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| There is an old Indian story of seven blind men who are asked to describe an elephant. Their responses all vary according to their experiences. The first blind man, who touched the elephant’s trunk, describes the elephant, "like a snake." The second blind man, who touched the elephant’s leg describes the elephant, "like a tree trunk." And so on. Each is convinced that they are right, based upon the part of the elephant’s anatomy that they have touched. They remain angry and isolated in their self-righteous indignation until a passerby tells them that they are all right and manages to integrate the pieces of their individual experiences. | |
| This story has struck me as being directly applicable to the world of high school students. Like the blind men in the story, many teachers offer their view of the world through the lens of their academic discipline. The student, like the passerby, is asked to distill this information and create a cohesive picture of the world. While it is undoubtedly true that many students have achieved success with this model, it is also clear that this model does not work for everyone. Creating a sense of one’s place in the world, through education, is a highly individualized affair. To that end, it is important that we offer students a variety of ways to wrestle with the important questions of learning, where there is a natural thematic connection linking the fields of study. There is a historical precedence for this type of interdisciplinary education. | |
| In the following pages, you will read about The Walden Project, which is a model based upon this idea. As you will note, each academic discipline is discussed and its relationship to the Vermont Framework of Standards is detailed. It is important, however, to note that the program itself is designed so these distinctions are blurred. While students will undoubtedly gain the skills in each academic discipline, these skills will be developed as part of a broader mode of inquiry. | |
| The program is inspired by the writings of the great American philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau went into the woods to "live deliberately." During his sojourn there, he meditated upon his life and the relationship between himself and his society. While he did not spend his entire life in the woods, this period was important for him in articulating his own writing and philosophy, which has inspired millions of others, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. It also furthered his own attempts to reconcile the notions of self-sufficiency and social responsibility. | |
| We will be asking students to look closely at the present day world and to discover how they can be contributors from a developed sense of social, environmental, and personal awareness. To help the students understand a community perspective, a broad cross-section of scientists, writers, artists, business people, and tradespeople will supplement their personal course of study. | |
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Matt Schlein |
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