Dear All,

This reminds me of one of my favourite quotations about education: 
"Education is what's left, when you have forgotten everything you ever 
learnt at school."

It may sound flippant, but I think there's a lot of truth in it. 
Education is much bigger than learning - it's about attitude, self 
confidence, your beliefs, your philosophy of life. And you don't just 
get it at school!

Yours,

Deborah Jarman


>Hi Esther
> 
>
>If you are looking for pragmatic advice to help you decide on the label
>most likely to appeal to your intended audience, I would recommend
>"Schools".   This label now seems hopelessly outdated, but if schools are
>your main target group, then why not be specific?   The fallacy for me in
>this type of discussion is that there is a single right answer.  If your focus
>is on maximising responses to your material, then all my experience of
>user testing and focus group evaluation of websites suggests that more
>specific, real-world headings like "Teachers" or "Schools" are more likely
>to catch the eye of a teacher or a student than either "Education" or
>"Learning".    Depending on what else you want people to find within that
>section of your website, or notice on your printed materials, you could
>widen its coverage:    Schools and courses, or Schools and Adult
>Education, or whatever plays to your particular strengths.     
>
> 
>
>Of course our end users are not the only audiences we feel we need to
>serve when making such choices.   The Learning label has been favoured
>for some time now because it helps convince our peers, funders and the
>like that we are aware of the need to go beyond purely didactic
>approaches -  but as Richard says, even Learning is not all
>encompassing.   And its main downside is that very few people (with the
>exception of those of us who work in the cultural, and to a lesser extent
>education, sectors) identify with or react positively to the term.    
>
> 
>
>Anyway, I wish you luck deciding, with so many diverse opinions to draw
>on!  
>
> 
>
>Best wishes
>
>Martin
>
> 
>
>----------------------------------------------------
>
>Martin Bazley
>
>Online experience consultant
>
>Martin Bazley & Associates
>
>15 Margin Drive
>
>Wimbledon
>
>SW19 5HA
>
>0780 3580 727
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>www.martinbazley.com
>
> 
>
>From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Woff
>Sent: 11 February 2009 16:10
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: learning or education
>
> 
>
>I usually resist this kind of thing, but can't here.  I disagree entirely with 
>Essex.
>
>Learning is just one aspect of education - most people forget that George
>Hein's 'Learning in the museum' has a first chapter where Hein recognises
>this, but chooses to focus on learning.
>
>Education is a big concept that takes in ideas about the nature of
>knowledge, systems of teaching (or facilitating!) and most crucially
>perhaps, the ethical dimension of the process in which we are all engaged.
>  Learning does not have an ethical dimension in and of itself.  If it is to
>have one, you have to turn to other educational concepts to explore it and
>establish it and in so doing you prove that learning is insufficient in itself -
>Essex's lecturer was working with a hidden ethical stance which a broader
>notion of education would have forced him to face up to - you can facilitate
>all sorts of learning, but many of them you would not approve of - is that
>still OK?  Answer - no or at least you should think it through!
>
>Calling everything learning was a tactical stance to distance museum
>education from being synonymous with schools - a laudable aim, but one
>which I think threw the baby out with the bathwater.  It's not that by
>focusing on learning one is necessarily evil or unethical, it's just that it is
>easier to hide assumptions from critical scrutiny - something educational
>thinking does not allow.
>
> 
>
> 
>
>Richard
>
> 
>
>Richard Woff
>
>Head of Schools and Young Audiences Education
>
>The British Museum
>
>London WC1B 3DG
>
>Phone: +44 (0) 20 7323 8689
>
>Fax: +44 (0) 20 7323 8855
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
> 
>
> 
>
>From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dan Phillips
>Sent: 11 February 2009 15:42
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: learning or education
>
>While I agree with the heart of what you say, i don't agree with the
>etymology. Education comes from the latin - ex duco, to lead out of. A
>truly educational experience is one that draws out of each individual that
>which lies within. The Romans considered educating to be synonymous
>with drawing knowledge out of somebody or leading them out of regular
>thinking. That's not a bad thing, that's what we should all be trying to help
>with.
>
> 
>
>Have fun
>
>Dan
>
> 
>
>On 11 Feb 2009, at 15:33, Essex Havard wrote:
>
>
>
>I would advocate for “learning” rather than “education”. “Learning” puts the
>learner at the centre of the process and gives them more control. When I
>was training as a primary teacher one of my lecturers asserted that
>teachers do not “teach”, rather they “facilitate learning”. At the time I
>thought he was ridiculous, but with the benefit of too many years
>experience than I care to mention, I now agree with him.
>
>Let’s banish “education” to the annals of social engineering. Liberate the
>learner inside!
>
>My name’s Ben Elton, goodnight
>
>Essex Havard
>
>PS  I make no apologies to sending this to the whole list (as per ad
>nauseum correspondences prior to Christmas) as I think it is an important
>point for ALL practitioners to consider. Am happy to receive
>complaints/plaudits re my particular “take” on Esther’s request (to my
>e-mail only please, not on list). Of course, please do reply to Esther
>directly on her point.
>
>From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [
>mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Farrow Esther
>Sent: 11 February 2009 15:02
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: learning or education
>
>I have an age-old question. I’m in the process of starting up an education
>service at a new archives/local studies venue due to open in 6 months. We
>are currently working on leaflets, website etc for the venue as a whole and
>I can’t decide whether I want to refer to what I do as ‘learning’ or ‘education
>’. My work will mainly be with schools but my colleague, the Audience
>Development Officer is having the same trouble deciding whether to call
>her work ‘community’ or ‘outreach’.
>
>Has anyone had any feedback to suggest what words people identify with?
>Does a teacher go straight to ‘education’ assuming it means them? Does
>an adult interested in getting involved consider themselves a ‘learner’  
>
>Any suggestions much appreciated
>
>Thank you,
>
>Esther Farrow
>
>Education Officer
>
>Hull History Centre
>
>01482-318741/01482-615102
>
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> 
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-- 
Deborah Jarman
The Inspiration Exchange
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Forest Hill
London SE23 3QB
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Mobile: 07973 856852
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