a) It would be easy to consider the Genius Reserve in only its historical context and thereby come to the assumption that it is nothing more than a park designed to show what the land around this area would naturally resemble (indeed, this was the purpose for which Morse purchased the land). It would also be simple to take a look at the field guide and assume that the Reserve is an idyllic paradise full of rare flora and fauna. Viewing the power point might also lead one to the conclusion that the Reserve is just a project for the environmentalists.
While it is true that the Genius Reserve is all of these things, it is also the culmination of much philosophical thought being put into practice. Clearly the philosophical concepts and systems of the Native Americans are at work in the creation and maintenance of such a place. Their attitudes regarding nature and the link between nature and education seem readily apparent here. Our abilities to learn about Florida and the natural character of the environment around us is, according to such a view, dependent on our connection to the land and environment itself. This kind of mentality also accounts (in part) for why such an effort has been made to restore the area to its original ecosystem: the place, as it originally was, was in a sense holy. The invasive and alien species become invaders and disturbers of the natural order of things, throwing off the sense of balance that was so important to Native American thought.
Another clear connection between the Genius Reserve and American philosophy is the transcendentalist movement. Transcendentalism’s encouragement of valuing nature firmly implanted the “tree hugger” mentality in the American consciousness. That Jeanette McKean should find it pleasant to walk through the Reserve, reflecting and enjoying the surroundings, is itself very transcendental. The transcendentalists would also appreciate the importance of the Reserve as the last area of undeveloped, natural land in
The Genius Reserve is not, however, the only aspect of Rollins that owes much to the work of American philosophers. The structuring and methodology of the school itself are due to the changes that occurred under Hamilton Holt. Holt’s philosophy of education was derived primarily from the work of John Dewey and other pragmatists, and he went to great lengths to try to shape the school around these ideals. His plans, which he lays out in Rollins College Ideal: an Adventure in Common-Sense Education and An Adventure in Old-Fangled Education, focus on the need for practical education and open discussion about ideas. His aims, “training youth for life,” has echoes of everything from transcendentalism to Dewey, and it can still be felt today through Rollins’ emphasis on “practical liberal arts education.”
He also expressed the opinion that “no institution can educate anybody—all true education is self-education” (Holt 11). These ideas about professors only helping students to achieve self-education are first expressed by Socrates in Meno dialogue, but they are commonly repeated throughout the history of the philosophy of education. In general, his thoughts about the style that education ought to take are themselves very American. He dismissed the popular university-style system of strict lecture and rote memorization, preferring instead a more democratic, conversational-style classroom. In some senses, this resembles the move away from monolithic religious absolutism and towards congregationalism. The most obvious similarities here are the democratic nature of both the congregation and the class room and the concept that the professor can learn as much from the students as they can learn from him or her (just as the minister of a congregation can learn from his or her flock).
Holt and the Genius Reserve might not seem immediately apparent yet, but that is because the original purchase of the land by Morse has little to do with the establishment of the Reserve in recent years. The Reserve has a mission to aid in the education of students by giving them a practical, “hands-on” experience of the concepts that they are learning in the classroom. This purpose should already appear more in the vein of Holt’s style of education than the university-style education system. For more about how these two relate, continue reading to the end of the blog.
b) The ideas expressed by Holt and represented by the Genius Reserve are both primarily concerned with the process of learning, experiencing, and growing in knowledge. Philosophically-speaking, this most closely correlates to the philosophy of education, although there is a certain amount of epistemological significance to these processes as well. It seems obvious how Holt’s ideas, as an educator, should be filed under philosophy of education, but perhaps it is not as clear how the concepts behind the Genius Reserve make it philosophically similar.
The Reserve is not just a nature park, as its mission clearly states in the PowerPoint we viewed. It also tries to fulfill an educational role by giving students a “hands-on” type of learning. This experiential learning has been becoming increasingly popular since the time of the pragmatists. They focused heavily on practical concerns and empiricism, both of which are benefited by experiential learning (as opposed to more disconnected, purely theoretical learning). Also, Dewey’s role as an educational theorist and James’ role as a psychologist helped to direct their thoughts toward what kind of situations people learn best under. They were well ahead of the science we have now that verifies their epistemological claims: namely, that we learn best when we have direct experience of what we are learning and we can connect it directly to other things.
These ideas are almost identical to what Holt had to say about education. The experiential learning concepts behind the Reserve are all there in his writings. To him, the Reserve would be as one great classroom where not only teachers and students held open discussion, but nature itself was also allowed to enter into the conversation. Holt, emulating others like Dewey, worked in the area of philosophy of education (and therefore indirectly, epistemology), and due to his influence on the way we think about education here, the Genius Reserve encapsulates many of these same ideas and concepts.
Works Cited: The Rollins Ideal: an Adventure in Common-Sense Education by Hamilton Holt (e-reserve in Olin Library Archives)
No comments:
Post a Comment