The Fourth Way

"The Three Paths of Distraction" from The Fourth Way was nothing short of refreshing. The writing opened by referencing one of my favorite educational philosophers, John Dewey, and how both/and thinking is common sense for most teachers. For instance, in a balanced literacy program you need to include both phonics and a whole language (a.k.a sight words) approach.

   Distractions were a major point of focus, emphasizing how these distractions can prevent us from making positive change. They said it best when they said, "Governments don't just deal with distracters: They sometimes create them." When that happens, a socially engaged public and profession has to rectify matters." I found the aforementioned to be such a powerful statement, as the authors went on to write that the combined paths of autocracy, technocracy, and effervescence have essentially seduced the educational community away from a straighter course.

   In terms of autocracy, I found the major points for the declining educational performance in America to be a breath of fresh air. (From someone who has had my share of frustrations with the public education system, it was a revelation to see many of these injustices acknowledged.) From the over reliance on the testing of basic skills  to the insufficient attention to adult literacy-these accusations are necessary and bold.

   The analogy for "letting go" in which the American sociologist Richard Sennett references the art of "release" truly resonated with me when he compared the principles of "letting go" to using a hammer. If a leader can let the tool rebound after hitting a nail, their aim will become more precise. A leader must know when to "let go" in order to prevent their measures from being counterproductive.

   The authors really put a focus on data, and particularly how it has transformed our education system. The tie that they drew between educational strategies and the data that was collected by spying in Communist East Berlin was compelling and eye-opening. Might we perhaps be using data (i.e., test scores, attendance rates, standardized tests) in a completely incorrect and ineffective way? We have been using data for the purpose of tracking test scores, student progress, and achievement gaps across the nation; but The Fourth Way suggests that technocrats are so focused on the data-driven numbers that they are missing the big picture. "Achievement gaps reflect economic and social status gaps that exist around the world. Increasingly, though, teachers and schools have been made solely accountable for the persistence of these gaps." I could not agree with this statement more. Poverty and societal gaps have existed since the dawn of time and, while I believe that the purpose of education is to narrow that gap-this does not mean that the burden of society's pitfalls should be limited to a singular institution.

   Above all, I found this excerpt to be eye-opening and relevant as it introduced many ideas and theories that I had not previously considered. The authors critiqued as well as criticized, which I feel was both essential and unavoidable. Upon finishing this reading, I think they may be suggesting that the omnipotent United States public education system might still be stuck in the Third Way. (And perhaps some educational communities would be classified as even the Second or First Way.)

   I'll conclude with this quote from the reading which demonstrates the exhaustive need for change and the final cry for veritable learning:

"When our planet is ecologically imperiled and too much of our world is unsafe, we need to help children not just raise their test scores, but also want to build a better future and have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to do so."

**On a side note, I am now very interested in reading this book in its entirety.