[Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Fwd: Question about Imaginal Education these days

Mon Dec 8 17:01:53 PST 2014

Here is a few paragraphs on Imaginal Education from 1965.  Thisexcerpt is taken from  IMAGE  JOURNALOF THE ECUMENICAL INSTITUTE  Division of theChurch Federation of Greater Chicago  NUMBER THREE, WINTER,1965  EDUCATING THEIMAGINATION OF MODERN YOUTH
The full text is available on line 
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| UntitledIMAGE JOURNAL OF THE ECUMENICAL INSTITUTE Division ofthe Church Federation ofGreeter Chicago NUMBER THREE WINTER, 1965 EDUCATING THE... |
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UntitledImaginal Education

THE HUMAN ENTERPRISE ofeducation is the keystone in the civilizing adventure. Social explosionsvitally effect the educational foundations of a people. Since World War II andespecially since Sputnik I, education in America has received a privilegedpriority in public attention so that now it has become one of our largest socialactivities. These very circumstances, however, constitute a temptation to thinkof our educational task simply in quantitative terms. Certainly our presentefforts must be vastly expanded in a variety of directions. But this must notblind us to a qualitative defect in our educational processes. If our previousanalysis is correct, the world of youth demands that we now recognize anotherdimension of education relatively unnoticed hitherto. This is the existing gapbetween formal learning and the ability of the student to relate our culturalknowledge to a significant and creative existence in the postmodern world. Ouryouth suffer deeply from this lack in the education of the imagination. Hereinis the crucial challenge to present day society which is disclosed by the youthculture emerging from the moral crisis occasioned by the current culturalrevolutions.

The human imagination isinvolved in all forms of thinking and learning. The term imaginal educationis used here in the special way that has already been implied. It aims atenabling the student to discover and create images of himself in his real worldwhich will motivate him to free, intelligent, responsible involvement incivilization. Images are the bridges between abstract ideas and the specificdeed. They both illuminate the practical situation and impel to concreteaction. Images offer the deep, personal permission to be and to do. They arethe guides, forces and critics of our sense of personal integrity andvocational accomplishment. In sum, imaginal education intends to awaken, expandand furbish the imagemaking capacity in man and thereby to release him intoeffective participation in society.

This must not be seenmistakenly as an exclusive problem of the individual. It is a major socialissue of far-reaching consequences. A nation, a city, must decide whether itcan afford to have a citizenry ill-equipped to engage creatively in the socialtask of building new structures for human existence and social wellbeing. Thisis not to mention the social cripples who are a direct liability to society,not in the first instance because they have been subject to subnormalenvironment, childhood warping or innate weakness of will, but because theyhave inadequate self-pictures and fail to organize their personal and socialexperiences significantly.

If this insistence iscorrect, it is obvious that a decision must be made as to whether or not theformal educational system should be responsible for imaginal education. If theanswer is yes, radical changes in curricula, pedagogy and organizational formmust follow. And it is not only the formal and public aspects of society'seducational endeavor that are called to account by the demand for images.Various kinds of social agencies, character building institutions, independentwelfare societies, religious bodies and private schools all have aresponsibility for the educational task and all must face this need forrelevant and effective means of educating the imagination of postmodern man.Since no simple, self-evident answers are at hand, a variety of novelexperimental ventures must be created and fostered.

What is needed is areconstruction of life attitudes, a reeducation of the imagination. Whateverthis process be called-motivational, contextual, attitudinal or imaginaleducation-a new dimension must be added to our concept of learning.

It is true that no erahas equaled our own in concern for equipping the rising generationquantitatively and in quality for its responsibility in civilization. Almostfrantic efforts are being made to cope with the number to be educated and thekinds of education to give them-vocational training, remedial instruction,social readjustment and prekindergarten schooling. But educators almostunanimously report a common frustration. There is a quality in the learningprocess which is missing. More and better buildings, more and bettercounseling, more and better facilities and more and better teachers do notanswer the desperate need for young people to become full persons, total humanbeings responsible for society's welfare. Full and constructive participationin civilization requires that the individual understand his significance andhis place in life. It requires that his mental image of himself be one of worthin his humanness with all its strengths and weaknesses. A society cannot long endurewithout its people appreciating their genuine humanness as a gift to bestowupon it.

Education which does nottake this vital factor into account, which does not provide its students withsuch an essential self-understanding, is in danger of producing agentsmotivated by self-interest only. Such will not become a fruit of progress buta thorn in its side. This could well be the most crucial issue of our time.

