This post is in regards to the Bowman article, which discussed moral education. Bowman was saying that music is inately social, and because of that students are taught certain ethics that will help them lead well-lived lives. He even lists ten reasons why he believes this. I've always agreed that education should be ethical, and I support John Dewey and the ideas he puts forth about a democratic society. But I know there are people who disagree with this view. Dr. Abrahams, last semester, said that he believes we should not force Democracy on people because it is not the only way of life and maybe we should be open to other ways of life. Others may say that the teacher who is teaching the ethics may not be a moral individual. Both of those arguments are circumstantial, and I still agree with living democratically, but I wanted to know how everyone else felt about this issue.
posted by Liz @ 7:13 AM
3 Comments:
I do agree that music is a social activity, and it should be ethical. But, it is hard to force Democracy onto the students as teachers we do not want to make any students feel uncomfortable. I think that perhaps putting forth the idea of democracy without forcing the students to believe it might be more along the lines of what needs to be done. Just like in music we are constantly trying to maintain a balance between the different types of music: cultures, religions, etc. We should try to of course show democracy but not push that it is the only way. Perhaps bringing this into a discussion in the classroom by using musical examples from cultures with different beliefs would be a good way to adress it evenly. I am not sure, but it is one option.
I think you misunderstand democracy in education. Teachers who teach democratically, do not teach ABOUT democracy. They teach the ideals of democracy such as putting the needs of others before personal gain, working in harmony with others, and treating others as equal members of a society. These are just some of the ideals that are advocated in a democratic classroom. Your example of adding multiculturalism in the classroom is a perfect example of what a teacher would do to instill these ideals. You should not consider democracy in education as a political lesson, but as teaching the freedom and justice that we have taken for granted.
You are right Liz. I think lots of people misunderstand the idea of teaching in a democratic manner and teaching DEMOCRACY. We as teachers must approach our teaching in an accepting manner and keep the success of others as our highest ideal.
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