Doing my usual Sunday-lesson-planning, I ran across this quote and was deeply moved by it:
"Washington taught the world to know us. Lincoln taught us to know ourselves. The first won for us our independence. The last wrought out our manhood and self respect" (The Expositor).
Somewhere in there is a connection to our our Mission and Vision. I humbly leave that as a thought for the day.
In 1992, Father John Murphy tutored me for the AP English Literature test because I wanted to take Shakespeare from Matt Barmore and Mythology from Bob Grady, and I didn't also have time for AP English. In addition to the standard Paradise Lost, Father Murphy and I also discussed John Milton's Areopagitica. As the president of the Debate team, he knew that I would be interested in the freedom of expression outlined in that speech, and summarized in in the line:
"Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties."
I mention this because September 27 - October 4, 2008, is designated Banned Books Week by those who are concerned by such issues. (A quick look-up shows that Milton's Paradise Lost appeared in the 1732 Papal Index Librorum Prohibitorum, as seen below.)
According to the American Library Association, over 400 books were challenged in 2007. To see the list of most-challenged books, visit the ALA's website. I was surprised to see that on the list of the year's most-challenged authors, Mark Twain is still #3.
I make note of Banned Books Week in hopes that we take to heart the oft-quoted ideal of the Jesuits to be counter-cultural. One of the most important skills that we can teach our students is to think critically. To do so requires exposure to materials that are thought-provoking, the ability to reason, and the liberty to communicate.
Long before there was talk of any 21st Century Skills, Oscar Wilde was on to something in the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray: "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written." Our job is to give students the skills to know and communicate the difference.
About the book:
The first generation of “Digital Natives” – children who were born into and raised in the digital world – are coming of age, and soon our world will be reshaped in their image. Our economy, our politics, our culture and even the shape of our family life will be forever transformed.
But who are these Digital Natives? How are they different from older generations – or “Digital Immigrants” – and what is the world they’re creating going to look like? In Born Digital, leading Internet and technology experts John Palfrey and Urs Gasser offer a sociological portrait of these young people who can seem, even to those merely a generation older, both extraordinarily sophisticated and strangely narrow.
Based on extensive original research, including interviews with Digital Natives around the world, Born Digital explores a broad range of issues, from the highly philosophical to the purely practical: What does identity mean for young people who have dozens of online profiles and avatars? Should we worry about privacy issues – or is privacy even a relevant concern for Digital Natives? How does the concept of safety translate into an increasingly virtual world? Are online games addictive, and how do we need to worry about violent video games? What is the Internet's impact on creativity and learning? What lies ahead – socially, professionally, and psychologically – for this generation?
A smart, practical guide to a brave new world and its complex inhabitants, Born Digital will be essential reading for parents, teachers, and the myriad of confused adults who want to understand the digital present – and shape the digital future.
The authors will be appearing in The City this week (free & open to the public):
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Monday, September 15, 2008 @ 6pm Hotel Vitale 8 Mission Street Map & Directions |
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