Sandra McCracken

Wendell Berry on Education

One of my favorite sections of Wendell Berry from his essay "The Joy of Sales Resistance" in his book SEX, ECONOMY, FREEDOM and COMMUNITY.  (p. xii)  It has been on my brain as we consider schools and educational goals for our children.

"...As we know, the new commercial education is fun for everybody.  All you have to do in order to have or to provide such an education is to pay your money (in advance) and master a few simple truths:

1.  Educated people are more valuable than other people because education is a value-adding industry.
II. Educated people are better than other people because education improves people and makes them good.
III. The purpose of education is to make people able to earn more and more money.
IV. The place where education is to be sued is called "your career."
V. Anything that cannot be weighed, measured, or counted does not exist.
VI. The so-called humanities probably do not exist. But if they do, they are useless. But whether they exist or not, they can sometimes be made to support a career.
VII. Literacy does not involve knowing the meanings of words, or learning grammar, or reading books.
VIII. The sign of exceptionally smart people is that they speak a language that is intelligible only to other people in their "field" or only to themselves.  This is very impressive and is known as "professionalism."
IX. The smartest and most educated people are the scientists, for they have already found solutions to all our problems and will soon find solutions to all the problems resulting from their solutions to all the problems we used to have.
X. The mark of a good teacher is that he or she spends most of his or her time doing research and writes many books and articles.
XI. The mark of a good researcher is the same as that of a good teacher.
XII. A great university has many computers, a lot of government and corporation research contracts, a winning team, and more administrators than teachers.
XIII. Computers make people even better and smarter than they were made by previous thingamabobs.  Or if some people prove incorrigibly wicked or stupid or both, computers will at least speed them up.  
XIV. The main thing is, don't let eduction get in the way of being nice to children.  Children are our Future.  Spend plenty of money on them but don't stay hime with them and get in their way.  Don't give them work to do; they are smart and can think up things to do on their own.  Don't teach them any old-fashioned morality.  Provide plenty of TV, microwave dinners, day care, computers, computer games, cars.  For all this, they will love an respect us and be glad to grow up and pay our debts.  
XV.  A good school is a big school.
XVI. Disarm the children before you let them in." 

Published on December 13, 2011 at 4:27 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

Hand Written Lyrics

In the spirit of my last entry...I've been looking for more ways to give back this December, so I came up with an idea to help those of you who might be on the fence about wanting to sponsor a child with World Vision. 

For anybody who wants to sponsor a child, the first 10 people to email me with the name of their World Vision sponsored child (this is for new sponsorships only) and their own home address will receive hand written lyrics to my song 'Justice Will Roll Down,' suitable for framing, gifting, or keeping.  Beyond the first 10, anyone else signing up for new sponsorships during the month of December can email me this same information and receive a printed copy of these lyrics, with an autograph.

If you sign up this week, we should have plenty of time to get these out to you before Christmas.  So, please join me in supporting World Vision and caring for the world's poorest children!  See the details below for how to get started with your sponsorship.

Love,

Sandra

1. Visit world vision and sponsor a child with this link.

2. When you receive your confirmation, email the name of your sponsored child and your home address (or the address where you would like the lyrics sent) to sandra@sandramccracken.com

3.  I'll email you back letting you know if you are one of the first 10 and confirm your address for shipping. 

Published on December 7, 2011 at 3:31 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments

Giving is concrete.

I need regular reminders so that I can remember to be generous in tangible ways.  I need to see the need around me, and connect to it.  And I can testify that the more I give, the more my heart expands and opens up.  From reading letters from our World Vision children in Kenya, or following the freedom making work of International Justice Mission, and in opportunities to give creatively like this one from Blood Water Mission.

I just took advantage of the chance to buy 2 bags of cement to help clean water projects in Africa, (and for another week or so, they will bonus an additional bag for every 2 bags purchased). 

"Cement is the main component of most of our water and sanitation projects. In many of our communities, it's also one of the most expensive. Although not glamourous, this gift will help transform the lives for our neighbors in Africa." 

Celebrate.  Give.  Repeat the sounding joy.

www.bloodwatermission.com/blog

Published on December 3, 2011 at 10:40 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments