Human Education

Human Education

Http://Orcid.org/0000-0001-9393-0233

Table of contents

Introduction

Streams

A. Safety

B. Technical Skills

C. Character Building

D. Patriotism

E. Spirituality

F. Love

G. Happiness

H. Travelling

I.   Death

J.  Holism

K. Standards, Quality and Ethic

PREAMBLE 

The whole world seems to agree that education holds a key to success, social cohesion, peace and prosperity. All of us agree that we are educated in order to add value in life. Most would agree that it is only when you are in business of generating money that you really considered successful. Education is hence geared towards successful business models using innovative ideas in science and technology. 

There are a number of good education models out there, but because of a wide scope of what is potentially possible to cover, at what level, for how long, at what cost, risk and impact, many have chopped and pasted courses to get some institution going irrespective of really educating for human dignity, ownership and sustainably. Education has become a commodity rather than a public good. There is no curriculum that will ever be exhaustive. To focus on the Human aspect of education is to ensure that as long as we as human beings exist, the curriculum on Human Education will still be relevant and not assumed.

It is almost impossible for one to know all subjects, teach all subjects, research all subjects for all places and then present a panacea for education. The above topics were carefully selected and are almost always never included in many curricular. Most curricular  emphasises skills for employability. Skills will enable one to find a job, but today even the most skilled don't necessarily have a job for various reasons, but life goes on, as human beings. 

Educating human beings for life is more and more becoming of paramount importance. People live longer because of the advancement if medical technology. We are also fortunate to have the technology that can source MOOCS and OERs materials and many other educational items online, prepared by experts from all spheres of life,  top institutions, experts and ordinary citizens in the world. This provides a rich, inclusive and flexible source of training material, immediately, online linking the source owner and adaptable to your own environment.

I compiled reference materials for each stream for ease of reference. These are items that have been researched, previewed, tried and tested, before they can be loaded. This is a potential source of advantage for governments in policy development, designing laws and exploiting high powered skills from different companies. Instead of high taxes, government may offer rebates for companies that can generate training materials for its citizens. This will replace cost of books in schools and their delivery. Companies can offer so many vacancies but can do more to train the trainer for the quality products the country needs. This is however a continuous process of improvement as more and better items are frequently loaded. The challenge is to use the best.

Under each stream will be references that can be visited online, downloaded and applied. No need to buy books that will never be delivered.

Introduction:  why Human Education?

As far as we know, Human beings are aware that they are born without all the tools necessary to experience life. Apart from the few gifted beings, we need training to gain knowledge, use that knowledge in order to survive. We also need to deal with the spiritual issues, and prepare for inevitable death. To this end, most education systems have been designed to optimise this purpose of existence.

All education systems are for humans to interact fully with their environment. A human being have a responsibility to uphold and improve his life, life of those objects and animals around us, the proper application of natural law, and in the process, not to waste our limited resources. Key to Human education is to be a critical thinker, to ensure that we verify allegations and then become a better decision maker.

Yes, Human beings have rights, thus we need to understand Human rights, obligations and responsibilities. We will in this resource, place human beings to be represented by mothers, or mothers to be a main ideal entry level stakeholder for the preservation of life, from birth to the last breath. All other individuals will be catered for by institutions of learning, both formal and informal. No one should be left behind and the society should not have the so called dropouts.

Streams will be continuously upgraded as life do get complex, the older we get.

Stream One: Safety

Under items, as provided for by the oercommons.org software, there are files created for each stream. On the Safety stream you will find the following reference that I used[1]. Superscript 1 shows the name and the source of the open education resource. 

In this particular OER resource, it provides us with Annual Reports on the Indicators of School crime and safety in Schools. Some of these can also apply at our homes or communities. Once all members of the community understand Safety indicators, they can relate to the schools and thereby know that the schools belong to communities.

Safety applies everywhere but once parents release a child to go to school it is important to ensure that the child is safe, will be protected from common indicators as reported and you will find the child after school.

