An argument for learning as a process of personal growth, keyed to the ambitions of those who can afford it.
What is school for?
The authors of this manifesto argue that the goal of learning is “mastery”—the ability to take knowledge and direct it to the goals of personal advancement and social change. They outline three features of mastery learning. First, the focus of teaching should be “the development of essential and enduring cognitive and character skills needed for work, citizenship, and personal growth.” Second, success in learning charts how students can “use the skills and knowledge they have learned.” Third, schools should build “character skills” as “an integral element of the learning process.” The authors write in a breathless, revelatory style, somewhere between a Silicon Valley product rollout and a TED talk. Their approach fits well with the ideals of upper-middle-class American ambition: Don’t just succeed but become a better person and improve society in the process. Project-based learning becomes one pathway to reimagining the relationship between education and work. “Build a plan, implement it, and share with the community what [you have] learned and accomplished.” They offer a series of case studies of schools where students “become advocates for the land and its people….How do I build that confident cultural identity?” Such a question may motivate parents and their children in the rarified communities of social awareness. For the increasing number of first-generation students entering higher education, for adults looking to retrain for new careers, or for parents awestruck at the increasing costs of college, this book may offer little in the way of practical advice. For a nation increasingly skeptical of expertise, it will do little to convince Americans that knowledge is a good thing.
An argument for learning as a process of personal growth, keyed to the ambitions of those who can afford it.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781541601925
Page Count: -
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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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