THEFUNDAMENTAL NEED of postmodern youth is for self images relevant to the actualworld in which he lives and adequate to organize meaningfully his personal andcommunal experience so that he can appropriate a sense of significance ininvolving himself in the human drama of civilization. Such has been thecontention of the previous essays. In short, it is the need for imaginaleducation

 Jim Wiegel  

Never trust atoms.  They make up everything.  a billboard

 401 North Beverly Way,Tolleson, Arizona 85353011-623-936-8671 or 011-623-363-3277jfwiegel at yahoo.comwww.partnersinparticipation.com
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      From: Marianna Bailey via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
 To: Jack Gilles <jackcgilles at gmail.com> 
Cc: "Dialogue at wedgeblade.net" <Dialogue at wedgeblade.net>; Tim Dove <DovePHX at gmail.com>; "OE at wedgeblade.net" <OE at wedgeblade.net>; Burna Dunn <bldunn1 at gmail.com>; "oslotta at earthlink.com" <oslotta at earthlink.com> 
 Sent: Monday, December 8, 2014 5:50 PM
 Subject: Re: [Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Fwd: Question about Imaginal Education these days

I would like to hear from Kaze Gadway, Sarah Buss and Nan Grow. They were there when the rational objective and existential aim was created using the comprehensive triangle on education.
Marianna

On Dec 7, 2014, at 12:10 PM, Jack Gilles via Dialogue wrote:

Dear All,
I think Jeanette has done the best job of answering the question of a definition. But we have to understand that “we” have a long history of this definition and tend to assume that others grasp the profound depth behind it, and I don’t think they do. For instance, although the term ORID is based on a natural flow of consciousness, to utilize it effectively requires a depth understanding of I.E. and that in and by itself is not Imaginal Education (as we define the term). The same for Project Work, Strategic Planning and other methods we have honed and championed. 
It could be said that all “education” is “Imaginal”, that is, it is based on a set of images and assumptions that are then communicated in a method called Education. And it is more than just being “conscious” about the process. Those who want to teach about American Exceptional-ism are very clear that they want certain “images” to be communicated and to take root. Thus you have a spectrum of Imaginal Education from outright designed propaganda to unconscious and unquestioned “Images” that are the basis of what is being communicated. 
So the issue of I.E. is the life stance and understanding that is underneath the process. To use our language, the “Word” is absolutely essential for the process. That reality is worthy of a long” discourse, but to be an effective Imaginal Educator it needs to be understood at the heart of the creative effort. For people’s information, Mark Dove’s son, Tim, has done a fantastic job of just that, without ever mentioning any of our historic language. So, having a profound and self-conscious understanding of humanness is essential for effective Imaginal Education as we have framed it. 
Good discussion (dialogue)!
Jack
P.S. I’ve added Tim Dove’s name to the list so that he can see how this discussion is going and can respond if he so desires. He is the best example of anyone I know who has built a whole-system understanding of education based on Imaginal Education.

On Dec 7, 2014, at 10:23 AM, Jeanette Stanfield via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
For me, imaginal education is an art.  It is the discernment of images that are blocking a person, a group, a community, or society from moving positively into the future.  Once discerned, messages are powerfully and creatively put into the learning environment through questions, stories, art forms, projects, activities,models etc to release the negative images and allow new images to emerge and thus new decisions and behaviours. 
Thank you Steve and Loren for inviting this conversation. 
Jeanette 
On Sun, Dec 7, 2014 at 10:22 AM, Randy Williams via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

I would say that the goal of imaginal education is to change behavior.  Our outmoded, out of date stories of reality (images) are at the root of all our problems. Example of an outmoded story--we can have unlimited economic growth on a finite planet--the story underlying climate change, global warming, and all the associated symptoms. Randy 

Sent from my iPad
On Dec 7, 2014, at 9:09 AM, Karenbueno via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Imaginal Education acknowledges that images affect behavior and that images can change.  The goal of the Imaginal Educator is to change images by using a variety of teaching methods, one of which is the structured conversation model, called ORID.  The goal of Imaginal Educators trained by the ICA has been to change a victim image to an image of  one's individual power to affect one's life and the world. from Karen Bueno   -----Original Message-----
From: steve har via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
To: Order Ecumenical ICA-USA <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>; oe <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>; Tatwa P. Timsina <tatwa at ica-nepal.org>
Sent: Sun, Dec 7, 2014 7:32 am
Subject: [Dialogue] Question about Imaginal Education 9these days

In Nepal and India
Nelson Stover and Loren Weybright are collaborating on two schools one
in Nepal and one in Chikhale school in Maharastra.

Loren is onsite in Nepal for 3 months doing Action Plan projects with
the staff & teachers and curriculum design and coaching with
individual teachers.

In January they both will be in Maharastra at the Chickhale school for
a 2 day professional development.

Here is a question that needs an answer:
Just what is Imaginal Education, Now and how do you practice it?

Nelson asked this question and they are looking for a variety of
(simple) responses.

Can you share a sentence on Imaginal Education rom your experience,
short, simple?

-- 
Steve Harrington
PS if you want you can track developments in Nepal and Chikhale by
signing up at the Imaginal Education Collection upper right hand
corner here: https://wedgeblade.net/wordpress/imaginaleducation/blog/
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