Even more important, is the safety considered during the mothers gestation period. Pregnant mothers needs to be given priority in public amenities and supported in general. The precautions and safety procedures and safety knowledge required should ideally start before birth. This will enable prevention of possible mistakes in future and problems like stunting and wasting after birth. These long term effects are not reversible.

Before birth

• Mothers are to form the minimum entry level to Human Education, for they are to give birth to new life. Pregnant mothers need to go through physical changes, emotional changes, hormonal changes and have high need for care, protection of themselves and their babies.

We explore the following

1. Human body[2]. The selected item and the support material as referenced provides training for good presentation skills, learning trained students  and Engineers present on the current technology related to the pregnancy, ultrasound techniques, amniocentesis procedures, in-vitro fertilisation, and labour anaesthetics. These are normally never exposed to the girl child until they are pregnant, which may be too late.
2. Health
   
3. Hygiene
4. Observation of signs
5. Use of bathroom scales [3][4]
6. Nutrition
7. Good music
8. Body fluids
9. Use of medication and drugs

After birth

To cover

1. Breast feeding practices

2. Washing

3. Clothing and sterilization

4. Sounds, music and educational toys

Potential skills needed

To cover

1. Names and use of medication

2. Types of soaps to use and effects on skin

3. Introducing hard food types and amount

4. Road to health charts[5]

Stream two: Technical skills

Modern Education systems are predominantly technical. There is more focus on Careers in most Education Model[6].

The OER Model used in this example, focus on the importance a career courses starting from pre-kindergarten through to grade 12. They emphasize age appropriate and grade appropriate learning strategies.

In this Model students apply and practice knowledge and skills at their appropriate level up to University teacher training programs.

Mothers should be able to

1. Read, write and communicate clearly

2. Know and capture the dates, time and circumstances of any event related to their child

3. Observe the child behaviors, colour changes, textures,  likes and dislikes, times of joy and otherwise

4. Measurements of body dimensions: Auxology

5. Keep good records of important information about their child, files and in the process identify difficult areas and must be given an option to  choose line of deeper study e.g Nursing, Financials, law, Engineering, Religion, Business, Teaching , Plumbing, Electricity, Mechanics etc. Professional at clinics and hospitals may be equipped to guide mothers on their swot analysis. Companies can again be involved to produce material or train the trainer personnel.

6. Develop a critical mind and Scientific enquiry, draft your own CV e.g.

7. Register with an accredited institution to follow up a career of interest

Requirements

• the duration of the theoretical study must be shorter than the practicals
• acquired skill must be registered, have a business model, and an implementation plan
• Qualified means a viable ongoing concern. Government to legislate enabling policies
• the impact of a qualified individual must be a percentage of value added to the bottom line
• all individuals must have sufficient income from their acquired skills
• impact on other people's lives, the environment, animals and tools must be in accordance to the standards of the profession and level of quality. Projects starting at home
• participation in family structures, community forums, local government structures and national events must be integral to maintaining ones status in the profession
• leading a balanced life. Churches, companies to be tax exempted by adopting delinquents, drug addicts and prisoners for rehab.

Stream three: Character Building

The item used for Character Building was provided by Myra Zarnowski[7]. Although this item was meant to target grades 3,5 &7, it applies to all of us. The topic of the item is  "Well behaved women Seldom make History", does not promote chaos, but the critical thinking required when one is    disagreeing with your boss.

Myra present this usable material by understanding historical context of Character building.

She recognise and understand individual efforts that promote social change. She is concerned with the values and character traits of women who made history and provides a long list of additional reading material in a form of bibliography.

Educated Human beings should have a discerning character

All people have character. Men and women of honour leaves a lasting memory to many people they come across in life. They have desirable values that are almost innate, but can be taught, we need more of them.

Where an education system hopes to produce students of desirable character without making it a specific stream of thought, anything goes.

