Monthly Archives: August 2017

Thematic Journal

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The Daily Journal

Writing disciplines thought and provides a foundation upon which to build a sustained argument. A journal collects thoughts in one place and facilitates continuity of thought from hectic day to hectic day. In the absence of such a device, constant wheel re-invention is the order of the day. Logs can be of as much use to physicists and biologists as much as to humanists and poets.

Each course in a general education curriculum should have as a daily requirement the writing of at least one paragraph prior to the day’s class hour and another afterwards.

The purposes of the two paragraphs are to prepare for class with the articulation of questions and hypotheses with respect to the day’s subject matter and to synthesize the knowledge gained during the class hour and after related research and reading into a reformulation of those questions and hypotheses.

The Eureka Journal

Each core curriculum or general education course would have a class specific log or journal. However, there should also be a journal of journals or a EUREKA LOG for the highlighting of the quantum leaps in observation, understanding and insight over the college career of the student. Ideally, of course, each discipline-specific course should lead to moments worthy of the EUREKA LOG.

The Eureka Log should also include a discussion of the major decision points in a student’s undergraduate life and the rationale behind them: eg. choice of major, minor, extracurricular activities, post-graduate plans, voting decisions, religious affiliation decisions etc.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

The Eureka log in particular would become of priceless value to each student for the rest of his or her life. And imagine the value to their children, grandchildren, etc. Did your grandfather die before you were born? Mine did. I envied those more fortunate. Then, a few years ago, I found in the attic a box filled with articles and poems tracking his thoughts and feelings from 1914 to 1939. The elation was gut-wrenching.

Where would we be without Darwin’s journals? Newton’s? Anne Frank’s? Logs (journals) have been used for millennia by men and women, young and old, in all fields. Benedictine monks and Puritan settlers tracked their spiritual pilgrimage toward grace. Darwin jotted down observations and drew connections between types of finches.

Mathematicians and physicists charted their path toward discovery of natural laws. Captains logged their progress. Accountants kept watch on expenses and revenues.

Reading without writing is like eating without digesting.

As the ancient Chinese saying says, the palest ink is better than the best memory.

If used correctly, the thematic journal can turn a college or high school education from a random walk from course to course into a disciplined journey toward self-knowledge and mastery of a broad range of skills.

Thematic Before and After Test

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No before test, no baseline. No baseline, no accountability – for the teacher or the student.

The blank matrix is the perfect before and after test. For any field can you list the three most important concepts and explain how they apply to three different situations? or can you make a strong case for both sides in the next election marshalling principles facts and solutions for each of the issues that might be so important it should influence your decision? or can you explain how an air conditioner, a toilet, or a car work breaking down each of its subsystems into its components, explaining how these components work together, and the basic scientific principles behind these processes? 

 

Topic x (Science, Humanities, Arts)

                                        Example A                Example B                  Example C

Concept #1                    ?            ?            ?
Concept #2                    ?            ?            ?
Concept #3                    ?            ?            ?

 

 Issue x (civics)

                                      Principles                Facts                         Solutions

Side A
Side B
Side C

                                     

Engineering System (eg. car, air conditioner, toilet)

                                      Parts                       Processes                 Principles

Sub system 1
Sub system 2
Sub system 3

 

What is Critical Thinking?

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To be worthy of the name, critical thinking must be sustained, analytical, synoptic, and accountable.

Seven  tools are invaluable in honing these qualities: the thematic journal, the thematic matrix, thematic matrix exchange,  the thematic calendar of conversations, the thematic before and after test, the attitude checklist and the thematic capstone.

The thematic journal: critical thinking takes time. Clear writing is the key to clear thinking. Reading without writing is like eating without digesting. You can’t learn from the past if you can’t remember it. Without the regular recording of facts, thoughts, and feelings, wheel reinvention will be constant and progress nil. Thoughts should be organized by theme. Hence, the thematic journal.

The thematic matrix: on a periodic basis, journal notes should be summarized and organized in the equivalent of a graphic elevator speech. The matrix is the perfect metaphor for the essence of analytical thinking. Analysis means breaking down a problem into its parts. Matrices are ubiquitous in the presentations of investment bankers and consultants because they are the most effective tool for communicating complex ideas.  Examples of their power are the Eisenhower

Decision Matrix, the Periodic Table and the Punnett Square.

Thematic matrices should be exchanged with peers in thematic conversations.

Without the motivation of a peer group similarly committed to learning, interest will sag. Conversations are invaluable tools for honing thinking and preventing a drift into solipsism. The best test of the quality of your ideas is the crucible of dialogue.

