#352 Cultivating Wisdom - the Essential Basic Competency - are Universities up to the Task?

     "Many educators are asking hard questions about the consequences of a too-narrow focus on technical skills that can rapidly become obsolete. At U of T, recent curriculum reforms have deliberately leavened academic and technical skills with what one might call “renewable competencies,” such as critical thinking, effective writing & communications, problem-solving, teamwork, and ethical & social reasoning. These are competencies for a lifetime, for any job and for every citizen. ...
     It’s hard to imagine nurturing such attributes effectively without some in-person interactions. It’s even harder to imagine how traits such as resilience or emotional self-awareness can be developed in an online cocoon with its pseudo-socialization. In contrast, if student A debates student B in a seminar, neither can reboot as their pet arguments get shredded. And the good news is that they might thereafter engage in civil discourse and discover the most important piece of human geography: common ground.
     Please don’t take this as a Luddite turn. I firmly believe that digital tools will make a hugely positive difference to higher education in the decades ahead. But I also believe that in-person education – and the competencies fostered by interpersonal exchanges – will be irreplaceable on our hot and crowded planet for a very long time." 
       David Naylor, President, University of Toronto   http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/presidents-message/online-and-in-person-digital-synergy-david-naylor/

     I humbly suggest that the common, connecting "language" or foundation for these essential life skills is perhaps best learned via mindfulness meditation practice.

     See also: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2012/02/33-deeper-teaching.html 
     and: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/06/empathy-basic-human-competence.html 

Michelle Finucane   http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/

#102 Mindfulness - for everyone?

     While books and scientific papers about mindfulness and mindfulness-based therapies such as MBSR, MBCT, ACT, etc are increasing exponentially, many do not formally practice mindfulness at all, or in depth, or for any length of time. 

     Mindfulness is a method for directly, fully engaging with the reality of life. At least subconsciously, most of us know what we're ready for and when. When we're not ready to face some aspect of reality, we can't see it, we become confused, irritated, sleepy, bored - we use a full range of avoidance maneuvers. 

     Even those of us who intentionally start & maintain a dedicated meditation practice, will encounter this same range of avoidance maneuvers, because we naturally tend to resist change. Even star athletes sometimes lack enthusiasm for daily practice. Nevertheless, star athletes continue to practice daily, fully realizing that growing beyond one's comfort zone involves discomfort. Avoiding discomfort is appropriate when it warns us of impending injury. But in learning situations such as mindfulness, we intentionally approach discomfort because it brings about normal growth.

     Reaching our full human potential requires dedicated lifelong transformational learning. As human beings, we have the knowledge, interest, opportunity and persistence to follow through. 
     Now is the only time available to grow up normally.