Like Quality, we mostly know of it, once it is missing. Quality is not obvious, it is nevertheless needed and urgent. As a student of quality, I look for it everywhere without fail. My first lesson on Quality was by Dr Phil Crosby. He was clear about the four absolutes of quality:

Absolute no. 1: Definition of quality: Conformance to requirements

Absolute no. 2: what System will ensure your definition of quality?; Prevention

Absolute no.3:  what Standard are you using? Zero Defect

Absolute no. 4: what price are you prepared to pay? Price of non- conformancef

To have character is to know what you know, if you don't know what you know, you run a risk of making mistakes by taking jobs above your competence level which is what most people do. If you don't know what you don't know, then you ask. It is proper when standing in front of students, to emphasise the fact that Human beings do not know many things of life. Human education should help to unlock the child in us who needs to know. This will need people of good character and desire for truth. It is more expensive to pay for non quality than the cost of quality. Once the nation understands national quality systems and requirements for service delivery, non delivery will not be tolerated.

This material is not aiming at the truth, but at the most inclusive process towards the truth.

Stream four: Patriotism

We should all be patriotic. Given the comprehensive systems put in place by all governments, the protection of citizens by the police, provision of health and schools and pension when we can't work any loner, almost take for granted or assumes that all citizens are patriotic. We need to formalise patriotism for buy in and establish long term communication channels. Most governments only use media to communicate with citizens unless it is election times. It starts with the education system.

The Library of Congress in USA[8]ask a question, Are you a Patriot? If you cannot fight for your country what can you do?

In this item, they provide World War 1 posters, showing real patriots in action. It targets middle to upper division students. The role of national emblems, songs, flags, rifles and heritage sites as heritage for all humankind deserving protection is emphasised.

We are citizens of the world with fixed abode

We have our history which we must preserve. We must not destroy our inheritance, our diverse cultures, our historical evolutionary process, our uncovering of life phenomena and facts, and do so by being patriotic. Government and business must use citizens to promote national priorities.

Each nation have evidence of their inheritance captured in a form of books, emblems, flags, museums and natural resources which have been declared as human treasures through their recognition as World Heritage sites by UNESCO. These needs to be preserved.

Proper preservation calls for norms, laws and expectation of citizens to uphold these. Key is the national Constitution which must be upheld. Upholding the Constitution is the mandate of the leadership who must never to be found transgressing this mandate. Failing which, there is no national leadership. The country becomes vulnerable, pointing fingers and susceptible to abuse and capture. The positions of leaders must be separated from their political affiliations and individual limitations. It is a noble service to be a president, minister, teacher, police and preachers/apostols, these are callings and need to be respected, protected and properly remunerated if you are to avoid corruption.

The logic behind this material is to have a system that will prevent artists to abuse the president through their art, prevent the society attacking public office bearers irrespective of the reason, members of society respecting laws of the road, education initiatives and all laws of the country. Laws are there to protect life.

It is not only political parties, unions, government and business structures that have to invest in communities but the citizens who have to uphold and protect these asserts. You do not need a situation where schools are burnt. This will always happen if there is no social contract or when we cannot relate to the public buildings, and officials. Human education brings it up and it is for all of us to challenge the current status quo. It is not working for most of us.

Please visit the folders list in this software and appreciate the contributions of many countries in encouraging patriotism to their citizens.

Stream five: Spirituality

There are more and more churches that spring  out at all corners. Something is happening at spiritual level. We cannot ignore this great pull by so few, to so many. The question is why? 

Independence Hall Association[9] in America called this item "Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening". Although this item targets middle and high school it could apply to all of us.

Key questions emanating from this item are; 

Why is religion separated from the control of the political leaders? Is this a Revolution? What is Afrika's role in this process?

So what?

What am I?

Self  identity has lead to love, or hatred, separation or social cohesion. Human beings prefer the question Who am I? This question make several assumptions of knowing something about Self. What am I? demands accurate and precise definition that should clearly distinguish between a thing and a being.

This needs a dialogue.

Something in the beginning sparked an action. The Big Bang is the most popular scientific explanation if one is not a creationist. That beginning has undergone metamorphosis, mutations, and adaptions, and here we are. Physically we are aware of our composition and this research is ongoing. Is there more?

