We must challenge our youth to go beyond and excel in all they do, help them when they fall and guide them to the traits we will need when it is their turn to lead. There are many great programs for youth, sports, band, student government, Scouts, etc and we have so many dedicated servants to the cause of this public good. We have done so much, but it is time to take it up a notch, integrate the technologies we have for teaching and press on to the highest possible level of mentoring. We know mentoring works and we must use that innate social interaction of our species to the best of our abilities. If we fail to mentor our kids there can be some serious consequences, for instance the School Shootings in Columbine or this incident;
http://www.parthe.net/_cwg0703/00000084.htm .
Will this work, considering what we think we know about the human brain? After all; How does the human mind really work? Some say it is a random organic devise? Each brain is a little different just like no two people have the same DNA. Once we have increased thought, educated our populations, taught people to think and exercise their brains then have we accomplished our task of fixing the flow of thought? Will this provide us with the tools we need to mentor each youth approaching adulthood? No, this is simply the beginning, the thought flow must be open to advance a civilization, culture or country. Teaching kids is not simply getting them to recite back to us a series of non-related skewed facts, dates and names. We need to teach them to reason, adapt and over come in activities which make their minds work and problem solve. This is not and cannot be simply bombardment of facts or repeating the desired thought on a multiple choice test where teachers study questions and teach the answers to kids so that the kids do well, but teaching kids and adults to think. An original thought is of supreme value. What do we do with these original thoughts? We use these thoughts to help advance mankind. Unfortunately there are barriers to thought.
For instance political correctness restricting thought, rather than hashing out the issues in trade for a reality based answer to a dilemma. One who comes up with an answer to a solution, which was not invented here for instance would be chastised, this is not to say that the concept was not without merit. It may very well be the best solution for the problem or it could be a solution, which complicates matters in other arenas, but if there are barriers to thought, we have less choice. The reason mentoring works is because those involved in the learning are to experience and think and are guided through the process, where as memorizing test questions is not thinking merely memorizing. This is not to say that some facts are needed to go through life, but rather the complimentary process of learning through mentoring is an essential component of development. Think about it.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/