Transformative Education:
A Work of Justice,
A Work of Love
A work in partnership
Overview:
Context
The Child
The Curriculum
The Educator
The Goal of Education
“So What?” Questions
The metaphysics of education - JES
The Child
The “material cause”
The Curriculum
The “formal cause”
The Educator
The “efficient cause”
The Goal of Education
The “final cause”
Process:
Keynote
Panel of respondents
General Conversation
Small group conversations
Conversation of the whole
2000
Society General Chapter in Amiens
First International Heads Meeting in
Joigny
Beginning of the 3rd era of globalization
Eras of globalization
1st era: 1492 – 1800 agent: countries
2nd era: 1800 – 2000 agent: companies
3rd era: 2000 -
agent: individuals and
small groups
“DID YOU KNOW?”
The Material Cause
of Education
The Child
Composite Picture:
Global youth culture
Common Styles
A Common Value System
Drawn to the Spiritual
Activities in solitude
Activities in service
Passion for Justice
The Formal Cause
of Education:
The Subject Matter
Plan of Studies:
Flexibility
Emphasis on Character
Spirit and Plan of Studies
common mission
common spirit
shared principles and values
broad purposes
hopes and ambitions
NOW –
common competencies
Global competence:
…the knowledge and skills that help people
understand the flat world in which they live,
the skills to integrate across disciplinary
domains to comprehend global affairs and
events and to create possibilities to address
them. Global competencies are also the
attitudinal and ethical dispositions that make
it possible to interact peacefully, respectfully,
and productively with fellow human beings
from diverse geographies.
Fernando Reimers
Three dimensions
of global competence:
the affective dimension
the action dimension
the academic dimension
Yong Zhao
the affective (ethical) dimension
“a positive disposition towards
cultural difference and a
framework of global values to
engage difference”
the action (skill) dimension:
“refers primarily to the ability
to speak, understand, and think
in a foreign language”
the academic (disciplinary and
interdisciplinary) dimension:
“knowledge of the world which
includes deep knowledge and
understanding of world history,
geography, the global dimension of
topics such as health, climate, and
economics, and the process of
globalization itself.”
Digital Competence:
knowledge of the nature of the virtual
world;
positive attitude towards the digital
world;
ability to use different tools to participate
and lead in the virtual world;
ability to create products for the virtual
world.
Competencies for
the building of community
The efficient cause of education:
The Educator
Saints savants
“wise saints”
“holy scholars”
Professional Competence:
rigorous intellectual formation
strong instinct for community
concern for the other, especially the
disadvantaged
consistent character formation in freedom
a life of faith
Commitment to the God Quest
Spiritual Generativity
Importance of
Formation to Mission
The Final Cause:
The End of Education
The End of Education…
Justice, Peace and
the Integrity of Creation
Education:
an act of justice
a foundation for peace
a new spiritual vision
the establishment of the reign of God
The Integrity of Creation:
Particular issues
A New Narrative
The new cosmology…
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Brian Swimme
Thomas Berry
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Judy Cannato (relying on Karl Rahner)
Field of Compassion: How the New
Cosmology is Transforming Spiritual
Life
The Universe Story:
a single creative event
a single act of divine grace
connectedness at the heart of all creation
our role and responsibility:
co-creators with God,
participating in God’s work of transformation,
participating in God’s compassionate action.
Compassion…compassion changes
everything. Compassion heals. Compassion mends
the broken and restores what has been lost.
Compassion draws together those who have been
estranged or never even dreamed they were
connected. Compassion pulls us out of ourselves
and into the heart of another, placing us on holy
ground where we instinctively take of our shoes and
walk in reverence. Compassion springs out of
vulnerability and triumphs in unity.
Compassion…
a quality
an organizing principle
a character trait
a competency for globalization
a challenge to be good news for the poor
a lens for our choices
a foundation for our hope
Our International Network
of Sacred Heart Schools…
a field of compassion
Panel
Maureen Ryan
Sacre Coeur, Australia
Chris Carpenter,
Hammersmith, England
Kim Sook Hee, rscj
Sacred Heart School, Korea
Suzanne Cooke, rscj
Carrollton, United States