Kagan online - the push for team work - aka brainwashing of our children

[MariaRegina]

I do not want to derail rusmeister's thread, but I did want to offer a chance for those involved in the educational process to share their experiences.

Collaborative Group Projects

At my university, they are pushing collaborative and cooperative education, especially the ideas promoted by Dr. Kagan. He has an online site where you can see the promotion of his ideas.

"It's okay for children, but not for me" attitude.

In one of the two education classes I am taking this semester, we have this very snobbish British student who thinks that her opinions are infallible. She tends to dominate every discussion and puts down any opinion which differs from hers. She tends to be very defensive which might have arisen from her experience as a Special Education teacher. Not surprisingly, she refuses to participate in any collaborative groupings except to pair with her one friend in the class. However, she supports Dr. Kagan's ideas at www.kaganonline.com (http://www.kaganonline.com) and uses cooperative groups in her own high school classroom, even though she will not participate in adult cooperative learning.

Do I see a conflict here?

What apparently does not work for adults must be forced onto children so that they will learn team work?

In another example, last semester I took a course entitled: Teaching Expository Writing. In that class we were to work in groups as part of the writing process. We were also to complete our class projects, which included lesson plans for different genre. We literally had some flash points in the final project. No group went unscathed. It was a disaster with open hostility, lack of cooperation, and/or extreme bossiness as members polarized. Only two of the eight groups posted their final project on the class website. The rest refused. And remember that most of the college students are student-teachers, private school teachers, or substitute teachers.

Brainwashing

I guess what scares me about these small groups of 4 to 5 students is the brainwashing that can occur within them. In the class in Expository Writing, the teacher tried to put a Muslim into every group. So we had an Egyptian Christian versus a Saudi veiled woman in our group. Even though we were to focus on one topic, and had supposedly chosen our genre and book, when one student who had assumed the position of chair without a vote realized that there was a Muslim among us, she decided unilaterally to change the book from Narnia (a Christian book) to a decidedly non-Christian book even though the Muslim did not complain. Politically correctness. When the Muslim left because she wanted to present first and our group was presenting last, then the self-selected chair started preaching in an attempt to convert both Orthodox members to her protestant views.

Ugh.

[rusmeister]

I think we should be a little careful about applying the term 'brainwashing', because it is incredibly important that it be properly applied - most people don't really accept the idea of public indoctrination, and understandably so - it will lead intelligent folk who went through public school to the conclusion that they themselves have been 'brainwashed' (indoctrinated) without their knowledge - and that is a most unpleasant thing to accept. Easier to reject it out of hand, and if we use terms improperly, well, that makes it all the easier to reject their proper use.

Brainwashing, or indoctrination, if you prefer is really a neutral term - there can be good as well as bad indoctrination. We indoctrinate our own children into the Christian faith and 'wash their brains' in a manner of speaking. But in general, the term, applied to public education, should refer to the systematic enforcement of public ideology, which is quite transparent, if one realizes that it is not taught as subject matter is taught, but is regularly required at all levels and from all participants, teachers, pupils and administrators.

It seems to me that the teacher simply applied the bottom-line principle of pluralism in mixing up people of different faiths/world views. Of COURSE they're going to conflict. But what you are describing seems to be the reactions of people in that environment, some of whom (thank God) still hold, in spite of everything, that what you believe matters - one of the things the system is designed to subtly beat out of you - but not brainwashing per se - just whacko students (if I understood the situation correctly).

As to cooperative learning - I have found that in foreign languages there is certainly a valuable place for it - I don't place my faith in any particular method, though. I have found that different things work with different people. One of the obvious problems of focusing on a method of collaborative learning (and a quality that makes it so attractive to public ed) is that it tends to ensure a mediocre level of development - one where fast kids are forced to help or wait for slow kids, for example.

(Edit) Are there any instances of obvious indoctrination in your courses (anything thing along any lines I have previously described), of course or instructor requirements that must be fulfilled?

[Hoankan]

I'll echo ruismeister on the foreign language parts. I has its uses but it also can cause mediocre development.