The thematic calendar: without a regular periodic return to a theme there will be no depth of thought. If it is not on the calendar, it won’t happen.

The thematic before and after test: no before test no baseline, no after test no accountability. You have taken the before test. At the end of a series of conversations about a topic, a formal presentation both oral and in writing is the best after test.

The thematic capstone: the pressure of a formal public presentation both oral and written with graphic tools to enhance both is a critical discipline for putting together ideas on the most important, and inevitably complex issues.

Each tool alone is extremely powerful. Together their power increases exponentially. Sadly, their coordinated use is not taught in most elementary schools.

Changing this would dramatically accelerate learning and provide a much firmer foundation for life long learning.

In the pages that follow I address 23 questions. My answers are not definitive. They should be considered as one voice around a table, one contributor in a Socratic dialogue.

For more details: see Manifesto.

The Seven Joys of Life

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Education is ultimately about taking kids from “I can’t” and “I don’t like” to

“Wow! I can!” and “Wow! This is so cool!” in the basic joys of life – the joys of words, numbers, experimentation, engineering, art, music, and sports. Without the experience of each of these joys, the child can not possibly make informed life choices with respect to career or use of free time.

Seven Joys and Three Key Elements of Each

                                           #1                                   #2                             #3

Words poetry      fiction    drama
Numbers counting    calculating    proving
Experiments physics    chemistry    biology
Civics economics      ethics    history
Music rhythm      melody    harmony
Art drawing      painting    sculpture
Sports individual      team    dance

 

What is a reasonable level of mastery for an average child in music, art, drama?

In music, a reasonable capstone performance would the composition and performance of a twelve bar blues on the guitar or piano or the equivalent.

In art, the equivalent would be the drawing of a self-portrait in perspective.

In sports, the joy of playing a two out of three set match. In drama, the joy of delivering a Shakespearean monologue. In math, the joy of walking a class through a proof of the Pythagorean theorem. In science, the joy of demonstrating Galileo’s inclined plane experiment.

A great teacher can take a student to joy through discipline within a matter of weeks. A poor teacher given years will fail.

School principals and college Deans should identify the teaching methods of of the greatest teachers and hire those capable of implementing them.

This is not rocket science. Examples of such master teachers are:

Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler   Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,

Scott Houston, The Piano Guy

Tim Galwey , The Inner Game series (Tennis, Golf….)

Stephen Fry, The Ode Less Traveled

Alex Filipenko, Astronomy,  UC Berkeley

Michael Starbird statistics, University of Texas, Austin

Stephen Ressler in engineering, West Point

Rafe Esquith, fifth grade teacher

 

 

Are all religions the same at their core or different?

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Yes and No.

All great religions tell three stories:

1.) the cosmological story of the beginning and the end of times – the fancy names of which are etiology and eschatology.

2.) the ethical story of how to live,

3.) the ethnic history of when, how, and why the truth was revealed to a particular people.

The historical and cosmological accounts vary. The ethical story is the same. The similarity reflects our shared genetic code. The differences reflect geography and chance. The similarities make cooperation, peace, and justice possible. The differences both make life more interesting and make communication difficult.

The common ethical core can be reduced to six principles: two injunctions, three warnings, and a plan.

Two injunctions

1.) Gratitude, also called piety: be thankful.

2.) Kindness: be nice.

Three warnings: following the two injunctions can be very, very difficult owing to three factors:

1.) Other people are mean to you

2.) Bad stuff happens (think Job)

3.) You wake up in a bad (greedy, angry, envious) mood

The plan: how to stay on the straight and narrow path of gratitude and kindness:

1.) Pray x times per day, y times per week, month, year.

2.) Obey your priest, mullah, teacher, guru.

3.) Donate as much as possible to your church, mosque, temple.

Religion in Practice: A common pattern

The history of all great religions traces the same path: a history of noble deeds, the cynical abuse of power, and resistance to the encroachments of science.

The human law that all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely applies to religions as to all human institutions. There is no power more absolute than the power over the human soul.

In the words of Seneca, “Religion is true to the people, false to philosophers, and useful to politicians.”

Or in the words of Eric Hoffer:

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and degenerates into a racket.”

Or in the words of Karl Marx, “Religion is the opium of the people.”

More people have been killed in the name of “God” than in the name of anyone else.

And more children abused.

The Seven Disciplines of World Citizenship

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The seven disciplines of world citizenship mastery of which is key to making informed decisions at the voting booth are: economics, politics, ethics, history, statistics, rhetoric, and science. The key components of each are laid out in this table.