This needs a dialogue.

Metaphysical laws, the soul and the spirit have a place.

I attach items as source material to be selected and analysed.

What seems clearer in the items dealing with this subject, is the need for continuity. If energy can neither be destroyed nor created, so is life. Reincarnation or no reincarnation, life goes on. Is this a vector entity with magnitude and direction? If so to what end?

Reading books from Baha'i faith made me wonder how best can one access true knowledge that is sustainable, and only get reinforced over time. Several sources indicated that such knowledge acquisition methods changed over time.

Acquisition of knowledge

• Through the senses
• Through reason
• Through religion
• .knowledge will not manifest ..until the Holy Spirit comes.....

Stream six: Love

Sydney Brown's item[10] was used in this stream. He is adamant that you " Teach what you love". The provider of the set is LEARN NC. articles. The material provided include lesson plans, readings, teaching and learning strategies.

The core message in this item is " Be specific"

Other material items include related questions like

Is love in your DNA?; love letters; is love really blind?; and Love Medicine.

Love must be ubiquitous

It is within the nature of human beings to express love. Animals, and other living entities like plants, shows affinity to water and life giving resources. Love and life are attractive. Love needs to be brought to the attention of students as a matrix for interdependency.

There is no living entity, a biological island. We are all linked from the source. We are depending on each other for making ends meet, to support and get supported, to fellowship, share and have empathy. We are stuck with each other for life, if you disconnect from their beings, it is punishment to the love and life we have, it is incomplete and not as beautiful as when connected.

Systems of education, subjects, dogmas, theories are all about Human beings, connected and sometimes acting out in real life simultaneously without a break. This complexity of Education models and paradigms requires the decentralisation of knowledge and its ownership. It must be owned by the users, the people and no other entity.

Human beings are the central locus of control for education.

Ownership must be restored to the rightful owners, the indidual, families, communities and nations. Authorities are the servants, enablers and managers to ensure the integrity of Human education and ownership. Anything to the contrary is not sustainable. Some prefer labels like socialism or other isms just to be controversial. The question and action is but at an individual level. Individuals become a burden to society if they are dependent on the state. This is slavery.

Cohesive societies acting as one, believing in one system, surviving and enjoying one system is having structures and resources shared and all people benefit equally. This is their right, thus it is important to observe the Human Rights conventions. 

Where there is love, people have hope. 

Unhappy communities revolt against their systems of education.

Stream seven: Happiness

Many education curricular value happiness but do not specifically evaluate happiness as a desired outcome. The Center For History and New Media[11], The American Social History Project looks at Happiness through the lens of "Men without women: Guide to the unmarried man".

This item targets High School, Community College and other divisions. The premise of this item, is based on the fact that married life used to be idealized as essential for personal happiness and success. Non conformance became a social problem in need of study and explanation.

Large number of men and women remain unmarried despite these societal pressures to marry. Other questions to be considered include, What are the main sources of happiness today? What is at stake? Is there Gender bias? Who is likely to get stranded? Is it never too late for men? Who is happier? 

Are you Happy?

No one sells happiness. Yes marketing strategies may claim they are selling happiness in the products, but is it true?

Happiness is a state of being. Beings are never expressed in negative, they affirm themselves by I am. Never I'm not. This permanence may be overridden by desires, where one intends to experience some form of fulfilment once certain obligations are met. This never happens, if it does, it is for a short while. This is joy. Short lived and sometimes never repeated the same way.

In happiness, there is rest, stillness and completeness.

It is known that Jesus, expressed the need to be still, to know that I am God.

There are times of elation, times of loss, depression and sadness. The ability to see these events for what they are and not as permanent sad states, helps the understanding of true happiness. If the great connot get satisfaction from the small, then it explains why we cannot get lasting satisfaction from anything outside of ourselves.

Inside us, there appears to be a stable, resource, a home for happiness.

Items under happiness are well researched and practical.

