WOK in Education

You are such great thinkers! You always take us to the next level!

In our discussion today, one group (Group 1) explored ways of knowing in education, where education was taken to be what goes on in a high school. Another group (Group 2) looked at the field of education in college, which is basically about the training of future teachers. When asked of good ways to come to knowledge, which is the best and which is the weakest, the groups answered as follows.

Group 1 said the best way of knowing is through reason and logic, with the weakest of the good ways of knowing being authority. The group said that students in classes must apply their own reason and logic to the subjects they study, and while they depend a great deal on authority, an obstacle can form when authority and reason/logic are opposed. Group 2 said the best way of knowing is through authority, with the weakest of the good ways of knowing being reason and logic. The group said that teachers have little if any latitude in what they teach, given government standards. They must learn from the authorities in the departments of education what and how to teach. Their own logic and reason could run afoul of this.

What a fascinating, possibly frightening, scenario this produces, if it is accurate! Those who must lead in an environment where authority is devalued and individual reason is triumphed are trained in a system where reason is devalued and authority is triumphed.

Is this scenario accurate? If so, what consequences does it bring? What are we to do with or do about these consequences?