Twitter Book Club: Ivan Illich (1970) Deschooling Society, Ch 1

Tonight's Twitter Book Club reading is Ivan Illich's (1970) "'Deschooling Society."less than a minute ago via Twitterrificanderscj
anderscj

While I documented the previous books I read for Twitter Book Club on my blog shortly after reading each chapter I have not been so timely with this book. Deschooling Society presented me with many ideas that needed further absorption and reflection than could be done on a day by day basis. This combined with this being the only real week of summer I get this year has meant that what follows will be a more holistic approach to digesting this book. I will still blog it out chapter by chapter for archival purposes but what I write about on each chapter will be influenced by later chapters as well as earlier ones.

Deschooling Society is a radical departure from our conventional wisdom regarding the morally righteous view of the need for school, especially schooling for the poor, in a society. This quote is really a sort of thesis statement for the whole book. It is hard to imagine a world without schools or a world without institutions of production. After reading this book I still am having trouble wrapping my brain around the concept. However, I come to meet Ivan Illich's thoughts on schooling at a time in my own personal and professional journey where as an educator and parent am beginning to seriously question many of the notions I have long accepted as unquestioned truths about education. For me this has been sparked by the debate about the "common core" charters like KIPP, TFA, & Mastery that have been sold to us as model schools, schools the rich would not dare send their own kids to. It has also been sparked by the eminent end of unschooled childhood in our household as my oldest daughter enters kindergarten in a couple of weeks. It has also been sparked by the transparency of informal learning we have seen through use of social media and having spent three years observing the effects of technology-enhanced personal learning networks on both my learning and the learning of others.

Over and over in this book Illich describes a type of network that could be built to support people in their own self-guided learning. For Illich this could be computer-mediated (written in COBAL) or man powered. His use of the word "technocrat" describes the person who is heavily invested in systemic or bureaucratic mechanisms like the hierarchy of schools. Many times he mentions a system that sounds eerily like social networks and PLNs.

RT @anderscj: "Both (schools & hospitals) view doctoring oneself as irresponsible, learning on one's own as (cont) http://tl.gd/30js4dless than a minute ago via Seesmic for AndroidAaron Eyler
Aaron_Eyler

I am reminded of a the lyrics to a Sheryl Crow song, "it’s not having what you want, its wanting what you’ve got."

"Educational disadvantage cannot be cured by relying on education within the school." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"Schools by their very structure resist the concentration of privilege on those otherwise disadvantaged." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
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"Special curricula, separate classes, or longer hours only constitute more discrimination at a higher cost." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

Sounds like the Obama-Duncan plan for education reform.

"The poor need funds to allow them to learn, not to get certified for the treatment of their alleged disproportionate deficiencies." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"All over the world the school had an anti-educational effect on society." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
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"The second major illusion on which the school system rests is that most learning is the result of teaching." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"The second major illusion on which the school system rests is that most learning is the result of teaching." Illich (via @anderscj)less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneamanda enclade
aenclade

I agree RT @anderscj: "The second major illusion on which the school system rests is that most learning is the result of teaching." Illichless than a minute ago via TweetDeckAshley Casey
DrAshCasey

"The equal right of each man to exercise his competence to learn and to instruct is now pre-emptied by certified teachers." Illichless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

Ivan Illich, in 1970, in the first chapter of Deschooling Society describes something that sounds a lot like my Twitter Book Club.less than a minute ago via Twitterrificanderscj
anderscj

@anderscj Twitter Book Club is very kewl ... thanks ...less than a minute ago via webRaymon Montalbetti
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Check out @anderscj -he's tweeting excellent thought provoking quotes from Ivan illich - Deschooling Societyless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneamanda enclade
aenclade