Stream eight: Travelling

One of the Oldest information on travelling was obtained from the Center For History and New Media[12] which started after the first World War. This item is originally targeting High School up to upper divisions, in order to inform them about their past, how the war disrupted family lives, and how travelling to see their loved ones was not negotiable given the means to do so, but forms a very good basis and gives compelling reasons for travelling.

The two benefits that seems to emerge from this undertaking was Firstly, reconnecting with long lost surviving, family members, friends and foes and secondly, to see new places under more relaxed post war conditions, which is educational.

Education through Travelling

Movement of people across the globe has enabled travelling relatively easier. Since the second world war, people are more aware of the effects of war through history and its impact on technology, peoples lives, environment and the mementos that form the national pride to winning nations. These developments stimulated travelling, and in some cases did so oto verify the historical theory.

Knowledge and data are gathered from some of the living within the war torn countries. Churches and other national emblems from the thousands of years of development shaped the pride and the psyche of the survivals. To see and hear how different communities developed survival strategies, some of them well documented, forms the universal platform for knowledge exchange.

Almost like project management, travelling requires resources, planning, timing, select specific modes of transport at affordable prices, read on the strategic sites to visit in order to optimize the benefits from such visits and in some case document daily experiences through a well kept diary. Where to stay enables options for sharing with fellow travelers or using private Bed and Breakfast homes allows for more intimacy with the chosen families.

Vast experience of the food types and the type of medicinal herbs, extends ones knowledge to compare with one is usually used to at home.

Travelling is tiring because of the spontaneous daily data input, planning that goes along with it, and decision making on various choices.

Flights are faster than trains or private cars but fairly costly. Booking long in advance may at times reduce the cost. The lesson learnt is not prescriptive. The more informed the traveler the more they see. This is a good example of seeing the opportunities for entrepreneurial skills. Other people see more than others under the same conditions and time. 

Human education allows one to see more.

Stream nine: Death

There are two items that have been identified to really capture the concept of Death in practical ways. The first item was generated as an OER by The Annenburg Foundation[13] designed by one of the Annenberg learners. This item targeted High School, Community College, and Lower and upper Division. It presents case studies, moving personal stories and include cultural perspectives. The ten episodes are 

1. What is death?        2. The dying person

3. Facing Mortality      4.The Death bed

5. Fear of Death and dying     6. Sudden Death

7. A childs view of Death      8. Grief and Berievement

9. Death Rituals           10. The Good Death

Concluding Debates: Should we help people die?

The second item by Patricia Wiley[14] is about " The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". The provider set is iCPALMS-A Standard based K-12 Resources and Tools Pathway. The targeted level is High School, careers at Technical level.

The material for Grade 9&10 presents two poems about Death. Students are requested to compare and contrast between the two.

Death is a taboo subject

One reality we know is that energy is never created nor destroyed, just like Life, it does not die. What dies, is the body we are used to, but the experience and the memories of the dead remain vibrant in our thoughts. what is the difference between the idea one has about the person and the person himself? to what extend is ones experience a full complete reflection of the person? To what extend can we discuss death when we know how devastating its effects are to the bereaved families? If we remain silent about death, will we know more or remain less knowlegable? Does it matter?

Since Human Education is about critical thinking and enquiry, we realize that there are recorded stories about what people say, behave like, or feel before death. These claims are not verifiable as no one returned from death as we know it.

Recording about debates by a group of family members who have long passed away, have been reported. These debates are usually whether the sick should join them or not. The sick mumble nonsensical words but generally looks willing to go, this willingness is shown by either the sick facing away, or sending you for water and on your return, they are no more.

Death has no respect for age, gender nor race. Death happens.

If an entire family is wiped out in an accident, individuals, family members, and other relatives, will have to legally take care of what is left of that family, arrange for burial, maintain the children, give the remaining members hope and prepare them for the unintended consequences. Children need guidance, advice, and moral strength to remain as the parents trained them or wished them to be in future. Remaining uncles, sisters, and family members, may themselves have problems to cope with life as we know it and may be abusive or greedy and then divert the resources to themselves.

