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PHIL'S PHILOSOPHY By; D.P Kinkade Contributions By; Taylor & Drake Kinkade

RUBRIC'S CUBE- Some of you readers may have caught the fact that the title to this column is slightly misspelled. The brightly colored cube toy, which twists in multiple configurations and which just about all of us are familiar, is actually called a Rubik's cube, named after its inventor- Erno Rubik. There is something like forty three Quintilian possible configurations on a standard Rubik cube but the only one considered “correct” or “solved” is the one where only one color is on each side of the three dimensional, six sided cube. Now, forty three Quintilian is really an incomprehensible number to those of us who are actually human and think in finite terms. It is a mathematical number for describing near infinity.

 

There is a reason as to why I purposely misspelled it in the title and that is to discuss the similarities and contrasts between a Rubik's cube and a rubric. You see, while Rubik's cube lends itself to near infinity, a rubric is much more finite in nature. The actual definition of a rubric is-A scoring guide used to evaluate the quality of a students constructed responses. Rubrics include dimensions or criteria, brought into focus and defined by set parameters,so that performance can be judged. I am not a real big fan of rubrics and I will tell you why in just a moment.

 

When you are facing something like a math equation then it is just a black and white matter. It is either right or it is wrong, there is no almost right, no gray area, when it comes to solving equations or formulas, well; up to a point. When you go past calculus IV and linear algebra, past advanced physics, molecular bonding and ionic half reactions, then you get into the realm of theoretical mathematics, quantum calculus and quantum physics, once there; you have looped back around, into the world of imagination and creativity. Isn't that amazing in how that works? Finite and infinity in a beautiful partnership or dance with each other.

 

Now, Let's get in to why I am not overly enthusiastic about rubrics. Can you imagine critiquing Bach's cantatas or Beethoven's symphonies, using a rubric, or how about DaVinci's Mona Lisa or Van Gogh's Starry Night? You see, when you get into the realm of Art and music and even other art forms such as dance or writing, then it is subjective and unverifiable, not objective, which is what a rubric needs to be, to actually work. Cold logic does not apply in my humble opinion and estimation, the only critiquing criteria should be -does it provoke emotion or promote thought; that is just about it. When you try to box it in by “certain set parameters” then you are doing a disservice to the goal of education itself-to inspire curiosity! Besides that, rubrics are subject to the whim and personal preference of whomever puts them together, they have no place in any area which involves creativity and imagination. This is what rubrics and Rubik's cube have in common, both are boxes looking for certain solutions, instead of the wide open expanses necessary for wonder, creativity and enthusiasm to survive.

 

I am not the only one who holds such views. Look up Alfie Kohn (would make a great secretary of education) and his ideas on education, in particular his feelings on rubrics or check out Maya Wilson's book “reassessing rubrics in writing” and there are plenty of others, going all the way back to the theories of John Dewey and well beyond, if you are in the notion to do a little research.

 

I am of the opinion that until our American educational system pretty well abandons what has come to be known as “traditional” education (only in the last few generations really)and fully incorporates “right-brain” methods into the system, then we will continue the downward spiral we have been on for several generations, in comparison to other first world nations. Here is a little equivalence, to show the difference between right-brain and left brain learners (remember no one is completely one way or the other, you only have a dominant preference) Left-brain_ logical; sequential; rational; analytical; objective; looks at parts. Right-brain_ random; intuitive; holistic; synthesizing; subjective; looks at wholes. Are you starting to see why certain things belong out of traditionalist territory. Here is another comparison between traditional and progressive education and I believe you might see a pattern emerging.

 

Traditional- School is a preparation for life; learners are passive absorbents of information and authority; Teachers are sources of information and authority; Decision making is centrally based and administratively delivered; program is determined by external criteria, particularly test results; Learning is linear with factual accumulation and skill mastery; knowledge is absorbed through lectures, worksheets and texts; Disciplines, particularly language and math are taught as separate skills; Intelligence is a measure of linguistic and logic/math abilities; School is a task to be endured.

 

Progressive- School is a part of life; learners are active participants, problem solvers and planners; Teachers are facilitators, guides who foster thinking; Decision making is shared by all constituent groups; Learning is spiral,with depth and breadth as the goal; Knowledge is directed through play, direct experience and social interaction; Disciplines are integrated as learners make connections; Intelligence is recognized as varied, includes the arts and is measured in real life problem solving; school is a challenging and fun part of life.

 

Do you see the two totally different ways of going about learning? One embraces firm logic, structure and tight control, homework, separation and objectivity; while the other calls for openness, freedom, creativity, constructivism and subjectivity. Needless to say I am probably in the 99th percentile when it comes to personal preference, I will go with the right-brain and the progressive education approach just about every time, it is simply how I believe we learn best.

 

It is easier than you think to kill the passion someone else has for something, it is especially easy to kill passion in a child. I heard one of my own children talking about giving up on something that has become a passion for this particular child, over the last year or so. This child had become so enthusiastic about this particular thing that they were looking at ways of possibly incorporating it into the rest of their life. My child took pride in it, saw a possible long term future but now is considering walking away altogether, for hard work and dedication seemed only to set my child up for disappointment, when dreams are crushed this can happen. I hope we can convince my child not to give up, because you never know what might be right around the corner; this is a lesson from me, learned the hard way, which I hope both my children take to heart.

 

Let's not lead lives determined to kill the passion in our hearts for the mysterious and unfathomable. When it comes to our most important relationship, our very reason for existence and the source of our passion -God; let's push past the God of black and white, right and wrong. When we push past the finite God of our minds, it loops back around to the infinity of our hearts. Let's not seek to try to put God in a box or a cube. Instead of embracing a God of cold logic, squeezed into our finite conception, how about we embrace a God of mystery and infinity ; one who is unfathomable to the human heart and mind. The God of the little child, the God of wonder, creativity, imagination and awe. I am completely comfortable in the mystery, I don't have to have a divine being set up inside strict parameters. Give me this God and passion never has the chance of dying and faith never becomes rote and routine. I choose awe and freedom every time, when it comes to the path I follow; how about you?

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