each program might be different; hence, it is your responsibility to review and ensure the courses of the degree are meeting your teaching career goal.

In Summary

Educational field is a booming sector with a good projection increment in the job demands. You are in the right path if you choose to involve in teaching career, but you must get ready yourself to face the boom, and an online master education degree can equip you to face the challenge in your teaching career and help you to advance your teaching career to a higher level.

The Purpose of our Education Provision By admitting that we are Catholic school, it means, we can part of the church. We therefore form part of the saving mission of the Church, especially for education in the faith (The Catholic School, 1977, Article 9). The obligation that we have is to foster in her children a full awareness of their rebirth to a new life (The Catholic School, 1977). Moreover, in the document of Catholic School in the Third Millennium, she affirms “…. “The person of each individual human being, in his or her material and spiritual needs, is at the heart of Christ’s teaching: this is why the promotion of the human person is the goal of the Catholic school” (Article 9).

To shed more light to this, we turn to GRAVISSIMUM EDUCATIONIS. In this document,  the Church declares “A Christian education does not merely strive for the maturing of a human person as just now described, but has as its principal purpose this goal: that the baptized, while they are gradually introduced the knowledge of the mystery of salvation, become ever more aware of the gift of Faith they have received, and that they learn in addition how to worship God the Father in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23) especially in liturgical action, and be conformed in their personal lives according to the new man created in justice and holiness of truth (Eph. 4:22-24); also that they develop into perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ (cf. Eph. 4:13) and strive for the growth of the Mystical Body; moreover, that aware of their calling, they learn not only how to bear witness to the hope that is in them (cf. Peter 3:15) but also how to help in the Christian formation of the world that takes place when natural powers viewed in the full consideration of man redeemed by Christ contribute to the good of the whole society. (9) Wherefore this sacred synod recalls to pastors of souls their most serious obligation to see to it that all the faithful, but especially the youth who are the hope of the Church, enjoy this Christian education. (10)” (Article 2)

As clearly stated above, our school mission is not only to provide education to form the whole person but also to orient our students to the knowledge of salvation on which the fullness of human being is based upon. It is in this principal purpose that our obligation should be based, in other words, if our mission as such is ever carried out, this is the sole aim we need to pursue and find our fulfillment.

Teachers as Coordinators in Faith This very purpose of our education provision should be understood first by any Catholic educators in Thailand so that it can be expressed in our Catholic school. This broad philosophical stance requires Catholic Educators to combine sound knowledge and skills with an overall personal development rooted in Christian values. Such an education involves a high level of inter-personal transaction between staff and pupils. Pope John Paul II has spelt out key implications of this for staff who work in Catholic schools:

“The Church looks upon you as co-workers with an important measure of shared responsibility. . . To you it is given to create the future and give it direction by offering to your students a set of values with which to assess their newly discovered knowledge. . . (the changing times) demand that educators be open to new cultural influences and interpret them for young pupils in the light of Christian faith. You are called to bring professional competence and a high standard of excellence to your teaching. . . But your responsibilities make demands on you that go far beyond the need for professional skills and competence. . . Through you, as through a clear window on a sunny day, students must come to see and know the richness and joy of life lived in accordance with Christ’s teaching, in response to his challenging demands. To teach means not only to impart what we know, but also to reveal who we are by living what we believe. It is this latter lesson which tends to last the longest. ”(Address to Catholic Educators, September 12, 1984)

Pope John Paul II clarified this further when he spoke on Catholic Education in Melbourne:

“I welcome you into that chosen group called by the Church to educating young Catholics in the faith. In a very special way, you share in the Church’s mission of proclaiming the good news of salvation. Not all of you may be teaching catechetics, but if you are on the staff of a Catholic school, it is expected, and it is of the utmost importance, that you should support the whole of the church’s teaching and bear witness to it in your daily lives. . . Certainly your work demands professionalism, but it also demands something more. Your professionalism as teachers involves tasks that are linked to your Baptism and to your own commitment in faith. . . No matter what subject you teach, it is part of your responsibilities to lead your pupils more fully into the mystery of Christ and the living tradition of the Church. . . The parish primary school, where younger children receive their early lessons in the faith, remains a cornerstone …

