1. “Education and the Significance of Life” by Krishnamurti SPED 620 Timothy Bryan Bikowski

2. Goals: The students will reexamine their role as a students and what it means to be educated in society. During their reflection, the students will become aware of the bias that an educational institution can create, and how important the ideas of educational freedom are. By looking at various aspects of society students are aware that institutions stunt individuality and promote conformity, therefore contributing to a world that is integrative and constrictive, rather than individualized segregated.

3. Objectives: Students can identify negative and positive reasons education can have on their life. Students will develop what they feel is the most legitimate form of education. Students will be able to discern the differences and compare and contrast between intellect, authority and intelligence. Students will be able to make connections on how peace is directly related to education, and what aspects of education prohibit peace and cultural acceptance. Students can determine what factors hinder us from clearly understanding art, beauty, and creation.

4. Grade level: I feel that education is a topic that is not only for the parents of the students, or administration. So often we as adults do not think about the most important aspect and integral part of being educators and parents is: Young people and the development of our young people. I think that students need to examine their own education and their role in it. Many children if asked “why are you here?”, would answer “because I’m supposed to be.” Many parents and educators of students have displaced integrity, responsibility, and creation of their students own lives and made it part of an institution. Education has become more about the institution, and less about the individual. So therefore, when it comes to what grade level is this appropriate for, I would say, do your best to modify the content, but I suggest 6 th to 12 th grade.

5. Classroom Environment: A classroom of any level must be based on the ideas of respect and cooperation. A classroom cannot function correctly if the students are not being respectful towards their peers and the teacher. If respect is given to all in the class, the a cooperative class is bound to take place.

6. Time span: The readings, debates, and discussions are meant to be held over a two month period, however, the lesson given is during one week period. The readings are to work in conjunction with in-class discussions and homework reading assignments during the week. The lessons are meant for social studies, and to be infused into the Social Studies curriculum, and or, the curriculum as a whole. The reading and discussions are meant to provide an avenue for the students to reflect upon their own current education and how to become aware of the significance of themselves in it.

7. Over view: “Education and the Significance of Life” J. Krishnamurti In this short and easy to read eight chapter book, Krishnamurti explains that an education that is not based in the integration of thought, feeling, and outlook is for the most part useless. The book points out that many methods currently being used to educate our children “emphasize slavish conformity to mass values and overstress technique; this needs to be changed.” (Krishnamurti, 1981) The book is an inquiry into the nature and requirement of the kind of education which can lead to self-fulfillment and to world peace.

8. Anticipatory Activity: #1 Ask the students to answer the following questions for homework in their journal: How does education effect who we are? What form, if any ( and you can make one up, if you want to) is the best way to educate? Why are grades goods? Do grades help us, and if so How?

9. In class pre-reading activity: The following ideas are to be handed out and discussed before the students read the chapter “What is the significance of life? What are we living and struggling for? If we are being educated to merely to achieve distinction, to get a better job, to be more efficient, to have wider domination over others then our lives will be shallow and empty.” (krushnamurti 1981) “If we are only to be educated as scientists, scholars wedded to books, specialists addicted to knowledge, then we shall be contributing to the destruction of the world.” (Krushnamurti 1981) In our present civilization we have divided life into so many departments that education has very little meaning, except in learning a particular technique or profession. After students discuss, they read the chapter for homework.

10. Class discussions and assignment: Do the ideas represented in chapter one really only bread ideas that are contrary to the original intent of what the author is saying. Is not agreeing in class, or even with these discussions an acceptable way to act, If so why? Do we have the authority to not accept information? what is the self, and is there a such thing in the ideas of this book if the means to the end, which is world peace, can there really be a self if we all are to be educated where the ultimate goal is world peace? Why during our education do we as students at some point become less inquisitive? Does the form of education that we have contribute to the diminishing inquisitive nature of man? After class discussions, students will turn in their first responses in their journals of the first set of questions asked of them.

11. Reexamination: Students after class discussion are asked to write one page responses to the aforementioned questions. Next class, students will be give back there original comments on questions, and asked to read them and compare and contrast their thoughts of what they originally wrote and what they have just written share them in with each other in the class. After class discussion on why, or how our thoughts have changed students will write a final paper three pages that answers the following question: What is the best form of education, and how do we attain it?

12. Sources: “Education and The Significance of Life” Krishnamurti, Jiddu, Harper Row paperback edition. 1981.