                         Seven Civic Discplines and Key Components of Each

 

          #1                              #2                                #3

Economics Personal Public    Corporate
Politics Local State    National
Ethics Personal Political    Professional
History Economic Political    Cultural
Statistics Probability Completeness    Interpretation
Rhetoric Straw Men Ad Hominems    Red Herrings
Science Health  Climate    Method

 

The ultimate test of thinking citizenship is the ability to make a strong case for both sides in the next election marshalling principles, facts, and solutions for each of the issues that might be so important it should influence your decision. Without this breadth of research and analysis informed decisions can not be made. Mastery of the basics of these seven civics disciplines is indispensable to this task.

 

Principles Facts Solutions
Democrats
Republicans
Common Ground

 

The K-12 curriculum of every school in America (and the world) should be structured around this capstone exam.

How would it work? It would be like rigorous debate training for every child – not just the gifted few. Just as a rigorous musical or athletic training program involves daily practice of at least an hour a day, so would rigorous debate training.

Every day every student would make an argument for something marshalling a principle, a fact, and a solution. She would take the opposite point of view the next day.

Just as the average student who starts a rigorous athletic or musical program at 5 years of age becomes pretty good by age 14 and excellent by age 18 and able to trainer younger students. So too with debate.

Real democracy requires trained thinking citizens. This is the road to real democracy.

You can not possibly make strong arguments without a basic understanding of the fundamentals of ethics, economics, history, political science, rhetoric, statistics and science. These basics are not a matter of opinion. But this understanding is not there.

During the last decade working in various capacities at Harvard University I have found Harvard Law School professors who confuse the Preamble to the Constitution with the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. I have found Harvard seniors whose favorite course was “Justice” who are unable to come up with even a rudimentary definition of the term. I have found economics majors who can not articulate the most basic laws of economics.

But these essentials should be as automatic for a high school graduate as naming the five continents or running through the multiplication table. No more difficult than for an 18 year old tennis player to demonstrate the proper motion of a serve or for a piano player to play an arpeggio. Or for a chemistry major to explain how the periodic table works or what the most important elements in it are.  Or a physics student to explain Newton’s three laws of motion, the phases of the moon, or the cause of the seasons.

What are the most cited statistics on race, gender, and class? What do they mean?

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The most cited statistic on racial discrimination relates to differentials in incarceration rates. Black males are 6X more likely to be incarcerated than white males. But what exactly does that prove?

Males are 10X more likely to be incarcerated than females. Is that evidence of gender discrimination against men? Of course not: the differential in male versus female incarceration rates relates to the differential in crime rates. The same is true for the incarceration of black versus white males.

The most cited statistic on gender discrimination is that women earn $.77 on the dollar. This is often interpreted as meaning that that women are paid 23% less for the same work. That is not what this statistic means. This statistic is generated by dividing total earnings of all men by the number of men and the total earnings of all women by the number of women and comparing the two. But women do not work the same jobs. They prefer jobs in lower paying sectors of the economy such as social service. They also favor jobs with flexible hours. Adjusting for all these very important factors, the gap shrinks dramatically.

The most cited statistic on economic injustice is that the top 1% earn 20% of total income as if on the face of it that is unfair and justifies every higher taxes on the top 1%. The assumption is that the top 1% avoid taxes thanks to clever lawyers and accountants. In fact, the top 1% pay 40% of all income taxes.

If you look at the income distribution by quintile you will find that the top quintile earns 10X as much as those in the bottom quintile. But the top quintile on average work 8X more hours than the bottom quintile and tend to be older and more productive.

To base political arguments on numbers that aren’t appropriately adjusted is a form of fraud. Happily for those who perpetrate it, this form of fraud is protected by the First Amendment.

This is not to say that there race and gender discrimination does not exist or that economic inequality isn’t real. The point is not to be misled by aggregate statistics that seem to mean one thing and don’t.

What are the most important lessons of history?

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Everyone has a right to an opinion, but all opinions are not created equal.

Some are based on extensive research and analysis and others are not. Some are driven entirely by partisan bias. Others are not. Some opinions on the lessons of history are informed by an understanding of the basic laws of economics. Others are not. Some are based on a long term synoptic view of the history of mankind. Others are based on a study of a much more limited period and geography.

Today, the big four lessons of American history imbibed by American high school and college students on the coasts and in the upper Midwest are: America is racist, America is sexist, America is a class society, America is an imperialist power. These four truths are contrasted with the four myths: that America has gotten beyond race, that women are now equals to men, that the American dream is alive, and that American foreign policy is benign.