St Columba’s College Principles of Catholic Education of the pastoral care of Australian Catholic People. Here the Community of Faith hands on the timely message of Jesus Christ to its youngest members. . . More difficult challenges face the Catholic secondary school. Here students must be helped to achieve that integration of faith and authentic culture which is necessary for believers in today’s world. But they must also be helped to recognise and reject false cultural values which are contrary to the Gospel. ”(Address on Catholic Education, November 26, 1986)

The statements of the late Pope mentioned above enhance highly the mission of our education dedicated to the young. They need to be oriented to the new formation in which faith and authentic culture meet appropriately. This can be done only when the Catholic Educators accept the philosophy of Catholic education as their guiding principles for their functioning. Whilst it is accountable to the society for the provision of quality education to young citizens, it is also accountable to the Church community for providing this within the context of the Gospel and its value as expressed in Catholic doctrine. Catholic educators therefore will not attach too much importance to the test scores of their students only but also to facilitate Gospel values in their schools’ context through their teachers.

Faith Education integrated with Culture To carry out our educative mission appropriately, the Church understands truly well the importance of culture. She suggests us to apply wisely the application of culture to cultivate Gospel values in our young learners. She asserts the Catholic school has as its aim the critical communication of human culture and the total formation of the individual, it works towards this goal guided by its Christian vision of reality “through which our cultural heritage acquires its special place in the total vocational life of man” (Article 36). She also proposes to us to apply teaching as a significant tool to integrate faith with culture. She asserts “In helping pupils to achieve through the medium of its teaching an integration of faith and culture, the Catholic school sets out with a deep awareness of the value of knowledge as such (The Catholic School, Article 38).

In the same document, she further points out to us the importance of subjects. They should be considered as a means to accommodate students into the development of their personality. She states “Individual subjects must be taught according to their own particular methods. It would be wrong to consider subjects as mere adjuncts to faith or as a useful means of teaching apologetics. They enable the pupil to assimilate skills, knowledge, intellectual methods and moral and social attitudes, all of which help to develop his personality and lead him to take his place as an active member of the community of man (Articles 39). Further still, She wishes to see our school to systematically and critically transmit culture in connection with living faith. She posits “The specific mission of the school, then, is a critical, systematic transmission of culture in the light of faith and the bringing forth of the power of Christian virtue by the integration of culture with faith and of faith with living (Article 49).

Finally the church provides us a sharp and clear conclusion on our school mission should be run. She concludes “The various school subjects do not present only knowledge to be attained, but also values to be acquired and truths to be discovered. All of which demands an atmosphere characterized by the search for truth, in which competent, convinced and coherent educators, teachers of learning and of life, may be a reflection, albeit imperfect but still vivid, of the one Teacher. In this perspective, in the Christian educational project all subjects collaborate, each with its own specific content, to the formation of mature personalities” (The catholic School on the Third Millennium, Article 14).

To conclude the Catholic school does not exist for itself. It owns its existence on the mission of the church that is to evangelize. The existence of catholic is therefore is to inform and educate the whole student, who is an integrated human person, in the teaching, “the mind” of the Catholic Church, thus preparing men and women with a profoundly Catholic Vision of life. Catholic school therefore finds its true justification in the mission of the Church. This justification finds its meaning on an educational philosophy in which faith, culture and life are brought into harmony. Through it, the Catholic school evangelizes, educates, and contributes to the formation of a healthy and morally sound life-style among its students. Only by doing this will the Catholic school fulfill its vital mission and has the right to pursue its existence.

As a child, my parents always impressed upon me the importance of getting a good education. My father in particular, always told my siblings and I that we should strive to be number one in our studies. Because of the strict nature of my father, getting good grades was the rule, while getting low grades resulted in punishment. Needless to say, my siblings and I achieved honor role status throughout our K through middle school years. However, as I hit high school things began to change for me. I was no longer that little boy that followed my father’s every wish out of fear. By now, I had been hardened by the tough streets of Brooklyn and questioned whether getting a good (formal) education could take me out of this environment.

You see, in my community, I knew of few high school graduates, much less college graduates. My parents had limited education and struggled to provide for my siblings and I. Like many that grew up in poor communities, I experienced my fair share of pain and struggles. Like many of today’s youth that are dropping out of high school in record numbers, I too doubted the transformative powers of formal education touted by my parents and teachers. I did not believe that formal education alone could transform my socio-economic situation. As a result, I began to devalue formal education and withdrew (cutting classes regularly). Luckily, I began to realize the error in my thinking brought about by the intervention of a high school guidance counselor. I struggled to graduate high school, needing to attend summer school two years in a row in addition to night school. Nevertheless, I did graduate-But what next!?