Yes the law and the system should take care of such situation, but do they? Yes, some may have qualifications but still need to enquire about the process. If the Human education lays the foundation, discuss the potential tragedy, and possible options, even if they are not exhaustive, the pain would be tolerated much better, even if it never gets to be accepted.

Reincarnation or no reincarnation, should the earth be a place to prepare for the next life, just as the unborn child in the womb of the mother would develop eyes to see after birth, we may consider the need to develop and refine the spiritual eyes for use after death.

Stream ten: Holism

Prof. Alex Byrne and Prof. Pawan Sinha[15], in their published article " Philosophical issues in Brain Science, from MIT, targeted undergraduates in designing this item.

It covers Philosophy, Brain, questions about the mind, much like Jan Smuts, as he developed the concept of Holism. Key questions include; are our concepts innate or acquired by experience? What are the so called mental images in the mind? Is color in the mind or in the world?

Mind over matter

Brain is a physical organ used for thinking. It is made of cells and nerve cells that is wired depending on the environmental exposure. the higher the exposure, the more complex the nerve connections. Experience has impact on the structural aspect of the brain. The experienced brain, retain a memory of the experience. The second experience of the same or similar event, is processed much faster and easier than the first experience. In the case of Human Education, it is important to have more variety of exposure to experiences in order to deal with complex situations.

Smuts coined the term Holism, when he explained the role of Mind as different from that of the brain.

Stream eleven: Standards, Quality and ethics

Standards: The UTAH Education Network[16]item is using the core Standards  to teach Academic Vocabulary  targeting Grades 9-12. They provide templates and introduce to the students concepts on how to learn academic language. David Grey[17]provided A New look at Instructional Leadership for the primary and Secondary students. This item is based on the American " No child left behind Act. Of 2001". The aim is to Standardise the processes deployed to improve student achievement. It also help Principals to become Instructional leaders through a National Model for principal preparation programs.

Americans use the Inter State School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standard (ISSLC).

Quality Education: Theodore Creighton[18]designed an item for Evaluating Education Doctorates and their effectiveness in Education administration. This was meant for tertiary students. He suggested a Logic Model to evaluate the Quality of education Doctorates get from several universities. As indicated before this item, it was also peer reviewed and accepted by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a scholarly contribution to the knowledge base in educational administration. 

The question was, how effective are the Doctorates?

The second Quality item was by Christina Randell et al[19]on Creating a Caring School targeting graduates and professionals. They developed aToolkit-Unit-1 aiming to consider the question of how Responsive the Schools are to the socio-economic challenges in South Africa today? What is the level of quality in our Education?  And to understand what informed action is required to remedy the situation.

Ethics: The Saylor Foundation[20], designed an item that deals with Business Law, Communication and ethics. They targeted Community College and lower divisions to consider  several questions like the role of lawyers, ethical standards in law, how a contract can fail, the impact of digital era on intellectual property rights. The item interrogates the difference between at-will employees and contractors employees and ethical in life today. The other item by Clyde Freeman Harried and Jennifer Nelson[21] looked at food and the Genetically Modified food in "Torn at the Genes". They encourage family and society debates on ethics, nutrition choices and deal with choices e.g Banana Split: To eat or Not to eat? To Human cloning issues.

Benchmarking

This topic cuts across all streams. Each stream will have Standards, Quality and ethical considerations.

Standards: These are specifications for performance. Accurate Standards setting instruments, allows for comparisons between the processes in terms of accuracy, allowances and excellence. This is a tool for evaluation of the implementation and the subsequent impact as designed.

Quality is a dynamic process, that aims to constantly meet the customer requirements. Yes, it is also about excellence, but unlike the Standards, it is not fixed, preset and rigid. As the requirements changes, so does the processes of Quality to ensure that the customer requirements are taken care of.

Ethics in Human education is as good as Human Rights obligations. A breach of Human Rights is not recommended and is inhuman. Apartheid Education was inhuman and hence civil rights movements played a major role in exposing its tenets and modus operandi.

Rights have concomitant responsibilities.