The new education paradigm

On October 6, 2005 I was listening to Switchboard on Vermont Public Radio. Bill Schubart was one of the panelists discussing "The Future of Vermont". At a certain point Mr. Schubart was asked if he could describe the ideal student that universities should be producing (or something like that). I found his answer very insightful and decided to transcribe it here for others to ponder:

" I think what I want more that anything out of the schools is a critical learner. A person who is curious, a person who understands the navigation of information, who doesn't necessarily know everything but knows where to look for it. They can tell appart between real experience and vicarious experience. They know how to engage in discussion of something complex and listen as well as talk. They can communicate in writing and in speech. These are the things that are so critical and the fact that we have 5 or 3 different careers in our lives can and will be accommodated later on.

But I think understanding how to convert data into information and then have your experience become wisdom, so you can then make the migration from data to information to wisdom is really the critical part of education and it doesn't necessarily fit into the current industrial mold".

What caught my attention was the sequence pointed out by Schubart data > information > wisdom. So I followed his advice and assumed that he was repeating a model that somebody out there in the world of information management has already elaborated. After a few google minutes I found this interesting site. All of a sudden the sequence was broadened to:

data > information > knowledge > wisdom

There is one thing missing in this puzzle, where does ACTION fit in? Who cares about all this if there is no change, no implementation? One could argue that embedded in any of these 4 core groups there are specific actions but I rather emphasize the ACTION part right before wisdom like this:

data > information > knowledge > ACTION > wisdom

Quoting Mary Beard: Action wit out study is fatal. Study without action is futile. So "Action Action" otherwise we'll all end up like Jeremy from the Yellow Submarine. There is really no need to know that much if we are not going to do that much with it.

Things to do in Costa Rica

"Azur, my next door neighbor is going to Costa Rica, do you have any advice?"

If I had a dollar for every time I get this question ;-) I guess you don't meet many costaricans in Vermont, or in the US for that matter. I actually have very few friends or acquaintances from Costa Rica in the US. The question is innocuous and in many cases along the lines of "nice weather today eh" so I don't take offense or anything - I guess if I met somebody from mars I would say "Oh! how funny we have a chocolate bar named after your planet; is it really red when you get there? .

Anyway, here it is:

BEST TIME TO GO

January through April - it rains from May through December.

BEST PLACES TO GO

Central Valley:

• Jade Museum
• Sarchi for arts and crafts
• The Butterly Farm (any of them)
• The Cafe Britt tour
• Gold Museum
• Central Market
• National Theater (San Jose)
• Poas, Turrialba or Irazu Volcano (Nearby Mountains) Go early to see crater
• Thermal Waters in Orosi, Cartago

Northern Pacific Coast -Guanacaste:

• Cabo Blanco Reserve: Monkeys, trails, primary forest, moderate hike
• Montezuma: Quaint hippy town with a great Waterfall, easy hike in
• Conchal Beach: Big secluded resort with a nice beach
• Santa Rosa National Park
• Palo Verde National Park
• Barra Honda National Park
• Volcano "Rincon de la Vieja" National Park - really nice and less traveled
• Monteverde - Cloud forest with amazing vistas

Central Pacific Coast:

• Manuel Antonio Park - beautiful, walk to last beach - enjoy hike to Punta Catedral
• AVOID Puntarenas and Jaco

South Pacific: Very far but an amazing trip - off the beaten path

• Corcovado National Park - the closest you'll get to the amazon
• Lapa Rios is a great hotel
• Dominical Beach - great spot but ask about noise level on party days - great massage place ask around. Lulo's waterfall is a great trip ….
• Sierpe - boat trip in the mangroves, great offshore fishing
• From Sierpe take boat to Drake bay and stay there for your entire vacation
• Hacienda Baru in Dominical - a great spot  

Caribbean:

• Avoid Limon, Cahuita and Puerto Viejo
• Do go to Manzanillo and Gandoca
• Tortuguero National Park - take boat trip up the canal - lush and green - or fly there
• Barra del Colorado - fly there or take a boat from Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui

General Tips:

• Make car reservations way in advance, ask for a 4 by 4 automatic. Triple check, then triple check again, then learn to drive a stick shift. Drive defensively.
• Bring small dollar bills - don't bother with traveler checks.
• Never leave your things unattended -don't leave anything in the car.
• Drink bottled water
• Don't eat anything from street vendors
• Internet cafe's area available everywhere
• Tips are included in all restaurants and cab fares (you can tip extra if very nice)
• Not a gourmet destination - food is ok but not great
• Travel early to avoid traffic
• Never travel to central valley on a Sunday night or a holiday (traffic nightmare)
• Try to fly into the Guanacaste Airport on the Pacific Coast - best option if traveling to Pacific
• Caribbean is ok but it rains and there is little variety for a short trip
• Great weekly English newspaper: Tico Times, a must buy and read.
• Bring a sweater or a denim jacket, bring Gore-Tex shell.
• Bring your own batteries and digital cards 
• When on trail watch out for snakes - really.
• Buy coffee in town not at the airport - Britt coffee, green label is the best.
  
  LINKS:
  
  http://www.ticotimes.net/
  http://www.photo.net/cr/ (MIT professor journal, good photos and anecdotes)
  http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/1987/arias-bio.html (Nobel Laureate President)

Mandalas and Snow in Vermont

This week started with a 6 inch snow storm in Barre. I went to visit my friend TJ while April and Aurora had a "girl's only night" at our house with Patty and Halley.

On Monday I went to see some visiting budhist monks that build, and destroy, a Mandala of Health. I brought along a book of Andy Goldsworthy for them to see how there are other forms of ethereal art.

This same monday Aurora started day care - we call it school - she is 5 months old and 6 minutes away from April's job so she can breatfeed her, we are now all gradually adapting to her new enviroment. Times change and we must change with them, she needs to socialize and play with children her age. Amanda her teacher is very nice and caring, I am sure things will work out for the best.

Back in Barre, I had a good conversation with TJ over breakfast. As we were watching the snow falling over the maples and apples trees, both filled with color and apples, I pointed out that it was great to see how a season could manifest itself in the middle of another one. Winter is almost two months away and here we have a first taste. I take this as a sign of better times ahead for all of us. We live in uncertain times, between the war, the avian flu threat, the hurricanes and other niceties its hard to stay on track. However, we will always have monks, and books, and friends, and sunshine, and children and mozart, and trees to remind us that there is a better way. Its all about not loosing focus and understanding on which side we stand.