Today, we hear news reports about the high dropout rates for inner city high school kids across America. I believe that this high dropout rate stems from the inability of the youth to understand and witness the transformative power of education within their communities. As a 34 year old man with a PhD, I can now attest to the transformative powers of getting a good education, but not just one that is formal. I have seen examples of education’s transformative powers in the lives of my colleagues, as well as in my own life. However, most people wont get a PhD, or even a college degree. Does this mean that they are doomed to a life of suffering and pain because of their socio-economic situation? Well not necessarily, as a significant percentage of millionaires in America did not graduate from college.

Still, statistics do show that one’s level of formal education directly correlates to one’s income (the higher the degree, the higher the income) and employability (the higher the degree, the higher the level of employability). So, it is safe to say that formal education does have transformative power in regards to one’s socio-economic situation. But, is simply graduating from high school and getting a college degree the answer to unlocking education’s transformative powers?

Let us take a look at the essence of education. Education is all about learning basic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics, and then building on these skills with more complex fields of study such as science, history, and economics. What you are doing as you master and broaden your intellectual skills is teaching your brain how to learn.

What ways do I learn best?
What topics interest me most?
What topics do I find easiest to learn?
What topics will help me transform my life?
What topics will help me realize my life’s vision?

These are questions that you should be asking yourself as you learn how to learn (education). The truth is that formal education is beneficial to a point, but after that point it is not necessary for everyone. The reason for this is that once you learn the basics as previously described, you can take the initiative to go to libraries, museums, art galleries, plays, as well as surf the Internet to learn about anything you deem useful. Many successful people such as former President Abraham Lincoln were self-taught. But do keep in mind that because many of us do not have the discipline or desire to learn just for the sake of learning, K-12, trade schools, colleges, and universities put together formal curriculums designed to legitimize our educational experiences with a diploma, certificate of completion, or degree. The degree in particular, became popular with American employers in the 1960s, as America moved out of the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Prior to this shift, one could graduate high school and get a good middle class job at the same factory your father worked in. However, as industrial jobs disappear by the thousands because of outsourcing and globalization, a college degree has become essential for anyone looking to ascend in today’s new work world (the corporate world).

But, is the opportunity to transform one’s socio-economic situation utilizing formal education truly available to all? While formal education (K-12) is now available to all in America, getting a good formal education still comes at a premium. For example, inner city (K-12) public schools have historically underperformed when compared to their suburban public or private school counterparts. Therefore, socio-economics seems to be a factor in who has access to quality formal education. Another example of this is in the higher education arena, where the cost of attending a four-year institution is outpacing inflation, making attending college a dream for some and a burden for others finding it difficult to repay huge student loans after they graduate. What is someone who wants to transform his/her life utilizing formal education to do?

Well first, one has to assess his/her future goals.
What are you interested in doing with your life?
Reach out to guidance counselors, teachers/faculty in your schools. Maybe they can find outside educational programs that you can participate in that will increase your learning if your school is not providing you with enough rigor.
Seek out educational programs within as well as outside of your community.
Ask yourself questions such as-Do I need to go to an expensive college and be burdened with huge student loans when I graduate in order to achieve my goals?
Or could I attend a less expensive school and learn how to learn what I need to know to get where I want to go?

Parents, participate in your child’s education. Get involved with the faculty and other parents. Keep abreast of political matters and then vote in the best interest of your child. And of greatest importance, seek out and provide examples of the transformative powers of education for your child. Be sure that they understand that the essence of education is not about getting a prestigious diploma or degree and saying “now pay me” to some employer.

The essence of education is about learning how to learn so that you can learn what you deem necessary for transforming your life.

Dropping out of high school does not help your cause.
Going to a prestigious school just to be burdened with huge student loan debt that you will have difficulty repaying does not help your cause.
Obtaining a particular degree that is not in alignment with your life’s vision, simply because it is easier to acquire then the degree you really need does not help your cause.
There is no doubt that education (learning how to learn) has trans-formative power, but in order to unleash that trans-formative power one has to understand the essence of education and then use it strategically.