From a long term historical perspective this approach misses the really big points.

First, America is most historically distinctive not in its racism but in its ethnic heterogeneity and its relatively early abolition of slavery (relative to say the Islamic world). Second,  what is distinctive about America in terms of women is not gender discrimination but the early emancipation of women relative to all other parts of the world – whether Europe, Asia, Africa, or Latin America. Third, what is historically distinctive about America is not the existence of economic classes but the absence of a monarchy or an aristocracy (historical relics that are very much alive across the world today). Fourth, what is distinctive about American foreign policy is not its abuse of power but the fact that America saved the world from National Socialism, Stalinism, and Maoist Communism and has alleviated countless humanitarian disasters.

Looking beyond America, the question is: is the big lesson that capitalism doesn’t work or that it does? Was Marx right or wrong?

To me the answer is simple. It was one thing to be Marxist when Marx was a Marxist – in 1848 when the life of expectancy of a child born in an industrial town was half that of the child born in the country. It’s another thing to be a Marxist after 1939 (after the news of Stalin’s purges and the Nazi-Soviet Pact). Still another to be a Marxist in 1975 after Mao’s massacres. Still another to be one in 2016 after Castro, Pol Pot, Mugabe, Chavez. After Deng Xiao Ping and the Chinese miracle.

Some opinions are immune to facts. Others are not. Marx would not be a Marxist today.

Some things you can’t make up. One day, as a Berkman Fellow at Harvard Law School, I had the perverse urge to test knowledge of the Preamble on the part of Harvard law school students. I was appalled at how few were able to recite it or summarize its contents. Then I decided to test Harvard Law School professors.

A similar result. Then most astoundingly I met separately with three professors of US Constitutional Law and found that not one of them passed the test either. Only one of the three was embarrassed. The other two had an excuse: their job was to teach students to write appellate briefs and the Preamble was never cited there.

Another canary in the coal mine of academia. So what is the Preamble and why should anyone care?

The Constitution has three basic parts: the Preamble, the Articles, and the Amendments. The Preamble is important because it lays out the reasons for having a government. The best way to teach the Preamble is to, on the first day of class, ask the students to write down why you think we have a government.

You should do this right now before proceeding. 

Once you have completed this assignment compare your list with the Founders’ list and note any discrepancies.  What is missing from the Founders’ enumeration from an 18th century perspective? from a 21st century perspective?

After the Preamble come the Articles. Do your best to summarize each before you go to the text itself and then compare what they actually do to what you had thought.

Then write down what you think the First Amendment says before actually going to the text to see what it actually says. The precise wording matters. So does the order in which the rights are listed. Does the First Amendmennt apply to all levels of government or just the Federal government? Does it dictate a strict wall of separation of church and state at all levels?

After the First Amendment, what is the most important Amendment and why?

What is the case for the 14th Amendment? What is the incorporation doctrine?

These are questions eighth graders should be able to answer. If you can’t please consult the text of the Constitution. If you need a helping hand, please consult the best annotated version I know of: Linda Monk’s The Words We Live By. Civic literacy requires work. No pain, no gain.

What is the difference between science and pseudo-science?

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Two traditional views of the difference:

a.) science is inductive, non-science is deductive, right?

b.) science is verifiable, pseudo-science isn’t, right?

Well, actually, lots of pseudo-science is based on lots of empirical evidence.

And it’s easy to find data to verify pseudo-scientific theories.

Confirmation bias makes this extremely easy.

The most essential difference between science and pseudo-science is that science is falsifiable. Is the theory of evolution falsifiable? Yes.

It would take only one rabbit foot fossil from the pre-Cambrian to disprove Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. The bad news for creationists: 150 years later not even one such foot has turned up. Is creationism falsifiable?

No.

A second factor distinguishing science from pseudo-science is the quality of experimental data. How often have the experiments been repeated?

What is the size and quality the samples used? If we are talking about medical claims are the results based on large, double blind randomized control trials?

A third criterion is predictive capacity. Have the predictions forecast by the theory come to pass? How does the track record differ from that of alternatives?

A related question is: are the social sciences really sciences? or are they partisan ranting in drag?

How many times has an economist or a political scientist conducted an experiment that has resulted in a finding that conflicts with that predicted by his partisan bias?

Almost never in my experience.

Might it be fair to say that with respect to the social sciences, partisan bias drives basic premises which drive the framing of questions which drive the design of experiments which determines the results? A harsh but fair conclusion perhaps.

A solution could be to have all policy-related studies be done by bipartisan teams.