Now if you want to talk about systematic brainwashing, come look at Japan and their high schools. I am teaching next to one this year and discovered that they make the kids march everywhere. Always equal number of boys and girls so you can do a two by two column. Also they do everything together with their one class. Eat, activities, sporting events, etc.

[MariaRegina]

I think we should be a little careful about applying the term 'brainwashing', because it is incredibly important that it be properly applied - most people don't really accept the idea of public indoctrination, and understandably so - it will lead intelligent folk who went through public school to the conclusion that they themselves have been 'brainwashed' (indoctrinated) without their knowledge - and that is a most unpleasant thing to accept. Easier to reject it out of hand, and if we use terms improperly, well, that makes it all the easier to reject their proper use.

Hopefully, CF will allow me to edit this text. The last time I tried to edit, one little paragraph turned into three disjointed paragraphs with the addition of a bunch of quote commands which mysteriously materialized.


(Edit) Are there any instances of obvious indoctrination in your courses (anything thing along any lines I have previously described), of course or instructor requirements that must be fulfilled?I understand the point about misusing the term brainwashing and preferring the word indoctrination. However, subtle yet obvious brainwashing is part of the teacher education in California schools. It is called diversity, sensitivity training, tolerance education, multiculturalism, intercultural communications, or multilingualism, or whatever new buzz word the establishment can imagine. In every educational class I have taken, whether that class falls in the Special Education (SP ED), High School (S ED), or Elementary Education (E ED) Departments, or in another discipline (English, Math, Humanities, Linguistics, etc.), one class (or 1/15th) of each required course has a specific diversity component that is labeled as such in the syllabus. The syllabi of all professors are carefully examined for course content. In addition, throughout that mandated educational class, a diversity thread runs throughout the entire course. Furthermore, diversity under the innocent name of multiculturalism is present in all the course texts.


Moreover, diversity is mandated for all public school organizations. All students who participate in student organizations must attend an annual “retreat” or “love-in.” Furthermore, in the California University system, we need to take at least three diversity courses in order to get our college degrees. These courses fall under the departments of psychology, sociology, and communications. However, in almost all courses now, there is at least one chapter in each college book which discusses diversity. Even in College Statistics, there were problems dealing with diversity. It is PERVASIVE.


Having been enticed or forced to attend a couple of these retreats, I can say that the Ethiopian, Armenian and Coptic Orthodox students are the best prepared for these events and can see through the intention of the organizers. The Oriental Orthodox usually prepare a demonstration to protest the blatant anti-Christian, pro-Islamic, pro-homosexual indoctrination that goes on in these diversity retreats, while the Western Christians remain silent or even mention how ashamed they are of their Christian roots to the applause of the diversity team leaders. In the most recent diversity workshop, several Jewish students were aghast at the anti-semitic pro-Islamic rhetoric they encountered. Many Jewish students walked out and left. Several of my Eastern Orthodox friends encouraged me to remain silent, but I joined the Oriental Orthodox in their protests, and walked out of certain events, or spoke out whenever I could. I would not be silenced to the dismay of the diversity team leaders, but I chose my words convincingly and was able to blow away the cover of diversity for what it was – deceptive brainwashing, universalism, and relativism.

Here in California, misguided Christian teachers can easily fall into the overprotecting mommy category where they feel the need to protect their Islamic, atheistic, and homosexual students and promote Islam perhaps in a misguided effort to assure themselves that they are being fair and tolerant in the eyes of their peers. Such hypocrisy leads these Christian teachers to deny their Christian roots and ultimately to become agnostics, atheists, or even Muslims. Many teacher candidates seem to outdo themselves in teaching religious tolerance to the point that they espouse that all religions are equal. And woe the student who believes that there is only One Holy Catholic Church, The Holy Orthodox Church.

If you carefully read some of the threads here at CF and in TAW, you find this same strange behavior where some people feel the urge to protect Muslims and defend them against anyone who brings up the Armenian and Greek Orthodox genocides which occurred during the Ottoman reign. However, if you look at the profile of these defenders of diversity, you will notice that they are usually college students. In addition, if you search their posts, you will also notice that when they were in high school, they did not have these ideas.


