An impressively thoughtful and thoroughly practical guide for educational reform.
Corbin details her plan for a thorough modernization of American education.
In 2000, the author established the PAST Foundation (Partnering Anthropology with Science and Technology), an organization designed to challenge the “outdated factory-based model of education” that relies on rote memorization, offers one-size-fits-all pedagogies, and fails to prepare students for the employment realities of today, especially in technology. As became painfully clear during the Covid-19 pandemic, per Corbin, the current educational system needs a “radical recalibration” that fosters individual agency, transforms classrooms into vibrant “ecosystems of inquiry,” and prepares students to solve real-world problems. In helpfully accessible language free of turgid academic jargon, the author describes her vision for education’s future, one in which a broader swath of students is prepared to enter the technology industry. In fact, Corbin contends it is precisely this industry, and the innovations it has produced, that has rendered the traditional models of education obsolete. “A tremendous disconnect exists between learning in school and applications in the real world. The ubiquity of technology makes rote memorization unnecessary—data is at our fingertips, yet learning in school largely focuses on studying facts and not thinking critically, leaving students unprepared to solve today’s problems.” The author presents an expansive range of ideas, including the transformation of teachers into “facilitators” who give students more opportunities to think and participate, as well as the incorporation of real R&D projects to stimulate student inquiry. This is an exceedingly practical volume that prioritizes actionable plans over ideological abstractions—Corbin discusses, in painstaking detail, new ways to think about student assessment, new approaches to fostering an inclusive classroom environment, and the potential advantages of artificial intelligence for teachers. This provocative book astutely combines a general philosophical orientation with a myriad of minutely detailed strategies.
An impressively thoughtful and thoroughly practical guide for educational reform.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2024
ISBN: 9798343544183
Page Count: 249
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The sub-title of this book is "Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools." But one finds in it little about education, and less about the teaching of English. Nor is this volume a defense of the Christian faith similar to other books from the pen of C. S. Lewis. The three lectures comprising the book are rather rambling talks about life and literature and philosophy. Those who have come to expect from Lewis penetrating satire and a subtle sense of humor, used to buttress a real Christian faith, will be disappointed.
Pub Date: April 8, 1947
ISBN: 1609421477
Page Count: -
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1947
This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.
A former NFL player casts his gimlet eye on American race relations.
In his first book, Acho, an analyst for Fox Sports who grew up in Dallas as the son of Nigerian immigrants, addresses White readers who have sent him questions about Black history and culture. “My childhood,” he writes, “was one big study abroad in white culture—followed by studying abroad in black culture during college and then during my years in the NFL, which I spent on teams with 80-90 percent black players, each of whom had his own experience of being a person of color in America. Now, I’m fluent in both cultures: black and white.” While the author avoids condescending to readers who already acknowledge their White privilege or understand why it’s unacceptable to use the N-word, he’s also attuned to the sensitive nature of the topic. As such, he has created “a place where questions you may have been afraid to ask get answered.” Acho has a deft touch and a historian’s knack for marshaling facts. He packs a lot into his concise narrative, from an incisive historical breakdown of American racial unrest and violence to the ways of cultural appropriation: Your friend respecting and appreciating Black arts and culture? OK. Kim Kardashian showing off her braids and attributing her sense of style to Bo Derek? Not so much. Within larger chapters, the text, which originated with the author’s online video series with the same title, is neatly organized under helpful headings: “Let’s rewind,” “Let’s get uncomfortable,” “Talk it, walk it.” Acho can be funny, but that’s not his goal—nor is he pedaling gotcha zingers or pleas for headlines. The author delivers exactly what he promises in the title, tackling difficult topics with the depth of an engaged cultural thinker and the style of an experienced wordsmith. Throughout, Acho is a friendly guide, seeking to sow understanding even if it means risking just a little discord.
This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-80046-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2020
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