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In this collection of essays, Miller brought together nine of the pioneer
thinkers in the field of holistic education, including Douglas Sloan,
John P. Miller, David Orr, Kathleen Kesson and others. They argue that:
- In
response to the degradation of the global ecosystem, education must
cultivate a deeper respect for natural systems, for diversity and organic
growth. Limited economic and utilitarian concerns are dangerously shortsighted.
- In
a global, postindustrial culture, education must overcome the Cartesian
thinking that has fragmented and narrowed our conceptions of teaching
and learning; we must now emphasize connection, relatedness, and integration
in human experience.
- Culture is not static; it evolves as people create
and recreate meaning through language and metaphor. By developing a
critical awareness of our participation in culture, we may consciously
guide it toward more balanced and humane purposes.
- The deepest source
of renewal and creativity is the imagination. The educators in this
volume speak of "the sense of wonder," "living
knowledge," "multiple meaning systems" and "alternative
ways of creating and communicating," such as dance, art and music.
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