Brainwashing, or indoctrination, if you prefer is really a neutral term - there can be good as well as bad indoctrination. We indoctrinate our own children into the Christian faith and 'wash their brains' in a manner of speaking. But in general, the term, applied to public education, should refer to the systematic enforcement of public ideology, which is quite transparent, if one realizes that it is not taught as subject matter is taught, but is regularly required at all levels and from all participants, teachers, pupils and administrators.
Indeed, the term brainwashing has been neutralized by the folks who use it to indoctrinate people. Those people who are promoting relativism and universalism as a new belief system have simply changed the name to multiculturalism or diversity, and have made it appear to be good and beautiful. In reality, diversity promotes universalism, Islam, and atheism, and attacks our Judeo-Christian heritage.

It seems to me that the teacher simply applied the bottom-line principle of pluralism in mixing up people of different faiths/world views. Of COURSE they're going to conflict. But what you are describing seems to be the reactions of people in that environment, some of whom (thank God) still hold, in spite of everything, that what you believe matters - one of the things the system is designed to subtly beat out of you - but not brainwashing per se - just whacko students (if I understood the situation correctly). The whacko students I have encountered were confused. With all the diversity being tossed at them, they are sincerely trying to be tolerant and understanding, but they cannot reject their Christian roots, and so they act out, and preach protestant Christianity whenever the Muslims are not present; otherwise, they are silenced.

As to cooperative learning - I have found that in foreign languages there is certainly a valuable place for it - I don't place my faith in any particular method, though. I have found that different things work with different people. One of the obvious problems of focusing on a method of collaborative learning (and a quality that makes it so attractive to public ed) is that it tends to ensure a mediocre level of development - one where fast kids are forced to help or wait for slow kids, for example. Cooperative education does work in the right controlled environment – English Language Learning. Cooperative education if implemented with rules, does facilitate second language acquisition. In all my ESL classes, I find a mixture of students at different levels, even with the placement tests. Some students come into my class with an ability to read and write English, but they cannot speak it. Others are almost fluent in English, but have never learned to read and write English. Still others cannot read, write, listen, or speak in English. Therefore, it is very helpful when I place an intermediate English learner (EL) who is fluent in English in with a group of beginners. Here the intermediate EL can communicate with his peers and even toss in a few Spanish words to help a Spanish group get the point. Or an intermediate Korean EL can be placed in with beginning Korean ELs. The intermediate EL is then empowered and indeed, forced to speak with authority. This gives them a sense of accomplishment and helps them to succeed. When a student is put into a teacher's role as the spokesman for the group, they polish their own English while helping their fellow students to gain comprehension. This becomes a win-win situation.

[MariaRegina]

Not only is diversity now everywhere present in the educational system, but it is found in all major businesses:
General Electric, Pac Tel, Verizon, etc.

However, in every diversity workshop I have attended, the participants leave feeling divided and upset. And generally, I am not the first to speak out. The workshops are poorly handled and the questions provided are very divisive.

To give you one example, in one workshop recently provided by the Board of Realty, we were asked to name all the derogatory ethic names we have ever heard for African Americans, Native Americans, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, etc. Horrible names were written on charts with bright markers that were burned into our brains and left us feeling insulted and violated. What we did not suggest, the facilitator did. We left feeling very upset at her. It was not a loving or healing experience. It drove us further apart and made us more aware of our own racial identity. To this day, I still remember some of those derogatory names and hope that I will never blurt them out when I am in a sleepy state. It was so wrong. Yet, this diversity experience does not go away. I encounter it daily in my classes. With all my friends having undergone the same experiences, we are all walking around wounded.

The worst thing about diversity is that it causes us to be so judgmental of others, so that people infer that we are saying things that we have not even imagined. This is evident in the Clinton ads against Obama, where the race card is being played whenever possible.

Diversity rejoices in the diversity of mankind, and causes more diversity.
Diversity fragments our weakened human condition, and fails to build us into one nation.
Diversity points out our differences, so that we do not see what unites us.



Psychologists must be loving this scene.